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This late in the season, stability is setting in, and Tennessee's loss to Missouri didn't really have much of an impact on the Vols' statistical rankings. Let's take a quick look at how things are shaking out.
What Tennessee is doing well
The Top 30 table welcomes one new category: 4th Down Conversion Pct. It does say goodbye to Passes Intercepted and Passing Yards Allowed, the latter of which is pretty surprising if you remember what Missouri's passing game looked like last week but isn't too shocking when you remember that half of our starting secondary was out for too much of the game. A couple of big pass plays will do that to you.
This team is disciplined from a penalties perspective (although timing of those penalties remains an issue), much of its special teams are pretty good, and its defense is strong on first and third down and can mess up opponents' backfields. That's a pretty good foundation right there.
Categories in which Tennessee is in the Top 30 | ||||||||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
Utah St. |
Ark. St. | OK | GA | FL | UTC | OM | AL | SC | KY | MO |
Blocked Kicks Allowed | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Blocked Punts Allowed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Fewest Penalty Yards | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game | 51 | 67 | 21 | 43 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Fewest Penalties Per Game | 56 | 92 | 26 | 56 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Fewest Penalties | 6 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
Punt Return Defense | 85 | 67 | 92 | 85 | 60 | 27 | 40 | 34 | 24 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
Kickoff Returns | 41 | 80 | 20 | 84 | 68 | 63 | 48 | 58 | 31 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 15 | 8 |
Red Zone Offense | 58 | 29 | 100 | 1 | 44 | 55 | 39 | 49 | 33 | 28 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 9 |
Team Tackles for Loss | 67 | 48 | 90 | 47 | 21 | 36 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 13 |
4th Down Conversion Pct | 91 | 80 | 76 | 62 | 89 | 106 | 116 | 54 | 54 | 103 | 116 | 87 | 42 | 15 |
Team Sacks | 100 | 98 | 99 | 73 | 58 | 78 | 67 | 54 | 65 | 50 | 48 | 34 | 19 | 18 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense | 57 | 50 | 91 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 18 | 23 |
First Downs Defense | 18 | 86 | 45 | 14 | 21 | 41 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 28 | 43 | 53 | 25 | 29 |
The Dearly Departed: Passes Intercepted, Passing Yards Allowed.
Where Tennessee needs major improvement
No new arrivals to the dumpster. Rushing Offense still needs major improvement, as does protecting and advancing the line of scrimmage on offense and stretching the field in the passing game.
Categories in which Tennessee is 90th or below | ||||||||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Utah St. | Ark. St. | OK | GA | FL | UTC | OM | AL | SC | KY | MO |
Rushing Offense | 116 | 61 | 44 | 91 | 88 | 94 | 97 | 109 | 109 | 117 | 113 | 100 | 94 | 100 |
Passing Yards per Completion | 115 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 117 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 117 | 105 | 112 | ||
Sacks Allowed | 40 | 5 | 21 | 65 | 66 | 109 | 107 | 118 | 118 | 123 | 123 | 118 | 117 | 119 |
Tackles for Loss Allowed | 38 | 9 | 37 | 48 | 41 | 98 | 109 | 117 | 119 | 121 | 122 | 117 | 109 | 119 |
Red Zone Defense | 47 | 115 | 11 | 1 | 88 | 101 | 114 | 120 | 120 | 123 | 123 | 114 | 124 | 125 |
Recent Departures: Punt Returns.
THE BIG FAT MIDDLE
And here's the rest, for tracking purposes.
Categories in which Tennessee is in the Middle of the Rankings | ||||||||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Utah St. | Ark. St. | OK | GA | FL | UTC | OM | AL | SC | KY | MO |
Net Punting | 104 | 52 | 28 | 70 | 76 | 78 | 72 | 59 | 48 | 31 | 34 | 35 | 41 | 32 |
Passes Intercepted | 86 | 56 | 40 | 10 | 37 | 33 | 36 | 12 | 11 | 20 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 32 |
Passing Yards Allowed | 12 | 111 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 45 | 28 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 33 | 30 | 35 |
Completion Percentage | 71 | 58 | 35 | 45 | 44 | 50 | 42 | 36 | ||||||
Kickoff Return Defense | 7 | 47 | 118 | 62 | 76 | 73 | 54 | 54 | 59 | 55 | 50 | 32 | 35 | 37 |
Team Passing Efficiency Defense | 58 | 21 | 25 | 35 | 32 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 29 | 49 | 38 | 44 | ||
