Offensive weapons continue to shine for Tennessee football as the Vols moved to 3-1 over the weekend with a dominating 56-24 win over the UAB Blazers. However, some defensive players did step up too despite the way the game ended. Torchbearers came from both sides of the ball. These are the five Vols who earned helmet stickers from UT’s victory.
5. Boo Carter
A lackadaisical muffed punt that set up a UAB field goal in the second half turned everybody against Boo Carter. He responded for it with two forced fumbles on one drive, one of which Kaleb Beasley returned for a touchdown. Add in his 34-yard punt return to set up another Volunteers score, and even with that mistake, Carter made a lot of big plays.
4. Andre Turrentine
Beasley has a case to be on here as a defensive player rather than Andre Turrentine because he scored a defensive touchdown, but that came from the play Carter made. Turrentine stepped up for Tennessee football with an interception, and he proved his value with how the secondary got significantly worse after he was among the starters pulled in the second half.
3. Star Thomas
Peyton Lewis was finally the best running back for the Vols, carrying the ball 11 times for 81 yards and a touchdown. DeSean Bishop added nine carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Star Thomas had nine carries for 51 yards and a score, but he also had a 17-yard touchdown catch, giving him more yards than Bishop, and Lewis had a bad drop on a sure touchdown pass, which is why Thomas makes the list.
2. Joey Aguilar
For the third time this year, Joey Aguilar threw an interception that wasn’t his fault. The elite play by the wide receivers in this game all came back to Aguilar, who completed 15 of 22 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. That’s not a lot of yards, but it was highly efficient, and Aguilar went over 200 yards for his 28th straight college game.
1. Lance Heard
Honestly, the entire offensive line was elite for Tennessee football, but Lance Heard is the star of the group. As the blindside tackle, he kept Aguilar upright all game, and most of the Vols’ running plays went to the left, so he also had a huge part of their success on the ground. Easily the most reliable blocker for UT, Heard is having an All-American caliber season right now.
