Offensive Line
Daniel: Tennessee didn’t need the offensive line to be dominant and run over Iowa all night. The Vols just needed a little time and a touch of space, and the superior skill players could take it from there. That’s exactly what happened. Dobbs had enough time to either make a smart throw or get out of the pocket on a consistent basis. And with the way Hurd was running, all he needed was a gap, and he got those enough to do some serious damage. One sack conceded is a number UT can live with every week as well. I’d be remiss to not mention the guts of Jacob Gilliam, who battled with one torn ACL and a broken hand. He won’t go down as one of the greatest players in UT history, but certainly one of the toughest. Grade: A
Houston: 51 carries that averaged 5.5 yards per rush, four rushing touchdowns and only one sack given up…If Tennessee can get his out of their offensive line moving forward, then they will win a ton of football games. The rushing lanes were there, Dobbs had ample time to pass on most dropbacks and he was able to escape on the few occasions that Hawkeye defenders broke through. For a group that probably took more than their fair share of criticism in 2014, they played exactly the type of game that they needed to play against Iowa for this team to get a resounding win. Grade: A
Reed: What a game from the young Vol offensive line. They took a big step forward against a more veteran, though not terribly athletic, Iowa defensive front. There weren’t many straight assignment busts and Jalen Hurd had some clear lanes to run through. Joshua Dobbs had time for most of the game and, even when he was pressured, it was typically just by one defender not the handful of defenders that pursued Vol QBs for much of the season. If this group can build off their bowl performance headed into 2015, watch out SEC. Grade: A
Average Grade: A
