Two of the biggest plays in the first half of the Tennessee-Florida game came when the Volunteers went to trick plays. The Vols offense struggled all game, but these two trick plays led to touchdowns for the Vols and opened up the sputtering offense. What I found most interesting about the plays was that they are not new to anyone familiar with head coach Butch Jones or offensive coordinator Mike DeBord. Both of the plays have been run by the Tennessee coaches at their previous stops, so it was cool to see a blast from the past as the coaches reached back and called some old trick plays. Continue reading “Vols Use Trick Plays to Attack Florida”
Month September 2015
An Inside Look at the Gators New-Look Offense
It has been 11 years since the University of Tennessee has defeated the University of Florida in football. Ever since James Wilhoit’s 50 yard game winning field goal in 2004, the Volunteers have come up short every single time. There have been some close matches, including one point games in 2006 and 2014, but for the most part Florida has controlled the series in recent years.
If there was ever a time for the Vols to beat Florida, this is it. Tennessee is on the rise and has what looks to be by far the best team since head coach Butch Jones has been here. Florida is in a state of rebuilding, as new head coach Jim McElwain is trying to fix what Will Muschamp couldn’t. McElwain, the former Alabama offensive coordinator, is an offensive minded coach who has done a lot of work to get this offense back on track. Since many Tennessee fans may not be familiar with what McElwain is doing with the Gators’ offense, this post will examine in-depth what the Vols can expect to see on Saturday and how they might attack Florida’s offense. Continue reading “An Inside Look at the Gators New-Look Offense”
What is Wrong with the Tennessee Passing Attack?
The Tennessee Volunteers came into last Saturday’s home matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners fresh off an explosive offensive showing over Bowling Green. They left Neyland Stadium defeated 31-24 in double overtime after jumping out to a 17-0 early in the second quarter. A sudden shift in Oklahoma’s defensive strategy left the Vols without any answers and unable to score until the first overtime period. The Sooners game plan shut the Vols offense down by sending multiple players into the box to stop the running game and daring Tennessee to win through the air. The Vols were unable to do that. This post aims to determine why. Continue reading “What is Wrong with the Tennessee Passing Attack?”
Press the Kicking Game: How the Vols Dominated Bowling Green on Special Teams
On Saturday in the Tennessee Volunteers’ 59-30 win over Bowling Green, Tennessee dominated in many aspects of the game, but one of the more undervalued ways the Vols won was in the kicking game. The Volunteers have seen vast improvement on special teams under coach Butch Jones, scoring a touchdown on special teams each of the last two years. While the special teams never got the ball in the end zone, they broke multiple long returns, blocked a field goal, and provided outstanding coverage all game. This post aims to take an in-depth view at a few of these plays that don’t typically get the attention they deserve. Continue reading “Press the Kicking Game: How the Vols Dominated Bowling Green on Special Teams”
Improved Line Paves the Way for Tennessee
Going into the 2015 season, the Tennessee Volunteers’ biggest cause for concern was the offensive line. The Vols finished last in the SEC in 2014 in both sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed. There was never any consistency up front in 2014, as the Vols cycled through multiple players at each tackle spot and had injury issues at center. True freshman Jashon Robertson was the only player to start all 13 games at a single position (right guard). Head coach Butch Jones wanted to address the problem, and brought in experienced offensive line coach Mike DeBord in as his new offensive coordinator. Continue reading “Improved Line Paves the Way for Tennessee”
Vols Add New Pin and Pull Sweep
From a scheme standpoint, Tennessee’s offense is almost the same in 2015 with new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord as it was in 2014 under Mike Bajakian. Tennessee was especially vanilla with playcalling in their 59-30 win over Bowling Green, just using their base run concepts and few downfield passes. One change to the playbook stood out however. The Vols now have a new run play: the pin and pull sweep. This is not a new play for most college football fans, especially those familiar with the Chip Kelly/Mark Helfrich Oregon Ducks/Philadelphia Eagles offense, but it was a look Tennessee had never shown before. Continue reading “Vols Add New Pin and Pull Sweep”
Welcome to Philly: The Eagles New Arial Attack with Sam Bradford
One of the more shocking moves of the 2015 NFL offseason came when Eagles head coach Chip Kelly traded his starting quarterback Nick Foles, who was only one year removed from his 27 touchdown/2 interception season, along with a second round pick for the oft injured Rams quarterback, Sam Bradford. The St. Louis quarterback was formerly a number one overall draft pick, but has not played since halfway through the 2013 season due to two left ACL injuries. In the Rams’ offense, Bradford was never consistently surrounded by great talent, and the scheme changed on an almost yearly basis. Bradford had some decent games, but never really stood out in the limited offense. Kelly’s quarterback gamble was clear: Hope that the injury prone quarterback could rekindle the magic that made him the number one overall draft pick now that he is in the Eagles up-tempo attack, where there are better skill players and linemen than who Bradford ever played with in St. Louis. Continue reading “Welcome to Philly: The Eagles New Arial Attack with Sam Bradford”
Almost Football Time: Preview of the Bowling Green Offense
It’s almost Football Time in Tennessee. The folks on Rocky Top are anxious with anticipation as the Volunteers are preparing to open their season in a matter of days in Nashville against the Bowling Green Falcons. Hailing from the Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green is not a team to be taken lightly. The Falcons are coming off a 8-5 season and will provide the Vols plenty of challenges. Bowling Green has a dynamic offensive scheme and this post aims to break it down so that fans will know what to expect from the Falcons on Saturday. Continue reading “Almost Football Time: Preview of the Bowling Green Offense”
