BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee had a pair of players earn SEC weekly honors on Monday as right tackle Cade Mays was named the Offensive Lineman of the Week and running back Len’Neth Whitehead was named Co-Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Mays and Whitehead played key roles in UT’s record-setting offensive performance during the Vols’ 62-24 rout of Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Columbia.
With the help of Mays and Whitehead, Tennessee finished with 683 total yards and an incredible 458 yards on the ground, representing the most rushing yards in a road game in school history and the most overall since rushing for 513 yards against Washington & Lee on Nov. 10, 1951.
The Vols’ 683 yards of total offense were their most since racking up 684 yards at Texas A&M on Oct. 8, 2016.
Mays was dominant in a first quarter that saw UT rack up 28 points, the most in the first quarter for the Vols since scoring 35 vs. Arkansas on Nov. 11, 2000. The Knoxville native is the first Vol to earn SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors since Trey Smith on Nov. 25, 2019.
Whitehead, playing in just his second career SEC game, set career highs with nine carries and 76 rushing yards, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He also added a 10-yard reception to finish with 86 all-purpose yards. The Georgia native is the first UT player to garner SEC Freshman of the Week honors since Eric Gray on Dec. 1, 2019.
Tennessee returns to Neyland Stadium for its SEC home opener against South Carolina at noon ET Saturday on ESPN2. UT legend Al Wilson will be honored with his National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute. Wilson will be formally inducted in December. Tickets for the contest are on sale now at AllVols.com.