The dust has settled and we’re roughly 24 hours out from Tennessee’s 41-34 loss to Pittsburgh. As always, I go back and watch the game the night or day after. While doing it, I always scribble down some notes throughout the game. These are extremely informal but help me in remembering key plays or trends throughout the game.
I know a lot of you guys like to go back and watch as well. Maybe these could help on your re-watch too.
We’ve already posted a few columns and videos since the game ended. And we’ll have plenty more – as always. But here’s some of my biggest takeaways.
Tennessee could have won that football game. Obviously, there were some key contributors who did not play or who were knocked out of the ballgame. The Vols racked up 134 yards on penalties and Pittsburgh possessed the football a little over 12 more minutes than the Volunteers while running 16 more offensive plays.
UT was less than 50 percent on third downs and scored only three touchdowns in five redzone chances. The offensive line gave up five sacks while running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright averaged 2.2 and 1.4 yards per pop.
There’s so much to clean up, but still, Tennessee had an opportunity to win this football game against a quality opponent with a good quarterback and against a skilled defense. A loss is a loss and there’s going to be a lot to be critical of reviewing this one. But there’s also a lot to take from it as positives – positives that were no where to be seen over the course of the past few seasons.
Here’s my notes from the re-watch, if they make any sense to you:
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Milton overthrows: 1 (post, Calloway), 2 (go, Payton), 3 (go, Calloway), 4 (go, Merrill), 5 (go, Tillman WIDE OPEN), 6 (go, Keyton – FREE PLAY, penalty), 7 (go, Payton, PI),
Special Teams plays: kickoffs downed inside the 20 (2), Fair catches on Kos (2), blocked punt (Charles), punt inside the 5 (Brooks)
Utah passes from Hooker to Wright: 3
First Quarter: 10-0 Vols
I know a lot of you guys like to go back and watch as well. Maybe these could help on your re-watch too.
We’ve already posted a few columns and videos since the game ended. And we’ll have plenty more – as always. But here’s some of my biggest takeaways.
Tennessee could have won that football game. Obviously, there were some key contributors who did not play or who were knocked out of the ballgame. The Vols racked up 134 yards on penalties and Pittsburgh possessed the football a little over 12 more minutes than the Volunteers while running 16 more offensive plays.
UT was less than 50 percent on third downs and scored only three touchdowns in five redzone chances. The offensive line gave up five sacks while running backs Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright averaged 2.2 and 1.4 yards per pop.
There’s so much to clean up, but still, Tennessee had an opportunity to win this football game against a quality opponent with a good quarterback and against a skilled defense. A loss is a loss and there’s going to be a lot to be critical of reviewing this one. But there’s also a lot to take from it as positives – positives that were no where to be seen over the course of the past few seasons.
Here’s my notes from the re-watch, if they make any sense to you:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Milton overthrows: 1 (post, Calloway), 2 (go, Payton), 3 (go, Calloway), 4 (go, Merrill), 5 (go, Tillman WIDE OPEN), 6 (go, Keyton – FREE PLAY, penalty), 7 (go, Payton, PI),
Special Teams plays: kickoffs downed inside the 20 (2), Fair catches on Kos (2), blocked punt (Charles), punt inside the 5 (Brooks)
Utah passes from Hooker to Wright: 3
First Quarter: 10-0 Vols
- Solon Page & Aaron Beasley start at LB
- Theo Jackson TFL (loss of 4) on play 1; beats block from TE blocking out for WR bubble screen
- Christian Charles with blocked punt – Vols get ball at +2, Small TD on first play – 7-0 Vols
- Penalty: Darnell Wright takes off helmet while celebrating TD
- Tennessee rallies to football on 3rd down after missed tackle – short of marker. Baron TFL on 2nd down
- Scheme: First of many for Heup. Flexes Small out, brings Fant over to right HB; fakes draw, hits Fant on seam
- Beautiful deep ball to Hyatt (injured) in end zone; broken up last second; Penalty: holding Javontez Spraggins
- 2 overthrows by Milton on second drive; punt
- 2nd defensive series: Mitchell bails out for pass when it’s a clear dive – assists tackle for gain of 2
- Tennessee secondary again runs well to ball, Jackson misses tackle, Flowers runs well in pursuit for stop before marker
- Penalty (3rd & 5): False start, Ollie Lane
- Great perimeter blocking from Cedric Tillman on Velus Jones screen for 1st down
- Drive stalls following Utah pass on 3rd down – McGrath nails 37-yd FG…10-0 Vols
- Great motor by Theo Jackson for backside (blitz) sack
- Penalty (1st & 10) – PI, Trevon Flowers. Ball didn’t look to be catchable out of back of end zone
