Running Backs
Daniel: Marlin Lane went down with a lower-body injury and didn’t return, leaving pretty much all of the running back work to Jalen Hurd. He responded with a huge day. The freshman looked the healthiest he had in weeks, running for 125 yards on 21 carries, adding 58 yards and a huge touchdown receiving. He averaged 6.0 ypc and the Gamecocks struggled to get him down on first contact. He’s living up to and exceeding his preseason hype. Depth will be a concern going forward, however, if Lane’s injury causes him to miss more time. Grade: A-
Houston: Marlin Lane’s injury was the only tough spot for this group on Saturday night; otherwise it was a great performance. Lane only had three carries for 15 yards in this game, but he did a great job as a lead blocker on a few designed runs for Josh Dobbs and for Jalen Hurd when Hurd took some direct snaps out of the wildcat formation. Speaking of Jalen Hurd, he put on a show in Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday. Hurd finished with 125 yards rushing on 21 carries and 7 receptions for an additional 58 yards and a touchdown and removed any doubt about whether or not he was recovered from an earlier shoulder injury. Hurd and Lane also did a very nice job in pass protection when Carolina sent pressure, so, there really anything negative for this group in this game. Grade: A
Reed: Lost in the Dobbs madness is the play of Jalen Hurd – he’s special and it’s not just because of his athletic ability. His tough, determined performance is one you don’t see from a true freshman very often. He’s a fierce competitor and a punishing presence because of that mentality combined with his 5-star skill set. Hurd had 183 yards of offense and led Tennessee in receptions with seven. He’s a real weapon and will be a tough matchup for every team the Vols face down the stretch. Marlin Lane had a couple of nice runs and looked to finally be getting healthy before leaving the game with what looks like it could be a serious lower leg injury. The Vols will need production from Derrell Scott the rest of the season.Grade: B+
Average Grade: A
