By Anthony Cloud
Vols Weekly
When the final whistle blew on Saturday, the Tennessee Vols walked away from the field 2-0. For the fans in Neyland Stadium and those watching at home, it didn’t feel that way. For 60 game-time minutes, Vol fans watched the team struggle offensively for the first time since a 63-38 loss to South Carolina last year. It may have been the worst showing since Josh Heupel took over the helm for Tennessee.
Joe Milton had a decent showing statistically finishing the game 21-for-33 for 288 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also found pay dirt once on the ground.
But those stats don’t reflect the inconsistencies the Vols experienced in the passing game. Numerous times, we saw the Milton that was replaced by Hendon Hooker a year ago with throws that were either overthrown or just short of the target.
Of course, it wasn’t all on Milton. There were multiple drops on very catchable balls by each of the Vols’ big three at receiver – Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton. McCoy and Keyton finished as Tennessee’s leaders through the air, each finishing with five receptions. Keyton ended the game with 52 yards and a touchdown, and McCoy tallied 51 yards.
Heupel made note of the passing game issues in the post-game interview.
“There’s times where we were pushing it down the field. We were a little bit off, in particular early in the football game. There’s some things, situationally, where we were off,” said Heupel. “Joe, wide receiver, combination of both, things where we’re just not in sync in some critical situations. Third down, we gotta be better than we were tonight.”
“We gotta be able to sustain drives and go score points in the red zone. Turnovers, not getting a fourth down, there’s a lot of things. The penalties there that took us out of those field zones. So, there’s a lot of things that we can control and do at our level.”
Heading into “Gator Hater” week, Tennessee needs to focus on nailing down the issues with the passing game. A year ago, it was the big plays through the air that helped power the Vols to success. With Tennessee opening SEC play this week, it’s time to get in sync. It’s a necessity if the Vols want to meet preseason expectations.
Anthony Cloud is a former four-time Kentucky Press Association award winner and a lifelong Tennessee fan. Follow him on Facebook at Vols Weekly.
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