clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The Vols' statistical rankings after the Arkansas game

Because we do this even when we don't want to look.

By Joel Hollingsworth
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

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
New this week: Red Zone Defense.
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
New this week: Total Defense.
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

More From Rocky Top Talk