/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47341256/usa-today-8841594.0.jpg)
Before we do our normal Tuesday thing and see what the Vols are doing well and not so well, let's take a look at how they ranked last year and how that compares to right now in 2015.
Stat | Category | 2014 | AR |
Blocked Kicks Allowed | Special Teams | 1 | 1 |
Blocked Punts Allowed | Special Teams | 1 | 1 |
Red Zone Offense | Offense | 5 | 36 |
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game | Penalties | 6 | 17 |
Fewest Penalties Per Game | Penalties | 7 | 25 |
Fewest Penalty Yards | Penalties | 9 | 21 |
Punt Return Defense | Special Teams | 11 | 83 |
Fewest Penalties | Penalties | 13 | 31 |
Kickoff Returns | Special Teams | 14 | 1 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense | Defense | 14 | 21 |
Passes Intercepted | Defense | 15 | 61 |
Team Tackles for Loss | Defense | 21 | 84 |
Passing Yards Allowed | Defense | 22 | 88 |
Kickoff Return Defense | Special Teams | 23 | 28 |
Team Passing Efficiency Defense | Defense | 24 | 59 |
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense | Defense | 26 | 122 |
Team Sacks | Defense | 29 | 90 |
Completion Percentage | Offense | 32 | 73 |
First Downs Defense | Defense | 33 | 69 |
4th Down Conversion Pct | Offense | 34 | 37 |
Turnovers Gained | Turnovers | 34 | 65 |
Scoring Defense | Defense | 35 | 71 |
Net Punting | Special Teams | 36 | 6 |
Total Defense | Defense | 36 | 93 |
Punt Returns | Special Teams | 37 | 25 |
Fumbles Lost | Turnovers | 37 | 29 |
Time of Possession | 51 | 63 | |
Turnover Margin | Turnovers | 53 | 28 |
First Downs Offense | Offense | 54 | 37 |
Turnovers Lost | Turnovers | 61 | 8 |
Scoring Offense | Offense | 62 | 30 |
Rushing Defense | Defense | 65 | 78 |
Blocked Kicks | Special Teams | 70 | 5 |
Team Passing Efficiency | Offense | 70 | 65 |
Passing Offense | Offense | 70 | 95 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct | Offense | 78 | 45 |
Fumbles Recovered | Turnovers | 78 | 55 |
Passes Had Intercepted | Offense | 84 | 6 |
Rushing Offense | Offense | 89 | 19 |
Total Offense | Offense | 90 | 53 |
Passing Yards per Completion | Offense | 116 | 67 |
Sacks Allowed | Offense | 117 | 69 |
Tackles for Loss Allowed | Offense | 122 | 100 |
Red Zone Defense | Defense | 124 | 30 |
Blocked Punts | Special Teams |
Observations from Comparing Now to End of Last Season
No pressure on the opposing quarterback. The winner for biggest disappointment so far this season is Team Sacks, which has gone from Top 30 to bottom of the barrel. What has happened here? Is it simply the loss of Curt Maggitt? We've had two sacks by the defensive line in five games so far this season. Team Tackles for Loss is hiding a bit because it's not color coded red, but it's gone from 21st to 84th.
Total Defense and Passing Offense. The Vols currently rank below 90 in both of these categories, which means the passing game has not only not improved, it's gotten worse. The Total Defense was actually a strength of the team last season, and currently it's a serious liability, thanks largely to Passing Defense, which has gone from 22nd last season to 88th right now.
Surprise! Third Down Defense is actually still pretty good, although it doesn't quite feel like it right now.
The Good News. The one shining glimmer of hope is the run game. It was on the brink of terrible last year, ranking 89th at the end of the season, but it is currently one of the strengths of the team. Perhaps we have the "squeeze-the-balloon" problem here, where exerting effort in one area creates a near-equal and opposite reaction somewhere else.
What Tennessee is currently doing well
Allow me to summarize this table: Special teams, penalties, turnovers, and running the ball on offense.
