EDITOR”S NOTE: Each week, we grade Tennessee’s performance as it relates to General Neyland’s famous seven maxims of football. Welcome to the Rocky Top Report Card.
By SCOTT FELTS
No. 15/14 Tennessee grinded out a 24-17 victory in Fayetteville on Saturday, securing its first win at Razorback Stadium since 2001 and giving Josh Heupel his 50th career win as Vols head coach.
DeSean Bishop’s late heroics and a resilient second-half response carried the day. Here’s how the Vols graded out against General Neyland’s seven game maxims, based on the box score and game flow.
1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win. (Grade: C-)
Tennessee committed the more damaging mistakes. George MacIntyre threw two interceptions in his first career start, and also lost a fumble. Those turnovers helped Arkansas take a 14-7 lead in the third quarter.
The Razorbacks also lost a fumble and committed more penalty yards (7 flags for 63 yards vs. Tennessee’s 6 for 35), but the Vols’ two interceptions were the costlier errors.
Fewer self-inflicted wounds and this would have been a cleaner road victory.
2. Play for and make the breaks. When one comes your way…SCORE. (Grade: B-)
The Vols created and converted critical breaks. Xavier Gilliam’s strip sack and fumble recovery on Arkansas’ first possession set an early tone and gave Tennessee excellent field position even without converting it into points.
Later, DaSaahn Brame’s career-long 68-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter flipped field position and led directly to his 1-yard rushing touchdown that put the Vols ahead 17-14.
Bishop’s career-long 59-yard burst in the fourth quarter set up the game-winning 8-yard touchdown run with 1:57 left. When opportunities appeared, Tennessee mostly finished them.
3. If at first the game or the breaks go against you, don’t let up … put on more steam. (Grade: A)
This was the defining maxim of the game. After Arkansas scored twice in the third quarter to take a 14-7 lead, Tennessee responded immediately.
Cooper Ranvier drilled a season-long 49-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10.
The Vols then answered Arkansas’ tying 55-yard field goal with the decisive scoring drive. MacIntyre, Bishop, and Brame kept attacking rather than tightening up. The second-half push turned a potential road loss into a statement win.
4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game. (Grade: B-)
Mixed results here. MacIntyre was sacked only once, and the offensive line generally kept the pocket clean enough for 247 passing yards. But some false starts and man downfield penalties put the QB and offense behind the sticks on multiple drives.
Ranvier was protected on his 49-yard make and Jackson Ross punted the ball well without any pressure.
However, the two interceptions and the lost fumble showed incomplete protection of the quarterback and the football.
Once Tennessee took the lead for good, the defense and late-game clock management did enough to protect the ball game, but the earlier turnovers prevented a higher grade.
5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle … for this is the WINNING EDGE. (Grade: B+)
Defensively the Vols showed the winning edge in key moments. Gilliam was outstanding: the strip-sack and fumble recovery, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries.
TJ Metcalf led the defense with a season-high nine tackles. The Vols limited Arkansas to 288 total yards and forced the early turnover. Coverage was solid enough to hold the Razorbacks to one passing touchdown.
Pursuit and tackling were generally sharp, though Arkansas still managed 15 first downs and stayed in the game until the final minutes.
6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made. (Grade: B)
Tennessee held a clear edge in the kicking game. Ranvier’s 49-yard field goal was a momentum shifter. The Vols averaged 47.5 yards per punt on four attempts (including a 50+ yarder) compared to Arkansas’ 40.2 yard average on eight punts.
Josh Turbyville put four of five kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.
Arkansas answered with a 55-yard field goal, but overall Tennessee controlled field position through the kicking game and forced the Razorbacks into longer fields more often.
7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes. (Grade: B+)
The Vols did not dominate for all 60 minutes. Arkansas controlled possession for more than 32 minutes and owned the third quarter, but Tennessee brought the fight when it mattered most.
Bishop finished with 138 yards and the game-winning TD on 19 carries. Brame’s big play and short-yardage score, MacIntyre’s efficiency on the final drive, and the defensive stand after the early fumble recovery showed sustained aggression.
The late-game surge in Fayetteville proved the Vols could impose their will for the full contest when the stakes were highest.
Overall Grade: B-
In an environment that the Vols allowed to become hostile with their own mistakes, the ability to respond after adversity and finish scoring opportunities outweighed those mistakes and produced a hard-earned SEC road win.