Tennessee's defense has been elite this season. It is one of the most efficient in the country and has given the Vols a chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff if they win out.
Part of Tennessee's success is the physicality of the front seven. The Vols have accumulated 18 sacks on the season, and they have made the most of every one of them. They also had 59 tackles for loss going into the Kentucky game and added three more against the Wildcats.
Every hit puts a toll on a quarterback's body. Whether they come in beat up from previous games or face a tough beating from Tennessee's front seven, the Vols have only seen one quarterback finish the same game they started.
This was Tennessee's eighth game of the season, and Alabama's Jalen Milroe remains the only starting quarterback to finish a game against this #Vols defense.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 3, 2024
That statistic includes Kentucky's starting quarterback Brock Vandergriff, who left the game in the third quarter.
Not every quarterback has gone out due to injury. Some were benched, while others faced injuries midgame. Despite how the starting quarterback went out, it's impressive to say the least that Tennessee has sent every starting quarterback to the bench in every game they have played this season except for Jalen Milroe.
Tennessee has had one of the best defenses in the country through eight games in the season. They have only allowed 99 points on the season, averaging just 12.38 points per game, ranking fifth in the nation behind Army, Texas, Ohio State, and Notre Dame.
The Vols are also the only FBS team to limit each of its opponents to less than 20 points per game. They are only the fifth SEC to ever do that and statistically have a chance to follow in the other four team's footsteps and win a national championship
Tennessee should have another strong performance on deck with Mississippi State coming to town this Saturday before the Vols' highly-anticipated matchup with Georgia the following week.