Congrats to the Coaches and players on this shutout of a power 5 school!
Noticed quite a few Vols defensive upperclassmen causing disruption in the UTEP's backfield.
Emmit Gooden continuing to play tough on a defensive team with several others whether mentioned on TV like some others or not. Solid efforts from the whole Big Orange D including Jonathan Kongbo, Kyle Phillips, Darrell Taylor, Daniel Bituli (sack and 6 tackles), Shy Tuttle, Darrin Kirkland, Jr. (sack, tackle for loss, and QB hurry), Nigel Warrior, Alexis Johnson several tackles, Micah Abernathy, Paul Bain, Will Ignont, Theo Jackson, Baylen Buchanan (pass defended), Bryce Thompson (pass defended), Jordan Allen, Shawn Shamburger, Deandre Johnson, Kenneth George, Jr., and Alontae Taylor just happened to be some I noticed playing aggressively and playing well together. If I you, though who know who you are because you don't score a SHUTOUT unless the whole defense plays as a team and works together to make it happen. We need some headhunters to sack that quarterback against Florida next game even more. They're up 27-0 over Col. St. in the 2nd quarter already and this is Tennessee's shot to win that first SEC game and get payback for what happened last year.
Good coaching and playing as a team overall today.
Brandon Johnson showing why he is still a reliable receiver on 3rd down and Jauan Jennings with the TD as well as Josh Palmer with over 60 yards.
Hard to believe it but Jarrett Guarantano actually improved his completion percentage today? He was already over 70% coming into the game. Keller Chryst didn't have his best performance but was okay today for his part. Good to know we have two leaders always at the ready to respond when called on to run the Big Orange O.
Tim Jordan running behind his blockers so well makes you beam with a big broad smile or you hate children. Madre London running hard to get those extra yards for first downs keeping drives alive. Big Banks still Bulldozing.
Everyone already knew Ty Chandler as the playmaker with speed so the 81-yarder was the longest run by a Vol in five years. What impressed me though is how from the first game of the season, he has also continued to run tough breaking tackles for yards after contact and you see he had just as many yards on plays where he kept running tough after contact as he did running fast on the 81 yard touchdown. Even that first game on the play where he got the concussion was because he lowered the shoulder and kept pumping for extra yards falling forward. No one can say he isn't a tough running back unless they're lying, have an agenda, blind, or plain stupid. I guess you just expect him to break tackles like that since was a five star? Still deserves more credit for it than he gets with everyone only talking about his speed. You see it though. He didn't get the concussion like he was soft but it's just the opposite. He was driving forward and falling forward for more yards when he took the shot to the head. There were no signs he ever got hurt with his performance today though. Salute to Chandler for a career high gain of rushing yards doing his part to help the team win today.
Brent "Stone Cold" Cimaglia putting the team on the scoreboard first and making all the extra points as expected. I am really pleased with the punter Joe Doyle this season. He's not booming record-breakers, but he is consistent. You get the feeling that you can safely trust you'll get a good 40+ yards from him to give your special teams a chance to flip the field.
I figured we'd hear enough about how we lost the turnovers battle today (2 to 0) and had more penalties than UTEP today.
A shutout against a FBS team is a shutout against a FBS team.
Go Vols!