10 things I think I learned in Tennessee's demolition of Kentucky

Tennessee is 8-0 and heading to Athens, Georgia with the eastern division hanging in the balance between the Vols and the ‘Dawgs in a #1 vs. #2 match-up. Georgia handled Florida on Saturday while Tennessee simply manhandled Kentucky in every phase of the game winning 44-6. As the focus shifts to the biggest game ever between Tennessee and Georgia, we review the Kentucky win with 10 things I think I learned. 

Defensive line penetration 

How good was Tennessee on Chris Rodriguez? He had 15 rushed for 64 yards, and according to PFF, he had 64 yards after contact. I don’t know that I buy that stat completely but Tennessee’s defense hit him early and often in the run game. 

Rodriguez on the second possession of the game had 40 yards on 5 carries. He had 24 yards on his other 10 carries. 

So how did Rodriguez not get going out side of that one drive? It starts with defensive line penetration. 

I knew it leaving the stadium on Saturday night and the rewatch showed it to me again. Da’jon Terry had a big night. He wore the Kentucky guards out. And Omari Thomas did good things. Tennessee’s ability to whip the interior of Kentucky’s offensive line meant that Rodriguez had to run laterally instead of down hill, giving linebackers and safeties a chance to meet him at the line of scrimmage where he didn’t have a head of steam. 

Terry won his first match up of the night on Kentucky’s first offensive snap and he played downhill all night.

A little praise for the second team or first rotation of defensive lineman. They struggled in their first series on the field as Kentucky ran the ball effectively against Kurott Garland, Bryson Eason, Roman Harrison and Tyler Baron. But after that first drive and getting a feel for things they joined the party to shut the Kentucky run game down. 

 Doneiko Slaughter

I love players who deliver plenty of candor when they visit with the media. Slaughter did just that. That candor might offer some insight into why Slaughter hadn’t played corner all season till Saturday night against Kentucky. 

“I still like being in the box more. I like to hit. It will grow on me the more I play,” Slaughter said.

Slaughter should embrace the role and Tennessee should play him at corner Saturday in Athens. Slaughter made two plays against the Wildcats unlike a corner has made this year high pointing the ball on an interception then creating the Juwan Mitchell interception which his huge hit in the red zone.

I’m sure there was a bust or two a long the way, but Slaughter was impressive in his play.

According to PFF stats, Slaughter was targeted 3 times and didn’t give up a completion on those three targets. 

The patience of Heupel, Golesh and Hooker

You want to rip it every play right? I mean it feels like Jalin Hyatt is always wide open. Honestly he’s not. 

I’m really impressed with the offensive play calling. After Kentucky gave up the first touchdown to Hyatt (have no idea what defensive plan said cover him with a linebacker), the Wildcats said we are going to play zone and drop 8 into coverage as the Vols led 7-6. 

Tennessee’s answer, run the football. The Vols counted a light box of six guys. They motioned the tight end into the box and ran the football. Tennessee ran it 13 of 15 snaps in a 75 yard nearly five minute touchdown drive to take a 13-6 lead. 

We always talk about growth of players, but how about growth of Alex Golesh and the play calling. They didn’t force anything. They did the same thing in the second half against Alabama when the Tide went to a dime package. 

Credit the growth of the offensive line as well. Against Pittsburgh, Golesh admitted he didn’t think they could run the ball, and they couldn’t – running for 91 yards on 35 carries (2.6). In SEC games since the Pitt game, Tennessee is averaging 4.99 yards a carry. 

Amazing growth and it has been a huge reason the offense has continued to evolve.

Smart management of Cedric Tillman

Tillman has wanted to play. He has done all he could to get back before Saturday night. In his return against the ‘Cats, Tillman played 48 snaps and didn’t play in the second half. Honestly that’s more than I expected. 

But it wasn’t just the snap count that was smart with Tillman – it’s the fact they got him going early. Tennessee forced the ball to Tillman twice on the opening drive to get him settled in and eliminate any anxiousness. Tillman was targeted four times and finished with four catches for 22 yards and the Las Vegas native will be even better in Athens from a health stand point.

Ball hawking in the middle

Will Levis had a rough night. He was late with the ball early in the game. Pressure affected him throughout the game, but Tennessee’s secondary did a really good job of ball hawking. They obviously had the three interceptions, but they also had three pass break up’s – including one by Trevon Flowers on a tight end, as well as Jaylen McCollough on a tight end. 

We all know the middle of the football field has been an issue for Tim Banks’ defense, but Tennessee was really good between the hash marks. If you take out the receiver screens, Levis was 3 of 10 for 18 yards, two interceptions and two PBU’s over the middle. 

