4. Wideouts are still great playmakers when given the chance.
With no running game and a ton of mistakes by the offensive line, the great plays by Tennessee football’s wideouts will be overshadowed. However, seniors Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson continue to show they are more than capable of replacing Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and they proved that again with their play on Saturday.
Palmer had two touchdown receptions in one-on-one coverage. One was a jump-ball in which he out-leaped his defender, and the other was a fade to the corner that he controlled just as he got a foot down. That one put the Vols up 21-17, and he finished the day with four receptions for 71 yards, including those touchdowns. He’s not got three scores on the year.
Johnson, though, who is back from a redshirt, continues to show his value as a short-gain wideout. He caught a pass over the middle in the first half and was rocked as he caught it, losing his helmet on the tackle, but still managed to hold onto the ball for a first down. In the second half, he took a short pass and turned a corner for a key first down on third down to keep a drive alive.
For the game, Johnson had only three receptions for 28 yards, but his receptions are always key. These two continue to show they can be weapons in the open-field, as Johnson makes the spectacular plays and Palmer wins all the one-on-one plays. Even doing it against an elite secondary like the Georgia Bulldogs counts for something.