Tennessee Football: Three Takeaways From Vols’ 49-13 Win vs. Virginia

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) before Tennessee's Homecoming game against UT-Martin at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.
Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) before Tennessee's Homecoming game against UT-Martin at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Tennessee Football opened the season by traveling to Nashville to take on the Virginia Cavaliers yesterday.

Volunteer Nation took over Nissan Stadium and dominated the Cavaliers. The entire stadium was sold out, and even broke the attendance record for the most people to ever come into the stadium. Despite Tennessee Football’s slow start, the Vols turned it on in the second half to get the big win.

Sep 2, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers kicks off after a touchdown during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports.
Sep 2, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers kicks off after a touchdown during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. /

3. Tennessee Football’s Defense Looks Unstoppable.

The Volunteers’ defense was a significant issue last year, and it’s what has been holding us back from being all-around unstoppable. However, things are changing on Rocky Top because the defense in Saturday’s victory was terrific.

The front seven played out of their minds, causing problem after problem for the Cavalier’s offense. On top of that, we have guys like Tyler Baron, Keenan Pili, James Pearce, and Omari Thomas, who are always dominant.

The depth on the Vols defense runs deep, and it showed throughout the game, even when backups were coming in and still getting the job done. It’s crucial for the defense to have extreme depth, and this year’s squad has just that.

The secondary was awful last year, but we were on top of everything yesterday, which is a fantastic sign for things to come. While it may have been because it was UVA’s offense, the defense looked like a complete unit and more Elite than they have had in years.