Categories in which Tennessee is in the Top 30 | |||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
2014 |
BG | OK | WC | FL | AR |
Blocked Kicks Allowed |
1 |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Blocked Punts Allowed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
Kickoff Returns | 41 | 80 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Blocked Kicks | 70 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 5 | |||
Net Punting | 104 | 52 | 28 | 36 | 57 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
Passes Had Intercepted | 63 | 83 | 107 | 84 | 1 | 28 | 14 | 9 | 6 |
Turnovers Lost | 20 | 58 | 87 | 61 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
Fewest Penalty Yards Per Game | 51 | 67 | 21 | 6 | 44 | 70 | 33 | 18 | 17 |
Rushing Offense | 116 | 61 | 44 | 89 | 4 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct Defense | 57 | 50 | 91 | 14 | 27 | 58 | 25 | 13 | 21 |
Fewest Penalty Yards | 9 | 45 | 72 | 38 | 22 | 21 | |||
Fewest Penalties Per Game | 56 | 92 | 26 | 7 | 22 | 74 | 42 | 29 | 25 |
Punt Returns | 61 | 22 | 51 | 37 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 25 | 25 |
Kickoff Return Defense | 7 | 47 | 118 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 30 | 28 | 28 |
Turnover Margin | 59 | 88 | 54 | 53 | 26 | 26 | 8 | 16 | 28 |
Fumbles Lost | 6 | 28 | 24 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 29 |
Red Zone Defense | 47 | 115 | 11 | 124 | 32 | 98 | 68 | 88 | 30 |
Scoring Offense | 106 | 22 | 94 | 62 | 13 | 32 | 13 | 20 | 30 |
Back in this week: None.
Departing this week: Red Zone Offense, 4th Down Conversion Pct.
Where Tennessee needs major improvement
The Vols currently rank 93rd in Total Defense and 95th in Passing Offense. Unfortunately, not a recipe for success in the SEC.
Categories in which Tennessee is 90th or below | |||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | BG | OK | WC | FL | AR |
Total Defense | 28 | 107 | 83 | 36 | 114 | 104 | 78 | 76 | 93 |
Passing Offense | 50 | 15 | 109 | 70 | 76 | 105 | 97 | 102 | 95 |
Tackles for Loss Allowed | 38 | 9 | 37 | 122 | 54 | 89 | 61 | 93 | 100 |
4th Down Conversion Pct Defense | 48 | 86 | 117 | 26 | 102 | 107 | 114 | 123 | 122 |
Climbing out of the gutter this week: None.
THE BIG FAT MIDDLE
Too many 50s and belows in this thing.
Categories in which Tennessee is in the Middle of the Rankings | |||||||||
Category | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | BG | OK | WC | FL | AR |
Fewest Penalties | 13 | 23 | 77 | 48 | 38 | 31 | |||
Red Zone Offense | 58 | 29 | 100 | 5 | 61 | 38 | 23 | 12 | 36 |
4th Down Conversion Pct | 91 | 80 | 76 | 26 | 70 | 100 | 55 | 27 | 37 |
First Downs Offense | 98 | 20 | 101 | 54 | 14 | 40 | 27 | 34 | 37 |
3rd Down Conversion Pct | 56 | 81 | 92 | 78 | 19 | 39 | 56 | 54 | 45 |
Total Offense | 104 | 18 | 102 | 90 | 14 | 61 | 54 | 56 | 53 |
Fumbles Recovered | 71 | 113 | 29 | 78 | 21 | 47 | 18 | 33 | 55 |
Team Passing Efficiency Defense | 58 | 24 | 86 | 74 | 51 | 56 | 59 | ||
Passes Intercepted | 86 | 56 | 40 | 15 | 45 | 42 | 40 | 61 | |
Time of Possession | 37 | 116 | 91 | 51 | 27 | 61 | 51 | 44 | 63 |
Team Passing Efficiency | 69 | 31 | 111 | 70 | 34 | 95 | 61 | 57 | 65 |
Turnovers Gained | 91 | 95 | 35 | 34 | 60 | 55 | 31 | 41 | 65 |
Passing Yards per Completion | 115 | 116 | 40 | 68 | 77 | 71 | 67 | ||
First Downs Defense | 18 | 86 | 45 | 33 | 92 | 91 | 49 | 51 | 69 |
