Film Review: Tennessee jumps out fast behind another strong game from Hendon Hooker

[Eric_Cain]

For the second consecutive Saturday, the Vols stormed out of the gates for a big lead that carried them the rest of the afternoon. The offense continues to find its footing while the defense survived on a day where plenty of Vols were sidelined with injuries. What stood out on the re-watch? Let’s find out.


Explosive Plays (>20yds): 1 (1Q, Hooker-to-Jones for 24yds), 2 (1Q, Hooker-to-Payton on 39 yd TD post), 3 (1Q, Hooker-to-Tillman for 20 yds), 4 (1Q, Hooker-to-Jones for 31yds), 5 (1Q, Hooker-to-Jones TD), 6 (2Q, Tiyon Evans 45yd TD run), 7 (4Q, Hooker 21yd run + 9yds from facemask)

Penalties: 1 (2Q, Banks roughing the passer), 2 (3Q, Blakely face mask)

Overthrows: 1 (2Q, Hooker trying for Payton on drag route)

Drops/Should have been caught balls: 1 (1Q, Velus Jones on slant. Good ball, between his hands), 2 (1Q, Fant, low but should have been caught)


Frist Quarter: Tennessee 28, South Carolina 0

• D1 (SC) -25: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:13, PUNT
• Byron Young charges up field and blows up naked route of Muse (TE) coming across on second down. Great play there from Young. False start backs up SC for a 3rd & 10 and Tennessee rallies to stop Doty when he steps up to run. Turnage had two tackles on that drive.
• D1 (TN) -34: 14 plays, 66 yards, 4:29, TOUCHDOWN
• Velus Jones a 14yd PR to get things started. Velus Jones should have caught first-down slant. Goes right back to Jones on second down for gain of 24 yards. Evans a great pickup on blitzing LB after first down. Tennessee converts on four third downs on opening drive. Ollie Lane a whiff on Pickens sack. Jalin Hyatt involved with 2 rec for 14 yards on opening drive. Beautiful throw, better catch to Jalin Hyatt on 3yd TD slant. Vols 7-0
• D2 (SC) -13: 5 plays, 12 yards, 1:49, PUNT
• Holding penalty on KR backs up Gamecocks to -13yd line. Jeremy Banks slow getting over top of blocker on second down run to move the sticks – too much watching. Warren Burrell & Brandon Turnage good job of snuffing out screen on first down. Roman Harrison over runs what could have been a sack, Matthew Butler cleans up for the sack on third down.
• D2 (TN) -43: 3 plays, 57yds, 00:35, TOUCHODWN
• Velus Jones PR of 15yds to start drive. Beautiful play-design on first down as Fant lines up in backfield, takes direct snap, hands off to Hooker who hands off to Jones o the end-around for 15yd gain. Fant lead blocker along with pulling guard and wing. Third play of drive, Hooker rolls out to fake QB sweep, finds Payton wide open on post across the field for the 39 yds TD. No RB was ever on the field for Tennessee on that drive. Vols 14-0
• D3 (SC) -25: 10 plays, 73yds, 4:30, INT
• Vols give up 22yd swing pass to JuJu McDowell on first down – Blakely nearly had it. Brandon Turnage horrible fit on first down run, allows Harris to bounce and run for first down. South Carolina goes with gimmicks on the goal line. Joyner (WR) goes wildcat on 1st & goal. 2nd & goal, SC tries halfback pass with DL Jordon Burch. Like the play-design (short-side of field with left-handed thrower) but not the right timing after marching it down the field with ease. Interception Jaylen McCollough.
• D3 (TN) -20: 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:18, TOUCHDOWN
• A couple of chunk plays moves the ball downfield in a hurry. Hooker 20 yds to Tillman and 31yds to Jones. Hooker keeps it for 11yd TD on fifth play of series. Too easy down the field. TOUCHODWN….Vols 21-0
• D4 (SC) -25: 1 play, -1 yds, 00:07….FUMBLE
• Beasley recovers fumble on play #1 of series. Snap exchange under center was off.
• D4 (TN) +24: 3 plays, 24 yds, 00:33, TOUCHDOWN
• Vols take advantage of turnover, Hooker hits Jones on OUT for the 21yd TD on play #3….Vols 28-0
• D5 (SC) -25: 6 plays, 1 yd, 3:35, PUNT

