Tennessee football: Top five Vols performers in 30-17 loss at Auburn

These were the five best Tennessee football Volunteers players at Auburn.

A pick-six and two missed field goals were then difference between Tennessee football beating the Auburn Tigers and the 13-point loss it suffered at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night. These miscues are inexcusable, and there will be plenty of time to call out everybody involved with them.

However, if the Vols were that close to actually winning the game, just being a couple of plays away, then a few UT players had to be responsible for them being in position to do so. As a result, despite these issues, they should get some credit and recognition.

As a result, let’s look back on the players who did everything they could to keep Rocky Top in this game and give them a few helmet stickers. Here are the five best Tennessee football performers in the Vol’ 30-17 loss at the Auburn Tigers.

0.5 TFLs; 6 tackles (5 solo); 1 QB hurry

He didn’t rack up lots of stats, but while Tennessee football’s pas defense struggled significantly, the pass rush did what it could to keep the Vols in the game. Matthew Butler was a huge reason for that. He tied for the leader on the team in solo tackles and in overall tackles.

Butler was also a playmaker, as he assisted on a tackle for a loss and hurried Bo Nix on another play. He got the push needed up front, and he was a part of the reason that the Tigers never really got their running game going until they were able to stretch the field with their passing game.

Outside of the Alabama Crimson Tide loss, this was Butler’s best game of the year. He was aggressive, proved his ability to line up anywhere and did everything he could to deliver a victory for Rocky Top. That it didn’t come to fruition is not his fault at all. He still earned a spot on this list.