Tennessee football at Vanderbilt: 10 keys for Vols and Commodores
2. Vanderbilt’s horrible pass rush vs. Vols horrible pass protection
Something’s got to give. Tennessee football is among the worst in the SEC in pass protection, and the Vanderbilt Commodores are among the worst at generating a pass rush. Which awfulness outweighs the other one? We’ll find out Saturday.
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Vanderbilt is last in the SEC on the year in generating sacks. They have only come down with 11 in eight games. Similar to their rush defense in general, their pass rush is a disaster, and just like we mentioned on the previous slide, their defensive line is depleted. That could cost them significantly in this game.
Meanwhile, the Vols have not seen the development that was expected on the outside from Darnell Wright or Wanya Morris. Wright is good for one whiff on a block a game to allow a sack. To make matters worse, elite weapons like Eric Gray are horrible when it comes to staying in the pocket to pick up blitzes and protect the quarterback.
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As a result, a few Vanderbilt blitzes, even with that horrible pass rush, could change things. For what it’s worth, Vandy’s pass protection is ranked No. 8 in the SEC, allowing 18 sacks, and the Vols’ pass rush is ranked eighth as well, generating 18 sacks.