Tennessee football starts in just days as the Volunteers are set to take on Ball State in Neyland Stadium on Thursday night. Although the Cardinals should not be a difficult matchup for the Vols, this game could answer many questions carried over from last season, including how defenses will prepare for Hendon Hooker and Co.
Everyone with a touch of football intelligence can see that the Vols have a good thing going on the offensive side of the ball, and possibly some special talents that, if played at a university with an “A” in the name, would be talked about in Heisman conversations. Although Heupel is in his second year at Tennessee, his style of play is still unfamiliar throughout the SEC, making the Vols more dangerous for an opposing coaching staff than what typical fans can see or understand. Most defenses line up differently against Tennessee due to the type of offense that Heupel runs.
But is that a disadvantage for the Vols?
Not necessarily. Cooper Mays puts it like this, “It’s hard being at Tennessee because we play such a different offense from everybody else; you never really know what you’re going to get until gameday … people could play you differently than they play normal offenses.” According to Cooper, these defenses generally attempt to slow down Hooker and Co. by putting as many guys in coverage as possible – making it seemingly impossible to attack through the air.
“It’s kind of a guessing game up until when the ball touches the ground.”
The advantage of this type of opposing defensive strategy comes in play with Jabari Small. With so much of the defense focusing on the passing game, running the ball becomes a much easier task. As Cooper puts it, “If they’re going to drop 8 [defensive backs], they’re going to give you 7, 8, 9 yard runs every time”.
For more insight into Tennessee football, subscribe to our YouTube channel where we bring you an exclusive interview with Cooper Mays each week:
