The idea that everything will click neatly into place this season for Tennessee was quickly smashed in Week 1. That’s not a bad thing. The result resets expectations to an appropriate level (if they weren’t already tempered, but some fans like to think anything is possible before a season begins).
By Matt Zemek
Vol fans don’t need to worry about trying to reach a high standard this season. They can focus on the development of this roster and finding a new process which will guide and anchor this program for the years ahead under Jeremy Pruitt. This season is a long-term reformation project. It is not a quick fix. It is easier to live life when one can know what is real and what is unrealistic. Tennessee gained that clarity in Week 1.
Now comes the clear-eyed pursuit of building and development in which a team will try to win games but make sure it learns lessons along the way. Which aspects of team improvement should be paramount in Week 2 against East Tennessee State?
1 – THE OFFENSIVE LINE
The Vols could not push back West Virginia’s defensive front, which tells you all you need to know about the status of Tennessee’s offensive line. West Virginia does not have a strong defense and should be scored on at will during the Big 12 Conference season. Tennessee could not score with any degree of consistency against the Mountaineers, a revealing moment for anyone who might have thought the Vols’ ceiling was higher.
In order to move this season in the right direction, Tennessee needs to emphasize the evolution of its offensive line, and nothing establishes more confidence in an offensive line than being able to mash, mash, mash against a weaker defensive front. That is one of the things cupcake games are meant for: giving young or weak position units a chance to demonstrate competence against weaker teams. When young players can show in live action that they are capable of executing blocks well or establishing physical dominance, that positive muscle memory at least has a chance of becoming more ingrained. If the Vols can get that kind of experience which they can observe on film study once this game is over, they will have achieved something meaningful.
2 – THE DEEP BALL
Jarrett Guarantano was very accurate against West Virginia, which is certainly cause for some degree of optimism, but he averaged roughly nine yards per completion. If the Vols want to have a realistic chance of competing in the SEC East, they have to be able to score with the high-powered offenses at Georgia and South Carolina. Therefore, they will have to be able to hit big plays, and that requires the long pass. The deep ball needs a workout in this game, mixed in with power running plays to give the Tennessee offense a necessary degree of balance plus the combination of ball-control efficiency and quick-strike capability.
3 – SECONDARY MINDSET
The Vols watched West Virginia quarterback Will Grier make some special throws over the course of this past Saturday’s game. Grier is a very good player, and part of competition means that good players will make quality plays. That can’t scare off Tennessee’s secondary in the future. The Vols need to bounce back.
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