BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Coming off a dominant, 40-13 road victory at No. 25 LSU, the Tennessee Volunteers were recognized with a pair of weekly awards from the Southeastern Conference. Redshirt senior placekicker Chase McGrath was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, while senior edge rusher Byron Young was tabbed SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week by the league office.
McGrath drilled 4-of-5 field goals and converted all four of his extra points in a stellar special teams effort as Tennessee beat LSU by a score of 40-13—representing UT’s highest margin of victory on the road against an AP ranked opponent since 1995. The four made field goals tied for the fifth-most in a game in school history and the most by a Vol since 2019.
The Newport Beach, California, native connected on three first-half field goals that allowed the Vols to seize momentum, including a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. He made a pair of 32-yarders, a 35-yarder and a 38-yarder. His 16 total points were one shy of a school single-game record for points by a kicker. McGrath is now 8-of-10 on field goals on the year and 28-of-28 on PATs.
McGrath is a first-time recipient of SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors and the first Vol to be recognized with the award since Velus Jones Jr. on Nov. 22, 2021.
Young collected a career-best 2.5 sacks and tied his career high with 2.5 tackles for loss, while finishing with five total tackles and five total QB pressures according to Pro Football Focus. His 2.5 sacks were the most by an SEC player last week and tied for the most by any SEC player in a game all season (Will Anderson, Alabama; Jordan Domineck, Arkansas). Young and the Vols limited the Tigers to a season-low 55 yards rushing after LSU entered the contest averaging 196.0 yards per game on the ground.
The Georgetown, South Carolina, product has applied pressure in the backfield all season, leading the Vols with 4.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries.
Young takes home SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week accolades for the second time this season. He was also recognized by the league office after Tennessee’s win at No. 17 Pittsburgh—posting four tackles, two TFLs, one sack and three QB hurries in the Week 2 victory.
The sixth-ranked Vols look ahead to a top-10 matchup on Rocky Top this weekend, playing host to the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday in Neyland Stadium. The Third Saturday in October will be nationally televised on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET, and UT will welcome ESPN’s College GameDay and SEC Nation to campus for the rivalry showdown.
-UT Athletics
