Overall
Daniel: I struggled picking this game mightily because Missouri, despite not always being pretty, just finds ways to win. That’s what the Tigers did against a Tennessee team that showed glimpses of its talent and potential, but ultimately made too many mistakes and couldn’t block the much-hyped Missouri defensive line on a consistent basis. I thought effort was there all night, but depth and execution weren’t always. Give the young Vols credit for battling, but Saturday night was a reminder that this is still a process. No major reasons to questions the overall direction of the team and program, but a minor setback that the Vols will be able to mitigate next weekend in Nashville if they take care of business and reach a bowl. Grade: C-
Houston: The Vols had a chance to secure bowl eligibility and ruin Missouri’s season, but late mistakes on both sides of the ball cost them the opportunity to do that. Josh Malone’s drop/interception really changed the momentum of the game, and Tennessee’s inability to win one-on-one matchups in the secondary gave Missouri 13 points in the fourth quarter that put this game out of reach. I think Missouri is probably a little better than I thought they were, but Tennessee did not play a particularly strong brand of football in this game. There were a lot of plays to be made for the Vols on both sides of the ball, and the Vols simply failed to take full advantage of their opportunities.The good news for them is that they still have a game to redeem themselves next weekend in Nashville, and hopefully get this taste out of their mouths, but his game was not their best performance. Grade: D
Reed: Tennessee got whooped up front. The Vol receivers couldn’t win matchups with Missouri’s defensive backs. Missouri’s receivers, conversely, got the best of the Vol secondary in several key situations. Second half adjustments and better execution by the Tigers proved to be the difference. Tennessee got beaten by a better team, something that would have been more bearable had the Vols played at least solid football. Grade: D
Average Grade: D