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense | 48 | 86 | 117 | 1 | 48 | 31 | 48 | 42 | 30 | 45 | 42 | 51 | 44 | 45 |
Total Defense | 28 | 107 | 83 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 49 | 33 | 16 | 19 | 32 | 53 | 38 | 45 |
Turnovers Gained | 91 | 95 | 35 | 11 | 29 | 31 | 43 | 32 | 21 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 32 | 49 |
Fumbles Lost | 6 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 55 | 70 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 76 | 48 | 50 |
Passing Offense | 50 | 15 | 109 | 44 | 54 | 68 | 54 | 56 | 62 | 69 | 68 | 64 | 52 | 52 |
Scoring Defense | 36 | 104 | 78 | 10 | 21 | 38 | 57 | 37 | 19 | 29 | 39 | 57 | 46 | 52 |
Time of Possession | 37 | 116 | 91 | 44 | 22 | 27 | 38 | 45 | 52 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 55 | 58 |
Blocked Kicks | 21 | 28 | 33 | 36 | 43 | 46 | 55 | 59 | ||||||
Turnover Margin | 59 | 88 | 54 | 6 | 19 | 35 | 39 | 42 | 23 | 59 | 58 | 63 | 48 | 61 |
First Downs Offense | 98 | 20 | 101 | 47 | 48 | 53 | 84 | 98 | 88 | 99 | 88 | 59 | 67 | 63 |
Turnovers Lost | 20 | 58 | 87 | 1 | 13 | 52 | 44 | 63 | 55 | 86 | 98 | 88 | 61 | 64 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct | 56 | 81 | 92 | 57 | 8 | 63 | 62 | 81 | 78 | 94 | 64 | 66 | 63 | 66 |
Team Passing Efficiency | 69 | 31 | 111 | 42 | 61 | 98 | 83 | 86 | 76 | 85 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 67 |
Passes Had Intercepted | 63 | 83 | 107 | 1 | 34 | 76 | 43 | 65 | 53 | 85 | 83 | 87 | 67 | 69 |
Rushing Defense | 69 | 85 | 100 | 39 | 49 | 48 | 78 | 73 | 67 | 64 | 67 | 76 | 64 | 71 |
Fumbles Recovered | 71 | 113 | 29 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 51 | 65 | 38 | 53 | 32 | 40 | 61 | 72 |
Scoring Offense | 106 | 22 | 94 | 41 | 48 | 83 | 74 | 89 | 79 | 94 | 96 | 83 | 66 | 73 |
Total Offense | 104 | 18 | 102 | 79 | 81 | 93 | 89 | 103 | 106 | 113 | 113 | 95 | 78 | 85 |
Punt Returns | 61 | 22 | 51 | 84 | 14 | 34 | 54 | 97 | 43 | 80 | 85 | 85 | 91 | 86 |
Players in the Top 30
Here are the players in the Top 30 currently.
Player | Stat | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Utah St. | Ark. St. | OK | GA | FL | UTC | OM | AL | SC | KY | MO |
Derek Barnett | Tackles For Loss | 22 | 10 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
Aaron Medley | Field Goals Per Game | 26 | 16 | 25 | 26 | 17 | 23 | 16 | 13 | ||||||
Derek Barnett | Sacks | 19 | 9 | 15 | |||||||||||
Curt Maggitt | Sacks | 14 | 15 | ||||||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Total Tackles | 4 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 18 | |||||
Cameron Sutton | Passes Defended | 21 | 25 | ||||||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Solo Tackles | 14 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 27 | 28 | ||||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Fumbles Recovered | 14 | 13 | 18 | 28 | ||||||||||
Justin Worley | Completions Per Game | 22 | 29 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 23 | ||||||
Cameron Sutton | Interceptions | 4 | 13 | 17 | 27 | ||||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Forced Fumbles | 3 | 22 | ||||||||||||
Justin Worley | Points Responsible For | 16 | 23 | ||||||||||||
Justin Worley | Points Responsible For Per Game | 18 | 25 | ||||||||||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Tackles For Loss | 21 | 26 | ||||||||||||
Aaron Medley | Field Goal Percentage | 27 | |||||||||||||
Cameron Sutton | Fumbles Recovered | 11 | 14 | ||||||||||||
Todd Kelly, Jr. | Fumbles Recovered | 4 | 14 | ||||||||||||
Todd Kelly, Jr. | Fumbles Recovered | 11 | |||||||||||||
Justin Worley | Passing TDs | 15 | |||||||||||||
Marquez North | Receiving TDs | 17 | |||||||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Passed Defended | 17 | 20 | ||||||||||||
Owen Williams | Sacks | 29 | |||||||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Interceptions | 4 | |||||||||||||
Justin Worley | Completion Percentage | 16 | |||||||||||||
Dontavis Sapp | Fumbles Recovered | 9 | |||||||||||||
Michael Palardy | Punting | 11 | |||||||||||||
Devaun Swafford | Punt Return TDs | 14 | |||||||||||||
Byron Moore | Interceptions | 13 | |||||||||||||
Cordarrelle Patterson | Kickoff Returns | 14 | |||||||||||||
Cordarrelle Patterson | All-Purpose Runners | 16 | |||||||||||||
Tyler Bray | Total Offense | 19 | |||||||||||||
Justin Hunter | Receiving Yards Per Game | 22 | |||||||||||||
Devrin Young | Punt Returns | 28 | |||||||||||||
Tyler Bray | Passing Efficiency | 29 | |||||||||||||
Austin Johnson | Interceptions | 23 |