By Ryan Cloud
Vols Weekly
When the Vols touched the field at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, it was against an inferior opponent. That doesn’t mean there weren’t lessons to be learned. There were still question marks in the secondary after leading cornerback Kamal Hadden was forced to have season-ending surgery. In addition, there were still concerns over Joe Milton and the offense’s ability to throw downfield.
With that said, here are three lessons we learned from the UConn game.
No. 1 – The secondary is still vulnerable
Three defensive touchdowns are no easy feat for any team. Overall, the defense was incredible on Saturday. With that said, UConn quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson was still able to notch 215 yards through the air. Sure, that would be a helluva day against any QB in the SEC, but UConn isn’t in the SEC. Being vulnerable in the secondary against the likes of Missouri or Georgia is a death sentence. We just saw Mizzu run stride for stride with Georgia on Saturday. We also saw that Georgia doesn’t need Brock Bowers to be successful in the passing game. It will be important for the Vols to continue working on the secondary this week in practice.
No. 2 – Tennessee benefits when Joe Milton uses his legs
It took almost half the season, but Joe Milton finally realized he has the speed and size of Cam Newton. The past few games, it’s been great seeing him more comfortable running the ball and trucking undersized defensive backs. It makes the defense have to waste a potential defender to spy, which opens up the passing game (and running game at times). While he may not be as mobile as Hendon Hooker (or Nico from what we saw on Saturday), he can still make a difference with his legs. In fact, it could be argued that his legs won us the game against Kentucky. Keep doing what you are doing.
No. 3 – Penalties are still a problem
Even in a game that Tennessee was in full control of, penalties were still an issue. The Vols had 11 penalties for 90 yards on Saturday. While it didn’t matter against UConn, that could also be disastrous against better opponents. It’s as simple as that.
While there are still some things to work on, that doesn’t take away from the fact the Vols are 7-2 heading into an important game against Missouri. A win there theoretically keeps the Vols in contention for the SEC East (if Ole Miss can upset Georgia next weekend). In addition, a New Year’s Six Bowl is a real possibility with a victory.
Ryan Cloud is the founder and writer at Vols Weekly. Follow him on X at @RyanCloudSports.
Comments