Vols find 'great tempo' in DeBord's successful debut

Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike DeBord showed skill in Saturday's season-opening win over Bowling Green in Nashville by balancing the Volunteers' effort to score points with other game-managament factors, such as allowing UT's defense to rest.
Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike DeBord showed skill in Saturday's season-opening win over Bowling Green in Nashville by balancing the Volunteers' effort to score points with other game-managament factors, such as allowing UT's defense to rest.

NASHVILLE - So far, so good for Tennessee's first-year offensive coordinator.

Miek DeBord's debut could not have gone much better, as the Volunteers rolled up 604 yards and tallied 59 points in Saturday's season-opening win against Bowling Green.

Tennessee kept its offensive approach fairly simple in relying on running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara to carry most of the load, but the Vols used a faster tempo to run 87 plays, a mark they only surpassed once - the overtime comeback win at South Carolina - last season.

"We were playing with great tempo and keeping the defense on their heels," quarterback Josh Dobbs said after the game. "I think that's just attributed to our training. We train like that, we train with great tempo. When we had our player-led team tempos back in the winter, and that transitioned through spring, through fall camp, and it showed tonight.

"We have to continue to play with that same speed and same tempo and play consistently at that level."

DeBord hadn't called plays in a college game since the end of the 2007 season at Michigan - he worked for the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears from 2008 to 2012, then held an administrative role in Michigan's athletic department - but if he required an adjustment in returning to the role, he didn't show it.

"I don't expect him to be rusty," Jones said. "That's why he had NFL opportunities to be a co-coordinator or coordinator at different places. There's so much that goes into calling the game. A lot of times, offensive coordinators think solely their job is just to score points, and they're supposed to score points, but you've also got to manage the game.

"There's a couple of times where we were going to take shots, and because our defense had an extended drive, we were running the football. We were also trying to protect our defense and give them a rest. That's what Mike DeBord brings to the table, is that wealth of experience of playing to the team and managing a football game, not just calling plays."

Tennessee's offense largely looked much like it did in the two previous seasons under Jones, and when it became clear the Vols would be able to run at will against Bowling Green, which finished 12th in the 13-team Mid-American Conference in total defense in 2014, DeBord chose to stick with the ground game.

The Vols wound up with 399 rushing yards, their most in a single game in more than 20 years. Only three teams - Oregon, Georgia Tech and Rice - ran for more yards than Tennessee did in college football's opening weekend. The Vols averaged better than 6.2 yards per carry.

"We broke the record from last year," left tackle Kyler Kerbyson said. "At South Carolina, we had 300-something, and when the twos were in, all we were wanting is eight more yards to get 400. But yeah, I'm very proud of the whole offense. The running backs, the wideouts, Dobbs, all the offensive linemen - it was a team effort."

Five of Tennessee's touchdown drives lasted 1:13 or less. Though the Vols scored on four drives that began inside Bowling Green's 30-yard line, they also put together two touchdown drives of 75 yards and another 94-yard march. Tennessee went three plays and punted just twice in 15 possessions.

Tennessee had two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the 16th time in program history, and Hurd, Kamara and Dobbs combined for 356 yards and six touchdowns on 50 carries.

"When you have a great run game, and then you have a passing game that complements that run game, it's definitely tough (for defenses)," Dobbs said. "It keeps the defense on their heels. We put up 600 yards of total offense tonight, so that's the kind of games we need to have moving forward."

Tennessee tidbits

Jones predicted earlier in the week that Tennessee could play as many as 23 freshmen on Saturday, but only 15 did so.

Eight freshmen (wide receiver Jauan Jennings; defensive backs Micah Abernathy, Darrell Miller, Quart'e Sapp and Stephen Griffin; linebackers Darrin Kirkland and Austin Smith; running back John Kelly) played in the first quarter, and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle and receiver Preston Williams also played in the first half.

Defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, defensive end Kyle Phillips, offensive linemen Jack Jones and Chance Hall and quarterback Quinten Dormady played in the fourth quarter.

> The 89 combined points Saturday were the most in a Tennessee game since Missouri won 51-48 in quadruple overtime in 2012.

>Tennessee committed just four penalties Saturday, but two holding flags negated touchdowns and a personal foul on Derek Barnett extended a drive that ended in a Bowling Green field goal.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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