Mid-Season Report Card

Defensive Line B

The Vols have played about as well as can be expected from this group. When you consider the injuries that the line has had to overcome, you have to be impressed with the play of the front four defensively.

Wes Brown limps off the field almost after every possession, but yet he has been a leader all season long. Many players would have walked away by now, but playing for the Big Orange means to much to Brown for him to ever walk away.

Dan Williams has had an all-sec type year in my opinion. Williams has recorded 28 tackles so far this year and has provided some much needed quarterback pressure as well.

Chris Walker has played well and is a force to deal with on the defensive line despite his lack of size. Walker has recorded 21 tackles so far this season. Montori Hughes has recorded 8 tackles, not much production so far, but he is tough to handle and he looks to have a bright future on Rocky Top. Ben Martin and Willie Bohannon have played adequately, but I’m sure the coaches are looking for more consistency out of both of these players.   

Linebackers B

Tennessee really took a hit when they lost Nick Reveiz for the season. He was leader on defense and he will be missed. In four games Reveiz totaled 27 tackles and recorded four tackles for a loss. Rico McCoy has had a good but not great season. He has been great against the run, but average against the pass. McCoy has recorded 53 tackles in six games.

Savion Frasier who has taken over for Reveiz at middle linebacker struggled early but looked much more comfortable against Georgia. Frasier has 24 tackles to his credit so far this year in limited playing time compared to other linebackers. It looks like he is going to get his chance to shine the rest of the season. Greg King and N. Thornton need to step up their game in practice and give Tennessee some much needed depth at the linebacker position.   

Corners B-

This grade is not an easy one as Tennessee has mixed their coverage so much this year. Rarely have the corners been asked to cover one-on-one. The play at corner looks to be adequate but not great. Art Evans is getting significant playing time and is only going to get better.

Dennis Rogan has played well when asked to play corner, but Brent Vinson has been a disappointment.  

Safeties  A

Janzen Jackson is a headhunter and loves to make the big hit. He has made his presence felt all season and he makes receivers think twice before heading into his area. Not a great cover guy yet, but he has all the tools necessary to be a fine player. Eric Berry has played outstanding football at the safety position. Because of what he is being asked to do, his so called big plays are down, but he has been fantastic in run support and is a leader. Berry has 50 tackles in the first 6 games of the season and several big hits.     

Overall B+

The Tennessee football team has allowed an average of 19.5 points per game to its opposition, however, you cannot lay all of those points on the defense. The kicking game is directly responsible for giving up 16 points. Opponents have returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns and UT punter Chad Cunningham had a blocked punt that resulted in a safety.

You can also lay some of the blame on the shoulders of the offense who has left the Vol D on the field for long stretches and has turned the ball over deep in Tennessee territory leading directly to points by the opposition. The Tennessee defense is actually giving up a total of 16.8 points per game. The Vol defenders have given its opposition a total of seven offensive touchdowns in six games. 

If you look at overall statistics you might not be too impressed, but the touchdowns per game allowed stat has to impress anyone who has followed the Vols this season. Vol opponents average 110.02 yards per game on the ground, and 161.8 yards passing per game. Total offense allowed per game by the Tennessee defense is 272 yards per game. That is good enough for an A in my opinion.  

The most impressive statistic to me so far this season has been the improved play by the Vols in the fourth quarter of games. Tennessee has outscored its opponents 66-13 in the fourth quarter this season.   

Coaching A

Monte Kiffin and his staff have been as good as advertised this season. The only game in my opinion in which Monte was out coached was the Auburn game. Gus Malzone seemed to dial up the right offensive game plan as the Vols yielded over 450 yards of total offense in that game. You cannot discount the job Monte has done especially when looking at the Georgia and Florida games earlier this season.