Tennessee football report card in 56-0 win vs. Tennessee Tech

Special teams grades

Place kicking: A-

There weren’t many chances for Tennessee football to thrive in the place kicking game with no attempted field goals. However, Chase McGrath made all seven of his extra point attempts. J.T. Carver got a shot at one, and he made his as well.

Toby Wilson handled kickoffs with Paxton brooks unavailable, and this is why it’s just an A-. Every Wilson kickoff pinned TTU inside the 25-yard line or better except for one, which went to the 26. Without too many chances to make an impact, that one kickoff keeps this unit from getting a perfect grade.

Punting: C-

With Brooks out, Kolby Morgan handled punts. He had one 55-yarder that pinned TTU on the six-yard line. That is the only reason this wasn’t an F. Morgan’s other three punts all failed to travel 40 yards, and none pinned TTU even inside the 30. One went just 27 yards.

Return game: B-

In terms of punt returns, the grade is an A, as Velus Jones Jr. averaged nearly 11 yards a return, running back three for 32 yards. He seemingly ran back a kickoff as well, but it was called back due to a penalty. That penalty combined with just one kickoff return for 23 yards brings the overall grade down to a B-.

Overall special teams grade: B

Punting was the only major drawback for the Vols here, but overall, special teams wasn’t really a factor. Assuming Brooks is ready to go next week, this should return to being a huge advantage for Tennessee football once again.