Special teams grades
Punting: C-
Jackson Ross was not elite the way he usually is, and in a game like this against a team like Kentucky, that could have cost Tennessee Football if things remained close. Ross did pin one punt inside the UK 10-yard line, but he had another go only 45 yards to spot the Wildcats the ball near midfield, and he shanked one punt for 34 yards to spot UK the ball at its own 34. As a result, he was barely mediocre.
Place kicking: F
First-year starters at the college level are allowed one awful game, and Max Gilbert used his here. He missed a 43-yard field goal on the Vols’ opening drive, which is shocking but forgivable. However, he then missed a 40-yard field goal later in the first half, and in the second half, on the opening drive, he missed a 34-yard field goal. Elite kickoffs and hitting extra points don’t make up for that. This is an F.
Return game: D
Jermod McCoy played with fire multiple times on punt returns, as he kept running back to catch punts, and he muffed one before recovering it himself. Not turning the ball over ever, despite it being lucky, is why Tennessee Football didn’t get an F. Still, he had two returns for two yards on punts, so this unit gets a terrible grade.
NEXT: Coaching
