Here's my notes following the re-watch of Tennessee's 56-0 win over Tennessee Tech. The Vols struggled to run the football against a bad front-seven of Tennessee Tech. That was most concerning. I thought the defense flew around and did exactly what it was supposed to in a game like this. Minus a shanked punt, special teams played well. Heupel wanted to play a lot of bodies and did on Saturday. Now, the test gets a whole lot tougher as the Vols travel to The Swamp next week for Florida.
Explosive plays (<20 yds)[4]: Hooker to Payton for 29 yd TD (1Q), Hooker run of 22 yds down to the 1 (1Q), Hooker to Jones 45yd TD pass (2Q), Hooker to Calloway 22yds (3Q),
Overthrows (4): Hooker to Payton [1st drive, 7th play, 3rd down], Hooker to Tillman [2nd drive, 2nd play, 1st down], Bailey to Holiday (4Q), Bailey to Keyton (4Q)
Penalties: Holding, Len’Neth Whitehead (1Q, first play) / Holding, Darnell Wright (1Q, Drive 4, second play) / Roughing the punter, Slaughter, Holiday (3Q)
Getting involved: Evans opening drive (3 carries, 1 rec) / Payton on first two drives (3 targets, 1 rec, TD, jet sweep 1Q)
Kos (9): Toby Wilson touchbacks (2), Toby Wilson kick fair catches (4), Tech started drives from its own 15, 25, 13 (penalty) on others
TN pts off turnovers: 21
First Quarter: Tennessee 14, Tennessee Tech 0
Second Quarter: Tennessee 28, Tennessee Tech 0
Third Quarter: Tennessee 49, Tennessee Tech 0
Fourth Quarter: Tennessee 56, Tennessee Tech 0
Explosive plays (<20 yds)[4]: Hooker to Payton for 29 yd TD (1Q), Hooker run of 22 yds down to the 1 (1Q), Hooker to Jones 45yd TD pass (2Q), Hooker to Calloway 22yds (3Q),
Overthrows (4): Hooker to Payton [1st drive, 7th play, 3rd down], Hooker to Tillman [2nd drive, 2nd play, 1st down], Bailey to Holiday (4Q), Bailey to Keyton (4Q)
Penalties: Holding, Len’Neth Whitehead (1Q, first play) / Holding, Darnell Wright (1Q, Drive 4, second play) / Roughing the punter, Slaughter, Holiday (3Q)
Getting involved: Evans opening drive (3 carries, 1 rec) / Payton on first two drives (3 targets, 1 rec, TD, jet sweep 1Q)
Kos (9): Toby Wilson touchbacks (2), Toby Wilson kick fair catches (4), Tech started drives from its own 15, 25, 13 (penalty) on others
TN pts off turnovers: 21
First Quarter: Tennessee 14, Tennessee Tech 0
- Penalty: KO return – Len’Neth Whitehead holding
- Negates a strong run down to the +4 on opening play down far sideline
- D1, Tenn: Nice blocking by Jacob Warren on Evans swing pass to the markers
- Tennessee went to Evans first four plays; convert on fourth down
- JaVonta Payton drops nice throw down the field from Hooker
- Hooker overthrows Payton on 3rd & 8 far sideline
- Kolby Morgan punts – 37 yards to Tech 30 yd line
- D1, Tech: WR/backup QB Willie Miller starts at quarterback – took over in spring for injured guy
- Fantastic play from Beasley on 3rd & 10, QB rollsout and Beasley flows to contain – SACK, loss of 10
- Velus Jones picks up rolling put, returns it down to the +37
- D2, Tenn: Goes to Payton for third time in first two series, Touchdown Tennessee, 29 yds Hooker to Payton, Vols 7-0 – explosive play
- D2, Tech: 3-and-out / run, QB run, run – great swarm
- Jones runs up to catch punt, backs away last second and it rolls – punt of 43 yds…Jones should have caught it
- D3, Tenn (-39): Hooker to Walker Merrill first down gain of 11 first play
- Hooker overthrows Tillman down the middle on play 2 (1st down)
- Missed black from Fant as Hback on third down – it was 3rd & 3, dropped for no-gain
- TOD: on 4th down, low snap from Carvin, Hooker no where close to Fant on the OUT who was open
- D3, Tech: Trying double-pass on play one, snuffed out by Beasley, Blakely and Jackson – loss of 7
- INTERCEPTION (McCollough): Miller rolls out on 3rd & 22, Beasley’Baron go after him, Miller forces throw across body and McCollough steps right in front for Vols’ first takeaway of season
- D4, Tenn (+37): 2nd down PENALTY on Payton jetsweep (pass) for gain of 9….Holding (D. Wright)
- Tennessee granted first down after Tech player loses helmet and keeps going
- Hooker keeps on draw, spins away from one near LO and scores – video review says down at 1 – explosive play
- Next play, Jaylen Wright plunges in form the one. Touchdown Tennessee, -- Vols 14-0 – came form a takeaway
- D4 Tech: Golden Eagles pick up three first downs – great play by Trevon Flowers to punch out ball for incomplete pass on last play of 1Q
Second Quarter: Tennessee 28, Tennessee Tech 0
- D4, Tech continues: TN doing a great job with rollouts – unless in MAN coverage, defenders are taught to go after quarterback on edge to contain on rollouts, coverage responsibility then passes to next man. Beasley has been doing a nice job of this so far, McCollough did on the opening play of 2Q on 3rd down
- D5, Tenn (-4): Nice run by Jaylen Wright on second down to get breathing room
- Continuing to work toward Payton, Warren
- Hooker nice throw to Payton deep down the field on post, dropped, ball a smidge behind, good play from defender, should have been caught
