Special Teams
Daniel: A pretty good day overall was overshadowed by Evan Berry’s lost fumble on a kickoff return in the third quarter. Not that the Vols had a great chance to come back anyhow, but that play pretty much ended any chances they had, so they have to be docked for it. Aaron Medley hit his lone field goal to give the Vols the early lead. Matt Darr had a pretty good day punting with an average of 45.6 yards per punt and three downed inside the 20, though he hit one too far that was downed for a touchback and a 17-yard net. Punt and kickoff coverage were solid overall. This is an area UT has quietly improved in, but the fumble has to be counted against them this week. Grade: C
Houston: Matt Darr continues to be a weapon for this team. Darr had nine punts in this one and averaged nearly 46 yards per attempt. He flipped the field on Ole Miss when given the opportunity and put the ball close to the sideline when asked to do so. Aaron Medley was also accurate with his lone field goal attempt and looked to be placing his kickoffs close to the sideline to help the coverage team who also had a solid night. Evan Berry’s fumble on a kick return in the third quarter set up a one play touchdown drive for the Rebels that put this game out of reach and is certainly one of the reasons that you didn’t see him at the position earlier in the year. Outside of the fumble, however, it was a very solid night for the special teams units. Grade: B
Average Grade: B-
