Virginia offensive coordinator comments on preparing for Tennessee's defense
The Tennessee Vols will kick off the 2023 season against the Virginia Cavaliers on September 2 in Nashville. With the game just a couple of weeks away, both teams are gearing up for Week 1 game prep. On Thursday, Virginia offensive coordinator Des Kitchings was asked by a reporter if the Cavaliers have started preparing […]
The Tennessee Vols will kick off the 2023 season against the Virginia Cavaliers on September 2 in Nashville.
With the game just a couple of weeks away, both teams are gearing up for Week 1 game prep.
On Thursday, Virginia offensive coordinator Des Kitchings was asked by a reporter if the Cavaliers have started preparing for Tennessee's defense.
Kitchings revealed that Virginia spent time in the summer prepping for the Vols and they plan to resume preparing for Tennessee next week.
(The season-opener will be the sixth time that Kitchings has coached against Tennessee. He previously coached against the Vols while he coached at Vanderbilt, NC State, and South Carolina.)
"We did a bunch in the summer," said Kitchings when asked if Virginia has prepared for Tennessee. "And then once we culminate with fall camp next week, we'll review that and kind of see where we are. Because we've changed some from the spring. There's some things we probably did in the spring that we're not very good at now or vice versa. Because the team has changed, you know, some of the new additions and figuring out what our identity is — which we feel like we have a pretty good feel about that. And then how can we go attack Tennessee to win the game."
It sounds like Virginia hasn't completely figured out their offensive identity yet which could be problematic as they go up against the highest scoring offense in the nation. It's unlikely that the Cavaliers shut Tennessee's offense down, which means they'll have to win a shootout if they're going to leave Nashville with a win on September 2. And that's probably not likely considering Virginia had the No. 126 scoring offense in the nation last season.
Anything can happen — that's why the games aren't played on paper — but it certainly feels like Virginia will be overmatched against the Vols. If Tennessee comes out firing on all cylinders, it could be a long day for head coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers.
Tennessee has a future defensive superstar on its roster and he’ll soon be a household name
The Tennessee Vols have a future defensive superstar on their roster and he’ll soon be a household name
Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
