Here’s how the Tennessee Volunteers graded after their 29-21 loss to No. 20 Missouri.

OFFENSE: D

Joshua Dobbs was held to 195 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 24-of-37, while rushing for just 13 yards on 17 attempts. Tennessee went 5-of-15 on third down attempts and was held to 279 yards of total offense. The Vols recorded 53 net rushing yards, averaging 1.8 yards per carry. Tennessee’s offense accounted for seven of its 21 points after failing to score until late in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSE: C+

The Vols defense fared well in several areas, but struggled in others. Missouri recorded 410 total yards, but was forced to an 8-of-17 third down efficiency. However, Tennessee’s defense was stuck on the field for the majority of the game. The Tigers held a 32:30-27:30 advantage in time of possession, which led to four offensive scores.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A

Tennessee’s biggest play came in the second quarter as place holder Patrick Ashford found tight end Alex Ellis on a 31-yard fake field goal touchdown pass. Aaron Medley added two first half field goals (38, 31) to account for 13 special teams points. Freshman Evan Berry recorded 121 yards on four kick returns. Berry averaged 30.3 yards per return, including a 58-yard return in the second quarter.

COACHING: C-

I just don’t know what to make of Mike Bajakian. It seems he wants to call short passes and screens on every passing play. As Missouri’s lead grew, Bajakian continued to throw short and limited tailback Jalen Hurd to 11 rushing attempts. Instead, Hurd was used on passing plays that started behind the line of scrimmage and didn’t get much farther. Tennessee’s play calling was obvious on Saturday and lacked creativity. The Vols abandoned the run and made little attempt to throw downfield, despite facing a growing deficit.

Aside from the offensive struggles, the rest of the staff deserves credit for bringing Tennessee within eight points in the final minutes. The Vols showed fight late, something they seemed to lack in the first three quarters.

OVERALL: C-

Tennessee lost a close game to a good team. Missouri proved that its defense is among the best in the SEC, dominating the Vols in the trenches and bringing constant pressure. Tennessee still has room for improvement and faces a must-win game against Vanderbilt in Nashville next weekend. The Vols will end their three-year bowl drought with a victory over their SEC East rival.