Thoughts From the Box: Vols Outmanned Against Gators

Thoughts From the Box: Vols Outmanned Against Gators

I think the title fairly well sums it all up, but there are several takeaways from this game. Yes, Tennessee was soft in coverage, and yes, they struggled to run with Gators when playing man. But the Vols were simply outmatched by what Florida had offensively, and with no push upfront, Tennessee had no answer on the backend.

So, it all starts with the quarterback position, right? Harrison Bailey got his first start at Tennessee, and he had some flashes of potential. It was not all pretty, but he did lead the Vols on a 96-yard scoring drive. He took some sacks, a couple that he could have done more with and a couple that were not his fault. He also threw out of sacks. Did not agree with the grounding call. Should have been a no-call as pass rusher went low on Bailey, but that's my thoughts. Bailey completed passes to more than five different receivers, and he showed his mobility to extend plays at time. Overall, he did not press, and he looked like a freshman that was thrust into the biggest stage. Expect him to be the guy moving forward.

Jeremy Banks had his best game of the season in run support. He did struggle in coverage, though. To be fair, so did the rest of the Vols. Tennessee just does not have the pieces to run what Jeremy Pruitt wants to defensively, yet.

Dan Mullen is a creative genius, and Kyle Trask is the perfect quarterback for his system. If I was voting today, I'd vote for Trask to win the Heisman.

Jim Chaney's play-calling was not ideal. He did not draw up many different combinations, and that is not because of Bailey, because he did the same with Guarantano. I am not sure If Tennessee is that limited at receiver, but the combination of routes is bland at best.

Tennessee's offensive line held up well at times, but they did not get a great push in the running game early on. Cooper Mays got his first start at Center, and he played well, but he struggled to snap at times, as some came out high more times than not. Florida was able to create some exotic pressures and make Bailey uncomfortable. Pass Blocking from the running backs still remains an issue. I was impressed with Bailey's ability to work the check down and utilize his legs. The ability to go with J.T. Shrout to end the game is mind-blowing.

All this said, Tennessee showed me more today than I expected. If the game against Vandy does happen next week, I look for the Vols to handle business.