Tennessee football report card in 31-27 win at South Carolina

Defensive grades

Defensive line: A-

Throughout the night, the Tennessee football defensive line kept getting pressure up front. Impressively, it all happened without Darel Middleton as well. Nobody racked up lots of stats, but sometimes defensive lines don’t do that. They still consistently got a major push, which is why the South Carolina Gamecocks only managed to average two and a half yards a carry.

Linebacker: A-

Deandre Johnson was a star at outside linebacker, coming away with two and a half sacks. Meanwhile, Henry To’o To’o once again proved his value at inside linebacker, coming away with a pick-six. Those two guys alone did more than enough to give this unit an A-. There were issues elsewhere, particularly with guarding tight end Nick Muse, but the unit made enough plays.

Secondary: C-

Shawn Shamburger’s absence at nickel was devastating. Shi Smith torched Doneiko Slaughter, who was in his first game as a freshman. That alone was enough to bring this whole grade down. Everybody else was fine, particularly Alontae Taylor, who was physical all night, but Smith’s dominance over the middle with new quarterback Collin Hill was often impossible to stop.

Overall defensive grade: B

Sure, they allowed 27 points, but they also scored a touchdown. As a result, the Vols’ defense was pretty solid for the most part. That one issue in the secondary held everything back. If it didn’t happen, they would have won this game 31-10. They could look really elite, however, when Shamburger finally returns to play nickel.