Tennessee Volunteer Statistical Rankings After Week 4

Caveats.

Here are the latest NCAA statistical rankings for the Vols after the Akron game, grouped into three categories: Those things in which UT is in the Top 30, those things in which UT is in the Bottom 30, and everything else. First up, the Stuff UT Is Doing Well.

Dropped out: Kickoff Returns.

New Arrivals: First Downs, Scoring Offense, Passing Efficiency, Red Zone Efficiency.

I feel like I may be the only person wearing orange to be giving Akron some credit for Saturday (rather than blaming Tennessee). It's the old "Is it us or is it them" question that begins with fall scrimmages and persists well into the early part of the season. But yeah, playing Akron helped our numbers and rankings, at least offensively.

#OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

New Arrivals: Pass Sacks and Fumbles Recovered.

Climbed out: None.

I'm not all that worried about Fumbles Recovered because it just feels like a flukey stat, but Defensive Red Zone Efficiency is regularly showing up in the cellar and needs to be fixed. Pass Sacks showed some promise early but now the bottom is falling out of it.

THE BIG FAT MIDDLE

And here's the rest, for tracking purposes.

I'm wary of that improvement in Rushing Offense because although I'm perfectly willing to give Akron credit for a very good passing offense (and maybe a decent passing defense despite what Bray and Company did to it), we knew going in that they were not good at stopping the run. Consider it good practice, but we'll find out more about the run game soon.

Look at all of the defensive categories that are just middle of the pack. They're likely to take some hits over the next four games. Stay out of the cellar, fellas.

Players in the Top 30

Yay, Byron Moore, and woo Derrick Brodus.

But Bray/Hunter/Patterson is becoming Bray/Hunter.