All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Five things for Vols to focus on during bye

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee running back Tiyon Evans (8) and Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren (87) celebrate a touchdown by Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (1) during a football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.Kns Tennessee Alabama Football Bp
Tennessee running back Tiyon Evans (8) and Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren (87) celebrate a touchdown by Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (1) during a football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.Kns Tennessee Alabama Football Bp /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Tennessee linebacker Aaron Beasley (24) drills during fall football practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021.Kns Ut Fball Saturday
Tennessee linebacker Aaron Beasley (24) drills during fall football practice at Haslam Field in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021.Kns Ut Fball Saturday /

3. Linebackers getting off blocks

We always knew linebacker would be a concern for Tennessee football entering the season. Juwan Mitchell suffering a season-ending injury only made it worse. Recently, though, a new issue surrounding this unit has emerged, and it’s the ability to get off blocks in the passing game.

Jeremy Banks and Aaron Beasley have gotten torched on the ground by quarterbacks running the ball now. Matt Corral was under pressure from the Vols’ defensive line all night, and he missed lots of throws because his receivers are hurt. However, Ole Miss still won the game because Corral rushed for an incredible 195 yards.

The next week, UT faced a pocket passer in Bryce Young. Well, despite his immobility, Young ran for 42 yards, more than double his best on the year up to that point. That’s a major concern, and it’s one that could prove costly after the bye as well.

What stands out is that many of these runs were designed runs, suggesting the coaches know this to be an issue. Tim Banks often puts one of them in spy, but then they get blocked and can’t get off of it. As a result, containment has become a big problem, and while the UT linebackers are solid in coverage, they’ve got to be way better at this.

Home/Vols Football