Pro Football Focus took a close look at Tennessee’s loss at South Carolina and handed out its own set of grades after Saturday’s game, when the No. 11 Vols were flagged 12 times and coughed up two late turnovers.
PFF’s evaluation comes from a full film review of every team and player, and the outlet says its process is built to give a broader picture than a few memorable plays. It also notes that its grades may not line up with what Tennessee’s coaches put on their own report cards, since PFF does not know each player’s assignment on any given snap.
“Taking every play into consideration allows for a larger sample size of data to tell the proper story rather than just a highlight reel of plays that we tend to remember, for better or worse,” Pro Football Focus defines about its grading process. “We also work to eliminate bias by not caring about the level of player who is being graded, so whether it's the best tackle in the league missing a block or one of the worst, the same grade is given.
Preconceived level of ability has no impact on the grading system. This style has worked well in unlocking undervalued gems through the years, while also not being swayed by player hype if it is undeserved.”
The grades are listed on a 1-100 scale, with 90-100 labeled elite, 85-89 as all-conference level, 70-84 as starter quality, 60-69 as backup quality and anything below 60 considered replaceable.
Here is how Tennessee players were graded in the loss at South Carolina, according to PFF.
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Tennessee Gets Something Back After Ugly South Carolina Finish
Tennessee at least gets a small bit of relief after the messy finish in Columbia. The Southeastern Conference fined South Carolina $500,000 for the postgame field storming that followed the Gamecocks victory over the Volunteers, and that money will be paid to Tennessee as part of the leagues penalty structure.
There is a chance the fine could be reduced if South Carolina can show it made an effort to prevent the rush, but the episode still underscores how ugly the ending was for Tennessee. With that trip now behind them, the Volunteers turn the page to the rest of their football schedule, still looking to move past a game that ended with more chaos than closure. [Read more 🡒]
Arion Carter Gave Tennessee Fans A Reason To Rally After South Carolina
Arion Carter gave Tennessee fans something to hang onto beyond the result against South Carolina, even with the season already carrying an early off-field wrinkle for the linebacker. Carter was suspended for the first game of the 2026 season by the NCAA because of a reimbursed flight payment during the pre-draft process, but he has also turned his on-field production into something bigger, pledging to donate $427 for every tackle he makes this season to cancer research, a cause that is personal to him.
Against South Carolina, Carter finished with three tackles, and it was the kind of effort that fit the tone Josh Heupel was trying to strike afterward when he addressed Tennessees performance. The suspension still hangs over Carters season, but the larger story around him is becoming clear: Tennessee has a linebacker playing with a lot on his mind, and an even larger purpose attached to every stop he makes. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Collapse Exposed One Performance Fans Cant Ignore
Tennessees 27-24 loss to South Carolina left plenty to sort through, but the snap counts and grades only sharpened the picture of how the game unraveled. On offense, Javin Gordon wound up leading the team in snaps, while George MacIntyre remained productive even as three touchdown throws came off the board because of penalties.
On the other side, safety TJ Metcalf stood out with the highest defensive grade, a small bright spot in a night that otherwise ended in frustration. For a team trying to make sense of a late-game collapse, the numbers point to a handful of individual performances that held up better than the final result, even if the bigger story was Tennessee letting one get away. [Read more 🡒]