With Election Day finally upon us, Tennessee fifth-year senior safety Will Brooks continues to provide quite the campaign slogan:
“Helping save the Volunteers one game at a time.”
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound walk-on from Birmingham produced yet another momentum-shifting moment during Saturday night’s 28-18 downing of Kentucky inside Neyland Stadium. With a minute remaining in the third quarter and the Wildcats looking to take a 17-14 lead, Brooks intercepted a Gavin Wimsatt pass intended for tight end Josh Kattus and raced 67 yards to Kentucky’s 10-yard line.
Two plays after the turnover, Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava connected in the back of the end zone with tight end Miles Kitselman for a 21-10 advantage.
“It was their quick game and he threw it, and I was just kind of at the right place at the right time,” Brooks said after the game. “I was able to break on the ball and be able to pick it off. After I had it, my teammates were telling me just to keep going to the sideline, but I obviously didn’t do that and kind of got caught.”
Brooks will certainly be forgiven for not taking a second interception the distance this year. In Tennessee’s second game of the season, the 51-10 drubbing of North Carolina State in Charlotte, he returned a Grayson McCall interception 85 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter for a 17-3 lead that opened the floodgates.
In the 24-17 triumph over rival Alabama on Oct. 19, Brooks tripped up Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe in the first quarter to prevent a 73-yard touchdown run and intercepted Milroe with 1:24 remaining to seal the celebration in Knoxville.
“I think his growth in the understanding of what we’re doing and allowing his physical traits to take over and make some of the plays that he has — it’s tying all of those things together,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during Monday’s weekly news conference. “He’s one of the hardest workers on the football team, and he’s willing to do anything and everything. In previous years, you’ve seen how important he is to the special teams part of it.
“Guys like that, when they get their opportunity, typically take advantage of it like he has up to this point. We’re going to need him to continue to make plays as we go down the stretch.”
Brooks is tied for second among SEC players with his three interceptions, and he ranks second nationally with 152 interception return yards. As a team, the Vols have compiled seven interceptions and seven fumble recoveries through their 7-1 start entering this Saturday night’s game (7 on ESPN) against visiting Mississippi State.
“We set a goal to get three turnovers a game, and winning the turnover battle is just a huge part in winning games,” Brooks said, “so that’s our main focus throughout the week in our preparation, and everything we’re doing we’re always thinking about getting the ball. I think that’s kind of why we’ve been able to come up with so many turnovers.”
After amassing 18 tackles in 10 games last season, Brooks has compiled 37 through eight games with 2.5 tackles for loss, his three interceptions and a forced fumble.
Helping save the Vols one game at a time.
“It’s been really great just to be able to go out there and play with my brothers by my side,” Brooks said. We’ve been able to execute at a high level and play really well together. It’s just been a lot of fun to go out there every single day with these guys and make plays.”
CFP hype time
The College Football Playoff committee will release its first installment of rankings Tuesday night.
Tennessee, which was No. 1 in the first batch of CFP rankings during the 2022 season, is No. 7 in this week’s Associated Press poll.
“Playoff rankings at this point don’t matter, and you don’t have control over it,” Heupel said. “What you have control over is your preparation and how you play. Ultimately that determines where you’re at or where you’re not at. For this football team, it’s about understanding that we’ve got to continue to grow and get better and control those things that we’re in control of.
“You remember what the first rankings were last year? I don’t either.”
Gilbert’s struggles
Tennessee redshirt freshman kicker Max Gilbert was 11-of-12 on field-goal attempts through six games but is a combined 1-of-6 the past two contests.
Gilbert missed all three of his attempts against Kentucky, with those tries coming from 43, 40 and 34 yards.
“Max has hit the ball really well the majority of the year, and he hits it that way in practice, too,” Heupel said. “For him, it’s resetting from kick to kick and from week to week, too. It’s important for him, like every other player, to have a great week of preparation. From the first kick to the second kick the other night, he kind of over-corrected, and he kind of did the same thing on the third one, too.
“I think it’s just go find your groove, hit your sweet spot and go play ball.”
Odds and ends
Saturday’s contest will mark the earliest Southeastern Conference home finale (Nov. 9) in Tennessee history. … The Vols hold a 29-16-1 series advantage over the Bulldogs and have won 10 of the past 12 meetings. … Vols redshirt junior safety Jakobe Thomas on being born in Starkville: “I did grow up a Mississippi State fan for a little while. I went to games there when I was little and went back when Dak Prescott and Kylin Hill were there. When I moved to Tennessee, I became a Tennessee fan.” … Tennessee’s game at Georgia next week will have a 7:30 kickoff on ABC.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.