After another nail-biter of a game, the Vols won in overtime with a score of 23-17 over the Gators. This game showed that Tennessee made fewer improvements than we had hoped from last week’s loss against Arkansas. Although they got the win, it was not pretty. These are my key takeaways from the game:
- We have a severe problem with scoring against decent teams. The Vols were able to dominate against subpar teams like Chattanooga, Kent State, and NC State. After the previous three games against Oklahoma, Arkansas, and today against Florida, we can see they struggle to put up points against SEC opponents. Coach Heupel said he pulled back in the Oklahoma game, but now that looks a little far-fetched. Against both Arkansas and Florida, the Vols could not score at all in the first half, and their opponent had 3 points. So, what is going on?
- The offensive line is struggling against other SEC teams in the trenches. They are getting outplayed and bullied. This is affecting both Tennessee’s pass and run game. The Razorbacks were able to get 4 sacks and 4 TFLs. Florida could also disrupt the pocket and get a handful of sacks and TFLs. The OL is also the main group that causes penalties for the Vols. False starts and holding calls are killing the offense, making it hard to stay in front of the sticks and generate momentum.
- When Nico has had the opportunity to throw, he does well at short to medium throws. He did have one good throw deep against Oklahoma on a crossing route, but if he must throw over the top of the receiver, it is inaccurate, usually being overthrown.
- The Vols are also relying on their defense way too much. Truth be told, they have a really good front seven. However, Keenan Pili going out for the game on the first defensive drive with a lower-body injury was a massive blow to our defense. The Vols secondary, on the other hand, is the defense’s weakest link. They do well while in man coverage, but throughout the season, we have seen them give up yards while in zone coverage. With the constant stress on the defense, I understand they are bound to make mistakes, but this ongoing issue has yet to be resolved.
While the Vols came out in the second half and played much better, it still leaves the question of what will come in the rest of the season? When playing against SEC teams, the Vols must learn to get going quickly and early. If the Vols continue to play like this, it will be a very stressful season for Vol Nation.
