The Tennessee Volunteers were making quick work of the Furman Paladins and a large part of that is transfer defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam. Gilliam has been dominant on the defensive line today and is the biggest reason the Paladins offense has struggled to make any progress down the field today.
Xavier Gilliam Dominates the Paladins
Gilliam is a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman who transferred in from Penn State. In his redshirt freshman season for the Nittany Lions, Gilliam only managed 0.5 sacks. In today’s contest against the Paladins, Gilliam has already surpassed that total by a lot.
Gilliam has produced 3 sacks today to stifle the Furman offense from the start. The offensive line had trouble blocking him from the first drive of the game and never figured it out. His efforts on the line have earned him a nice spot in Tennessee history.
Best Since 2018
Gilliam’s 3 sacks are the most for a single Vol player since the 2018 season. The last time someone had 3 sacks was Darrell Taylor. Taylor had 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in a 38-12 loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. Notably, Taylor actually has 2 career 3-sack performances in his Vols career.
The Vols have had some great defenses in recent years, especially on the defensive line. Gilliam accomplishing something that no recent player has been able to do is a great sign for things to come…