- That was a total domination — I have to go back to some old school (90’s) Vanderbilt games to remember a time where I felt like a Vol offense could line up and score anyway they want essentially any time they want, but that’s what it felt like Saturday.
Through two SEC games, the Vols are leading the SEC in offense with 553 yards.
It was as dominant of a win a you could imagine when you see a 62-24 score board.
Upon rewatch, it was crazy how easy it was.
2. Give me more Tiyon Evans — I don’t dislike Jabari Small and I thought Len’Neth Whitehead looked solid in his most work to date. But the best back on this team is Tiyon Evans and he should play early and often and get the bulk of he carries. Evans is the most complete back. He can get the tough yards. He can pass protect. He has good hands out of the back field, he obviously has good speed, and he has great feet.
I felt like the running back position this year wouldn’t take a step back despite the loss of last year’s top two rushers and it hasn’t. In fact the position is better because of Evans.
Evans finished with 156 yards on 15 carries. I think Evans should start and in closer games he needs the biggest workload.
3. Velus in the slot is his home —With 7 catches for 79 yards, Velus Jones moved into the top receiver for the season in yards and receptions. Jones only had 9 catches on the year coming into the game. Saturday, Jones played the slot spot and that’s the position that suits him best. Jones is the Vols best receiver after the catch in terms of making people miss as evident by his 35 war touchdown on third down. Saturday Jones had 69 YAC yards. For the season Jones has 239 yards receiving and 191 yards have come after contact.
The slot receiver is a lot of underneath stuff and crossing routes. The slot position is all about yards after contact and Jones is the best on this team at that which is why the slot is his best home.
4. Banks’ defense against the run — We all wondered what would Tim Banks’ defense be this fall. After watching them in the spring everyone wondered if this defense would be able to stop the run.
After five games the answer is a resounding yes aside from a mobile quarterback in Emory Jones.
Through 5 games, Tennessee hasn’t given up 100 yards to a running back and through 5 games, tailbacks are averaging right at 3 yards a carry. Tennessee has given up 354 yards on 119 running back carries this season. No one saw that number coming.
All pre-season, the talk was about playing vertical and in the opponents backfield. Through five games, they are doing a good job of that. To this point, Tennessee has 42 tackles for loss.
In rewatching the game, Tennessee was the best they have been all year in playing the edge. Roman Harrison had his best day against the run and Tennessee’s pursuit to the ball was terrific. They never let Tyler Badie get going. Badie finished the day with just a net of 41 yards rushing as he lost 23 on the day.
The challenges for this defense will get hard but no one expected this defense to be this stout against the run to this point this season.
5. What were you thinking pt. 1 — It was a easy, relaxing afternoon for the Vols, but it didn’t come without a little head scratching. With a big lead, Tennessee played it’s starters too long especially on the offensive line where they are razor thin. You have no reason to expect Cooper Mays or Kingston Harris to be back next week and guard Ollie Lane played 82 snaps. Four of Tennessee’s five starters on the offensive line played 76 snaps ore more. Why not play Jackson Lampley, Parker Ball more than 6 snaps. Why not play James Robinson? Risky to leave that starting unit on the field that long knowing you are an ankle sprain from being in pretty dire straights in the trenches.
Then you have the second half with Hendon Hooker. One, he was still in the game in the fourth quarter leading 55-17. Two in the final possession Hooker played he had three rushes. One was clearly not a designed run. But the other two were runs. On the first possession of the second half leading 45-10, Tennessee went empty backfield with two designed quarterback runs. In my opinion it was an unnecessary risk in a blowout. A sprain ankle there derails your growth.
6. It’s Hooker team — Hendon Hooker is clearly growing into being Josh Heupel’s quarterback. He’s getting better every week. Saturday his ball placement was really good. The first touchdown to Javonta Payton was a great throw. His one over throw to Cedric Tillman should have been a pass interference as Tillman was grabbed. On Tillman’s touchdown, that was not Hooker’s first read in the progression.
On the first drive of he third quarter, Hooker hit Princeton Fant for an 11 yard gain on what looked to be the third read in his progression. Hooker looked left then outside right before coming to Fant inside the hashes.
Hooker is showing some nice growth in the offense and Tennessee must keep him healthy.
7. What were you thinking pt. 2? — I don’t cover Missouri so I haven’t seen them play every game but I did watch both the Kentucky game and the Boston College game. In both games they struggled to stop the run with four down linemen so why in the world defensive coordinator Steve Walks rolled out Saturday in a 3-3-5 look is beyond me. When you can’t top the run with a four man front, what gives you hope that you can stop the run in a three man front.
“Just to try to throw them off balance,” Drinkwitz said of the 3-3-5 formation. “We thought we could fit the gaps and maybe get them, the runs, to bounce a little bit. But weren’t able to maintain our gap integrity and gave up some big runs.”
In other words, “Too many meetings”.
The poor play of the defensive line led to Missouri firing defensive line coach Jethro Franklin on Sunday.
8. This team needs more depth — Tennessee had 7 offensive starters play 68 snaps or more. They played just 6 receivers counting walk on Grant Freking who had 6 snaps in mop up duty. The trio of Payton, Jones and Tillman played 196 snaps. Jimmy Callaway and Walker Merrill didn’t play. Jimmy Holliday didn’t make the trip and Jalin Hyatt played just 20 snaps. Four of the starting offensive linemen played 76+ snaps. Only Cade Mays got an early afternoon off as he played just 40 snaps.
Defensively, Christian Charles started the game but only got three snaps. I assume he got hurt as he didn’t play special teams. But Tennessee had a chance to play more youth on defense earlier in the second half and elected not to.
9. This team is growing, will it continue? — Josh Heupel told his team after the game that Saturday was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what they can do. He praised their preparation all week and how they closed out their preparation the last 48 hours. Earlier in the week he spoke of some growing leadership.
Tennessee was obviously really good from the opening kick on Saturday. The challenge now is to build off of it. South Carolina’s defense won’t make it as easy for you as it was on Saturday, but it’s a game where the Vols are favored at home and needs to take care of.
How does this team handle some praise this week. Tennessee hasn’t won back to back games this year. Saturday’s win is over, Heupel’s challenge with this team is to build off it. Can they do that? They appear to be an improving football team led by growth at the quarterback position.
Can and will this team stay on that track?
10. The great divide — Through five weeks of play in the SEC, one things is very clear. There’s Alabama and Georgia then the rest.
Now the pecking order of the rest is debatable. Texas A&M is going to continue to struggle until quarterback play improves. It certainly looks like an 0-3 SEC start for them. Bo Nix looked like Archie Manning running around Saturday night. No way he can be whodini every week.
Nice win for Kentucky, but their offense has to be a concern for them. Their defensive front is definitely legit however.
Missouri clearly has issues. Florida’s quarterback play when they can’t just run around is an obvious concern.
There’s plenty of questions to be answered over the next month in the SEC, but Saturday showed who the two best teams are.
