Tennessee football in top half of SEC Power Rankings after Week 4

Defeated Ole Miss Rebels 51-35

We discussed what Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels did to the Florida Gators defense, and while that’s concerning, a lot of it happened at the end of the game when UF called off the dogs. For most of the game, though, Dan Mullen’s team looked like it’s ready to take on any opponent in the nation, particularly with its offense.

For at least a week, any debate about Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond is over. Trask completed 30-of-42 passes for 416 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. Very few quarterbacks have ever been that efficient, but he had his way with Kiffin’s Rebels all day. Ole Miss did match Florida blow for blow early, and tied at 14 in the second, it looked concerning.

However, Trask and co. continued to pour it on, then scoring 21 straight into the third quarter and outscoring the Rebels 30-7. They allowed two more late touchdowns in the fourth after they were already leading 44-21, but they still scored one themselves in between them. Simply put, Florida clearly has the offense to hang with anybody.

Is that defense truly a concern? Well, we’ll know this week when they face the South Carolina Gamecocks, whose offense showed flashes but weren’t perfect against Tennessee football. After USC, they face the Texas A&M Aggies, LSU Tigers and Missouri Tigers, so these guys have a chance to show if they belong still in the upper-echelon of the league.