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Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols 31-27 win at South Carolina

By Caleb Calhoun

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Socially distant fans look on at the Tennessee Volunteers huddle during the Volunteers' football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Socially distant fans look on at the Tennessee Volunteers huddle during the Volunteers' football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images /

5. Kicking game needs some work.

Because of numerous players being infected amidst the pandemic, the Vols were not able to practice special teams as much in the offseason as they usually do. They also were dealing with a new long snapper, as Will Albright and Matthew Salansky replaced Riley Lovingood. Well, that all showed in the game with a couple of disastrous outcomes.

Albright, who was recruited and even received a rating on Rivals specifically as a long snapper, got the initial nod as a true freshman. However, on the Vols’ first punt, he had a very low snap, forcing Paxton Brooks to pick it up and try to make a play. The result was a turnover on downs, and at the time, Tennessee football was trailing the South Carolina Gamecocks 7-0 and looked in trouble.

Later in the game, though, another issue emerged. On 4th and 1, Jeremy Pruitt called Brent Cimaglia’s number for a 46-yard field goal. Cimaglia was nine of 11 on field goals beyond 40 yards last year, so he’s pretty reliable, and this would have put the Vols up by 10 points in the third quarter. Well, Cimaglia hooked his kick wide left.

What happened? Replays showed that protection from the right side was a major problem, and that clouded Cimaglia’s vision on the kick. Simply put, UT has lots of things to work out here in the long run. Now, Cimaglia did still hit all four extra points plus a 27-yarder, but these special teams issues could prove disastrous over time if not worked on.

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