- Hooker is their best option at quarterback and it’s not close — Tennessee desperately needs Hooker healthy for Saturday’s trip to Missouri. Hooker wasn’t perfect Saturday night in Gainesville, but he played well enough to make that a sixty minute game and give his team a chance to win.
On the play that Jacob Warren was wide open on, Hooker has to give him a chance there. Upon replay, I thought Hooker could have hung in he pocket another couple of seconds to make that an easier through. Nice play design with motioning Warren out and running the wheel route. Tennessee had the lead there at 14-10. That was a huge miss in the second quarter.
Overall, Hooker played his best game as a Vol. His ball security was better and he didn’t put the ball in harms way through the air.
On the year, Hooker is 9 of 13 (69%) on third down throws, five have been first downs and in the redzone, Hooker is 5-6 (83%) with 2 touchdowns.
2. They have to get Cooper Mays healthy — Mays is not the most physical guy and he had some critical errors, but the run game was better on Saturday. The pace of play was better and the communication was better. Mays re-aggravated that ankle sprain and couldn’t finish. This offensive line has played better with Mays on the field. They have to get Jerome Carvin playing better at the center spot because Mays may battle the ankle issue all year. But there’s no question upon rewatch of the Florida game and watching the four games this season, this offense is better with Mays on the field.
3. Gotta play the edge better — Stopping Emory Jones was going to be a big time challenge and Tennessee just struggle do to that. One of the keys was pushing the pocket and playing contain on the edge. Tennessee’s defense didn’t do either well enough. Jones had 146 yard rushing. According to PFF stats, Jones had 47 yards on 6 scrambles and he has 79 yards on three runs around right end. One of those three was for 49 yards, but the other two averaged 15 yards a rush.
Tennessee needs to hold up on the edge better especially on quarterback runs. It cost them. Jones had 5 runs of 10+ yards and of his 14 runs seven of them generated first downs. Two of them came on third down.
In week two, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett scrambled for 32 yards converting two first downs. The Vol defense overall has been better than I expected. One area they need to tighten up playing contain off the edge.
4. Too many drops — Jimmy Callaway’s drop was obviously a huge momentum changer in the game as Tennessee was looking to cut a 10 point lead to 3. But Callaway’s drop wasn’t the only one. Callaway had another drop. Velus Jones had a drop. I thought Princeton Fant had a ball he could have caught as well.
Tennessee’s margin of error is small. They can’t hurt themselves with self inflicted wounds like dropped passes.
5. Bad snaps were killers — Leading 14-10 with the ball, Tennessee had 3rd and 9. A bad snap destroyed any rhythm on the play and Princeton Fant was wide open on a crossing route. That was the play two snaps after the overthrow to Jacob Warren. Tennessee had another bad snap as well. But that series where Tennessee had the lead in the second quarter was a killer with the overthrow and the bad snap.
