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    • Overreactions in Tennessee Football: Vols defense outperform offense
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    Overreactions in Tennessee Football: Vols defense outperform offense

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    CHARLOTTE, NC – The Tennessee State football team crushed a Top 25 opponent on Saturday – and defense took the lead.

    The No. 12 Vols (2-0) defeated No. 23 NC State 51-10 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Here are three exaggerated reactions to the victory:

    Tennessee’s defense is better than its offense

    Don’t look now, but Tennessee’s offense wasn’t the best unit on the field against NC State (1-1). The defense took the crown and made the Wolfpack look mediocre.

    They beat a veteran offensive line that featured four players who had started at least 20 games. The defensive line looked every bit the elite unit it was expected to be before the season, with special praise going to Bryson Eason and Omari Thomas. UT forced three turnovers, including Will Brooks’ 85-yard interception that was returned for a touchdown.

    Tennessee has dominated defensively for three straight games since beating Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl. It was the best offense in those three games, but it didn’t matter. Tennessee’s defense was much better.

    Tennessee will not be threatened until November

    Tennessee will play top-ranked Georgia on November 16. This will be the first time this season that the Vols have been in trouble.

    That’s a side effect of both the way Tennessee is playing and the way the teams it faces in its next seven games look over the next two weeks. The Vols play at Oklahoma on Sept. 21, which will be its first road test. They host Alabama on Oct. 19. The Sooners and Crimson Tide looked like the two biggest tests in the first two months, but they struggled on Saturday against Houston and USF, respectively. Florida looks to be a mess. Kentucky looks awful. Arkansas did everything it could to lose to Oklahoma State on Saturday.

    So keep an eye on the Vols-Bulldogs in November for the second time in three seasons, as this game will have major College Football Playoff implications—and it could be a matchup of two undefeated teams.

    TRANSCRIPT: Nico Iamaleava stats: Tennessee QB with weaknesses but still effective against NC State

    Penalties cost the Vols

    The only negative aspect for Tennessee on Saturday was the penalty point issues that could cost the Vols a win against a better team than NC State.

    Tennessee’s problems included a last-minute hit on Keenan Pili, an ineligible player further down the field that negated a touchdown, a personal foul for a behind-the-back block that negated a solid punt return, and an unnecessary hardship call when offensive linemen John Campbell and Javontez Spraggins blocked an NC State player deep into the bench.

    Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilsonIf you like Mike’s reporting, consider a digital subscription that gives you access to all content.

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    Idris Bevan
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