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2. Mike DeBord brought physicality to the offense
You can certainly question some of his play calls, say he was too conservative at times and be uncertain about the passing game, but one thing is certain: new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord increased UT’s level of physicality on offense. Tennessee wasn’t a team that could move the ball on the ground consistently last season, yet finished second in rushing in an SEC loaded with powerful running games in 2015. Tennessee protected the quarterback better, found room in the run game and had more of a physical edge than it did last year by a wide margin. And the Vols did it against some of the best defenses in the nation. They’ll get one more test against a stingy Northwestern defense on Jan. 1.
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