Looking at the national statistical rankings after Week 4, Tennessee’s rushing offense continues to lead in the clubhouse for most improved from 2017.
Meanwhile, another week of data lends credibility to the notion that Tennessee’s defense is actually improving rather quickly under the tutelage of Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.
Negating all of that on the scoreboard, of course, is the fact that the Vols went from 7th in the nation to 102nd in turnovers lost and from 29th to 108th in turnover margin in a single short week. Six turnovers will doom any team, especially one already struggling to find its footing.
Offense
Raise your hand if you’re kinda sorta surprised at some of this. Rushing offense is almost encouraging, and when you compare most of the offensive rankings to the end of last season, they’re actually improved. That’s, of course, what caused me to add in the column for just after the Florida game last season, which means, it’s before Alabama and Georgia. The comparison of those two immediate-post-Florida snapshots seems to comport more with intuition. It also tells us to brace for more sacks and TFLs in the coming weeks.
Defense
This is actually quite encouraging. Almost everything on defense is better, both when compared to this time last year and the entire 2017 season. The team has been really good on third down and first down so far this year, and ranking in the Top 15 in total defense with West Virginia on the resume isn’t too shabby. I know that Florida isn’t an offensive juggernaut, but this does show that those 47 points they scored on the Vols came mostly from turnovers and field position, not yards.
Also surprising is that TFLs and sacks, while not up to Tennessee’s standards, are actually somewhat improved from last year.
Special Teams
Turnovers and Penalties
Wow. Look at that change in the bottom three turnover categories. Yowza.