Receivers/Tight Ends
Daniel: Mixed bag here. Marquez North and Josh Smith, especially, made some nice plays. Smith stepped up for the missing Von Pearson. Worley’s interception in the corner of the end zone intended for Jason Croom was costly. Croom got his hands on the ball, but didn’t make the play and didn’t keep it away from OU corner Zach Sanchez. That cost the Vols potential points and possession. That can’t happen with a 6-5, 245-pound WR. Pig Howard dropped a catchable ball as well and Justin Worley needed all the help he could get as he was getting pounded. The tight ends had zero catches with Ethan Wolf (knee) held out. Definitely some nice catches, but the Vols needed more to pull off the upset. Grade: C
Houston: This group had several opportunities to step up and make some plays in this game and I didn’t think they rose to the challenge. Marquez North needs to assert himself as the go-to man in the red zone or shots to the end zone, period. Jason Croom had an easy touchdown taken away from him by the defender on a play that swung momentum in OU’s favor in the third quarter when Tennessee had a chance to make a game out of it. It was a tough night for the passing game considering the duress that Worley was under for most of the night, but when that happens the recievers need to step up and they didn’t on Saturday night. Grade: C-
Reed: Jason Croom and Marquez North had too many drops. They’ve got to play better moving forward. Croom is largely to blame for Worley’s first pick. He should have made a play on the ball but instead allowed a smaller defender to intercept it in the end zone. Josh Smith was big again before exiting with an injury. The tight end position, without Wolf, turned in zero production in the passing game and was a reliability for much of the night. Grade: C-
