Special Teams
South Carolina, one of the best teams in the SEC at kickoff coverage, pretty much shut down Evan Berry and at least temporarily halted his magical season as arguably the top kickoff returner in college football. Cam Sutton, however, was strong on punt returns, averaging 16 yards on his three attempts, including a 26-yarder that gave the Vols good field position in the fourth quarter. The Vols were virtually perfect on kick and punt coverage, not giving SC any room there. Trevor Daniel had a respectable 44.2 yards-per-punt average, but perhaps most importantly, Aaron Medley nailed both his field goals, including a 44-yarder in the first half and a 27-yarder that proved to be the eventual game-winner. Butch Jones was rewarded for sticking with his kicker after his trio of misses in Tuscaloosa cost the Vols a potential win that week.
Grades:
Daniel: B+
Houston: A
Reed: B+
Stephen: A-
Average Grade: A-
