Coaching
Daniel: The Vols were as ready for a game as they’ve been in years. The coaching staff found the perfect combination of rest, recreation and preparation over the last month and Tennessee was absolutely focused, motivated and ready to go on Friday. The halfback pass was a perfect call to help really send a message that it was UT’s day, but, truthfully, Tennessee probably didn’t even need it. The Vols had the better team, the better coaches and the better plan. After a hint of negative momentum in December with some players leaving the program, Butch Jones made an emphatic statement that he has this team on the rise. Grade: A+
Houston: This team was ready, they were healthy and they were motivated. All of these are a direct reflection of how this coaching staff prepared them over the bowl preparation period. The offensive and defensive game plans were exceptionally strong, and the double-pass call that made it 21-0 in the first quarter completely broke Iowa’s spirit while ignited the Tennessee team and crowd. They played the backups in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, and – as anyone on the sidelines late in the game can attest – didn’t stop coaching and motivating until the final whistle blew. This was an exceptionally well coached game by Tennessee’s staff, and they deserve a lot of credit for how well their team played. Grade: A
Reed: This was a massive game for the coaching staff. After a few notable letdowns as favorites this season, the staff had the team ready to play and dialed up nothing but fantastic calls all game long. The offense was creative and diverse and the defense kept Iowa off balance. Tennessee’s young players were ready to play but not tight and not overexcited. That bodes well headed into a 2015 season which should see the Vols favored more times than not. Credit Butch Jones and Co. for coming up big to close the season. Grade: A+
Average Grade: A+
