All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols 31-19 loss to Florida

By Caleb Calhoun

Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Eric Gray (3) runs for a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Eric Gray (3) runs for a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Ty Chandler (8) runs with the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Ty Chandler (8) runs with the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Running backs continue to carry the offense.

Before we dive in here, we should give Velus Jones Jr. some credit. The senior receiver had four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown, a mini-breakout game for him. However, he wasn’t the star for Tennessee football in this game.

The Vols once again relied on Eric Gray and Ty Chandler. For all of his faults in pass protection, Gray continues to be the best player on the team with the ball in his hands. He had 12 carries for 47 yards on the day, which isn’t great, but he added seven receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney continue to find ways to use him in their offense.

Chandler, meanwhile, had 12 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown, one in which he broke multiple tackles. Meanwhile, he had one reception for 15 yards. Together, Gray and Chandler had 157 of the team’s 334 yards, nearly half of them. This has been a theme all year, and it was no different in this game.

Honestly, a sad story of this year is how the Vols wasted a ton of talent at running back, but at least they provided sparks at times. Still, UT is on its first six-game losing streak since 1988, so there’s not much to celebrate with this team.

Home/Vols Football