It was a hideous game for Tennessee Football overall, and pretty much everybody made crucial mistakes, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t players doing their job until the end. Let’s dive into the torchbearers once again. Here are the top five Vols performers from the program’s 10th straight loss in The Swamp.
5. Bru McCoy
This shows you how bad the play was. Bru McCoy had a key third down drop in the second half, but outside of that, he put up a better fight than most. He trucked one defensive back while fighting for yards, and he did catch five passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. As a result, he deserves some props as the best receiver out there.
4. Bryson Eason
The problem for Tennessee Football on the defensive line was the edge rushers taking bad angles. Then the tackles got tired. That’s why James Pearce Jr. is not on here despite two tackles for a loss. Bryson Eason and Omari Thomas fought were they could. Eason had a sack and assisted on another tackle for a loss. With more rest, they dominated the second half.
3. Jaylen Wright
He only had 63 yards on 16 carries. However, Jaylen Wright fought for every one of those yards, as he was dealing with horrendous blocking up front. His hard running, with some help from Jabari Small, is why the Vols were able to move the ball in the second half. It’s not his fault they couldn’t capitalize.
2. Jackson Ross
Slowly but surely, Jackson Ross has been getting better, and the biggest advantage the Vols enjoyed in this one came from their kicking game. Ross had three punts, and he pinned two of them inside the 20-yard line. Obviously, Josh Heupel likely didn’t want to use him much, but he didn’t have a choice, and Ross did deliver.
1. Aaron Beasley
Yes, he allowed four catches on four targets, but Aaron Beasley was stuck out of position for much of the game because Elijah Herring wasn’t able to be where he needed to be. Beasley was still the best player for Tennessee Football on a consistent basis, registering another tackle for a loss along with eight total sacks, four of which were solo.
