KNOXVILLE — It’s every offense’s dream to score touchdowns on every possession.
The closer Tennessee’s offense has moved toward doing that, the scarier it’s been for the Volunteers, at least lately. UT has come up empty on just six drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line this season, but there’s been an empty red-zone possession in each of the last four games. Three of those drives have ended on interceptions.
“I think you try to do minimal stuff, [but] we’re probably trying to do too much down there,” offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said after the Vols wrapped up practice inside Neyland Stadium on Wednesday morning. “When we get down there, we don’t execute anything very well. I think red area, we’re OK until we get down there, and it’s just been a nightmare for us.”
Holding a touchdown lead against Vanderbilt last week, quarterback Tyler Bray threw an pass in the end zone intended for tight end Mychal Rivera that linebacker Archibald Barnes returned for a Commodores touchdown.
Four weeks ago against South Carolina, Justin Worley’s throw in the end zone on an out route intended for Da’Rick Rogers was intercepted. The freshman was late on a throw over the middle two weeks later at Arkansas when a touchdown would have trimmed UT’s deficit to 21-14 before halftime.