Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs runs for a touchdown during the first half of Saturday's win at Missouri.KNOXVILLE -- When Tennessee reviewed how its offense played in last week's win at Missouri, its coaching staff probably didn't have to look far to find an area it could address this week.
It was an area the Volunteers already were going to emphasize this week anyway given the opponent.
Tennessee kicked three field goals and scored just one touchdown on five trips inside Missouri's 20-yard line in the 19-8 win, and the Vols know they'll have to be more efficient in the red zone on Saturday against Vanderbilt, which boasts one of the nation's stingiest red-zone defenses.
"We have to score touchdowns in the red zone, and that was a big emphasis today," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said after Tuesday's practice. "We've got to do a great job of execution once we get there. We're going to study it more tonight and tomorrow.
"We'll study more of the red zone (because) we've got to get down there and score touchdowns."
In the regular-season finale Tennessee may not need too many touchdowns given that the Commodores are 128th out of 128 FBS teams in scoring and were blanked by Texas A&M last week.
Still, Tennessee's red-zone plays needs to improve.
Tennessee place kicker Aaron Medley, right, kicks a field goal with the hold of Patrick Ashford during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. Tennessee won the game 19-8. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)The Vols are tied for 18th nationally in red-zone possessions with 52, but they've scored on roughly 81 percent of them, which is ranked 85th nationally.
Tennessee's touchdown percentage (29 of 52) is 94th in the country.
In 29 red-zone possessions in seven SEC games, the Vols scored 14 touchdowns, kicked eight field goals, missed three field goals and committed three turnovers.
In the past five games, Tennessee scored on just 14 of 20 red-zone trips.
"In the red zone, everything gets tighter," DeBord said. "The coverage is tighter, because you don't have as far to go. Everything tightens up down there. Everything happens quicker in the throw game. When you're running the ball, the defenders are tighter, the safeties are tighter.
"You really have to do a great job of executing."
Vanderbilt has allowed just 14 touchdowns on 41 of its opponents' trips inside the 20 this season.
Some miscues in the red zone against Missouri prevented Tennessee from turning a comfortable win into an even bigger rout of a team with a quality defense.
"There was a couple of things execution-wise where we didn't execute," DeBord explained. "The one throw to Josh Malone was just a little bit behind, just right here on his hip, a close throw like that.
Tennessee wide receiver Von Pearson, left, is tackled by Missouri's Aarion Penton during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)"We ran the screen play like that, and Jashon (Robertson) hadn't had a lot of reps on that coming back (from injury). And he knows he should have gotten out a little bit quicker and we would have had a big play there. (It's) a little bit of execution things here and there, so we've got to do a better job of executing."
Again facing a team with a poor offense, Tennessee must take care of the football and avoid mistakes that could give Vanderbilt momentum and scoring opportunities that come with short fields.
"In a lot of ways, I'm going to be talking a lot like I talked last week with Missouri," DeBord said. "They've got very good football players, and their scheme is multiple: Multiple fronts, multiple coverages, different types of blitzes. They play with great technique as well.
"Obviously I don't know anything about their offense, but I do know their defense is really good."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.