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Tennessee football’s top five performers in 59-10 win vs. Ball State

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 1, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jaylen Wright (20) runs with the ball against the Ball State Cardinals during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jaylen Wright (20) runs with the ball against the Ball State Cardinals during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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When there’s such a complete victory like this one, it becomes hard to narrow down who the most standout performers were. For the most part, Tennessee football didn’t really make a mistake in its 59-10 win over the Ball State Cardinals, and Josh Heupel went so deep that tons of people were able to contribute to the blowout.

As we get set to look at those who had the biggest impact on the game, we’ll make sure to mention players who could have been on the list in the same category as specific players we did name. This list could have been 10-deep, but it also could have just had three players.

That’s because so many Vols were elite in this matchup that few of them had enough time to put up eye-popping stats. By nitpicking, let’s break down the Vols who truly did manage to stand out the most in this one. Here are the top five performers in Tennessee football’s season-opening 59-10 victory Thursday night.

These were the Tennessee football Volunteers’ best players against the Ball State Cardinals.

Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) runs the ball during football game between Tennessee and Ball State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Utvbs0901
Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) runs the ball during football game between Tennessee and Ball State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Kns Utvbs0901 /

Pick Analysis. Offensive lineman. 839. Scouting Report. Junior. Javontez Spraggins. 5. player

0 sacks allowed; helped generate 218 rush yards, 5 rush TDs

We start with a position where everybody could have been named. The Vols’ offensive line was perfect on the night. Although there was one sack in the game by Ball State, it wasn’t their fault. For the most part, they did exactly what they were supposed to do. That was particularly true on the interior, where Ball State loaded up.

Jerome Carvin, Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins helped pave the way for over 200 yards on the ground, and Carvin and Mays both could have been on here. However, Spraggins seemed to have the most standout plays as the lineman on the right side, and that’s why he makes the list.

There were multiple run plays by Tennessee football where you saw Spraggins just overwhelm his blocker and push him back. Then, on Jabari Small’s touchdown run, he was the catalyst for the epic push by the offensive line, although Carvin was right there with him. Those two factors are enough for us to put him on this list.

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