Tennessee got a familiar face back where it wanted him Saturday night in Atlanta.
Center Sam Pendleton, who sat out the Vols’ season opener against Furman last week, returned to the starting lineup against Georgia Tech. He anchored the middle of an offensive front that lined up with Sham Umarov at right guard and Jesse Perry at right tackle, while Wendell Moe started at left guard and David Sanders was at left tackle.
Pendleton’s return matters for more than just stability on paper. The senior started all 13 games for Tennessee last season and was one of the biggest pieces of the Vols’ offensive line. With Faizon Brandon making his first-ever collegiate road start, Pendleton’s role in getting the protection and the communication right becomes even more important.
That leadership piece has been part of the conversation around him since fall camp. Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said, “I think he’s, like, kind of accepted wanting to be a really physical guy at practice, set that mentality,” Glen Elarbee said about Pendleton during fall camp.
“I try to piss him off as much as I can every day and make him think he’s not physical, but he really is. He does try to play physically.
He’s pretty gifted. He’s so strong.
He can do some things and make things look easy that really shouldn’t look easy. He’s continuing to try to take that leadership role in the huddle, man, telling the situation what we got.
Man, is it a third down, two-minute? What are we looking for?
Is this a tempo drive? Is it redzone, the keys that matter?
I don’t know. Been really good.”
Georgia Tech entered the game 0-1, while No. 18 Tennessee came in at 1-0.
Kickoff was set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday night in Atlanta, with ESPN carrying the game.
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Tennessee Just Took Another Brutal Hit At A Key Offensive Spot
Tennessees offense has taken another hit at a spot that matters in both the passing game and the run game, with head coach Josh Heupel confirming that starting tight end Ethan Davis suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Davis had been part of the Vols plan at the position, and his absence adds to an injury list that keeps growing at a bad time for the offense.
With Davis out, Tennessee is expected to lean more heavily on younger options such as DaSaahn Brame and Trent Thomas to handle the tight end role. That puts more pressure on a group that now has to absorb a significant workload shift while the Vols try to keep the offense on track without one of its established pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Telander Said What Tennessee Fans Wanted To Hear After That Win
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Telander also touched on the shift in his own defensive role, which has been part of the early-season adjustment for Tennessees defense. Even with the convincing victory in hand, he kept the focus on progress and the details the Vols still need to clean up, a familiar message but one that carries more weight when it comes after a road win against a Power Four opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee May Be Getting A Needed Defensive Line Boost Just In Time
Tennessee is starting to get some encouraging news in the trenches at a good time. Josh Heupel said several defensive linemen who were banged up in preseason and the early part of the season are expected to be closer to full strength for the upcoming game against Kennesaw State, a welcome development for a group that has been dealing with uneven availability.
Freshman defensive tackle JJ Finch, who missed the previous game because of injury, is expected to be ready to play. Senior Daevin Hobbs and sophomores Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley have also worked back after dealing with their own setbacks, giving the Vols a chance to restore some depth and stability up front as the schedule continues to move forward. [Read more 🡒]