In one of the most impressive performances ever for Tennessee Football against a ranked foe, the Vols beat the No. 24 N.C. State Wolfpack 51-10 Saturday. It was the third largest win in program history over a top 25 opponent. What was behind it, though? Which units stood out? Here is our report card for UT’s Saturday performance in Charlotte.
Quarterback: B
Nico Iamaleava threw two interceptions, although one wasn’t his fault, and he overshot Squirrel White on an out-route and Bru McCoy on a clear touchdown pass. Still, he had over 270 yards and scored three total touchdowns on the night, so even in an off-game, he gets an above average grade.
Running Back: A+
Dylan Sampson was the biggest star on offense for Tennessee Football, gaining over 170 yards total, including 20 carries for 132 yards, and scoring two touchdowns. However, DeSean Bishop was elite too, doing everything he needed when he got on the field, so this unit gets an A+.
Wide receiver: A
Squirrel White leading the way with just two catches for 67 yards wouldn’t signal perfect play, but the flow of the game and Iamaleava’s off-performance lent itself to the wide receivers not having many opportunities to be great. When they had their chances, though, like the White catch, they cashed in, so their play was good enough.
Tight end: A+
Ethan Davis was the star last week. This time, Tennessee Football tight ends Miles Kitselman and Holden Staes stood out. Both had touchdown grabs, and Kitselman had two catches overall. He should have had a second touchdown grab, but a bad penalty resulted in it being called back.
Offensive line: B
John Campbell Jr. picked up a personal foul and missed a block that resulted in the pick-six Iamaleava threw. Meanwhile, there was the ineligible receiver on the touchdown pass, which was ticky tack but cost the Vols. Still, Tennessee Football had a dominant rushing attack, so this unit deserves its respect.
Defensive line: A+
Why isn’t there a grade above A+? Tennessee Football had maybe its greatest performance in history on the defensive line. Omari Thomas, Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey, Omarr Norman-Lott, James Pearce Jr., Joshua Josephs and Jordan Ross all made big plays. This unit is loaded, and it showed here.
Linebacker: A
Part of the defensive line’s success was the linebacker corps. in this one. Arion Carter was a star, Jeremiah Telander recovered a fumble, and Keenan Pili was never out of position. A personal foul penalty by Pili is the only thing that kept this from being an A+ on the night.
Secondary: A-
Boo Carter was pulled early for over-pursuing, but the Tennessee Football secondary was superb. Will Brooks had a pick-six, and Grayson McCall barely went over 100 yards passing. It looks like Josh Heupel and the Vols finally have talent at defensive back, a major shocker.
Place kicking: A-
Max Gilbert is the best freshman kicker the Vols ever had, and he did nail a 45-yarder as part of the three field goals he made Saturday. However, not held against him in college, he still missed one field goal from 53 yards. That kept this from being perfect, but when you factor in Gilbert’s other makes and Josh Turbyville’s kickoff success, this still deserves an A.
Punting: A
Here’s the Jackson Ross everybody wanted to see. He lived up to the Punter U reputation of Tennessee Football with his one kick, which went 43 yards and pinned N.C. State inside the 20. It was on the Vols’ first drive too, so they needed this punt to be successful to not lose momentum, and it was.
Return game: A
While there were no opportunities to run back a kickoff, Squirrel White ran back three punts, and he averaged an incredible 19 yards per punt return, with one going for 31 yards. That was enough to give this aspect of the Tennessee Football victory an A, and it’s clearly an advantage for the Vols.