The hard truth about the job Joey Halzle is doing as the Tennessee Vols’ offensive coordinator
Joey Halzle is in his fourth season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and his sixth overall year on the Vols’ coaching staff.
I’ve seen quite a bit of Joey Halzle slander from a portion of the Tennessee Vols fan base in recent weeks and I’m not quite sure why.
Halzle, who is in his fourth season as the Volunteers’ offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (and his sixth season overall on staff), is reportedly calling the plays for Tennessee’s offense this season.
Tennessee isn’t among the top scoring teams in the nation this season, but I still think Halzle is doing an excellent job.
If you look beyond the box score, I think you’ll see that Halzle is doing exactly what this team needs him to do. The Vols aren’t trying to win games by getting into shootouts anymore. Head coach Josh Heupel seems to understand that it’s not a sustainable way to win games. The defense needs to be protected with sustained drives that take time off the clock. Tennessee has a roster that can win games by controlling the clock and shortening the game.
Halzle is calling the plays that put the team in position to do that. And it’s worked in every game. The Vols beat Texas if they execute at a higher level, and they certainly beat South Carolina if they execute.
The only thing holding Halzle’s offense back right now is the small details. We’ve seen young quarterbacks not execute at times, and penalties that had no impact on the play have wiped out some big gains (and several touchdowns).
The plays that are being called by Halzle are creating opportunities. I don’t know what else the fans who are down on Halzle want him to do. This is how you consistently win games in the SEC. I mean, there might be games that play out in a way where it turns into a shootout. But the approach Tennessee is going with this season is an approach we’ve seen work for decades.
And again, the plays that are being called are working. If the penalties don’t happen against South Carolina, then everyone is saying that Halzle called one of the best games in the sport last weekend. If the quarterback executes better against Texas, Halzle is viewed a lot differently right now.
Some things haven’t gone Tennessee’s way this season — that’s true for pretty much every team in college football (just ask Texas, Alabama, LSU, etc) — but the offensive playcalling is the least of the concerns.
The Vols have to be more disciplined and the quarterback play needs to continue to improve. No offense is going to be at its best until those two things happen.
And guess what? That’s exactly what Tennessee will be working on during the bye week.
But getting down on Halzle? I don’t get that at all.
