Tennessee’s secondary was already thought to be pretty good. The Vols looked even better last week against the Florida Gators. That should bode well against Alabama.
The Crimson Tide has the seventh-best passing offense in the SEC with 263 yards through the air per game. The Vols are allowing just 170 yards passing per game. Advantage? Vols.
The Vols got great contributions against the Gators from some unlikely defensive backs. Let’s start with Boo Carter, who filled in for sophomore Christian Harrison, who had been banged up before the Florida game and was extremely limited against the Gators. Carter responded with seven tackles, including 1 1/2 for a loss, which was a sack and a quarterback hurry.
“It’s about what you would expect as a freshman,” Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks said on Tuesday. “There’s a learning curve. There have been some really good highs, obviously been some lows, but the highs have been coming and coming and coming. He’s right where we hoped he would be.
“He’s getting better every week. He’s a tremendous talent. He wants to be great. He’s working at it. We’re all obviously really proud of the production that he showed this weekend.”
The Vols certainly seem stout in the secondary. Cornerback Jermod McCoy looks like one of the best Tennessee cornerbacks in recent memory. On the other side, Rickey Gibson III had six tackles and broke up a pass against the Gators. Gibson had only three tackles before the Florida game, meaning teams may have been hesitant to throw his way.
“Honestly, those guys have been playing well all season,” Banks said. “… I think if you just look at the total body of work, Ricky has been exactly what we hoped he would be.”
Another Tennessee defensive back appears to be improving each and every week. Christian Charles recorded seven tackles against the Gators after having just seven tackles in the Vols’ previous five games. He also had a tackle for a loss last week.
“Man, you just talk about a tremendous worker,” Banks said “A positive kid. He’s been through a lot. I’ll be honest. I’m like a proud dad when I watch this kid finally see some fruits of his labor.”
Injuries have slowed Charles, who missed most of the season last year with a torn Achilles. However, nothing seems to be stopping Charles – or several other Vols for that matter – as the Vols’ defense continues to morph into a deeper unit.
