The Jeremy Pruitt Era at Tennessee got off to an inauspicious start when West Virginia nose tackle Kenny Bigelow blew up the Vols’ first play from scrimmage, running through UT’s offensive line unblocked and crushing quarterback Jarret Guarantano as he threw an ugly incompletion. When the offense continued to go backward, so much of the blooming hope that had been carefully cultivated on Rocky Top over the past nine months withered and wilted.
And for a while, Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and West Virginia’s passing attack looked like it was going to squelch any hopes for the defense as well.
But after a few extremely rough series, Tennessee’s offense shifted out of reverse and even put together a nice 78-yard drive for a touchdown in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Vols defense held the Mountaineers’ high-powered and dangerous offense to only one touchdown and two field goals in the first half.
After an extended halftime break caused by a lightning delay, West Virginia and Grier found a groove, scoring more points and piling up more yards in the third quarter than they did in the entire first half. They found the end zone on every possession after halftime with the exception of one drive that ended with a fumble recovered by Tennessee.
The Vols offense sputtered some and scored some in the second half, earning another touchdown and getting to within two yards of another before turning the ball over on downs. When it was all said and done, West Virginia won 40-14.
Stiff arming adversity
The opening of the game for Tennessee was horrid, as the first play felt like getting punched in the mouth while opening a much-anticipated Christmas present. And then getting stomped on the throat while being reminded who somebody else thinks you are.
But Tennessee’s guys took the licks, got up, and then started giving some of their own. Tyson Helton didn’t wait long to abandon the idea of running into a stacked box and immediately started having success throwing the ball and moving the chains. The players didn’t quit, and they didn’t hang their heads. That’s going to be important as they face the potential of additional beatings in October.
The offensive line recovered from a terrible start
For the frightening first few minutes, Tennessee’s offensive line somehow looked worse than ever. Alabama transfer and former 4-star prospect Brandon Kennedy completely whiffed on that first play and was getting manhandled by Bigelow. The rest of the guys were doing no better, getting pushed back, run around, and just generally overwhelmed by West Virginia’s front seven.
But they found their legs after a few series and started, at the very least, holding their own. And then they started opening up lanes for the running backs. (More on that in a minute.) On balance, I think you’d have to say that the jury is still out on the o-line, but as the game went on, you started feeling better about them.
Jarrett Guarantano
Guarantano got the start, and, once the o-line started helping him after the first few series, he looked good. He finished the game 19-25 for 172 yards and a touchdown. I said this already, but it really can’t be overstated: He was absolutely pummeled on that first play, and he could have succumbed to the here-we-go-agains like the rest of us did. But he not only put his helmet back on and got back in the pocket, he started having success.
Tim Jordan
Jordan has to be the player of the game for the Vols. After Ty Chandler went out with an injury, Jordan got the bulk of the work in the run game, and he finished with 20 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. The guy ran hard, had solid vision, and simply would not go down on first contact. On a couple of runs, he punished would-be tacklers before hitting the turf. He’s going to be fun to watch.
Grier and his guys were just too much
We knew going in that Tennessee’s secondary was going to be challenged, and while there was hope that the new guys at corner would surprise, they really didn’t. Alontae Taylor must have had a decent game, as his name wasn’t called very much. But Grier and the West Virginia offense picked on Trevon Flowers all night and for good reason, as he simply got beat by the Mountaineers’ wide receivers multiple times.
Whether that means the Vols’ secondary is going to be a concern all season, that Grier is going to win the Heisman, or that what happened this afternoon when Tennessee tried to defend the pass was a combination of the two, we won’t know for several games. Stay tuned for additional evidence and keep deliberating.
Marquez Callaway
Callaway had a good afternoon, pulling down seven catches for 85 yards, and he appeared to be Guarantano’s go-to receiver.
It was also good to see Jajuan Jennings back in action. When he gets his hands on the ball, you think that he’s never going to let go or go down. He did have only two catches, though.
Injuries
I believe that running back Ty Chandler was the only Vol to leave the game with injury and not return. Trey Smith went out at one point, but got back on the field after getting his ankle re-taped. That’s good news for a team that’s had more than its share of bad luck in the injury department the past couple of years.
Going forward
This wasn’t exactly the result that we Vols fans were hoping for. Many were entertaining the idea of winning, and most were thinking it would be closer than the 10 points Vegas predicted.
Whether 26 points constitutes a blowout is up for debate, but I saw some things this afternoon that look like a solid foundation upon which success can be built. Responding well to adversity. Abandoning ineffective gameplans and making effective in-game adjustments quickly. Mostly solid fundamentals.
I’m also sitting here right now trying to remember any mistakes, and I can’t remember any. The guys got beat. They missed some tackles, some blocks, and some coverages. But did the coaches commit any serious blunders? I don’t think so.
I think Will Grier, David Sills, and Gary Jennings are excellent.
I think West Virginia is very good.
But I also think we’re in good hands with Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.
