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Tennessee's defense beat the Gators, but the Vols can't beat Alabama like that

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Tennessee's defense beat the Gators, but the Vols can't beat Alabama like that

Even after a draining 23-17 overtime win against Florida, Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel delivered a dry joke that anyone in Neyland Stadium would have understood.

The Vols converted a fourth-and-1 play from their own 10-yard line just before halftime, using defensive linemen Jaxson Moi and Nathan Robinson as blockers to clear the way for running back DeSean Bishop.

After the game, Heupel was asked about this enormous risk.

“I spoke to (defensive coordinator Tim Banks). And I just felt like we had to do something to keep (Florida) off the field,” Heupel said of the decision. “So I brought in a few defensive players.”

The punchline was subtle, but spoke to a larger truth.

UT's offense had to borrow players from its elite defense just to get a crucial first down. And in the third quarter, it used those defensive linemen again in the same package to finally score a touchdown.

UT's struggling offense needs all the help it can get. And it's fortunate to have a defense that can contribute and more.

Give the Volumes (5-1, 2-1 SEC) credit for recognizing this gap. Now they have to do something to close the game, especially with rival Alabama (5-1, 2-1) coming to Neyland Stadium on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

How good is Tennessee's defense? How bad is the insult?

UT's defense wins games and its offense (almost) loses them.

Well, a week ago the offense actually lost the game at Arkansas. His inept play almost lost another one against Florida.

The Vols defense is playing at a historically excellent level. For the first time since 1969, the first six opponents scored fewer than 20 points.

The Vols offense is in full swing. For the second straight game, Heupel failed to score in the first half, something Heupel had never experienced in his previous three or more seasons at UT. And it has gained fewer than 350 yards in each of its last three games.

“You don’t play well on offense at all,” said Heupel, stating the obvious. “Defensively it was a top performance. There are so many things they did at a high level that kept us in the game.”

Josh Heupel doesn't fully recognize the problem on offense

Admitting there is a big problem may be the beginning of the solution.

Heupel didn't hide how poor his offense was in the thrilling win over Florida. But when asked why his offense was having so much trouble, he also seemed at a loss for words.

“It’s not just the passing game. It’s also the running game,” Heupel said. “Missed tasks, basics, technology. Like the guys are open, (but) we can't figure it out. People are open, (but) we come under pressure. It's everyone's turn. At some point we have to say let’s get together, do our job and make this thing work the way it can.”

Pass protection has collapsed, including the offensive line, running backs and tight ends. Penalties and ball losses interrupted the attacks.

And quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn't respond well to the pressure. He has committed six turnovers in UT's four games against power conference schools.

“(The defense) is doing a great job,” Iamaleava said. “We need to complement them better.”

Think about this statement. An offensive player from Josh Heupel is now just hoping to “supplement” the defense.

That's a significant drop in expectations for an offense that's used to scoring 50 points every game.

Remember, Alabama's last trip to Neyland Stadium resulted in a 52-49 Vols victory in a shootout in 2022. This team seems to lack the firepower for a shootout like this.

Despite the inequality, the defense is not just pointing fingers

The bad news is that UT has a lopsided way of winning games right now.

The good news is that it can still win this way. And despite the disparity between offense and defense, there doesn't seem to be any rifts in the locker room.

“We play as a unit and that’s what boosts our confidence,” defensive end James Pearce said. “We get 11 hats to the ball and we get the ball back to Nico.”

The Vols know that there is a narrative that the defense carries the team, and that is true. But defensive players noticeably protected their teammates on offense.

Dylan Sampson rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns against Florida and was one of the few bright spots on offense. When his performance came up in the postgame press conference, defensive lineman Bryson Eason and linebacker Arion Carter interrupted each other just to compliment Sampson.

OVERREACTIONS TO VOL'S WIN Dylan Sampson should be in the Heisman conversation

“He was fantastic,” Carter said.

“Great,” Eason interjected. “Throughout the game he said he got us. And he had us.”

But it will take more than camaraderie for the Vols to pull off a complete game against Alabama. The offense has a week to figure out what it's missing.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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