Tennessee Vols reserves Ty Chandler, Jarrett Guarantano get valuable experience

Ty Chandler did a pretty fair impression of an All-American Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee's freshman running back lined up for the opening kickoff in place of Evan Berry, one of the nation's best returners. Chandler showed some potential as well. He barely was touched in dashing 91 yards for a touchdown against Indiana State.

It was the first time a Vol returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown since Berry on Oct. 3, 2015 against Arkansas.

"We saw that all preseason camp, UT coach Butch Jones said, "We were excited to get (Chandler) back there. And you can see, he's very dynamic. He can hit it."

"I called it," running back John Kelly said of Chandler's return. "I was happy for him."

Quarterback Quinten Dormady was happy for who performed the feat along with the spark it provided.

"You want young guys to step up," Dormady said. "I think they did that. It's all about keeping them in the moment, doing their assignment. I think they played really well."

The nature of Tennessee's 42-7 victory at Neyland Stadium didn't allow the Vols to give their reserves a good long workout. When asked about starter Kelly's 18 carries, Jones said, "We have to play football. We have to win the football game."

Still, several reserves gained valuable experience. The most noteworthy was backup quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. The redshirt freshman replaced Dormady on the game's third series.

"It really wasn't scripted," Jones said of Guarantano's debut. "I told him to be ready. It could be the second series. It could be the third series. It was kind of a feel thing."

Guarantano played four series overall. He was 4-for-12 passing for 41 yards and a touchdown. His scoring pass was a back-shoulder pass to Jeff George for an 11-yard touchdown on Tennessee's final series. Guarantano's 12-yard scramble on third down preceded the touchdown pass.

"Any time you get repetitions, they're invaluable, even at the end of the game," Jones said.

Of the backup running backs, Carlin Fils-aime benefited, rushing three times for 41 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore wasn't touched on a 30-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Kelly said Fils-aime was disappointed after Monday's game against Georgia Tech and needed a pick-me-up.

"I told him it's going to come," Kelly said. "He took advantage of it. It's good to see him smiling. He's a good kid."

Sophomore Brandon Johnson stepped in at the injury-depleted slot receiver position and caught his first career touchdown pass, a 19-yarder from Dormady in the second quarter.

"I want to say it was Tuesday when we asked him to move into the slot," Jones said. "He had never played in the slot before. It's a tribute to him that he has learned the entire offense."  

Tight end Eli Wolf was noteworthy for what he avoided more than any achievement. The redshirt sophomore dodged a major injury, suffering only a sprained ankle on his 17-yard catch in the first quarter.

"That was some great news," Jones said. 

On defense, Jones was happy for tackle Shy Tuttle's first action of the season.

"It felt good getting back out there," Tuttle said, "doing what I came here to do."

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