Biggest Takeaways From Tennessee's 48-17 Loss to Alabama
Tennessee is now on a three-game skid following a 48-17 loss to second-ranked Alabama on Saturday. Jeremy Pruitt says the Vols are 'not discouraged' following the loss, but instead, they are 'frustrated' by the way they have not played up to their own standards. The Vols were tough to gauge during yesterday's loss, but after a re-watch, I have my biggest takeaways for you.
Jarrett Guarantano's Day Was Fine From a Number Standpoint, but Tennessee's Offense Remained Limited With Him Behind Center
Guarantano's 13-24 performance for 162 yards and two touchdowns did not hurt Tennessee's chances to win the game in any way. He created several opportunities for the Vols vertically, but despite trailing the entire game, Tennessee continued to run the ball multiple times in a row and play conservatively, despite having nothing to lose against the nation's second-ranked team. Other teams have had success attacking Alabama vertically, yet the Vols chose to run the half out, kick field goals, and not play aggressively even though they would not beat Alabama by doing that. Tennessee ran the ball multiple times after a turnover at mid-field, it just felt conservative, and it contradicted everything Jeremy Pruitt has said about Jarrett Guarantano giving you the best chance to win. If you do not trust a player to make a play at that point, then something is not right.
Jim Chaney's Play-Calling Left a Lot to Be Desired
Jim Chaney will make 1.6 million dollars this year before increasing to 1.7 million in 2021, and he did not show that on Saturday. As a play-caller, Chaney should have been salivating at the opportunity Alabama presented. The Tide's pass rush was obsolete on Saturday, yet Chaney stuck with a vanilla offensive attack. Now, I suppose you can lump this into feeling limited by Guarantano, but again, Chaney is paid to make Tennessee's offense explosive, and it did not feel close on Saturday. The Vols trailed for practically the entire game, and the Vols only through it 24 times, and there was no creativity. Chaney has to go back to the drawing board over the bye week.
The Secondary Remains a Concern
Most secondaries have struggled against Alabama's vertical attack, and a lot of that stems from the balance they have in the running game. However, Tennessee had opportunities to create turnovers on the back end of the defense, and they could not catch balls that were thrown to them. The struggle to defend the middle of the field is perplexing at this point. For five straight weeks, when teams have needed to pick up yards, they have attacked the middle of the field. Mac Jones and Alabama's receivers were explosive on Saturday, creating five plays of 20+ yards on Saturday. Tennessee has to find an adjustment in the secondary if they are going to flip the script on the 2020 season, which is still possible.
The Vols Tackling Struggles Continue
Tennessee has struggled to tackle all season, and it was not any better on Saturday. I am not going to chase all of the missed tackles, but the Vols had an opportunity to stall an Alabama drive when Darel Middleton hit Najee Harris in the backfield on 3rd and two but did not wrap up, which resulted in Harris navigating through several more Vols before he surged forward for almost five yards. Alabama would score a touchdown soon after. You cannot beat or compete with a great team when you allow this to happen.
Trey Smith is a Warrior
Smith has battled a shoulder injury for the majority of this season, and he got banged up during warm-ups on Saturday. At one point in the contest, he was forced to leave the field after his leg gave way, but he quickly returned, and he was as consistent as any Tennessee defensive offensive lineman on Saturday. It speaks volumes about his desire to play for the Vols.
Jeremy Pruitt Is Not Close to Losing This Team
Pruitt still has his players bought into what they are trying to do, which speaks volumes, in my opinion, and this bye week will prove pivotal for who is going to play the rest of the season. Tennessee will have its first opportunity to create competition, and I expect this will be the most beneficial week of practice to date for the Vols. Tennessee's players are not pointing the finger, instead, they are coming together as one, which is a testament to the character of the program that Jeremy Pruitt is building.