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Tennessee football report card in 27-13 loss at Georgia

By Caleb Calhoun

Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) makes a catch during the first half of a NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.News Joshua L Jones
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) makes a catch during the first half of a NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.News Joshua L Jones /
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On a macro scale, Tennessee football failed a major test Saturday. The Vols got blown out 27-13 by the Georgia Bulldogs and gave off the vibe that they clearly don’t yet belong in the same league as the elite of the elite yet. That win over the Alabama Crimson Tide doesn’t even look as good anymore after their loss at the LSU Tigers.

Our blame pie broke down those most responsible for the Vols’ first loss of the season, but in general, UGA just looked like the better team all the way around. Some players and units stepped up, though, and did their best to make this a game. The Dawgs just had too great of matchup advantages in other areas, though.

Perhaps that makes our report card a bit unfair, as some units had tougher tasks. However, it’s hard to grade on a curve when you came in the No. 1 team in the country. This is our report card for every Tennessee football unit after the Vols’ game against Georgia.

Here are Tennessee football’s grades in the Volunteers’ loss at the Bulldogs.

Nov 5, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) runs against Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Juwan Mitchell (10) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) runs against Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Juwan Mitchell (10) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive grades part I

Quarterback: D+

As we’re going to break down later, Hendon Hooker didn’t have a lot of help. However, there were some mistakes that were clearly on him. For starters, he overthrew two touchdown passes that were there, so the narrative that the Vols couldn’t hit the big play was partially on inaccuracy from him. You can’t miss those in a game like this.

Then there are the sacks. Hooker was sacked six times, and many of those were on him, as he held onto the ball too long and didn’t audible after seeing the blitzes. Too often, he didn’t trust his receivers to make a play. No touchdowns and one interception speaks for itself.

Running back: D-

Yes, in general, Tennessee football’s backfield struggled. Part of this was Jabari Small getting hurt early. Combined, though, UT’s running backs had 24 carries for 77 yards. Jaylen Wright had 21 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. However, he had a fumble, he never broke free in open space, and he missed too many blocks in pass protection.

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