Tennessee, understandably so, receives a vast amount of praise for its offense. However, the Vols are also making a statement on defense – in some areas.
Tennessee is still not great on defense. The Vols rank 11th in the SEC in total defense with 396 yards allowed per game. Tennessee is fifth in the SEC with 18 points allowed per game.
UT’s defense has been at its best against the run, which would make sense considering teams have to pass more often times than not in order to overcome a significant deficit laid out by UT’s much-ballyhooed offense. The Vols rank second in run defense, allowing 89.2 yards per game.
More importantly, Tennessee has excelled in the red zone, in which the Vols are second best in the SEC and seventh best in the nation. Considering UT’s up-tempo offense, the Vols might never have a statistically dominant defense under head coach Josh Heupel. However, key stops near the goal line could define the Vols’ defensive success.
