Munoz gets critique from Hall of Fame dad

Michael hears from his father, Anthony Munoz, the day after the game. Their next-day chat isn't just father-to-son. It's a former NFL player talking to a future NFL player.

"I'll call him (the day after the game)," Michael said. "And he'll tell me what he saw. He'll say, 'You need to work on this or that, or you did a good job on this.' "

Michael takes the criticism to heart. His father, who played offensive tackle for Southern California and the Cincinnati Bengals, is already in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Anthony doesn't need to review the tape to assess his son's performance.

"He played for a long time so he knows what to look for," said Michael, who was honored as the SEC offensive lineman of the week for his play in UT's 42-17 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. "He sits in the end zone so he gets a great view (of the offensive line) and is able to see the whole play developing."

Munoz, who already has started 40 games for the Vols, is off to the best start of his college career. And the rest of the offensive line has followed his lead.

UT leads the SEC in rushing and ranks 10th nationally with a 263.3-yard per game average. Moreover, its success running has complemented the passing game.

"You can see how these (wide receivers) can go downfield and make plays," Munoz said. "A lot of it is because of the success we've had running the ball. Teams are putting a lot more men in the box, and the receivers are getting man-on-man coverage."