Brent Venables explains what Vols true freshmen OL David Sanders Jr did wrong on play that led to the scoop and score for Oklahoma
Tennessee Vols true freshman offensive tackle David Sanders Jr had a missed assignment that led to a big play for the Oklahoma Sooners this past weekend.
The biggest play in the Tennessee Vols’ 33-27 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners this past weekend was easily the scoop and score that sucked the life out of Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee looked like they were about to go up 14-0, but Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke came free on a first down play and knocked the ball out of Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar’s hands.
Sooners defensive lineman R Mason Thomas, who was actually lined up offsides when the ball was snapped, picked up the loose football and bullied his way 71 yards to the end zone for the touchdown.
Vols true freshman right tackle David Sanders Jr appeared to completely whiff on the play as Heinecke blew past him. But after listening to Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables break down the play, it sounds like Sanders may have been expecting the defender to drop into coverage.
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables explains what Vols true freshmen right tackle David Sanders Jr did wrong on the scoop and score play
Venables explained on Sooner Football with Brent Venables that Sanders may have been expecting Heinecke to drop into coverage on that particular play.
“The tackle (Sanders) tries to block two guys,” said Venables. “A lot of times when you have a wide nine technique as a rusher, which Owen was, the tackle will try to go down and help the guard initially and then come back and cut you off from the quarterback. Owen did a great job of just being too explosive off the edge and he ran by their freshman offensive tackle. And he makes a heck of a play. They’re running a little RPO, so we had a five man pressure with aggressive edges, and it worked out in our favor.”
“We drop [Heinecke] a lot out of this,” continued Venables. “From a film study standpoint, we drop him [into coverage] to the flat a lot. And so [Sanders] might have been thinking that. But he’s trying to help with the three technique, and then he’s going to try to slide back out and and then pick [Heinecke] up. And so when he does that, Owen is doing a great job of of getting vertical, setting a good hard edge, and taking advantage of a mistake that they make fundamentally here. And he does a great job of running through the quarterback and pops the ball out.”
Heinecke noted after the game that he was surprised he was unblocked, pointing out that he’s usually a “sacrificial lamb” on that play.
“We got a call in, and normally on that call I get kicked out by the tackle,” said Heinecke. “I’m kind of the sacrificial lamb, and this time he went down — I think it was maybe a little bit of miscommunication on their part — and I came free. I almost stuttered for a second because I was so free I felt like something was maybe wrong.”
Sanders, a former five-star recruit, is a smart and mature player. While it’s possible that he may have just completely whiffed on that play, I think it’s much more likely that he saw Heinecke dropping into coverage on film, and maybe Sanders briefly anticipated that’s what was going to happen on that play on Saturday night. That split second of hesitation was all Heinecke needed to get to the quarterback.
It was a true freshman mistake that came at a very unfortunate time for Tennessee.
For Sanders, it’s an important learning moment. And I know there are folks who will be screaming that Sanders is paid to make that play, and I get that, but he’s still a true freshman who is very much developing as a player. And sometimes, the only way to learn is to first make a mistake on the field.
It doesn’t matter how much money a young player is paid, you can’t speed up the development process.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports Tennessee Vols as Brent Venables explains what Vols true freshmen OL David Sanders Jr did wrong on play that led to the scoop and score for Oklahoma.
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