While the bye week may not have been perfect timing for Tennessee, no Vol is turning down the opportunity to rest and recuperate. The break also allows the Vols to scout out some future opponents.
Donned in a white, fuzzy blanket on his couch on Saturday, Tennessee center Cooper Mays took a gander at SEC East rival Georgia, who had to rally late in the game to beat Missouri 26-22 on the road.
“That was almost bad for Georgia,” Mays said. “It was pretty interesting. I didn’t expect it to go that way.”
The game plan for the Tigers was obvious against the Bulldogs. Try to out physical one of the most physical teams in the nation. While it didn’t work, it certainly gave Mizzou a chance.
“It seemed like they just added an extra heavy tight end, usually outside of the left tackle and they were just running to that side,” Mays said. “I don’t think they really had a counter for it. You can’t beat Georgia if you’re kicking field goals. That’s the main thing I was thinking the whole time. They almost pulled off the upset.”
When asked if Tennessee could use the same approach when the Vols play Georgia later this season, Mays said, “It really just depends on what your coaches think. Missouri probably felt that that was their best chance to win.”
“I’m sure we’ve got other weapons that Missouri doesn’t have so I don’t know that it would be possible for us. There are some weeks that you do some stuff.”
Mays knows what the heavy tight end set can do. He played that position in 2020 as the Vols rushed for 232 yards against the Tigers in a 35-12 win.
“Certain weeks, you find some certain weaknesses and you want to try some new stuff,” Mays said. “Missouri probably didn’t have much to lose going against Georgia. Why not do some crazy stuff?”
That was, of course, a much different Tennessee offense. Could the Vols go jumbo against Georgia? Not likely. Could the Vols catch Georgia on a day in which they might not feel challenged and don’t play well? Doubtful.
“I’m sure they’ll be ready to play us,” Mays said.
He’s right. Before that, the Vols will face LSU on Saturday.
