Tennessee football’s top five performers in 31-27 win at South Carolina
Pick Analysis. Running back. 5. player. 839. Scouting Report. Senior. Ty Chandler
13 carries, 86 yards; 1 reception, 10 yards
When Ty Chandler arrived on Rocky Top in 2017, consensus was he would be the heir apparent to Alvin Kamara as an all-purpose back. Now, as a senior, he has turned into the workhorse back, which is incredible development. Chandler didn’t score any touchdowns at the South Carolina Gamecocks, but he consistently kept drives alive for Tennessee football.
In the process of averaging over six and a half yards a carry, Chandler’s play set up the Vols’ first touchdown, which Eric Gray, the other running back, scored. Gray, by the way, had 12 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown and one reception for 31 yards. Those numbers weren’t bad, but Chandler was the guy who kept UT’s offense on the field on a more consistent basis.
At 5’11” 205 pounds, Chandler has a unique ability to hold onto the ball and get physical up the middle, running between the tackles. He still proved to be a threat in the passing game, and his pass protection helped all night. Simply put, he did everything a running back is supposed to do.
On the Vols’ final drive, Chandler was key. He had a 20-yard run on 2nd and 2 that allowed Jeremy Pruitt to run tons more time off the clock, and that allowed UT to run out the clock once it recovered the fumbled punt. Although 96 yards from scrimmage with no score isn’t an amazing stat line, Chandler was crucial all day.