Should Tennessee Vols fans be concerned after ugly win against Austin Peay
Scotty Walden, the head coach of the Austin Peay football team, has a knack for making Tennessee Vols fans uncomfortable. Walden's first trip to Neyland Stadium came in 2017 when Southern Mississippi gave the Vols all they could handle before eventually falling 24-10 to Tennessee (oddly enough, that was Butch Jones' final win as UT's […]
Scotty Walden, the head coach of the Austin Peay football team, has a knack for making Tennessee Vols fans uncomfortable.
Walden's first trip to Neyland Stadium came in 2017 when Southern Mississippi gave the Vols all they could handle before eventually falling 24-10 to Tennessee (oddly enough, that was Butch Jones' final win as UT's head coach).
On Saturday, Walden, who was the wide receivers coach at Southern Miss in 2017 when the Golden Eagles gave the Vols a scare, had Tennessee fans sweating during what was supposed to be a blowout against Austin Peay.
Instead, Tennessee won 30-13 in an ugly game that was closer than the final score indicated.
There were inexplicable drops from receivers (wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs), off-target passes from quarterback Joe Milton, questionable officiating, and a general sloppiness from the Vols that we haven't seen much during the Josh Heupel era.
After an ugly win, is there a reason to be concerned about Tennessee?
Vols fans certainly have every right to be frustrated after the win against Austin Peay.
Tennessee didn't look like a team ready to win the SEC East on Saturday.
What the Vols did look like, though, is a team that was ready to get the Austin Peay game over with so they could look forward to a matchup next Saturday with the Florida Gators in the Swamp.
That kind of thinking, if it was the case, can be dangerous. And the Vols are fortunate that it was Austin Peay on the other side of the ball and not a more dangerous opponent.
But while that wasn't the ideal way to approach an early season game against a team that was paid to come to Knoxville to lose, it's also why I'm not concerned about Tennessee at this point in the season. These kind of performances happen from teams that have high expectations. We saw something similar from Georgia last season in games against Kent State and Missouri. Both of those programs were much more formidable opponents than Austin Peay, but neither team was in the same stratosphere as Georgia last season. And the point remains that it can be tough to get up for games that should be blowouts.
And also, sometimes great teams, and we're still waiting to see if this Tennessee team is great or not, have bad practices. Sometimes they have bad Saturdays. But one bad practice or bad Saturday isn't enough to suggest that there's reason for concern. In general, it's best to never take away too much from a game against an FCS opponent because it's not the type of game that Tennessee (or any playoff contender) is built to win on a weekly basis.
Now, if the Vols go to Gainesville next Saturday and lay an egg, then maybe it'll be time for some conversations about the quarterback situation or other personnel decisions. But until then, Heupel and his team should get the benefit of the doubt. I think they've earned that much.
Tyler Bray tells the story of Lane Kiffin allegedly illegally recruiting him to Tennessee
Former Vols QB Tyler Bray tells the story of Lane Kiffin allegedly illegally recruiting him to Tennessee
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
