The Tennessee Vols rebounded in spectacular fashion against Florida. The Vols defeated the Gators 23-17 in overtime.
This game was far from pretty, but the Vols did what good teams are supposed to do, win the tough battles. Several things went right for the Vols in this game, and some things still need work.
Today, we’re gonna break down what went well, and what still needs to improve in order for the Vols to reach their end-of-season goals.
THE GOOD
DYLAN SAMPSON
Dylan Sampson was once against electric for the Vols. The superstar back carried the ball 27 times for 112 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the walk-off score in overtime.
Without Sampson, the Vols offense was doing next to nothing. The Vols were held scoreless in the first half. Dylan Sampson was once again the spark that got the offense going.
Sampson now has 699 yards on the year, which is most in the SEC. He also has 15 touchdowns, which is good for 2nd in the entire country.
Dylan Sampson seems to be the only part of the offense that consistently shows up on a week-to-week basis, and he will need to continue that for the remainder of the season.
https://twitter.com/Reece_VH/status/1845945417059418560
THE DEFENSE
The Vols defense played their hearts out against the Gators, and proved once again why they are one of the most elite groups in all of College Football.
Although they gave up 361 total yards, the dominance of this defense cannot be seen through a box score. Almost every drive, a crucial turnover, sack, or TFL would happen that would ruin a promising Gators’ drive.
In overtime, the Vols defense forced a quick 3 and out, which led to Florida missing a potential game winning field goal.
It is scary to think about where the Vols would be without this dominant defense, and thankfully, they show no signs of slowing down.
JAMES PEARCE JR.
James Pearce Jr. finally had his breakout game of the 2024 season. While Pearce had made his presence felt in previous games, he finally made his dominant box score appearance against the Gators.
Pearce finished with 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 0.5 sack, and 1 forced fumble and recovery. The Gators had almost no answer for Pearce offensively.
James Pearce Jr. has seemingly gotten going over these past two games, logging back to back games with a sack. This is just in time for the Vols toughest stretch of the season.
BOO CARTER
The true-freshman safety finally had the breakout game many had been waiting to see. Carter was everywhere on the field, and made his name known. He finished the game with 6 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks.
Many knew coming into this season that this was what Boo Carter was capable of as a player, but it is refreshing to finally see it in person. Carter will be a bright spot for years to come for the Vols defense.
https://x.com/SEC/status/1845861241895682219
THE BAD
OFFENSIVE EXECUTION
Play calling was not an issue in this game, as it was against Arkansas. Josh Heupel and Co. had the correct calls, the problems fell on the offense for not being able to execute.
Whether it was a missed blocking assignment, overthrown ball, dropping the ball, or overall lack of effort, there was a lot on film against the Gators for opposing teams to pick up. When opposing coaches see trends of negative outcomes for a team, they will figure out what is causing those trends, then try to exploit it. The Vols have got to prevent that from happening.
The issues the offense is facing are things that should be ironed out during summer and fall camp, not in the middle of the season, but here we are. The Vols have the elite defense, but they are going to need a competent offense that can properly execute, in order to compete for the SEC and the CFP.
https://twitter.com/GoVols247/status/1845303086937694553
PENALTIES
The Vols have a real problem with getting penalties such as false starts or holding. Both of these penalties can be instant drive killers, as they can immediately set the offense behind the sticks.
Several times against Florida, the Vols would have a positive gain, or even a big gain, only for it to be wiped out by a holding penalty. Or, before the drive even starts, one of the linemen will get too antsy and move early.
These penalties go along with the execution, and should be ironed out during summer and fall camp. The offense has got to avoid shooting itself in its own foot in order to succeed at the levels they have in the past.
THE UGLY
KEENAN PILI INJURY
Probably the only bad news from Knoxville this weekend was that senior linebacker Keenan Pili had torn his ACL Saturday night. Pili, in his 6th year of college football, was the heart and soul of the Vols defense.
It is unknown how the loss of Pili will impact the Vols defensively, but the coaches trust Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander. Neither of them will be able to replicate Pili’s impact, however.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line has been addressed several times already, but more attention is needed. The offensive line has been utterly terrible in SEC play this season.
Starting tackle Lance Heard, a highly touted transfer from LSU, looks lost and out of shape. The other tackle, John Campbell Jr. hasn’t been playing much better. The problems with the offense start with the offensive line. One play, they commit a penalty, the other they will miss an assignment and allow a free rusher access to Nico Iamaleava.
If the offense is ever going to get back on track, it has to start up-front, first.
https://twitter.com/JacksonVols24/status/1845968210513850697
With all of that being said, the Vols are still 5-1 and have every dream ahead of them still. The team fell 3 spots to #11 in the weekly AP Poll, but they have a major chance to prove the ranking wrong this weekend against Alabama.
The Vols are back in action next Saturday, October 19th, against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game is in Neyland Stadium, and kickoff is at 3:30 P.M. EST. Follow me on X (Twitter) @JacksonVols24 for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional football, click here!
