Offensive Line
Daniel: Joshua Dobbs has to get a ton of credit for helping this group out. The offense takes on a new identity when he’s in there and the o-line gets more help and plays with more confidence. That being said, these guys are producing in most situations. South Carolina’s defense is poor, but giving up zero sacks and gaining 350 yards against any SEC defense was almost unthinkable just a few weeks ago. The combination of Kyler Kerbyson, Marcus Jackson, Mack Crowder, Jashon Robertson and Jacob Gilliam didn’t miss much of a beat after some shuffling from last week. Again, nobody is confusing these guys as an elite offensive line – there’s still not always a ton of push – but they’re doing about all you could ask for at this point. Grade: A-
Houston: This was truly one of the most dominating performances I have ever seen by a Tennessee offensive line. Yes, this Carolina defense has struggled to rush the passer and stop the run this year, but this offensive line grew up on Saturday night. The Vol offensive line paved the way for 344 rushing yards and four touchdowns by Big Orange ball-carriers on the night and allowed Dobbs enough time in the pocket to throw for another 301 yards and two scores. They played mean, they played physical and they played smart football all night long. There were a few mental penalties that they’ll need to tidy up moving forward, but this group had their best night of the year. Grade: A
Reed: The Vols didn’t allow a sack. Yes, you read that correctly. Tennessee rushed for 344 yards. You also read that correctly. For the second straight week the offensive line was an asset, not a liability. Jacob Gilliam played a heckuva game at right tackle – he remains one of the best stories in all of football – and Tennessee’s line even got some push in the running game from time to time. They weren’t great in short yardage situations, but played pretty well the rest of the time. Dobbs had a decent pocket to work from throughout the game and there weren’t any apparent missed assignments. Grade: B
Average Grade: A-
