Will Muschamp may not have the greatest track record as a head coach, and he may only have a record slightly above .500 in his career. But if there’s one thing fans can count on, it’s that he will find a way to beat Butch Jones and the Vols.
Muschamp has coached against Butch Jones four times. And all four times, Muchamp has emerged the victor.
Butch Jones became Tennessee’s head coach prior to the 2013 football season. That means Jones’ Vol squads played against Muschamp twice at Florida (2013 and 2014) and now twice at South Carolina (2016 and 2017).
Not only has Tennessee lost those games, but the Vols’ offense has looked downright inept in all four contests as well.
The Vols have scored 17, 9, 21, and 9 points in the four games Butch Jones has coached them against South Carolina. That’s an average of just 14 points per game that Jones’ offensive system has scored against Muschamp’s defense.
Tennessee’s offense has also failed to total more than 300 yards of offense in every single game they’ve played against Muschamp under Jones. The Vols are averaging just 250.8 yards of offense when Butch Jones leads them against Muschamp.
And over the last two seasons, Muschamp has led his South Carolina squads to wins over the Vols when Tennessee is coming off a bye week.
Jones can take a little solace in the fact that Muschamp doesn’t just own him at Tennessee, however; Muschamp just owns the Vols in general. He was Florida’s head coach in 2011 and 2012 as well, and he led the Gators to a 33-23 win in 2011 and a 37-20 victory in 2012 over the Derek Dooley-led Vols.
But at least in those contests, the Vols managed 20 or more points in both of them and averaged 309.5 yards of offense. Those numbers still aren’t great, but they’re better than the offensive showing that Jones’ “infallible system” has produced.
The Vols managed just 253 yards of offense and nine points this Saturday against Muschamp and the Gamecocks. Tennessee actually totaled negative four yards of rushing in the second half against South Carolina on Saturday, and they were held scoreless in the second half as well.
That’s not just being “owned” by a coach; that’s being dominated by a coach.
Butch Jones’ days at Tennessee look numbered now after that loss to South Carolina. And if he is indeed let go this season, he’ll finish his Tennessee career without a win against Will Muchamp.
