Tennessee football had a good season, but its best came in the most physical parts of the game.

The Vols (9-4) were among the nation’s best at running the football. That’s why Knox News chose 1,000-yard rusher Jaylen Wright as the team’s offensive MVP.

And the Vols touted one of the nation’s best pass-rushing units. That's why Knox News picked edge rusher James Pearce as the team’s defensive MVP. Also, his dominant performance in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa solidified his case.

They represented the most effective elements of Tennessee in the 2023 season. Here’s what they did to earn that status.

Jaylen Wright was top rusher on potent ground attack

On Nov. 18, Wright took a handoff from quarterback Joe Milton, cut right and sprinted untouched past Georgia defenders for a 75-yard touchdown.

It was on the first play of the game but stood as UT’s lone TD in a 38-10 loss to the No. 1 Bulldogs. Even when the Vols struggled, Wright excelled.

Wright rushed for 1,013 yards and four TDs. He accomplished the 19th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history, and he did it in only 137 carries while sharing carries with Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson.

Wright averaged 7.4 yards per carry, which led all FBS running backs with at least 100 carries. And he ran for 100 yards in six of 12 games before opting out of the Citrus Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.

He was voted AP All-SEC second team.

In recent seasons, Tennessee’s offense has been led by quarterbacks like Joshua Dobbs and Hendon Hooker and wide receivers like Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt.

But the 2023 Vols ranked No. 2 in rushing offense in the SEC. And Wright, UT’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2015, led the way.

James Pearce thrived in opponents’ backfields

In the first month of the 2023 season, it was clear that Pearce would be a strong pass rusher for the Vols. But in back-to-back games in late September and early October, he elevated his status to a player that opponents feared.

In a 41-20 win over South Carolina, Pearce had two sacks and two quarterback hurries to earn SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. And in a 20-13 win over Texas A&M, he had two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a career-high five quarterback hurries.

It accelerated the pace of Pearce’s breakout sophomore season. He rose from a special teams contributor in 2022 to one of college football’s most disruptive edge rushers in 2023.

Then Pearce dominated in UT's 35-0 win over Iowa. He had a sack, forced a fumble and returned a interception 52 yards for a TD.

Pearce led the Vols with 14 tackles-for-loss, 9.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries this season.

That was emblematic of Tennessee’s defense. It ranked No. 2 in the SEC in sacks, tackles-for-loss and rushing defense.

And Pearce led the charge up front, earning All-SEC first-team honors. He had 10 tackles-for-loss against SEC opponents and touted the highest pass rushing grade of any SEC edge rusher, according to Pro Football Focus.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Jaylen Wright, James Pearce shared Tennessee football MVP in 2023