Secondary
Nathanael: D+
It’s never a good sign when two of your corners are two of your top tacklers in a game. Baylen Buchanan led the team in tackles on the night with five, and Alontae Taylor had four and a crucial tackle for loss that forced the Gators’ only turnover of the game. But Buchanan had some missed coverages, Micah Abernathy was inconsistent, and there were still far too many missed tackles from the secondary overall. Missed tackles led to Freddie Swain’s 65-yard touchdown, and Tyrie Cleveland beat his man for a 38-yard score early in the third quarter as well. The Vols’ defensive backs didn’t look as bad as they did against West Virginia, and they made a few plays on some balls as well. But Feleipe Franks isn’t Will Grier, either.
Ben: C-
Feleipe Franks had all day to throw the football and I think it contributed to the secondary looking worse than they actually played. The group didn’t play well enough to win by any means, but it’s very hard to cover a good group of receivers when you’ve been in coverage for four-to-five seconds. Alontae Taylor played well, forcing a fumble on his way to four tackles. Baylen Buchanan did lead the team in tackles, but struggled in coverage. As did Micah Abernathy and Nigel Warrior, who continue to take poor angles. Bryce Thompson was limited due to a bone bruise.
