Special Teams
Daniel: Aaron Medley’s field goal in overtime proved to be the game winner. After two misses earlier in the game, that was a clutch moment for the freshman, who battled the wind all evening, even though he didn’t blame that for the misses. The punting was very poor. Matt Darr averaged 32.7 yards per punt, but that was inflated by a 55-yarder that he got a very fortunate roll on. There wasn’t much there in the return game for either team. The Vols almost had a disastrous play when Rashaan Gaulden touched a bouncing punt on the ground, but SC touched it right before him, negating a potential turnover. Credit Medley for the huge play late, but not a great overall showing by the special teams. Grade: C-
Houston: Saturday was not the best showing by the special teams units on an especially windy night in Columbia. Matt Darr really struggled with distance (32.7 yards per punt) and consistency (Darr had punts of 18, 25 and 55) in what was likely his worst performance of the season. Aaron Medley should have never been asked to kick the two field goals that he ended up missing due to the swirling wind in that endzone, but he did make his overtime kick when it mattered most and deserves a lot of credit for staying focused. The return units offered little thanks to touchbacks by Carolina’s kicker and short, high punts by their punter. Coverage units were again solid, so not too much to complain about here. Grade: C
Reed: Two missed field goals changed the complexion of the game but ultimately didn’t cost the Vols. Tennessee’s kick coverage was very good and kept South Carolina in check. Matt Darr struggled to punt the ball with any consistency on a windy and cold night in Columbia. Tennessee didn’t have any big plays in the return game – USC kicked away from Evan Berry on the lone kick that wasn’t downed for a touchback. It was a tough day for this group, but Medley’s clutch extra point near the end of regulation and field goal in overtime saved them from a disastrous day. Grade: D+
Average Grade: C-