- Jeremy Banks nice play. Takes on block (wrong shoulder), blows it up for TFL on 2nd down off edge
- TD Pitt (Pickett to Stovall), play extended on Pickett rollout, Theo gets beat back inside when WR comes back – 10-7 Vols
- Pickett 5-for-5, Panthers pick up 5 first downs on 92yd TD drive on 11 plays
- Tennessee schematic in run blocks, Lots of traps, folds, pulls
- Milton 54-yard run on draw down to the 5-yard line (1st & goal)
- Penalty (1st & goal): False Start, Darnell Wright. Seemed to be some communication issues on snap count or something. Cade Mays with his hands up in the air pre-snap as well
- Penalty (2nd & goal): Unnecessary roughness, Cade Mays…What a dumb thing to do
- Had first and goal at the 5yd line, now at the 22yd line
- Penalty (3rd & goal): offensive PI, Cedric Tillman – push off. Now backs offense back up to 37yd line for 3rd & 37…….McGrath connects on 48yd FG…13-7 Vols
- Pickett completes 8th-straight pass, Jeremy Banks slams WR down – Penalty: Unnecessary roughness, Jeremy Banks
- Touchdown Pitt on double-pass. Picket -to- Wayne -to- Krull for 16 yd TD. 14-13 Pitt
- Keshon Camp sack of Milton (injured), fumbles – TO on first play
- Defense forces 3-and-out, Pitt 38yd FG…17-13 Pitt
- Hooker now in for the rest of the game….Broken play on first play, batted ball on rollout to left, second play, hit while throwing on 3rd down….3-and-out
- Defense holds after two Pitt first downs…Tyler Baron TFL on 3rd down…Pitt 27yd FG….20-13 Pitt
- Cedric Tilman makes three miss on YAC after 3rd down reception
- Next play: TD Tennessee on Calloway screen pass down sideline out of tandems (Tillman blocking)…20-20 tied ballgame
- Toby Wilson kicked off – fair catch
- Pickett’s pocket presence is incredible; moves up and evades so well
- LBs aren’t sinking in their drops on 3rd down (Banks)…Pickett 8/8 on 3rd downs
- Chunk play down to TN 12 yd line…good back shoulder catch by Mack w/ Burrell coverage
- Theo slam and Banks slam are NOT the same thing – no penalty – ESPN color won’t shut up about it, but he’s clearly wrong
- TD Pitt. 2yd run by Davis….27-20 Pitt
- Drive starts 2:16 left in half…. Pitt goes 75 yds on 9 plays, 1:57 off the clock for TD before half
- All Hendon Hooker & Jaylen Wright the rest of the way
- Trying to get Wright out in space – Wright picks up 1sy down on swing route
- Penalty (1st & 10): False start, offensive line
- Hooker fumbles, rolling out across body – not the best play calls for him, imo – LB pokes it loose
- Jeremy banks blitzes – keeps climbing – gets the TFL
- Jeremy Banks sacks on 3rd down – off blitz….he keeps getting better and better
- Penalty (4th down on FG): Jeremy Banks block in back, Pitt block in back,offset –*negates Kick-6
- Clearly, a block in the back by Jeremy Banks…. 2 steps forward, 1 step back for Banks
- Panthers settle to punt, downed at Vols 2yd line
- Jaylen Wright gives TN some breathing room. 1st down run to get past the 13yd line
- Penalty (1st & 10): holding Javontez Spraggins
- Timely blitz….McCollough blitzes off edge on 3rd & 1, makes TFL
- Penalty (2nd & 3): PI, Warren Burrell – holds back of jersey
- Burrell a couple of really nice PBUs
- Touchdown Pitt on 4th & goal from 1yd line. Pickett sneak, gets in on 2nd effort….34-20 Pitt
- Hooker great on the RPO, hitting Fant across middle…hanging in there and takes a beating
- Penalty (1st & 10): Holding, Jacob Warren
- Hooker runs for first on 3rd and 15, slowest ‘juke’ ever
- Touchdown Tennessee. Hooker ‘fakes’ draw, finds Warren from HB position going through right B gap over middle of field…34-27 Pitt
- Great series for D….3-and-out….Alontae Taylor physically sets edge (play 1), Solon Page TFL (play 2)…Pickett throws away on third down
- Penalty (1st & 10): Snap Infraction, Jerome Carvin
- Hooker sacks on second down…now 2nd & 22
- Pitt big gai on second down….Wayne breaks several tackles own to TN 32….2 plays=60 yards for Pitt
- Touchdown Pitt on slant (McCollough)…Too easy down the field, 6 plays for 75 yds….41-27 Pitt
- Tennessee runs the draw so well
- Hooker to Warren on PA…hangs in there, gets drilled but Warren down to 2yd line
- Touchdown Tennessee. Jaylen Wright 1yd off left guard….HE also got in the play before…41-34 Pitt
- 3-and-out for Pitt…GREAT PBU form Warren Burrell on third down
- Straight-QB zone right on 2nd & 8….big pickup
- Penalty (1st & 10): False Start, Cedric Tillman
- Honestly thought the PI call on Pitt (Tillman intended WR) was weak – that’s good defense
- Calloway needs the ball more
- Two Pitt penalties gives Vols 30 yards on this decisive drive that ends on fourth down turnover on downs
- Hooker got he first down…horrible spot
- Atrocious fourth down play-call. Go under center and fall forward. Flashbacks to Butch Jones for fans
- Tennessee DBs doing well on edge blitz…Trevon Flowers TFL
- GREAT PBU on 3rd down over the middle by Juwan Mitchell
- Backside safety for game-clinching INT…Hooker stared Tillman down the whole time; never saw safety
