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Here are the latest NCAA statistical rankings for the Vols after the Mississippi State 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.
Categories In Which Tennessee Is In The Top Quartile |
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Category |
2011 |
NCS | GS | FL | AK | GA | MSB | AL | SC | TR | MO | VAN | KY |
Pass Sacks Allowed | 40 | 29 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 3 | ||||||
Red Zone Efficiency | 58 | 65 | 57 | 43 | 24 | 22 | 14 | ||||||
Defense Third-down Efficiency | 57 | 57 | 27 | 18 | 17 | 28 | 14 | ||||||
Passes Intercepted | 86 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 18 | ||||||
Punt Return Yardage Defense | 85 | 5 | 8 | 26 | 29 | 20 | 20 | ||||||
Passing Offense | 50 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 22 | ||||||
Total Offense | 104 | 23 | 15 | 30 | 17 | 18 | 22 | ||||||
Scoring Offense | 106 | 43 | 15 | 37 | 23 | 22 | 24 | ||||||
First Downs | 98 | 40 | 30 | 44 | 18 | 21 | 25 | ||||||
Tackles for Loss Allowed | 38 | 97 | 55 | 57 | 55 | 58 | 26 | ||||||
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense | 7 | 76 | 63 | 64 | 53 | 33 | 30 |
Dropped out: Turnovers Gained (now 39), Pass Efficiency Defense (now 39).
New Arrivals: Tackles for Loss Allowed, Kickoff Return Yardage Defense.
The offense is improved. Nobody's sacking Tyler Bray, and the team is in the top 30 in Passing Offense, Total Offense, Scoring Offense, and First Downs. And wonder of wonders, the run game is beginning to catch up. Tackles for Loss Allowed broke in to the top 30 this week, and if you look below, you'll see that Rushing Offense is at 45 and climbing. If you're like me, you're thinking, "Well, so what? We were okay at that passing last year." Not true, actually. All of it was 50 or below, and Total Offense, Scoring Offense, and First Downs finished the season in the cellar in 2011. When you go from yellow to green, that's improvement, and when you go from red to green, that's dramatic improvement. Whether it's improvement enough is an entirely different question, of course.
#OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE
Categories In Which Tennessee Is In The Bottom Quartile |
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Category |
2011 |
NCS | GS | FL | AK | GA | MSB | AL | SC | TR | MO | VAN | KY |
Scoring Defense | 36 | 54 | 38 | 64 | 61 | 81 | 90 | ||||||
Passes Had Intercepted | 63 | 1 | 28 | 78 | 76 | 100 | 92 | ||||||
Fumbles Recovered | 71 | 66 | 60 | 79 | 97 | 70 | 93 | ||||||
Pass Sacks | 100 | 68 | 47 | 83 | 94 | 100 | 95 | ||||||
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency | 48 | 37 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 85 | 97 | ||||||
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense | 47 | 58 | 95 | 108 | 104 | 110 | 116 |
New Arrivals: Scoring Defense, Fumbles Recovered, Defense Fourth-down Efficiency.
Climbed out: Turnovers Lost.
And on the other hand . . . when you go from yellow to red, that's bad, and when you go from green to red, that's really bad. And not only is the cellar getting crowded, it seems to be sticky, and there are more coming down the stairs.
As you'd expect, it's almost all defense, and that's exactly what's killing this team right now. Last year, First Downs Allowed, Pass Defense, and Total Defense were 18, 12, and 28, and so far this season, they're 72, 84, and 87. Rush Defense is 81, but it wasn't much better last year.
So the gains we've made on offense are being compromised by worsening defense. How many Year 2s do we get? How many you need probably depends largely on how many Year 1s are thrust upon you. But how many do you get?
THE BIG FAT MIDDLE
And here's the rest, for tracking purposes.
