KNOXVILLE – Tennessee’s offense hasn’t gone without hiccups this football season.
The second-half performances against Oklahoma and Arkansas were disappointing, and the Volunteers came up empty on potential go-ahead drives late in losses to Florida and Alabama.
The numbers suggest Tennessee is having a pretty good season, though, and the Vols appear to have found their stride offensively entering the final month.
“The play-calling hasn’t changed. The execution has changed,” coach Butch Jones said Monday. “Our players are executing right now at a high level, but the play-calling’s been there all year.
Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs passes while airborne during their SEC football game against Georgia at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee won 38-31.Vols on the run
Tennessee’s offense is on pace to finish with more than 2,500 rushing yards, a mark the Vols have not passed since 1998. Through eight games, Tennessee is second in the SEC and 22nd nationally in rushing and already has more yards on the ground than the Vols had in the entirety of five of the past 10 seasons. Here’s Tennessee’s per-game average in rushing yards the past 15 seasons.2015: 214.12014: 146.42013: 188.42012: 160.32011: 90.12010: 109.22009: 157.22008: 122.92007: 139.02006: 108.02005: 128.32004: 186.02003: 138.52002: 150.52001: 149.7
“(Offensive coordinator) Mike DeBord is an experienced veteran that has coached at all levels, and I do think it’s more learning your players and their skill sets, but that occurred at a relatively early stage when he came in here. And I think it’s the players earning trust in terms of who to throw the ball to, what plays to call in critical situations and vice versa.
“The play-calling really hasn’t changed. Our players right now are playing with a lot of confidence, they’re executing and we’re staying ahead of the chains. That really, really helps as well.”
As November begins, Tennessee is third in the SEC in scoring (36.1 points per game), sixth in the league in total offense (424.1 yards per game) and second in the conference in rushing (214.1 ypg). In SEC games, the Vols are fourth in the SEC in offense (417.6 ypg) behind LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Tennessee’s 289 points through eight games are more than the Vols scored in the entire season in 2013, 2011 and 2008, and the Vols are on pace to break the 400-point mark for a season for just the third time since 2001.
The 1,713 rushing yards through eight games are more than the Vols had in the entire season five times in the last 10 years.
“It’s just execution,” quarterback Josh Dobbs said. “The O-line has done a great job of it all year, of just owning the line of scrimmage. We’ve been able to make plays when they’re there.”
Tennessee’s 15 runs of 20 or more yards rank third in the SEC and more than the Vols had in all of 2014 (11) and 2013 (14). Dobbs and running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara have spearheaded an attack that’s been much improved this season. Tennessee was 13th in the SEC in rushing last season and ninth in 2013, Jones’s first in Knoxville.
“It’s very exciting,” left tackle Kyler Kerbyson said after the 52-21 win at Kentucky on Saturday night. “Being able to see those guys get loose – Dobbs and Alvin and Jalen – and see them break tackles and get big gains is huge for the O-line.
“As an O-lineman, you work so hard to get on your block, and you want your guy to be successful. When you see him, he makes a play, he gets off a tackle, he breaks something – that makes you feel even more confident.
“This guy can make me right when I’m wrong, so I feel like I can just go out there and play and not over-think everything.”
It took six games into the season for the Vols to find the right mixture of aggressiveness, scheme and execution in the passing game, and the results have been promising. In the last three games against Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky, Tennessee had 11 completions of 20-plus yards after the Vols had 12 in the first five games of the season.
The 75-yard touchdown pass from Dobbs to Josh Malone in Lexington was Tennessee’s longest pass play since 2011, when Tyler Bray and Justin Hunter hooked up for an 81-yard score against Montana.
“It helps a lot, just having that vertical threat and showing that we can throw the ball down the field and can complete deep passes,” said Malone, who leads the Vols in catches (23) and receiving yards (315).
“It’ll open up a lot of underneath and also help out the running game and clear out the box for our running backs so they have more lanes to run through.”
The Vols had 19 plays of 20 or more yards in the past three games.
“We just understand we need to have big explosive plays,” Jones said. “Our goal is to create one-on-one matchups and let recruiting take over (where) it’s me against you. Our players have done a good job with that.
“It was finally great to get Jalen in the open field on the screen pass, and you can see what he can do when he gets some open space. Obviously Alvin’s done a great job. Finally getting the deep ball going (last game) that’s just being rewarded for your hard work.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.