After 2-3 start, Tennessee Vols must manage frustration

Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd picks up first-down yardage during Saturday night's game against Arkansas at Neyland Stadium. Hurd and fellow Volunteers running back Alvin Kamara were factors early but faded in the second half of the Vols' second straight SEC loss.
Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd picks up first-down yardage during Saturday night's game against Arkansas at Neyland Stadium. Hurd and fellow Volunteers running back Alvin Kamara were factors early but faded in the second half of the Vols' second straight SEC loss.

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KNOXVILLE - It's taken all of five games for a football season of high hopes to turn into one of disappointment and frustration for the Tennessee Volunteers.

With more than half of the schedule remaining, however, they will have to remain motivated and strive to improve to keep things from spiraling further out of control.

The Vols (2-3, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) led by at least 13 points in all three of their defeats, which only adds to the frustration for players and coaches, and it will be a challenge for third-year head coach Butch Jones to keep his team playing as hard as it has at times so far this season.

"The big thing is body language. Body language tells you everything," Jones said after Tennessee's 24-20 home loss to Arkansas on Saturday night. "Our players hurt, and I feel for them. But again, it's understanding critical plays at critical moments of the game, and everybody wants to win. But it's what are we doing to win.

"I'll read body language. I'll meet with our seniors, I'll meet with our team (Sunday) and we'll talk through it. They've been resilient so far, and you rely on the character in your football program."

The second-half numbers for Tennessee aren't pretty. The Vols have been outscored 49-24 in the fourth quarter. After taking a 17-0 lead against Oklahoma, a 20-7 lead at Florida and a 14-0 lead against the Razorbacks, Tennessee has been outscored 76-20. In its three losses, Tennessee has been outgained 615-348 in yards after halftime.

"It's definitely frustrating," safety Brian Randolph said. "I know it's frustrating for the fans. We've just got to learn how to finish out the game and keep jumping on them when they're down."

Much like the Oklahoma game, Tennessee failed to reach the 100-yard mark in total offense after halftime of Saturday's loss to the Razorbacks. While Arkansas controlling the ball was a reason why Tennessee couldn't find a rhythm in its limited possessions, the Vols were far too inefficient offensively against a team currently ranked eighth in the SEC in total defense.

On its final seven first-down plays, Tennessee gained 15 yards. That got the Vols behind the chains. On five of the third downs Tennessee faced in the second half, the Vols needed 9 or more yards to pick up a first down. Tennessee converted only twice.

"We were still in a rhythm, but we weren't capitalizing on our opportunities like we were in the first half," said quarterback Josh Dobbs, who was 6-of-14 passing for 86 yards in the second half. "We've just got to capitalize and make plays when they're there."

Arkansas shut down Tennessee's ground game, holding the Vols to 4 rushing yards in the second half. Running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara were big parts of the Vols' 275-yard output in the first half, but they never got going over the final two quarters.

"We knew if they could run the football, we weren't going to win the game," Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said.

On eight running plays in the second half, Tennessee gained 1 yard or less five times, and three of those plays lost yards. Not included in those numbers was Dobbs slipping as he rolled out to pass on second-and-5 near midfield on Tennessee's final drive of the game that ended on fourth down.

"We talk about staying the course," Kamara said. "Of course it's a little bit of frustration, but we use that and turn it into motivation."

Tennessee's passing game continues to be spotty. Dobbs was a little off on a handful of throws, though he wasn't helped by multiple dropped passes. On the Vols' penultimate possession, Von Pearson and Preston Williams missed catchable passes.

Though Arkansas gashed Tennessee for nearly 500 yards of offense, the Vols held the Razorbacks to 24 points, but the inconsistency and missed opportunities on offense ensured that total was enough.

Those are mistakes the Vols must correct to avoid an even worse fate.

"Our confidence level is high. I'm not worried about that," Dobbs said. "I know the type of team that we have, the type of character that we have. We're still together. We still have a long season in front of us, and we still know what it takes to win. We have to execute better, obviously, but our confidence level's high.

"All of our games have been close games. We just have to continue to remind ourselves that the game comes down to three or four plays, and you don't know what plays those are. You have to be locked in on every play to make a difference. We have to continue preaching that mindset moving forward."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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