Tennessee run game and pass rush still among nation's best despite South Carolina loss

Even in defeat, Tennessee left the South Carolina game with two clear strengths intact. According to Sports Illustrated, the Vols' run game and their pass rush still rank among the nation's best after the loss, a sign that some of the team's core identities held up even on a disappointing day.

That split matters for how the loss should be read. The result in Columbia was a setback, but it was not a collapse across the board. A rushing attack that continues to produce and a defensive front that continues to pressure opposing quarterbacks give Tennessee a foundation that many teams coming off a loss do not have.

For Tennessee, the task now is to build around those proven strengths while fixing what failed around them. If the run game and pass rush can maintain that level, the Vols still have the pieces in place to recover from the South Carolina result.