How the Tennessee Vols proved their offense can work against any defense
The Tennessee Vols left Tuscaloosa this weekend without a win, but that doesn't mean UT fans should be down on the program. In fact, despite the lopsided final score (Alabama 52 Tennessee 24), I think Vol fans should feel encouraged after the loss. Tennessee just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. But for […]
The Tennessee Vols left Tuscaloosa this weekend without a win, but that doesn't mean UT fans should be down on the program.
In fact, despite the lopsided final score (Alabama 52 Tennessee 24), I think Vol fans should feel encouraged after the loss.
Tennessee just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. But for 50 minutes of game time, the Volunteers traded punches with Alabama. They made Nick Saban sweat and yell….often.
And they proved that Josh Heupel's offense can work against any defense in the nation.
Heupel's up-tempo offense is predicated on catching the defense off guard.
Essentially, Heupel wants to catch the defense misaligned and exploit its mistakes.
Some folks have suggested that Heupel's offense is "gimmicky" and that it will fail against elite defenses with above-average athletes.
Against Alabama, though, Tennessee proved that Heupel's offense can work against an elite SEC program.
A great example of how it can work occurred in the fourth quarter when quarterback Hendon Hooker connected with wide receiver Cedric Tilman for a 70-yard touchdown to get the Vols within seven points of the Crimson Tide.
The Alabama defensive back literally had his back turned to Tilman when the ball was snapped. Hooker recognized that Tilman had his man beat and dropped a dime to the redshirt junior wide receiver.
Now, obviously the Vols aren't always going to catch the opposing defense misaligned or confused. That's not the only thing Heupel's up-tempo offense is trying to achieve.
Tennessee wants to capitalize on the defense's weaknesses in general. This means the quarterback has to make smart, quick decisions. And he has to be on the same page with the wide receivers on every play.
The players in Heupel's offense are reading the defense on nearly every play and basically running their routes based on what the defense is doing. It's essential that the quarterback and the wide receivers read the play the same way.
Because if they don't, it can be disastrous for the offense.
We saw an example of this later in the fourth quarter against Alabama.
Hooker and wide receiver JaVonta Payton read the play differently and it resulted in an interception.
This is going to happen from time to time. What's amazing is that it hasn't happened very often to Tennessee's offense this season.
In fact, I think this is the first major miscommunication that resulted in a turnover that I've seen from the Volunteers this season.
This shows that players have completely bought into Heupel's offense. And it also shows that Heupel and his staff have done an incredible job of teaching this offense to their players.
Heupel will continue to tweak his offense to make it more efficient against top teams.
But after what we saw on Saturday night (the most points the Vols have scored against Alabama since 2003), I think UT fans should feel extremely confident in this offense and its potential for long-term success in the SEC.
Featured image via Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports/Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