Credit the defensive front as well for applying pressure. Tennessee’s secondary finally fed off that, especially on 3rd and long, and tighten up their coverage. The Vols had little respect for Kentucky going over the top and the corners were aggressive, finally. The result was Kentucky going 0-10 on 3rd and 7+

Paxton Brooks and kick coverage

It’s not been Brooks’ best year and it’s not been the best year for punt operation, but they were dynamite yesterday. Brooks pinned Kentucky inside the five-yard line twice with two terrific punts with great hang time. Jimmy Holiday is owning the role of punt coverage and Tennessee executed it to perfection. 

It was special teams that got the Vols the touchdown at the end of the first half. Brooks’ punt landed at the two. Vols force a punt. Kaleb Perry [maybe] gets his fingertips on it. Vols have great field position and Jalin Hyatt scores from 31 yards out. Just a terrific win of field position and hidden yards. 

On kickoffs, Tennessee smartly kicked away from Barion Brown and again Brooks with the hang time on the kickoff set up the coverage team which was really good in their coverage lanes. Jourdan Thomas is a really nice special teams player. 

He was really good on kickoff coverage and is a young guy who’s gaining valuable experience but embracing his special teams role much like Tamarion McDonald did as a younger player, which helped him be able to win the star position job.

 It’s remarkable 

Admittedly, I don’t understand all the in’s and out’s of college football. But it amazing to me that teams can’t find an answer to handling the stack receiver formation that Tennessee often plays with. 

It was a stack formation on Jalin Hyatt’s first touchdown where the safety came down on the inside route kind of bracketing Cedric Tillman and it left Hyatt wide open with a linebacker chasing him. Tennessee scored on the second possession a year ago with Velus Jones on the same route. 

On Hyatt’s second touchdown, it’s again Heupel’s favorite play. The switch route. Kentucky’s help goes inside to help on the Tillman post route and Hyatt gets turned loose by the linebacker and it’s a walk in touchdown. 

Tennessee’s games with formations, pre-snap shifts and getting two receivers playing off each other is pretty incredible because if the safety takes Hyatt than Tillman has the middle of the field to work for a score with the corner trailing. 

It’s some basketball on grass it’s like a slip screen on a pick and roll. This offense puts so much stress on people to defend the field sideline to sideline as well as vertically is really tough.

Another coach did it again, and for two straight years Mark Stoops has done it 

Tennessee is making teams pay for chasing points at the end of the half. 

A year ago in a 21-21 game, Kentucky threw it three-straight times, including going for it on 4th and 4 at Tennessee’s 39. The play failed and in 16 seconds, Tennessee went 35 yards to grab the lead on a 43 yard field goal. 

Saturday night, Kentucky made a first down coming off their own goal line and threw it incomplete, then out of bounds on a reception, then Tennessee took a time out after a 3rd down stop forcing a punt. It ends up with Hyatt’s 31-yard touchdown reception a 27-6 lead and ball game. 

LSU’s Brian Kelly went for it on 4th down at midfield panicking for points. Tennessee got a stop and a field goal. 

Florida’s Billy Napier called time out to get the ball back, Tennessee converted on 3rd down and went the length of the field for points at the half. Instead of Florida leading 14-10 heading to the locker room, Tennessee led 17-10. 

Pittsburgh with 21 seconds to go in the half from their own 37, tries to throw the ball. Tyler Baron with a sack fumble, knocking Kedon Slovis out of the game, Vols get a field goal and instead of being up 21-17 at the half, Vols led 24-17.

Sometimes just getting to the half isn’t a bad thing, but head coaches seem to made different decisions playing against this offense. 

The growth/improvement of this team is impressive 

Let’s start with from last year to this year. Tennessee wasn’t good in the second quarter as they were outscored 143-109. This year, the Vols have outscored their opponent 141-41. 

After finishing +3 in the turnover margin last season, the Vols currently stand +8. The Vols are are 12-percentage points better on getting third down stops. 

Last year, Tennessee struggled in short yardage. This year, the Vols are much better as the offensive line is better and schematically the incorporation of the tight formations. The emergence of Princeton Fant has helped. Nice design and creativity. 

Individually, you can go up and down this roster and talk about all the improvement guys have made. 

We all expected Hendon Hooker to be better in year two of the system as history said he would be. I’m not sure I expected him to be in this much control of the game. 

The reality is, the defense has grown as much if not more than the offense in year two. 

Bottom line is that this is a really well coached football team who deserves to be No. 1 in the playoff rankings this week, and who heads to Athens with their No. 1 goal in sight which is an eastern division championship. The a game against the Bulldogs is as big for the SEC since LSU and Alabama played as the top two teams in the country in 2011. 

 I was wrong 

I said either in the week that I didn’t think the crowd would be as intense in the game as most were assuming a big Vol win, but I was wrong. It wasn’t as intense as Alabama but it was arguably louder than the Florida game. 

It was a great environment. 

And kudos to game management personnel, who help with that environment. Everyone knows I’m a keep the “T” closed longer guy, but that’s not going to happen. 

But the twist on the opening of the “T” on night games with the lighting is really awesome. 

That was another great showcase for Josh Heupel for recruiting both in the house and for any recruits watching on TV, because it was a scene.