In this file photo, UT’s offensive coordinator Jim Chaney watches the team during the Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium.KNOXVILLE – Jim Chaney admitted he had as big a hand as anybody in the Tennessee’s second-half collapse against Florida last week.
The Volunteers’ offensive coordinator said after Wednesday morning’s practice that he didn’t call enough running plays while the game was still in the balance.
“I look back on the ball game,” he said, “and I think I might have abandoned the run game too quickly as we got toward the end of the third [quarter] and early in the fourth. That’d be the biggest change if you said something about our run game. I’d say it’d be more in my hands than anything our kids did.”
Tennessee was balanced offensively in building a 20-13 lead with just 20 minutes left in the game. The Vols had 27 pass attempts to 23 rushes, but that number changed drastically as Florida took control. While Tennessee was up a touchdown, tied and down a score, Chaney called 14 passes and two runs.
After stopping Florida short of a first down on a fake punt attempt, Chaney decided to take a shot with a downfield pass, but the Vols missed an assignment and failed to pick up a blitzing safety that forced Tyler Bray into an intentional grounding penalty. The next drive, a five-play possession that ended in an interception, is where Chaney said he “should have kept sticking with the run game.” After Florida took the lead, Tennessee threw it on the next six plays.