KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A trio of Vols were named to the PFF College SEC Team of the Week on Monday after leading Tennessee to its first SEC win of the season last Saturday.
Offensive lineman Trey Smith, safety Nigel Warrior and outside linebacker Darrell Taylor were all recognized for their efforts in UT’s 20-10 victory over Mississippi State.
Smith led an offensive line that allowed just one sack and paved the way for 190 rushing yards. With the Vols clinging to a three-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Smith and the offensive line were dominant in Tennessee’s final possession of the game, a nine-play, 91-yard scoring drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock and effectively iced the game.
Warrior helped lead a dominant effort by the Vols’ defense, limiting Mississippi State to season lows in points (10) and total yards (267). The senior from College Park, Ga., was one of the Vols’ top players on defense, finishing with four tackles, two pass breakups and one of UT’s three interceptions. This is Warrior’s second appearance on the PFF College SEC Team of the Week this season.
Joining Warrior on the defensive team of the week was Taylor, who was a second-team selection after spearheading a dominant performance by the front seven. The redshirt senior linebacker recorded the fourth multi-sack game of his career, registering two sacks along with a forced fumble, and played a major role in limiting the SEC’s leading rusher, Kylin Hill, to just 13 yards on 11 carries.
Now with 14 sacks during his Tennessee career, Taylor is second in the SEC among active players in career sacks, trailing only Florida’s Jabari Zuniga (18.5). Taylor’s six career forced fumbles are also tied for the most among active SEC players. Tennessee’s defense totaled seven sacks in the win, its most in a conference game since Nov. 22, 2008 at Vanderbilt.
The entire PFF College SEC Team of the Week can be found HERE.
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