From Tennessee Volunteers On SI · · 2m
Vols Roll Georgia Tech, But 14 Flags Tell a Story
Tennessee walked out of Atlanta with a 45-24 win, a 299-yard ground game, and a penalty sheet that should worry Josh Heupel.
In brief
Tennessee walked out of Atlanta with a 45-24 win, a 299-yard ground game, and a penalty sheet that should worry Josh Heupel. Tennessee's run game is real and probably good enough to carry them, but 142 penalty yards and a blocked punt are the kind of self-inflicted wounds Texas will punish in two weeks. Originally…
Vols win in Atlanta
Tennessee beat Georgia Tech 45-24 at Bobby Dodd Stadium, in a city where Vols fans always turn out in force. It was a road win that felt like a home game.
Confidence heading into Week 3
A three-score road win over a solid opponent puts Tennessee among the most confident teams in the country entering Week 3.
“they are by far one of the teams with the most confidence entering Week 3”
Good, bad, and ugly
The scoreboard was lopsided, but the tape was not. There was plenty to like, a few things to fix, and one category that was genuinely ugly.
Nearly 300 rushing yards
Tennessee piled up 299 rushing yards against a Georgia Tech defense that had been holding up fine. That number is why the Vols are rated among the best running teams playing Power 4 schedules.
DeSean Bishop led the way
Bishop carried 20 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Efficient, decisive, and the engine of the whole attack.
“It all starts with DeSean Bishop”
Morris and the depth chart
Daune Morris added 98 yards and a touchdown. Javin Gordon managed 32 yards on 10 carries, and quarterback Faizon Brandon chipped in 22 on the ground.
The blocked punt
Georgia Tech's Elgin Sessions took a blocked punt back for a touchdown in the first quarter. Punter Jackson Ross held the ball too long, and the Yellow Jackets made him pay.
Special teams kept slipping
Qua Moss muffed a punt, though Tennessee recovered the fumble. Add special teams penalties on top and it was the worst unit on the field for the Vols.
“This wasn't the best performance by the Vols on special teams”
Fourteen accepted penalties
Tennessee gave away 142 yards on 14 accepted penalties. That count does not even include the flags Georgia Tech declined.
Undisciplined football
A 21-point win papers over it, but flags at that rate are a habit, not bad luck. Heupel has to clean it up fast.
“This is undisciplined football”
Kennesaw State, then Texas
The Owls come next, and Tennessee can probably survive sloppy football there. The Longhorns game the week after is the one everyone is circling.
The bottom line
Tennessee's run game is real and probably good enough to carry them, but 142 penalty yards and a blocked punt are the kind of self-inflicted wounds Texas will punish in two weeks.
