It didn’t take long for Tennessee’s defense to look much better than they were last season. If your ticket app wasn’t working, you might have missed it.
Trying to avoid the unavoidable, Ball State ran an incredibly aggressive reverse, flea-flicker on its first play of the game. That couldn’t have gone worse. The pass was intercepted. The Vols immediately scored on and the game was on its way to being decided.
Aside from one drive at the end of the first half, Tennessee looked like a different defense from a year ago. The Vols gave up just 186 yards in the first first half en route to a 38-0 lead at halftime. Let’s keep in mind that we’re talking about Ball State. Still, the Vols showed signs of being at least better than average on defense in a 59-10 win over the Cardinals.
The opening play should have put Tennessee on notice that the Cardinals were going to throw caution and, perhaps, good judgement to the wind. That’s why it was a bit surprising when Tennessee wasn’t ready for Ball State’s fourth-down attempt on the following drive and had to call a timeout to get settled.
Those are the kinds of things that drive coaches crazy and could cost Tennessee a game against a better opponent. That will need to be cleaned up. The same should be said for the way Tennessee’s defense appeared to let up during the Cardinals’ final drive of the first half.
The Vols could have been better on offense and, in some ways, they were. They should continue to improve after a much-hyped opener surely had Tennessee’s players chomping at the bit.
Had Tennessee’s defense played perfectly, they might have considered themselves as an established defense. They’re not. At least, not yet.
Tennessee’s defense doesn’t have to be great for the Vols to be really good this season. They just need to be solid. The offense can carry the load.
The Vols gave up —— yards against Ball State. That’s solid, but it’s difficult to truly judge how much Tennessee’s defense has improved against a MAC opponent. It’s far too early to think that Tennessee will defend other teams as effectively as they did Ball State. There is an SEC schedule to be played. Obviously, Pittsburgh will be a much more significant challenge next week.
It might not have been readily apparent, but Tennessee’s defense took a significant step forward on Thursday night in Neyland Stadium. The Vols utilized several different defensive pressure packages against the Cardinals. That’s a sign that the Vols are growing more comfortable in defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ scheme. It’s also a sign that Banks is more comfortable with putting his defenders in new positions.
There’s no question that the Vols have more talent and more depth this season than they did last year. The X-factor, however, in UT’s defense is Tennessee’s ability to show opposing offenses more looks up front than they did in 2021. Keep in mind that Pitt will be studying the Ball State game. Banks gave the Panthers plenty to take a look at.
Unlike most coaches, Banks hasn’t just coached one position group. He’s coached linebackers and defensive backs at multiple locations. He’s been a defensive coordinator at five schools. The Ball State game makes one think that he may be able to get more out of less than your average coach.
What is a realistic goal for Tennessee’s defense this season after what transpired against the Cardinals? First, you have to start with a pretty low baseline. The Vols weren’t good at all last season. In fact, they were 12th in the SEC in total defense. They’ll be better than that in 2022, but how much better?
If the Vols can produce a defense worth of a ranking in the top half of the SEC, then 2022 is set up to be a memorable season.
