AboveAllNations
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QB: C+
Justin Worley played much better than his stat line would indicate, as it's hard to question how any QB could have done much better given the relentless pass rush he had to deal with. For a guy with limited mobility, he did a fairly good job of stepping up in what little pocket he had and consistently delivering the ball on target to the right guy. Of course, Worley was responsible for two game-changing mistakes: (1) his 1st quarter fumble from a blindside corner blitz that he should have recognized before the snap; and (2) his INT thrown into triple coverage at the beginning of the 4th quarter, and embarrassing lack of effort on the ensuing pick-six return. Worley also demonstrated a disappointing lack of leadership on the sideline, as he rarely interacted with teammates and kept the same glazed "deer-in-the-headlights" expression fixed on his face throughout most of the second half. At this point, Worley's biggest improvements need to come from his decision making and demeanor between plays.
RBs: B+
Marlin Lane and Jalen Hurd both ran hard and finished with respectable statistics by the end of the game. Hurd in particular exhibited great vision and explosiveness in getting big runs out of the smallest creases. Oklahoma didn't respect Worley on the read option and sent their ends crashing down on the running back every time, but even that didn't seem to hinder Lane and Hurd much in the second half.
WRs: C+
The constant pressure on Worley didn't give the WRs much time to work, but North and Smith still managed to get open and make plays. Howard had a nice 19 yard catch on 3rd down, but lost 13 yards on a pair of doomed jet sweeps in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Jason Croom had three drops, including one in the end zone that resulted in a critical interception.
TEs: D+
No tight end registered a catch, which is disappointing on a night when Worley desperately needed quick outlets. Pass protection was still a nightmare on plays where the TEs stayed in to protect, although much of those breakdowns were still attributable to OL mistakes. The run blocking on stretch plays was decent.
OL: D-
As expected, this unit was utterly outclassed and outmatched. While it wasn't surprising to see Thomas, Robertson and Kerbyson struggle in one-on-one match ups, it was disappointing to see OU generate consistent pressure from 3-man pass rushes. The pass protection failures weren't just physical, as on several instances it appeared that linemen let rushers through while expecting help that never came. On the bright side, the line didn't commit a single penalty and the run blocking became serviceable in the second half.
DL: B+
In stark contrast to the offensive line, this unit exceeded all realistic expectations and played surprisingly well. The tackles contained OU's interior running game, while Barnett and Maggit generated pressure from the outside and generally contained Knight from escaping the pocket. Maggit and Vereen lost contain against the run on several occasions, but otherwise this unit held their own.
LBs: A-
A.J. Johnson is playing like a man possessed this season, and last night was no different. His speed, physicality and leadership set the tone for the entire defense. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was okay, but lost outside contain on several instances and might have been responsible for OU's first touchdown with a coverage mistake. Those mistakes notwithstanding, the linebackers continue to be the strength of this defense.
DBs: B+
With the safeties needed for run support, everybody knew Tenn's CBs needed to play tight man coverage to have a prayer in this game, and they stepped up big time. This unit continues to play stellar on 3rd down, and helped out on several occasions by delivering huge hits in the flat. LaDarrell McNeil took a terrible angle on a short slant taken for 33 yards, but otherwise the safety play was solid.
Special teams: B
Matt Darr had a shaky night punting the ball, but one of those muffed punts resulted in a fumble recovery deep in OU territory. Tennessee blocked a field goal late in the game, and also covered well on OU returns. Compared to debacles against teams like Oregon and Auburn last year, the overall improvement in team speed on our kick coverage units is noticeable.
Coaching: A-
Credit Butch Jones and the coaching staff for keeping this game competitive deep into the second half. In a game with almost zero margin for error, we committed only 1 penalty and stopped Oklahoma on 75% of their 3rd downs. We are obviously hamstrung by our limitations at offensive line, but Coach Jones has this team believing we can still win any game. We won't see a team or an environment as tough as Oklahoma for the rest of the season, so hopefully we can build on this experience to win some games in the wide-open SEC East.
