Week 1 SEC Letter Grades: Tennessee Through Vanderbilt
By Tucker Harlin
These are the last four SEC teams alphabetically in my Week 1 letter grades.
TENNESSEE: A
Credit: University of Tennessee Athletics
Competition for the most part is what’s keeping me from putting the Vols at an A+, but it was a very positive start to 2024.
To find a higher number than 69 that Tennessee’s put up, you have to go all the way back to the 2000 ULM game when it scored 70.
We knew the run game would be on point for the Vols, but Nico Iamaleava’s passing performance was far superior to anything they got from Joe Milton III in 2023.
Chattanooga didn’t really challenge Tennessee’s defense on the second level, so that’s something to watch for when the Vols play NC State next week.
But a 66-point win over the Mocs feels immensely better than the 30-13 sweat the Vols had against Austin Peay last season.
TEXAS A&M: F
Credit: Notre Dame Athletics
One of the biggest gripes in Jimbo Fisher’s last three seasons in College Station was the lack of strong quarterback play.
That was still an issue in the Aggies’ 23-13 loss to Notre Dame Saturday night.
Quarterback Connor Weigman finished the game 12/30 passing with just 100 yards and two interceptions.
The Aggies have already been dealt a blow at running back, so bad quarterback performance really makes this one of the least likable offenses in the SEC.
The defense is still good under Mike Elko, a defensive-minded head coach. But there’s only so much it can do when the offense doesn’t produce, and that’s exactly what happened to the Aggies at the end of the game.
If there’s any positive to the loss, it’s that the Aggies probably won’t see a defense anywhere near as good as Notre Dame’s the rest of the way.
But the Aggies were unproductive against worse defenses last season, leaving me wondering if they’ll actually be potent at all this season.
TEXAS: A
The reigning Big 12 champions defeated Colorado State 52-0 in their first game as members of the SEC.
The Longhorns didn’t exactly have the fastest of starts and Quinn Ewers was picked off on a deflected pass near the end of the first quarter.
Each of Ewers’ three pass touchdowns were to players the Longhorns acquired from the transfer portal during the offseason.
Once Ewers’ day was done, Arch Manning excited Longhorn fans with a pass touchdown and rush touchdown in the middle portions of the second half.
Rams running back Justin Marshall ran for 106 yards, but the Horns didn’t allow for many big plays on the defensive end.
We’ll know a lot more about Texas after it goes to Michigan next week.
VANDERBILT: A+
Credit: Vanderbilt University Athletics
I’m always going to grade Vanderbilt on a more lenient scale, but there’s no doubt in my mind the Commodores deserve an A+ following their upset over Virginia Tech.
This is Vandy’s first power conference win since it knocked off Florida near the end of the 2022 season, and the Hokies were projecting as a dark horse to make the ACC title and potentially the College Football Playoffs.
The Dores kicked a field goal on the first possession and scored a touchdown on the next after picking of Kyron Drones to start with a 10-point lead.
Another long drive put the Dores ahead by 17, but the Hokies outscored Vandy 27-3 between the end of the first half and late in the fourth quarter.
However, transfer quarterback Diego Pavia stayed calm and led Vandy on a game tying scoring drive to send the game to overtime knotted at 27.
Pavia used his legs to score what turned out to be the game winning touchdown in overtime, finishing the day 12/16 with 190 pass yards and two touchdowns while running 104 more yards and another score.
I’m not going to pretend I think Vandy is something special yet, but it has obviously improved if it’s beating a power four opponent. It’s also more proof the ACC isn’t a strong conference.
