- Hammer down —
Do we have any reason to expect that the Vols won’t start fast? Tennessee has been terrific in the first quarter scoring 162 points including scoring on their opening possession the last three games. Tempo, scheme and execution have allowed them to shred defenses in the first 15 minutes. I have no reason to expect that Tennessee won’t be able to do the same this week against the Commodores. Vanderbilt has been outscored 127-29 in the first quarter of games this season. All signs point to another fast start by the Vols
2. Pay attention —
I have said it all week and will continue to say it till the game is over, Tennessee must be alert for everything on Saturday. Vanderbilt has nothing to lose and offensively no one thinks that they can match Tennessee score for score. So how does Vandy stay in the game. The can do it three ways. One force turnovers. Tennessee has been solid taking care of the ball. Two, get cheap points with splash plays. The Vols have given up 18 plays of 30+ yards this year. It’s the one stat that Tim Banks said that counts in grading his defense
“If I’m being honest, probably the biggest one that we talk about is explosive plays and being able to minimize them because you feel like the more explosive plays you give up, the more opportunities those guys have to be successful,” Banks said. “And then vice versa, the more you can limit the explosive plays, our odds of winning go through the roof. So, if there’s one metric that we talk about, that’s probably the one.”
And thirdly, tricks. Tennessee has given up a fake punt for a touchdown and a fake punt for a first down this season and they gave up a surprise onside kick to open the second half last week. Tennessee on defense and in the kicking game must be on high alert for some trickeration. They weren’t a week ago and I’m sure Vanderbilt took notice.
3. Appreciation — Fans certainly should take a few minutes on Saturday and be appreciative of the seniors who have helped guide the turn around this season.
“Facing adversity and running right into it,” Josh Heupel said of what he appreciates the most about the seniors. “Never losing faith and just continuing to compete and grow. I think all the uncertainty of last offseason, December and January, to a new coaching staff arriving, them buying into it, a lot of them being great leaders inside of our program, been instrumental in how we have grown. To me, when I think about this group, it’s their ability to face adversity and step right through the fire.”
The coaching staff has certainly done a really nice job this year and deserves plenty of credit but there should be lots of appreciation to the seniors especially guys like Matthew Butler, Theo Jackson and Alontae Taylor not only for their play but for their leadership this past year.
“He’s turned this program around and it’s going in the right direction but honestly, this year has been more on the leaders to lead and that’s what’s been driving our success. We have a couple of leaders on defense keeping everyone up beat. If we get scored on we don’t flinch. We just go out the next drive and execute. Offense has the same type of mindset. Coach Heupel obviously leads us be we lead the team too,” Jackson said this week.
4. Vols hit 100 —No, they won’t hit 100 points, but this defense needs 11 TFL’s to hit 100 for the season. Last week, Tennessee had 13 against South Alabama.
Tennessee has 4 players who have 8 or more TFL’s this season and they have a guy from all three levels with 8+ TFL’s including senior Theo Jackson.
“Play recognition, trusting what I see on film, going out here having fun and just playing. It’s really just believing what I see,” Theo Jackson said.
“Given it was my last year, I had to do something different. I just felt like bumping film study up in that area would help my game this year.”
Jackson said his daily hours of film study has not just paid off for him but for others as well.
“It’s very contagious. Obviously I have been playing well and guys ask me how do I play so well. I tell them I watch film and go out and execute it. Now other guys are doing it and it just spreads throughout the defense.”
The school record for TFL’s is 100 set in 2016.
5. Tackle Mike Wright — Vanderbilt’s biggest offensive threat is the legs of quarterback Mike Wright. I won’t bore everyone with the numbers. If you have watched Tennessee this fall you know stopping the quarterback has been a real problem for Tim Banks’ defense and Wright likes to run. Against Ole Miss he had 13 carries for 61 yards. Against Missouri he had 152 yards on 14 carries. They will run option with him, zone read with him and straight designed quarterback draws. And he can obviously scramble around. Tennessee has to contain him.
“The quarterback (Mike Wright) has really been a tremendous difference in my mind,” Banks said. “He’s given those guys a chance to extend a lot of plays. They’re running option a bunch, which puts a lot of stress on a defense, and that vaunted quarterback draw that everybody seems to be running this year. Any time the quarterback is a live wire and able to extend plays is always an issue.
