Virginia football is coming off a frustrating 3-7 season that presented challenges for Tony Elliott and his staff one-and-off the field.
The challenge is extreme for the 2023 Cavaliers in their first game of the season. While Virginia’s defense was its strength a season ago, they face a dangerous and explosive Tennessee offense Saturday.
“People talk about the pace, but it’s as much of how they spread the field,” Elliott said Tuesday. “If you watch them, their splits are a little bit unorthodox. They kind of go against convention when you start talking about the spacing, because they really, really push their wide outs wide to the sideline. But then what it does is it forces a defense to make a decision. And then if you’re doing that and you’re changing formations, depending upon how your defense adjusts, you could have traveling back and forth with some of your secondary guys, which creates a problem in terms of getting lined up.”
That’s where Tennessee’s tempo can capitalized on defenses that feel prepared to face a high paced offense. But there’s no way to simulate the speed Tennessee moves at in practice and Josh Heupel and his staff are elite at attacking opponent’s vulnerabilities.
So, what has Virginia done to prepare for Tennessee’s high tempo? It’s largely been typical strategies.
“Oh, man, we got the scout team going fast. Fast as we possibly can, and then coaches straining and pushing the guys to get lined up. So you try to emulate it as fast as you can,” Elliott said. “That’s the key, if you get lined up right, because they do what they do and they’re good at what they do. But you gotta get lined up to it and have formation. That’s what defensive football is, formation recognition in certain situations.”
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There are two factors that could lead to Tennessee’s offense not running at full speed in the opener. First, Joe Milton III is a new starting quarterback for Tennessee. He’s started four games in the Vols’ offense, so the tempo is not new for him. Still, season opening operation issues would be little surprise.
More important is the possible absence of center Cooper Mays. The center in Tennessee’s offense is the engine of the high tempo offense and if Ollie Lane is starting there for the first time in his career there’s bound to be some level of let down.
While Milton is entering his first season as Tennessee’s full time starting quarterback, he’s impressed Elliott with his performances closing the 2022 season.
“The quarterback man, he’s a stud,” Elliott said. “He can run it and he can throw it. (He’s) more a throw guy first. But man, when he pulls it down, it’s pretty scary.”
Tennessee’s offense is entering a new season where new playmakers will have to step up and prove themselves, but the talent and structure is there for another dynamic Heupel offense.
Kickoff between Tennessee and Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville is at noon ET Saturday. Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Katie George are on the call for ABC.
