Defensive Line
Nathanael: C+
Kyle Phillips had the biggest play from this group, and he’s the reason there’s a bump on this grade. Phillips’ pick-six marked the second time in as many games that Tennessee scored a touchdown on defense, and it’s the third time this season the Vols have been able to score on defense. Emmit Gooden also showed some play-making ability, getting a tackle for loss and finishing with five tackles. Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson were noticeably absent on some plays, though Johnson did get a quarterback hurry. Alabama ran for 218 yards and four touchdowns, and there were plenty of times the Vols’ front seven missed tackles on Bama’s backs.
Ben: C-
The best play of the game on Saturday was Kyle Phillips’ pick-six. The effort Phillips showed on the play was a positive sign for this team going forward. Pruitt has his team playing hard regardless of the score, and I thought Phillips’ play demonstrated that. As for the rest of the group, they didn’t perform well enough to compete against the likes of Alabama. Tua Tagovailoa had all day to throw the football and the running game had a field day.
