KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team captured both the SEC’s offensive and defensive player of the week awards for the first time in 25 years on Monday when redshirt senior wide receiver Jauan Jennings and senior linebacker Daniel Bituli snagged the league’s top weekly honors following the Vols’ dominating 41-21 performance on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Jennings was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week with Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden Jr., while Bituli shared Defensive Player of the Week honors with LSU safety Jacoby Stevens.
Additionally, redshirt senior center Brandon Kennedy was named Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Jennings led Tennessee with seven receptions for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns in the Vols first victory against the Gamecocks since 2015. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native was able to briefly return to his high school days, starting the game at quarterback in a “Wildcat” formation and took the Vols’ first offensive snap 11 yards. He finished with 18 rushing yards and 192 all-purpose yards.
Jennings became the first Tennessee receiver with more than 150 yards and two touchdowns in 18 years (Donte Stallworth, 2001). The team’s impassioned performance was highlighted when Jennings broke four tackles on a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the second quarter and his 19-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave Tennessee the lead for good.
Equally impressive, Bituli paced Tennessee with 15 tackles, 1.0 TFL and blocked a punt he returned for touchdown to provide the final scoring margin, which was the largest win the Vols have had over the Gamecocks since 1999’s 30-7 victory. Bituli’s 15 tackles and 11 solo tackles are the third-most by an SEC player in 2019. The Nashville, Tenn. product also added a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry as the Vols’ defense shutout the Gamecocks in the second half.
Kennedy, who has started all eight games at center, captured the highest grade (80) on a Tennessee offensive line that did not allow a sack and led an offense that tallied a season-high 485 yards of total offense and a season-high 351 yards passing against a South Carolina defense that boasted one of the nation’s top defensive lines. Kennedy also led a blocking effort that stifled a Gamecocks defense that entered the game with 17 sacks and three defensive linemen ranking in the SEC’s Top 10 in sacks. USC finished without a sack for the first time all season.
A native of Wetumpka, Ala., Kennedy was the Vols’ steadying force, snapping to three different players lining up at quarterback and leading the way for two different quarterbacks to throw for over 100 yards and at least one touchdown. UT did not turn the ball over en route to their largest point total against an SEC opponent since 2016.
Kennedy joined junior left guard Trey Smith as SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honorees for Tennessee this season. Smith collected the honors following the Mississippi State game two weeks ago. It marks the first time since 2015 (Kyler Kerbyson, Coleman Thomas) that two different Vols were named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in the same season.
Jennings and Bituli mark the sixth time Tennessee has had the league’s offensive and defensive players of the week in the same week and the first since running back James Stewart and defensive end Ben Talley grabbed the awards on Nov. 26, 1994, following their performances against Vanderbilt in a 65-0 win.
Bitulli also grabbed National Defensive Player of the Week honors from College Sports Madness on Sunday.
Tennessee was also well-represented on the Pro Football Focus SEC Offensive and Defensive Teams of the Week, with six total Vols receiving recognition. Jennings and quarterback Jarrett Guarantano were included in the offensive honorees, while the defensive team featured Bituli, linebacker Darrell Taylor, linebacker Kivon Bennett and safety Nigel Warrior.
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