The bye week could not have come a week sooner for the Tennessee Vols as they have been bitten pretty hard by injuries.
The week off poses as a great time for Tennessee to get healthy, and tighten up in areas where they have struggled as of late.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s biggest risers and fallers headed into a bye week, and eventual matchup against Kentucky:
Stock Up:
Josh Dobbs: The most obvious choice on the list has to be the sophomore quarterback.
Since relieving Nathan Peterman midway through the first half of the Alabama game, Dobbs has thrown for 493 yards and four touchdowns with only two interceptions.
More importantly, the Alpharetta, Georgia native has sparked the running game having ran for 241 yards and three touchdowns in two games.
Since becoming Tennessee’s full-time starter, the team is averaging 282 yards rushing on the ground compared to the miserable 105 yards they were averaging the previous seven games.
It is strange for a quarterback to spark the running game, but with Dobbs’ mobility, the Vols are finally a two-dimensional offense.
The Pass Rush: Both Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt could have, individually, been put on this list, but neither one would be having great seasons without the other.
Barnett is leading the team with seven sacks as a true freshman and Curt Maggitt is not far behind with six of his own. Barnett is also first on the team with tackles for loss, having set a freshman record with 14.
The duo of Maggitt and Barnett terrorized Dylan Thompson all night in Columbia, sacking him a combined five times with two of those coming on back-to-back overtime plays.
With three mediocre offensive lines left on the schedule, Barnett and Maggitt should have no trouble continuing their production.
The Offensive Line: Much of this can be attributed to Josh Dobbs mobility, but the line has only given up one sack in the past two games and paved the way for a running game that has combined for 565 yards and four touchdowns.
In the previous seven games, the line was ranked last in the SEC in sacks allowed with 31.
With Dobbs at the helm, the offense looks much more potent, and the running game has burst onto the scene. Jacob Gilliam is playing on a torn ACL, but has tightened up his game since returning against Ole Miss.
Kyler Kerbyson, Jashon Robertson and Mack Crowder have also elevated their play. With some of the weaker SEC defenses coming up for this unit, the Tennessee play makers and offensive line will look to continue their success.
Stock Down:
The Secondary: Two different Coopers in two different weeks have torched the Tennessee secondary.
First it was Amari Cooper, who set a school record for receiving yards in a game for the Crimson Tide. He constantly burned any corner that was in front of him, racking up 224 yards and two touchdowns in the process.
Next up was South Carolina wide out Pharoh Cooper. The Gamecock wide receiver ran for a touchdown, threw for a touchdown, and caught two touchdown passes. The Vols surrendered 233 yards to the sophomore, and it certainly could have been much worse.
The secondary was once a strong point earlier in the season, but have struggled the past three games. The bye week should be a perfect opportunity for the struggling unit to regroup.
Marquez North: To say Marquez North has been struggling this year would be an understatement.
Sophomore slump is a term that fits the wide receiver extremely well.
He is averaging a mere 10.7 yards per catch this season, compared to the 13.1 yards per grab he averaged his freshman year. The only bright spot has been his red zone efficiency, as he has caught four touchdown passes on the season.
Last week, he was banged up against a weak South Carolina secondary and was held without a catch. North needs to recuperate, and find some sort of chemistry with his roommate Josh Dobbs during the bye week.
Special Teams: For a unit that has been relatively consistent all year, the special teams unit has been struggling as of late.
Aaron Medley missed two field goals against the Gamecocks last week. The weather did play a major factor in the kicking game, but Medley looked downright bad at times, failing to net a single touchback on Saturday night.
Punter Matt Darr wasn’t much better. While he did down a punt inside the South Carolina 20-yard-line, he also had a 14-yard punt.
The return game was limited as well, with Malik Foreman having the only return all game for 23 yards.
Over the summer, Butch Jones was most worried about the special teams unit, and we now see why.
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To contact sports editor Connor Grott, email sports@mtsusidelines.com
