4 Tennessee winners and 2 losers from a too close for comfort win at Georgia Tech

It was far from perfect, but the Tennessee Vols are 2-0 on the season and no one is going to complain about that. While at times Georgia Tech looked ready to make things interesting, Tennessee was able to make the needed plays to record a 45-24 victory, which was truly much closer than that final score showcases.

On offense, the rushing attack led the way, which a lot of us expected. Defensively, the secondary stepped up big time, with Jim Knowles surely smiling about their collective play. With that said, we've got our biggest winners and losers from this game, with a defensive hero getting us going.

Dejuan Lane (winner) came up huge for Tennessee with a game-changing play

You just knew Dejaun Lane was going to start us off here. With the game tied at 10-10 in the first half, Georgia Tech had a ton of momentum, ready to take the lead. Lane had other ideas here, reading Alberto Mendoza's eyes and picking off the Georgia Tech QB. Lane then took the ball back to the house for six. That was the textbook definition of a game-changing play.

Jackson Ross (loser) needs to say goodbye to his rugby-style punting

While we hate to single out a player, punter Jackson Ross gifted Georgia Tech with a free touchdown in the first half. He went out for a punt, got cute with some rugby style in mind, waited way too dang long, and had his kick blocked. Georgia Tech scored on that play to take the lead. It could have been a back-breaking play for the Vols, but thankfully the SEC side was able to overcome things.

Jim Knowles (winner) made key adjustments when the Tennessee defense was struggling

Much was said in the past about Tim Banks not making adjustments during games when things were going south. Think that's going to be the same issue for the Vols now that Jim Knowles is running the defense? Not a chance. Yes, things got a little shaky at times, but Knowles started to dial up pressure and it clearly got to Mendoza. That made the difference in the second half, which was fantastic to see.

Mike Matthews (loser) didn't make the impact we were hoping he would

While the passing game as a whole didn't look overly sharp, there was hope that Mike Matthews would be able to keep building a strong bond with 5-star freshman signal-caller Faizon Brandon after a two-TD performance in Week 1. However, Matthews finished with two receptions for 16 yards, plus an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half that had some fans ripping their hair out.

On the flip side, Braylon Staley struggled to make a ton of noise, but his lone catch of the day was a 20-yard touchdown from Brandon. In order for the Vols' offense to keep growing and stay consistent, both Matthews and Staley need to be bigger parts of the game plan moving forward.

Faizon Brandon (winner) did more than enough to help Tennessee post a road win

Just like this win overall, Brandon was far from perfect against Georgia Tech. But you know what, the 19-year-old QB did more than enough to power his team to a win, finishing with 148 passing yards and two TDs.

The disappointing stat was that Brandon went 10-of-20 on his pass attempts, which stands out in a negative way. Despite that, his two touchdown throws were on the money and he was always going to be tested with this being his first road game. He passed that test, and now his focus will shift to Week 3.

DeSean Bishop (winner) did exactly what Tennessee fans expected him to

After Colorado gashed up the Georgia Tech defense on the ground, it wasn't going to be a surprise to see the Vols follow suit. And with that, DeSean Bishop ran like a man on a mission, having a monster performance for Josh Heupel. Matter of fact, it was a career-high showing for him.

Bishop had two touchdowns on the day, including the dagger with 4:25 left on the clock. Bishop indeed had a tremendous night, carrying the ball 20 times for 147 yards and his two scores. He delivered when his number was called and it's something the UT faithful are used to seeing.

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