Tennessee wins over Alabama in another nail biter of a game! It was another win that wasn’t a dominate showing, but a win is a win. Below are the key takeaways from the 24-17 win by the Vols.
Key Takeaways
-Being halfway through the season, there is still some room for improvement, but what we saw tonight is the reality of what this team is like this year. Overall, we are a defensive powerhouse, but we cannot put up big numbers against conference play. Expect to see similar games for the remainder of the season. Trust me, I would love to see the offense return to consistent explosive plays downfield and touchdowns on almost every drive. I just don’t see that happening this season.
-Our most significant problem starts with our offensive line. We have seen them execute beautifully; they are just not consistent. This has led to an antsy, young quarterback: a combination that makes it hard to have confidence. Nico Iamaleava has the potential to be a superstar; I still believe that, but now is not the time. He is a young freshman who was expected to take us to the next level. That is a lot of pressure, especially for someone who knows the line cannot protect him. In time, maybe in his junior year, we will hopefully see his abilities consistently.
-Nico wasn’t the only reason we were not getting more pass completions. On multiple plays, the receivers either dropped the ball or didn’t make the play. Yes, Nico has some accuracy issues, but I don’t know how you coach a guy to throw 6 inches shorter on a 40+ yard bomb. The receivers must do a better job catching, regardless of whether it is on the deep ball or a quick yardage play.
-Coaching is becoming a slight concern. I think Josh Heupel has done an excellent job reviving this team. However, we are now starting to regress quickly in our offensive performance. We are a very predictable team with our play calling. I understand to an extent because running back Dylan Sampson has been a fantastic asset while other playmakers have struggled. But our receiver routes could be more dynamic, and we are taking so many unsuccessful shots downfield. Also, through the previous three games, we have seen Tennessee elect to punt when they had momentum in good field position, like early in the 4th quarter on the Alabama 41. We have a defense we can trust, and they came up with the stop after the punt. When does it start to hurt us, though? When the Vols’ offense is on a roll, they are hard to stop. Let’s allow them to keep momentum when they are moving.
