Tennessee football’s top five performers in 59-10 win vs. Ball State
Pick Analysis. Defensive back. 2. Scouting Report. r-Junior. Kamal Hadden. player. 839
1 INT; 3 tackles (1 solo)
There were moments where John Paddock moved the ball down the field well in his first start for Ball State. Tennessee football’s secondary issues certainly haven’t been solved. Paddock completed 27 of 43 passes for for 269 yards and a touchdown, and he almost had two, but Will Jones fumbled the ball as he was diving for the pylon on a catch.
However, while the secondary struggled at times, Kamal Hadden was the one guy who played elite, just as he did in the Vols’ Music City Bowl loss to the Purdue Boilermakers. Hadden didn’t even get the start, but he was the most effective player in the secondary for UT.
Most notable among his success was obviously the interception. He came down with it in the second quarter to set up the Vols’ final touchdown drive of the half, which put them up 38-0. That one didn’t come from pressure either. It was the result of Haddock doing a great job staying with his man the whole way down the field.
Another underrated key play of Hadden’s, though, was a third down tackle he made in open space to force a punt. That was his one solo tackle, and it was as crucial of a play as his interception. Being responsible for the Vols getting the ball back twice puts him up here, but he was a lockdown cover corner all night too.