Tennessee football's elite defensive performance is the biggest story of the season

Tennessee football’s elite defensive performance is the biggest story of the season | Strange

Posted by Admin October 30, 2024 Football

Mike Strange
| Shopper News columnist

As Tennessee turns to the final five games of its 2024 football season, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the biggest story of the first seven.

It’s not about a supercharged offense – even though the Vols scored 69, 51 and 71 points, respectively, in their first three games.

It’s not about an $8 million quarterback taking the SEC by storm. The Nico for Heisman campaign can wait a while.

No, the biggest story of the Vols’ 6-1 start is a defensive unit that is flirting with historical efficiency – and winning games.

Years ago, a UT defensive coordinator told me the two statistics he valued most were takeaways (turnovers) and scoring defense. The ’24 Vols are resourceful on takeaways – especially in the red zone. They’re killing it with scoring defense.

Maybe I (we?) shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, the curtain did fall on the 2023 season with a 35-0 shutout of Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.

But still …

Keeping anyone out of the end zone in the 21^st century is an accomplishment, even the likes of Chattanooga and Kent State. Tennessee played everyone but Randy Boyd and Donde Plowman in the second half of both games.

Holding N.C. State without an offensive touchdown was a clue. Finally, in the 16^th quarter of the season, Oklahoma’s offense penetrated the goal line.

Holding Arkansas to 19 points should have been enough to win. And if not for a roughing the punter penalty in the fourth quarter with the Vols up 14-10, I’m not convinced the Razorbacks mount that comeback.

A 17-17 tie in regulation with Florida brought back memories. So did forcing the Gators to attempt a field goal to open overtime. Just like ’98, Florida missed the kick, the Vols scored and pandemonium – well, near pandemonium − reigned.

Then, Alabama. The Tide’s prior three assaults on Josh Heupel teams had produced 52, 49 and 34 points, respectively. This one died at 17.

So seven games in, Tennessee is allowing 11.57 points per game. That ranked fourth nationally going into the open date. And one of those scores was an N.C. State pick-six.

During the Alabama telecast, a stat was uncovered. Tennessee hasn’t started a season holding every opponent to fewer than 20 points through seven games since 1969. Until now.

For the record, the eighth game in ’69 was an infamous 38-0 loss at Ole Miss, the “Archie Who?” game. But let’s not get sidetracked.

Instead, consider some historical context. The 1998 national champions allowed 13.3 points a game, settling down after a 34-33 scare at Syracuse in the opener.

The 1985 SEC and Sugar Bowl champs started slowly – UCLA rallied late for a tie; Wake Forest scored 29 − but tightened the screws to finish at 12.1 points a game. Speaking of ’85, am I the only one to compare hero-of-the-moment Will Brooks to the Sugar Vols’ come-out-of-nowhere All-America safety Chris White?

The 2007 Vols, the school’s last to play in the SEC championship game, surrendered a robust 27.3 points a game.

Two years ago, Heupel’s surprise 11-2 team allowed 22.8 points a game, an average spiked by Alabama’s 49 and – turn your heads! − South Carolina’s 63.

Stingy defense isn’t always a salvation. The 2008 Vols gave up just 16.75 points a game but got Phillip Fulmer fired.

Back to ’24. Kentucky is next. Holding Georgia under 20 on Nov. 16 is a big ask. Too big. And Vanderbilt, of all people, is lighting up scoreboards. Mississippi State and woeful UTEP are the other contestants.

I’m sold by now, though. Defense will remain the story in the stretch run.

Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.