Categories In Which Tennessee Is In The Middle |
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Category |
2011 |
NCS | GS | FL | AK | GA | MSB | AL | SC | TR | MO | VAN | KY |
Turnovers Gained | 91 | 3 | 7 | 28 | 20 | 11 | 39 | ||||||
Pass Efficiency Defense | 48 | 28 | 13 | 29 | 17 | 30 | 39 | ||||||
Passing Efficiency | 69 | 32 | 8 | 35 | 24 | 39 | 39 | ||||||
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game | 51 | 39 | 53 | 59 | 42 | 39 | 40 | ||||||
Rushing Offense | 116 | 45 | 42 | 71 | 57 | 49 | 45 | ||||||
Punt Returns | 61 | 59 | 51 | 54 | 38 | 41 | 47 | ||||||
Fumbles Lost | 6 | 43 | 59 | 40 | 47 | 49 | 49 | ||||||
Offense Third-down Efficiency | 56 | 43 | 49 | 63 | 67 | 54 | 49 | ||||||
Kickoff Returns | 41 | 38 | 14 | 23 | 55 | 65 | 49 | ||||||
Fewest Penalties Per Game | 56 | 52 | 53 | 75 | 69 | 71 | 66 | ||||||
Turnover Margin | 59 | 4 | 18 | 48 | 41 | 55 | 69 | ||||||
Tackles for Loss | 67 | 65 | 53 | 62 | 81 | 74 | 69 | ||||||
First Downs Allowed | 18 | 71 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 62 | 72 | ||||||
Net Punting | 104 | 32 | 56 | 42 | 46 | 60 | 73 | ||||||
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency | 91 | 58 | 54 | 38 | 76 | 74 | 77 | ||||||
Rushing Defense | 69 | 46 | 36 | 84 | 74 | 92 | 81 | ||||||
Time of Possession | 37 | 38 | 81 | 87 | 83 | 63 | 82 | ||||||
Pass Defense | 12 | 86 | 73 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 84 | ||||||
Turnovers Lost | 20 | 23 | 51 | 55 | 69 | 94 | 85 | ||||||
Total Defense | 28 | 70 | 48 | 77 | 68 | 79 | 87 |
Players in the Top 30
Player | Stat | 2011 | NCS | GS | FL | AK | GA | MSB | AL | SC | TR | MO | VAN | KY |
Cordarrelle Patterson | Kickoff Returns | - | - | 5 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 2 | ||||||
Cordarrelle Patterson | All-Purpose Running | - | - | 8 | 23 | - | - | 28 | ||||||
Byron Moore | Interceptions | - | 5 | - | - | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||||||
A.J. Johnson | Total Tackles | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Passing Yards Per Game | - | 10 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 16 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Points Responsible For | - | - | 12 | 22 | 10 | 16 | 19 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Total Passing Yards | - | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 24 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Total Offense | - | 17 | 20 | 21 | 14 | 23 | 28 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Passing | - | 16 | - | 27 | 22 | 24 | 28 | ||||||
Tyler Bray | Passing Efficiency | - | 30 | 5 | 28 | 22 | 35 | 35 | ||||||
Curt Maggitt | Forced Fumbles | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | 27 | ||||||
Justin Hunter | Receiving Yards Per Game | - | - | 14 | 18 | 13 | 26 | 41 | ||||||
Justin Hunter | Total Receiving Yards | - | - | 11 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 47 | ||||||
Justin Hunter | Receptions Per Game | - | 9 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 25 | 47 | ||||||
FORMERLY IN THE TOP 30 | ||||||||||||||
Curt Maggitt | Forced Fumbles | - | - | - | - | - | 21 | - | ||||||
Derrick Brodus | Field Goals | - | - | - | - | 18 | 23 | - | ||||||
Brian Randolph | Solo Tackles | - | - | 13 | - | 29 | - | - | ||||||
Cordarrelle Patterson | Total Receiving Yards | - | - | 30 | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Willie Bohannon | Fumbles Recovered | - | - | 17 | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Eric Gordon | Interceptions | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Prentiss Waggner | Interceptions | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Marsalis Teague | Interceptions | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Maurice Couch | Forced Fumbles | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Byron Moore | Solo Tackles | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Michael Palardy | Field Goals | - | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Curt Maggitt | Pass Sacks | - | 20 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Cordarrelle Patterson | Scoring | - | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
Devrin Young | Kickoff Returns | - | 30 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
2011 | ||||||||||||||
Austin Johnson | Interceptions | 23 |