Defensive Line
Nathanael: B
If Darel Middleton doesn’t get tossed for targeting, I think the line could’ve had an even better performance. Even with Middleton out, I thought the Vols’ defensive line played a good game. They were a big reason South Carolina struggled mightily to run the ball for most of the night, and the Gamecocks totaled just 78 rushing yards and averaged less than three yards per carry for the game. Quarterback Ryan Hilinski didn’t face as much pressure as Jeremy Pruitt would’ve liked, but he didn’t have all day to throw all the time, either.
Ben: C+
Tennessee’s defensive line won’t necessarily pop out at you on the stat sheet, but they still played well, doing things that don’t show up in the box score. They were particularly good against the run, helping hold South Carolina to just 2.6 yards per carry. There were times where Ryan Hilinski had quite a bit of time to throw the ball, but there were also times where the D-line did a great job of pushing the pocket and flushing Hilinski out.
