Tennessee football report card: Grading the Vols in 31-26 loss to Ole Miss

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Tennessee defensive lineman Matthew Butler (94) defends against Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral (2) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Ole Miss at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021.Kns Tennessee Ole Miss Football /

Defensive grades

Defensive line: A

We can’t speak highly enough about how well this unit played. Matt Corral was sacked five times on the night. Matthew Butler had two and Omari Thomas came away with one. Thomas’ one sack brought about a safety. Corral threw errant passes all night because of the pressure he was under, and Ole Miss’ running backs averaged under three yards a carry because of this unit.

Linebackers: C-

Jeremy Banks and Aaron Beasley certainly helped with the pressure on the night. They also forced many errant passes. However, they were the biggest reason Tennessee football allowed Corral to rush for 195 yards, the one issue all night. Those two and Solon Page III continually took bad angles and couldn’t get off blocks, and it almost earned them a below average grade.

Defensive backs: B

To a certain degree, the Vols’ defensive backs are also to blame for Corral’s rushing yards, as they could have slowed him down. Also, Corral’s struggles passing the ball were more about the pressure he got. However, this secondary played its part in holding him to 231 yards through the air, and UT is also the first team to intercept him all season. That warrants above average play.

Overall defensive grade: B+

If you take away the issues at linebacker and defensive back specifically with containing Corral as he ran the ball, this grade would be an A. The defense was surprisingly good against Ole Miss, and they did their job with three fourth quarter stops. It’s not their fault the offense didn’t capitalize.

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