Justin Worley played much better than his stat line would indicate, as it's hard to question how any QB could have done much better given the relentless pass rush he had to deal with. For a guy with limited mobility, he did a fairly good job of stepping up in what little pocket he had and consistently delivering the ball on target to the right guy. Of course, Worley was responsible for two game-changing mistakes: (1) his 1st quarter fumble from a blindside corner blitz that he should have recognized before the snap; and (2) his INT thrown into triple coverage at the beginning of the 4th quarter, and embarrassing lack of effort on the ensuing pick-six return. Worley also demonstrated a disappointing lack of leadership on the sideline, as he rarely interacted with teammates and kept the same glazed "deer-in-the-headlights" expression fixed on his face throughout most of the second half. At this point, Worley's biggest improvements need to come from his decision making and demeanor between plays.
RBs: B+
Marlin Lane and Jalen Hurd both ran hard and finished with respectable statistics by the end of the game. Hurd in particular exhibited great vision and explosiveness in getting big runs out of the smallest creases. Oklahoma didn't respect Worley on the read option and sent their ends crashing down on the running back every time, but even that didn't seem to hinder Lane and Hurd much in the second half.
WRs: C+
The constant pressure on Worley didn't give the WRs much time to work, but North and Smith still managed to get open and make plays. Howard had a nice 19 yard catch on 3rd down, but lost 13 yards on a pair of doomed jet sweeps in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Jason Croom had three drops, including one in the end zone that resulted in a critical interception.
TEs: D+
No tight end registered a catch, which is disappointing on a night when Worley desperately needed quick outlets. Pass protection was still a nightmare on plays where the TEs stayed in to protect, although much of those breakdowns were still attributable to OL mistakes. The run blocking on stretch plays was decent.
OL: D-
As expected, this unit was utterly outclassed and outmatched. While it wasn't surprising to see Thomas, Robertson and Kerbyson struggle in one-on-one match ups, it was disappointing to see OU generate consistent pressure from 3-man pass rushes. The pass protection failures weren't just physical, as on several instances it appeared that linemen let rushers through while expecting help that never came. On the bright side, the line didn't commit a single penalty and the run blocking became serviceable in the second half.
DL: B+
In stark contrast to the offensive line, this unit exceeded all realistic expectations and played surprisingly well. The tackles contained OU's interior running game, while Barnett and Maggit generated pressure from the outside and generally contained Knight from escaping the pocket. Maggit and Vereen lost contain against the run on several occasions, but otherwise this unit held their own.
LBs: A-
A.J. Johnson is playing like a man possessed this season, and last night was no different. His speed, physicality and leadership set the tone for the entire defense. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was okay, but lost outside contain on several instances and might have been responsible for OU's first touchdown with a coverage mistake. Those mistakes notwithstanding, the linebackers continue to be the strength of this defense.
DBs: B+
With the safeties needed for run support, everybody knew Tenn's CBs needed to play tight man coverage to have a prayer in this game, and they stepped up big time. This unit continues to play stellar on 3rd down, and helped out on several occasions by delivering huge hits in the flat. LaDarrell McNeil took a terrible angle on a short slant taken for 33 yards, but otherwise the safety play was solid.
Special teams: B
Matt Darr had a shaky night punting the ball, but one of those muffed punts resulted in a fumble recovery deep in OU territory. Tennessee blocked a field goal late in the game, and also covered well on OU returns. Compared to debacles against teams like Oregon and Auburn last year, the overall improvement in team speed on our kick coverage units is noticeable.
Coaching: A-
Credit Butch Jones and the coaching staff for keeping this game competitive deep into the second half. In a game with almost zero margin for error, we committed only 1 penalty and stopped Oklahoma on 75% of their 3rd downs. We are obviously hamstrung by our limitations at offensive line, but Coach Jones has this team believing we can still win any game. We won't see a team or an environment as tough as Oklahoma for the rest of the season, so hopefully we can build on this experience to win some games in the wide-open SEC East.
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