Three yards and a cloud of dust has sprouted into enormous green pastures. The notion that a super-sonic offense will always be paired with a gassed and overburdened defense is no longer a given. And this particular version of this proud program appears to be callously indifferent to some of the most cherished maxims of the man whose name is on the stadium. What world are we living in?
Offense
Goodness gracious. First, throw out that stupid 4th down conversion percentage stat from two years ago. (Tied at No. 20 with 10 other teams, the Vols were 67% (16 of 24) on 4th down in 2020 while the nation’s best team on 4th down that season was 100% . . . on one single solitary attempt). So, yeah, toss that thing out. Then, rejoice in the realization that the worst these 2022 Vols are in any offensive category (No. 41 in Sacks Allowed) is better than the best they were prior to the arrival of the Heuper Drive. Blood, blood, blood, and more blood, and then suddenly, “Hey, everybody! The grass is actually greener over here! No, seriously! It’s like a putting green!”
Defense
Do all the double-takes you want on that. I’m on at least four and counting. It doesn’t change. It was accepted as fact when Heupel arrived that a fast offense will always share the same bed with a bad defense. It’s still accepted as fact. Except that right now it’s not true at all.
Yeah, there’s some bleeding there at the bottom, but never mind. The defensive stat that will always matter most is how many points you let the other team put on the board, and right now, the Vols are allowing only 21 points per game, good for 26th in the nation. All of the other defensive stats merely tell the story of how the team is keeping opponents from scoring. So how are they doing it?
By taunting the opponent from the turrets of a fortified castle guarded by a shark-infested 20-yard poison moat. Go ahead and have your fun with your 80 yards (but no running allowed.) And the red zone and the end zone? These are ours. Enter at your own risk.
Special Teams
As Will said earlier, poor Paxton Brooks. And Tennessee has only punted 18 times this season. The national average is about 35. It’s okay.
Turnovers and Penalties
These guys are seriously challenging the veracity of Neyland’s First Maxim. And now that I go back and re-read all of the maxims (the regularly-recited ones anyway), I think we’re in danger of committing the heresy of re-writing all of them.