Sacks Allowed | 40 | 5 | 21 | 117 | 27 | 71 | 72 | 83 | 69 |
Scoring Defense | 36 | 104 | 78 | 35 | 82 | 93 | 64 | 70 | 71 |
Completion Percentage | 32 | 49 | 109 | 75 | 70 | 73 | |||
Rushing Defense | 69 | 85 | 100 | 65 | 53 | 64 | 70 | 52 | 78 |
Punt Return Defense | 85 | 67 | 92 | 11 | 107 | 98 | 89 | 75 | 83 |
Team Tackles for Loss | 67 | 48 | 90 | 21 | 27 | 20 | 41 | 46 | 84 |
Passing Yards Allowed | 12 | 111 | 27 | 22 | 120 | 108 | 81 | 87 | 88 |
Team Sacks | 100 | 98 | 99 | 29 | 29 | 37 | 74 | 51 | 90 |
Players in the Top 30
So basically, here's what we have: Kickoff and punt returns, a punter, Jalen Hurd on offense, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin on defense.
Player | Stat | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | BG | OK | WC | FL | AR |
Evan Berry | Kickoff Return TDs | 2 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
Alvin Kamara | Punt Return TDs | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Evan Berry | Kickoff Returns | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||||
Evan Berry | Combined Kick Returns | 29 | 14 | 16 | 2 | |||||
Trevor Daniel | Punting | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | |||||
Jalen Hurd | Rushing TDs | 3 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 13 | ||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Total Tackles | 2 | 12 | 16 | 16 | |||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Solo Tackles | 12 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 19 | ||||
Aaron Medley | Field Goals Per Game | 17 | 26 | 22 | ||||||
Cameron Sutton | Punt Returns | 4 | 13 | 17 | 23 | 23 | ||||
Jalen Hurd | Scoring | 4 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 26 | ||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Tackles For Loss | 7 | 27 | 19 | 26 | |||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Fumbles Recovered | 2 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 27 | ||||
Derek Barnett | Fumbles Recovered | 10 | 16 | 27 | ||||||
Shy Tuttle | Fumbles Recovered | 10 | 16 | 27 | ||||||
Jalen Hurd | Rushing Yards | 29 | 26 | 26 | 28 | |||||
Todd Kelly, Jr. | Interceptions | 6 | 16 | |||||||
Aaron Medley | Scoring | 24 | ||||||||
Joshua Dobbs | Points Responsible For | 18 | 25 | 25 | ||||||
Ethan Wolf | Receiving TDs | 4 | 16 | |||||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Forced Fumbles | 19 | ||||||||
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Sacks | 25 | ||||||||
Jalen Hurd | Rushing Yards Per Game | 29 | 28 | |||||||
Alvin Kamara | Rush Yards Per Carry | 9 | ||||||||
Alvin Kamara | Rushing Yards | 14 | ||||||||
Alvin Kamara | Rushing Yards Per Game | 14 | ||||||||
Cameron Sutton | Combined Kick Returns | 17 | ||||||||
Jalen Hurd | Points Responsible For | 18 | ||||||||
Joshua Dobbs | Points Responsible For Per Game | 19 | ||||||||
Jalen Hurd | Points Responsible For Per Game | 19 | ||||||||
Alvin Kamara | Scoring | 26 | ||||||||
Ethan Wolf | Scoring | 26 | ||||||||
Derek Barnett | Tackles For Loss | 6 | ||||||||
Cameron Sutton | Punt Return TDs | 11 | ||||||||
Curt Maggitt | Sacks | 15 | ||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Total Tackles | 4 | 19 | |||||||
Derek Barnett | Sacks | 20 | ||||||||
Cameron Sutton | Passes Defended | 24 | ||||||||
A.J. Johnson | Solo Tackles | 25 | ||||||||
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 |