Tennessee didn’t miss many beats when they had the ball last season. The Vols had one of the most surprising and explosive offenses in the SEC, if not the nation. Defending Tennessee wan’t easy. However, a pair of SEC East rivals scoped the Vols out.
“I would say two Georgia defensive linemen: Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker,” Tennessee center Cooper Mays said, when asked if anyone figured out the Vols’ offense last season. “They are very high IQ guys.”
So is Mays. Fortunately, he won’t have to worry about Wyatt and Walker this season. They’re both onto the NFL.
Mays said Wyatt was notorious for identifying a play, making an adjustment and managing to be in the right place at the right time.
Walker seemed even better informed. He was practically calling out plays.
“I think he kind of figured out what we were doing to a certain point,” Mays recalls with a shrug about Tennessee’s 41-17 loss to the Bulldogs. “That’s not very common for our tempo. Most people are just trying to figure out how to breath correctly at that point and he (still) had his head in the game.
Georgia’s ability to keep up with Tennessee’s offense wasn’t common last season. Most teams struggled.
“There are a couple of clips that you can find,” Mays said. “There was a play when (Tennessee receiver) Cedric (Tillman) scored against South Alabama. I don’t know if it was confusion, but there was a linebacker over there on the field that was meant to cover Ced, I think, and you can see him the play before in the middle of running back to the next play. You can see him tapping his head (and) asking all the coaches to come out.
“He was begging the sideline to put someone in for him. By the time he looks back, we’re already snapping the ball and Cedric is running right by him for a touchdown. That’s a really good example of how effective tempo can be.”
That tempo can be even more effective this fall, especially with some Bulldogs defending professional offenses elsewhere. However, they surely passed some tips along to their successors.
