E.J. Gaines, ailing with injured quadriceps, was forced to watch from the sideline when then-No. 5 Missouri blew a 17-point lead to South Carolina on Homecoming.

A week later, the senior cornerback was back in coach Gary Pinkel’s starting defense against Tennessee and wasted no time making his presence felt.

“Just him being out on the field there’s a sense of experience and his leadership,” Pinkel said.

Gaines recorded the second tackle of the game for the Tigers’ defense then midway through the second quarter, he jumped a route down the sideline and picked off Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs.

“I don’t care if it comes early, late, in the middle, it doesn’t matter,” Gaines said. “An interception is a good thing.”

Junior defensive end Kony Ealy brought pressure on Dobbs on the play and forced an errant throw. He said he was glad Gaines was there to make “a veteran play.”

“The energy is there but so is the leadership,” Ealy said of Gaines. “When he goes out there and he plays his game and he makes plays, it just sets the tone and everybody knows that.”

In Gaines’ absence freshmen Aarion Penton and John Gibson stepped in to fill the void. Against Florida, Penton had an interception that set the Tigers in prime field position, and Saturday Gibson lended coverage over the top when junior safety Braylon Webb picked off Dobbs in the third quarter.

“When you have two freshmen like that in Gibson and Penton, that’s pretty nice for the future,” Pinkel said. “You’ve got high-level corners coming back with some experience.”

In all, the Volunteers turned the ball over three times on the night. Dobbs fumbled once on a scramble with 44 seconds left in the first half. The turnovers marked Missouri’s 39th consecutive game with a takeaway, the longest active streak in the Bowl Championship Series.

The Volunteers’ only points came on a 51-yard field goal when UT’s drive stalled at Missouri’s 35 yard-line.

“I think we definitely proved that we have one of the best defenses in the country,” Gaines said.