Tennessee’s passing offense seems to be finding its way as of late. That had better be the case if the Vols hope to make the College Football Playoff and, subsequently, make some noise in the inaugural 12-team event.

The Vols currently rank 10th in the SEC in passing offense with 232 yards passing per game. For context, the Vols were eighth in the SEC in passing offense last season with 243 yards passing per game. Then, there’s 2022. That was a whole different story.

You might remember that crew, led by former Vol quarterback Hendon Hooker, who helped lead Tennessee to first in passing offense in the SEC with 326 yards passing per game. 

There have been a number of reasons why Tennessee hasn’t hit that number, or even approached it, this season. First, let’s remember that quarterback Nico Iamaleava is still a redshirt freshman quarterback. Second, let’s be fair and take injuries into account. 

Senior receivers Bru McCoy (hand) and Dont’e Thornton (leg) have both been banged up at various times this season. Junior slot receiver Squirrel White has a shoulder injury that has made him a shell of himself. 

No offense to White, who has shown tremendous toughness just getting on the field this season, but there have been times in which he probably shouldn’t have been playing. So what is the answer? Well, the Vols can either go back to a familiar well or cultivate new ground. Here’s how.

Let’s assume Dont’e Thornton is 100-percent, especially with a bye week to heal up. He appeared to be fine in the Alabama game after leaving the Florida game with a leg injury, but returning later against the Gators. Thornton leads the Vols with 365 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns on 12 catches this season.

“He’s had every reason to go the opposite way,” Tennessee receiver coach Kelsey Pope said. “He’s dealt with injuries. He’s had tough spurts at times in his play between this year and last year. And what that kid has done? He responds to adversity. He responds to success the same way. He goes and works hard. 

“He’s positive and that’s why good things continue to happen to him. He comes in the building with a great attitude every day and that’s all you can ask for. So for him, the refreshing thing as his coaches (is) you see a guy that’s continued to respond no matter what happens. 

“And as a coach, that’s all I can ask for.”

Perhaps with Thornton, but Pope can ask for more from some of his other receivers, namely Chris Brazzell. Be it circumstances beyond his control, such as play calling or misfires from Iamaleava, the transfer from Tulane has not lived up to the billing that his raw athleticism would suggest. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound sophomore is a jump-ball phenom by multiple sources who have seen him shine in practice, but he hasn’t had nearly as many opportunities to jump for the ball as one would have expected before the season.

That trend could be changing after Brazzell caught two passes, one for a diving touchdown, for 26 yards against Alabama in the Vols’ last game before a bye on Saturday.

“Anytime you make plays in a game like that big time play in that type of atmosphere, naturally you gain confidence,” Pope said. “I think when you go back and look at the film and you see all the things you did great, but you combine those with, ‘Man, I could have cleaned this up here, or I could have had another 2 or 3 here.’

“‘I think that gives you more fuel paired with that confidence to continue to work and really check off those boxes. So absolutely that play gives you confidence. But more importantly, we’ve got to channel that in the right way and detail the things we need to detail to make more plays like that.”

Then, there’s another option. The Vols have been hesitant to play freshman receiver Mike Matthews this season even though the 6-1, 197-pound receiver certainly looks the part. While high school rankings shouldn’t carry much weight at this point in his career, it’s hard to forget that the freshman was considered one of the best high school receiver prospects in the nation before he enrolled at Tennessee. 

It’s hard to expect much out of a freshman immediately in his first season in college. However, Matthews hasn’t caught a pass since he caught two passes for 35 yards and touchdown against Kent State. Where has he been? Could he provide a spark for the Vols’ offense, especially since he’s been on the field more than before in the Vols’ recent matchups?

“He’s flashed at times,” Pope said. “He’s got a really bright future here. I think a lot of stuff comes with experience. (Being a) freshman in this league is hard. There’s growing pains in this league..He’s staying positive. He’s working his butt off. I think as long as he continues to do those things, it’s only a matter of time before he starts to see the plays being made that he wants. 

“That’s the thing. He wants to make plays. He wants to be on the field in critical situations and he wants to get better. His attitude as of late has been awesome and that’s what he’s working towards.”

Whoever the Vols decide to throw to, Pope said there’s a danger in pushing Tennessee’s receivers too hard, especially to make plays in the first half, in which the Vols have’t scored a point in their last three games. Yelling and screaming at Tennessee’s receivers to make plays early in the game probably wouldn’t help matters much, but something has to give, right?

“They understand we’ve got to make more plays as an offense, not just at receiver,” Pope said, “but I think once you start to press, that creates anxiety. Then, (they’re) not being natural and playing football. I think all these guys got to focus on is, how do I do my job to the best of my ability? 

“It’s that simple. If we do that at every position, every play, we’ll continue to roll and you’ll start to see explosive plays. You’ll start to see more of the high-powered stuff that these guys are wanting to see.”

That had better be the case – or the only noise after this season will be amongst fans about how the Vols didn’t live up to expectations by being a true College Football Playoff contender.