By Jack Glennon
In a complete 180-degree turn from a season ago, Saturday’s spring football game featured a dominant performance from a revamped Tennessee defense.
The Volunteers’ pass rush found their way into the backfield consistently, while the secondary stifled Tennessee’s receivers.
“Our guys have grasped what we are doing defensively,” Head Coach Josh Heupel said. “[They are] communicating effectively”
Unfortunately for Tennessee, the same cannot be said for their performance on offense.
The Volunteer offense managed just two touchdowns over the entire scrimmage, a stark (and concerning) contrast to the success the same unit enjoyed a season ago.
In the scrimmage’s opening drive, Colorado transfer quarterback Ryan Staub found freshman receiver Carson Whitehead for a 72-yard touchdown strike, the game’s lone touchdown pass.
The only other touchdown for an otherwise anemic Tennessee offense came by way of a 61-yard touchdown rush from sophomore running back Javin Gordon, who joined the Volunteers in January after spending his freshman season with the Tulane Green Wave.
“I did not think we created a lot of separation,” Heupel said. “[We also] had some protection issues.”
While Tennessee’s lack of offensive production is admittedly concerning, the fact that Tennessee will face few defenses stronger than its own is worth noting.
Last season, the Volunteers’ defense was among the SEC’s worst, as they allowed 30 or more points on eight separate occasions.
After replacing former defensive coordinator Tim Banks with veteran coach Jim Knowles, however, Tennessee’s defense appears significantly stronger.
For starters, the secondary provided stifling coverage of receivers Radarious Jackson and Braylon Staley, the latter of whom commended the defense’s strong performance.
Further, Knowles seems to have addressed the Volunteers’ tackling woes from a season ago, as the team’s linebackers in particular showed significant improvement.
“We have a lot of smart guys in this room,” linebacker Jeremiah Telander said. “[Our defense] is driven by linebackers.”
Ironically, the Volunteers were without a key piece of their pass rush during Saturday’s suffocating defensive performance.
Sophomore defensive end Chaz Coleman, who ranked as the seventh-best player in the transfer portal, has been absent from recent practices and did not participate in Saturday’s scrimmage.
“Chaz is dealing with some things off the field,” Heupel explained. “We are here to help and support him in[any] way.”
Despite reports of Coleman’s desire to transfer from the University just a few months after joining the Volunteers, Heupel’s comments indicate that the former Penn State Nittany Lion will still be a key part of Tennessee’s defense in the fall.
Despite Coleman’s absence, the Volunteers’ pass rush dominated the line of scrimmage.
Tennessee’s quarterbacks were under constant duress, and projected starting quarterback George MacIntyre struggled mightily to work around the pressure.
The Franklin, TN native consistently overthrew Volunteer receivers, and the team’s starting offense failed to create explosive plays.
Despite the unimpressive performance, MacIntyre remains confident in the group’s ability to execute Heupel’s offensive game plan.
“I think we grew in our scheme this year,” MacIntyre said. [everyone] did a really good job of learning their job and doing it well.”
Five-star freshman recruit Faizon Brandon, however, did not fail to impress.
The 17-year-old signal-caller from Greensboro, NC, experienced little adversity evading pressure, making a handful of difficult throws outside of the pocket.
He also escaped multiple sacks, scrambling for multiple first downs.
While the Volunteers’ offensive performance was undoubtedly disappointing, Brandon’s performance should encourage Tennessee fans about the team’s future.
Furthermore, an exciting Tennessee defense has serious potential to launch the Volunteers back into contention for a spot in the college football playoff.
For now, though, the long wait begins again, as Tennessee fans will be without their beloved football team until September 5, when the Volunteers host the Furman Paladins in the season opener.