Tennessee vs. Oklahoma Report Card: Grading the Vols

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Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones talks with members of the officiating crew during the second half during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won in double overtime 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching: C

We are going to be fair and say that the coaching staff had to do something right to play Oklahoma to double overtime with so many freshmen and inexperienced players on the roster.

But the Oklahoma Sooners were giving this game to the Vols with two interceptions thrown by Baker Mayfield and a bunch of mistakes to fall behind 17-0.

Tennessee got inside Oklahoma territory twice in the second half, and both times Mike DeBord decided to get cute with his play-calling and make read play calls. They both resulted in huge losses when Jalen Hurd carried the ball, and that caused them to come up scoreless in both instances.

Then, you can’t ignore Butch Jones’s coach-not-to-lose decision to kick the field goal on the first drive of the game when it was fourth and goal from the one-yard line. Add in the fact that they took out their physical back, Hurd, to get the touchdown on third and goal from the one, and it just looks awful.

So the coaching staff made a ton of serious mistakes in this game that cannot be ignored. John Jancek did a great job on the defensive side, but it is also on him that the unit gave up four straight touchdowns at the end of the game. So he has to be mentioned for mistakes as well.

Overall, we don’t want to pile onto the coaching staff, but Butch Jones appeared to coach not to lose. And it bit him in this one.

So we have to give the coaching grade a C.

Next: Smokey Points: Top Five Vols Performers vs. Oklahoma Sooners

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