Jim Chaney’s Offense
RTI contributor Adam McCracken wrote this section
After an eventful and long search for Tennessee’s new offensive coordinator, fans were overly excited to welcome Jim Chaney back to Knoxville. Now, they’ll get a first glimpse at his offense on Saturday.
His strides with the offense have been very noticeable this spring. One of the big things fans will be looking for in the Orange & White game is how the running game looks. Tennessee only rushed for 1,875 yards as a team last season, and it has been a focal point this spring to increase that number.
“We’ve been more consistent running the football, and we have less mental errors this year than this time last year,” Pruitt mentioned earlier this week.
Chaney’s offense at Georgia last season saw two running backs (D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield) receive more than 150 carries. Tennessee’s leading rusher last season, Ty Chandler. only had 115 carries. It will be interesting to see how Chaney incorporates the running game into his offense.
Another thing to watch for is Chaney’s play-calling. Chaney has proven he knows how to get the most out of his players, something that hasn’t really been seen over the last five years at Tennessee. Chaney isn’t afraid to attack. Vol fans can remember when Chaney dialed up a big play in 2012 when Tyler Bray took a deep shot at NC State’s best secondary player, David Amerson, who was widely considered one of the best secondary players in the country. For those that forgot, Zach Rogers found the end zone for a 72-yard score that had him a good five yards past Amerson.
Last year, Tennessee attempted many deep passes that were “jump balls.” While some were converted, the majority were simple play calls that had no real depth to them. It was a simple play to see if UT’s receivers could take advantage of smaller corners. The Orange & White game should feature multiple deep plays, and Vol fans hope to see more depth in the play-calling than just simple “jump balls.”
Chaney has taken more control of the offense than any offensive coordinator since Chaney was last here in 2012. This shows not only the pedigree and ability he has, but it also shows that Pruitt trusts Chaney. It’ll be interesting to see the level of involvement Pruitt has with the offense on Saturday, especially considering what all happened last season.
Chaney’s offensive system has been one that the players have really bought into this spring, and it will be exciting to see the new system at work on Saturday. If the running game is incorporated like Chaney’s systems are known for, if the veteran receiver corps steps up, and if Jarrett Guarantano and the offensive line continue their improvements, Vol fans should be very pleased with the difference on Saturday in the Orange & White game.
