Secondary
Daniel: All-in-all, the secondary did its job. Cam Sutton is the best pure cover corner the Vols have had a while and he was in lock-down mode again on Saturday, making an interception and providing great coverage in other situations. Todd Kelly Jr. had a brilliant diving interception and LaDarrell McNeil helped by playing up in the box several times and collecting nine tackles. Georgia QB Huston Mason hadn’t thrown an INT all season coming into the game and the Vols got him twice. There were a few missed tackles, but who in the nation is going to consistently take Gurley down when he has a full head of steam? Good job overall by this unit. Grade: A-
Houston: What an improved group. Cam Sutton essentially shuts down one half of the field and the rest of the guys are doing a good job of working together to cover the rest. Todd Kelly Jr. is a star in the making and LaDarrell McNeil is playing his best football this year. The one struggle they had yesterday was tackling Georgia running backs consistently in the second level , but that may be the best set of running backs in the country and certainly the most talented group the Vols will see all season. Grade: A-
Reed: This Vol secondary has a few holes, but it’s clear they’re vastly improved this season. Cam Sutton is still one of the most underrated players in college football. He shut down one side of the field Saturday and made a great play to intercept a Mason pass. Michael Williams was solid in his first SEC action of the year. Todd Kelly Jr. showed once again that he’s ready for more snaps with an interception, pass deflection (in 1-on-1 coverage) and four tackles. The secondary, as a whole, did a great job in 1-on-1 coverage. There were a few missed tackles or they’d get an A. Grade: B+