Second Quarter: Tennessee 38, South Carolina 7

• South Carolina five #5 continues…Tennessee’s rush is relentless on third down as Jeremy Banks stayed with it and got a piece of the sack. Byron Young and Matthew Butler there as well.
• D5 (TN) -35: 3 plays, 6 yards, 1:12…PUNT
• Tennessee punts for the first time on the day after a 3-and-out. Hooker found Tillman for a gain of one and then picked up five more. A failed screen to Hyatt w/ OL down field forced a dirtball on third down. Paxton Brooks a beautiful 52yd punt down to the SC 7yd line
• D6 (SC) -7: 6 plays, 27 yds, 3:02…PUNT
• Brandon Turnage a really good stop off edge blitz. Alontae Taylor a near INT on second down – goo breakup. Third down tunnel screen, great swarm by TN defense.
• D6 (TN) -24: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:43…TOUCHDOWN
• Tiyon Evans darts ahead for the 45yd touchdown run. Same play he scored on at Missouri last week. Right side of line blocks down, Ollie Lane pulls to kickout and Evans makes play side backer miss so he’s off to the races. On the play before, Hooker somehow fits the ball into a tight window for first town catch by Tillman, who was shaken up on the play. Vols 35-0
• D7 (SC) -25: 7 plays, 75 yds, 3:36, TOUCHDOWN
• First penalty of the game was roughing the passer on Jeremy Banks. It was a close one. Having been in that situation before, probably wouldn’t have let up either but I feel like that was a penalty. Pickups of 15, 16 and 24 yards came too easy for SC offense on that drive. Touchdown on Harris 6yd rush. Vols 35-7
• D7 (TN): -28: 11 plays, 64 yds, 1:58…FIELD GOAL
• Hooker bad overthrow to Payton on simple drag route on first down. Moves ball down the field on a couple of completions to Velus Jones (12, 16 yds) and Tiyon Evans runs (6, 3, 10 yds). Heupel wastes six seconds approaching 3rd down by not calling timeout quick enough. Wastes two more seconds for being slow calling a timeout after first down gain. McGrath boots it through form 25 yards out as time expires. Vols 38-7

Third Quarter: Tennessee 38, South Carolina 14

• D8 (TN) -25: 3 plays, 9 yds, 1:35…PUNT
• Vols gain 9 yards on three Evans carries, elect to punt on 4th & 1 from own 34.
• D8 (SC) -42: 3 plays, -1yds, 1:09….PUNT
• Horrible punt form Brooks nest only 24 yards and SC gets great field position. Defense rallies to the ball well on first two plays as Turnage, Banks and Yong stand out. Muse drops ball on third down and SC to punt, wasting great field position.
• D9 (TN) -14: 3 plays, 1 yd, 1:43..PUNT
• Vols go no where on drive, give up a sack for loss of 6 on second down.
• D9 (SC) -41: 7 plays, 59yds, 3:18…TOUCHDOWN
• JuJu McDowell moves the chains on 3rd and short. Warren Burrell blows up run on ensuing play for loss of 6. Alontae Taylor drops another INT. South Carolina fakes punt for 44yd reception from Magrum. Tennessee had punt safe on the field, Warren Burrell just let him go up the sideline. Call overturned and ruled TD on replay. Vols 38-14
• D10 (TN) -25: 6 plays, 15 yds, 2:53….PUNT
• Vols run it five times on drive, give up a sack for loss of 4 yards on third down. Tiyon Evans injured on drive. Walks off on own power.
• D10 (SC) -20: 15 plays, 80 yds, 7:03…TOUCHDOWN
• Blakley called for facemask. Tyler Baron sacks Luke Doty. Solon Page a really nice TFL on the drive. Doty runs for first down on 3rd & 18. Quarter ends

Fourth Quarter: Tennessee 45, South Carolina 20

• South Carolina drive continues, 1st &10 from UT 25yd line…..Great stick from Trevon Flowers after first down is gained at the UT 3yd line. Blakely a really nice stop on 1st & goal. Doty misses Muse high on 2nd & goal – should have kept it on rollout. Vols come up big on 3rd & goal, Aaron Beasley again w/ Turnage. South Carolina gets in on 4th & goal form the 1 – Harris. Failed 2pt conversion. Blakely and company had dive, Taylor set the edge, Beasley & McCollough blocked off the ball where they ran it. Vols 38-20
• D11 (TN) -25: 5 plays, 11 yds, 2:17…PUNT
• Hooker sacked again on drive after Vols pick up one first down with Whitehead running. Offense has gone old since halftime.
• D11 (SC) -24: 6 plays, 17 yds, 2:11, TOD
• South Carolina picks up first down on reverse pass form WR. Vols stay home, only a gain of 7 yds. Vols sack Doty (Young) great pursuit by Banks, Beasley and Young. Tennessee stops Doty on scramble on 4th & long. Should have thrown it up to give someone a chance.
• D12 (TN) +41: 6 plays, 41yds, 3:06…TOUCHDOWN
• Hooker big gain of 21 yards on draw + 9 more yards on facemask. First offensive explosive play of second half. Tennessee goes UNDER CENTER and gives to Whitehead for 2yd rush. Vols 45-20

My recording stopped after that drive. There were two more drives in the game where South Carolina turned it over on downs on 6 plays after 38 yds. Byron Young gave pressure on the play. Vols took over on own 23yd line and ran it six-straight times to run out the clock. Whitehead got it four times for 25 yards while Marcus Peirce ran it twice for six yards.


Tennessee drive chart

1Q: TD, TD, TD, TD

2Q: Punt, TD, FG

3Q: Punt, Punt, Punt

4Q: Punt, TD, End of Half



South Carolina drive chart

1Q: Punt, Punt, INT, Fumble, Punt

2Q: Punt, TD,

3Q: Punt, TD, TD, TOD, TOD

 

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