Tennessee Volunteers Offensive Grade Report vs Arkansas

Grading every offensive position group during Tennessee's 19-14 loss to Arkansas on the road.

Oct 5, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson (6) celebrates with teammates after rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 19-14. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Tennessee was defeated by the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night by a score of 19-14. Tennessee’s offensive play wasn’t great and was easily the worst showing of the season so far.

Following the contest Tennessee on SI would put together a grade report on the offense.

Quarterback: C

This wasn’t a great showing for Nico Iamaleava as for the first time this season he had a game without a touchdown pass. He had a turnover-free game but missed a few key passes which were either overthrown or too low. He missed Squirrel White on a touchdown pass deep downfield due to a clear overthrow. Iamaleava did have some good passes and didn’t play awful he just didn’t do enough to live up to the hype he has had all season long. Iamaleava can’t be completely discredited as he did have a bunch of injuries hit his wide receiver group including three of his favorite targets Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, and leading receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr.

Running Backs: A

The running backs are the lone reason Tennessee was even in this game. Dylan Sampson averaged 6.3 yards per carry with a 53-yard run on the day. He finished the game with 138 yards and two touchdowns which would make up for all of the points Tennessee scored. DeSean Bishop didn’t get many carries as he only had three during the game but he made up for 19 yards. He also averaged over 6 yards per carry. This would easily be the best group on the field in Tennessee’s offensive possessions.

Wide Receivers: C+

This group wasn’t the best but that’s not entirely their fault. With Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, and Dont’e Thornton going down the Vols needed someone to step up. They never had anyone step up in big situations. Luckily McCoy and Thornton would return to the game which was huge but it was obvious that they were limited. Chris Brazzell hasn’t clicked like Vols fans have hoped and it’s a matter of time for it to happen. The roster is started to mold into the clear starters being White, McCoy, and Thornton when healthy. This group had issues getting open and when they did it wasn’t for long. Separation was an issue throughout the whole game even before the three injuries. That’s a key reason why they deserve a C+

Tight Ends: C-

Once again this group would feel non-existent. Miles Kitselman would have 2 catches for 24 yards on the day and neither Holden Staes nor Ethan Davis would be targeted. That is a red flag with the consideration of the early success from the tight-end group. This group also didn’t block very well at times and was a little sloppy. This could be viewed many different ways and very well could be a higher ranking however compared to the past and how they’ve been misused we can’t help but rate them a C-.

Offensive Line: C-

This Tennessee offensive line was undisciplined at the wrong times creating many flags for a plethora of different reasons. This group didn’t do a great job protecting Iamaleava as the offensive line would give up four sacks on the day. That’s a season-high for anyone who didn’t know. This offensive line was also completely healthy and still didn’t look great which makes this look even more concerning moving forward.

Tennessee will look to bounce back as they take on their long term rivals, Florida.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tennessee Moves Into Top Five of AP Poll After Oklahoma Win
• Offensive Grade Report: Tennessee Vs Oklahoma
• Tennessee Defeats Oklahoma 25-15 On The Road
  

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