- Going to Hyatt down the field – DPI – Hooker drilled as he throws, looks (not certain) like Darnell Wright was beat
- Pocket collapses, Hooker steps up and gets what he can – stopped short of marker, 4th & 3
- On fourth down, Hooker to Jones on short slant, Touchdown Tennessee, 45yds, Vols 21-0 – explosive play
- D5, Tech (-25): Great hit from McCollough on third down to breakup pass, 3-and-out
- D6, Ten (-33): Jones gain of 13 on stop route play 1
- Turnover: Hooker has all day to throw, tucks it and breaks one tackle, gets drilled on far sideline after huge gain, fumbles, Tech picks up the other way, Cade Mays drills guy, comes up with a limp
- D6, Tech (+30): Tries double-pass on second-consecutive sudden change first play….overthrown but was wide open
- Blakely PBU, been in back field a lot in first half
- Missed Field Goal – TOD
- D7, Tenn (-25): Tiyon Evans gain of 15 on first down, Hooker is back in doesn’t miss a play
- Fumble on exchange between Hooker & Evans, Hooker recovers for loss of 4, should have given it
- Tennessee to punt, 0-for-5 on 3rd downs so far
- Koby Morgan punt of 54 yds, great coverage, loss of 3 on return
- D7, Tech (-4): Willie Miller runs for first down, knocked out of game after nasty-looking collision while beginning slide as Alontae Taylor hits him shoulder pad-to-helmet
- Davis Shanley in the game at QB…Tech punts a play later, penalty on Tech interfering with Jones
- D8, Tenn (+49): QB counter w/ Hooker on 2nd down, nice block by Evans leading the way
- Kingston Harris hurt….doesn’t get rolled up on at all….looks like his right knee just gave, but I’m not a doctor….Ollie Lane in
- Vol stopped on third down…backside backer flows and makes play…Vols now 0-for-6 on 3rd downs
- Hooker to Payton for first down on 4th down
- Touchdown Tennessee…Hooker to Warren on PA pass….Vols 28-0
- Toby Wilson kick to the 10yd line…Coverage gets them down at the 26
Third Quarter: Tennessee 49, Tennessee Tech 0
- D9, Tech (-25): McCollough quick to break up slant on play one
- Butler missed tackle on would be sack, overran it – got hands on QB who completed pass
- Flowers come sup with big pop to aid in run game on second down
- Tech to punt down to Tennessee; Vols rough punter – first down PENALTY
- Another sudden-change trick play….reverse pass fails
- INTERCEPTION – Alontae Taylor sees it well, steps in font of OUT route on side line
- D9, Tenn (+49): Big gain to Jimmy Calloway on second down, gain of 22 – Explosive play
- Touchdown Tennessee, Hooker 1yd rush, great read to keep for Hooker…. Vols 35-0…Hooker was 3-for-3 on drive…points came off a takeaway
- D10, Tech (-25): INTERCEPTION, Solon Page pick-6, 31yds…on the lane pressing #2, does great job of sinking and getting eyes back to #3 receiver…good vision to score. Vols 42-0
- D11, Tech (-13): Drew Martin in at QB…3-and-out…Mohan & Garland in at LB, backup DBs
- Great effort on 5yd punt return for Jones
- D10, Tenn (+39): Hooker, Evans out there…OL (l-to-r): Crawford, Lane, Ball, Lampley, Davis
- Crawford pancake block on wright first down run
- Weak PI call on DB against Keyton n back corner of end zone – ball now at 2yd line
- Touchdown Tennessee, Tiyon Evans leaps into end zone..Vols 49-0
- D12, Tech (-25): William Mohan flying around laying some pops. Doesn’t know what to do at times, but going full speed…Vols stay in punt safe
- D11, Tenn (-12): Harrison Bailey in at QB, completes first pass to Jimmy Holiday for five yards
- Misses badly on second pass
- Bailey unloads on third down pass (penalty – free play)…Just misses Keyton…Nice use of hard count, good throw
- Len’Neth Whitehead in at RB
Fourth Quarter: Tennessee 56, Tennessee Tech 0
- D11, Tenn continues: Bailey misses badly to Keyton on third down, Myles Campbell in at TE
- D13, Tech (-39): All reserves in on defense
- Good open field tackle from Christian Charles on second down
- INTERCEPTION: Tomarion McDonald…great backside pursuit from Omari Thomas on rollout.
- D12, Tenn (-48): Same OL, Marcus Peirce in at RB
- Bailey sacked for loss of 3 on 2nd down, Peirce lets blitzing LB in for sack
- Great run by Bailey for first down on 3rd & 7...Great run by Peirce on 3rd & mid for first down
- Len’Neth Whitehead straight-forward own to the 2 yd line
- Touchdown Tennessee, Harrison Bailey keeps for 2yd score – good read…Vols 56-0…FR JT Carver with PAT
- D14, Tech (-25): Tech picks up first down on screen pass, missed tackle from Slaughter
- Sack by Slaughter; blitz off the edge
- Omari Thomas good wrap play for no-gain on QB run
- Slaughter gets loss, gives up a big gain on 3rd & 18 for first down
- Morven Joseph sack from the ground
- Tech to punt after personal foul on 3rd down and delay of game on 4th down
- D13, Tenn (-11): 3-and-out
- Bad punt form Kolby Morgan – only 27 yds – shank
- D15, Tech (+42): 4-and-out, TOD
- D14, Tenn (-35): Whitehead gain of seven yards…Time expires….Game over
