Game Report

[PirateVOL]

Offense:
QB: B-  Not JG’s best day.  However he hit some solid passes after the 1st quarter.  Three passes were very well thrown but with #3 toting the rock and solid OL play we didn’t need to throw the ball.  The TD to the TE was well thrown and well faked, he pumped the safety out of the middle.  The passes to Callaway and Jennings in the 2nd half were spot on as well.

RB:  A+  When you have a back over 200 yards with two > 50 yard TDs got to give them credit.  Even when they screwed up they recovered.  Jordan whiffed on the block that forced JG to scramble and backhand the ball to the TE.  Jordan hustle down field and got in a block to help the YAC.  He also had a nice block as a FB on Gray’s 3rd TD.

WR/TE:  B  Very slow start.  Really static in routes.  The pick was on Palmer IMO.  Palmer ran a good route and just stopped, made no discernable effort to go after the ball. They did block well downfield.  Calaway had a nice block on Jennings’ nice catch and run that set up our last TD.  BTW, Pope is faster than the entire candy secondary.  That was Pope running down the field with Gray on the 94 yard TD.

OL:  A-  Out standing blocking opened some big holes.  Marked down due to penalties.  The middle 3 were well synced tonight.  Even when candy brought a safety down into the box we were still getting 4 yards a pop.  There were a few times that Friend was most displeased with the OL.

Defense:
DL:  A-  Got good pressure all night.  The candy QB was often running for his life and when they could get there they were getting their hands up.  Good to very good against the run.  Probably their most consistent game all year.

LB:  B-  Did not play to their usual standards.  Bituli had a big bust on a pass play that led to the TD.  Henry T had a down (for him) game.

DB: B  Couple of busts but for the most part had very good coverage.  At times we were playing Thompson as a safety in the nickel.  More often he was the nickel back with AT (who had a really good game) and George at the corners. 

Special Teams bounced back.  Till the last KO Brooks wasn’t kicking the ball very deep tonight.

[VinnieVOL]

Thought it was Tillman blocking downfield for Gray on the 94 yarder.

Pope had 3 false starts, ugh.

[Coupe De VOL]

Grays 246 is 5th all time in Vols history for a single game

[BanditVol]

Grays 246 is 5th all time in Vols history for a single game

Encouraging for the future.  Though you do have to factor in that it was against Vandy, the 114th team in the country in run defense.

Still, the last 2-3 years, we would not have been able to take advantage, so I'll take it.   

[VinnieVOL]

Still, the last 2-3 years, we would not have been able to take advantage, so I'll take it.   

This is one of the keys, to me, in getting back to where we want to be.