In Josh Heupel’s first two seasons at Tennessee, the Vols’ offense has given Kentucky fits. Tennessee is averaging 44.5 points per game in its last two meetings with Kentucky and have recorded a number of long touchdowns through the air.
“You’ve seen a lot of it the last couple of years. Their tempo creates problems,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said earlier this week. “They put enough stress on you and make enough tough one-on-one catches that you can’t have your own mental breakdowns.”
But Tennessee’s passing offense which has torched the Wildcats each of the last two years isn’t as effective this season with Joe Milton III behind center.
Still, Stoops is impressed with Tennessee’s offensive balance and its ability to move the football through the air and on the ground.
“They are very balanced,” Stoops said. “When you’re looking for balance, you’ve heard me talk about it a lot, as a defensive coach defending someone that’s— they’re about exactly 50/50 right now. 217 (rushing yards per game) to 220 (passing yards per game). That’s about as balanced as you can get and they have a very efficient offense that’s hard to defend. The way they spread you out, the tempo that they use, the schemes that they use.”
Stoops had the numbers correct and he is right, that’s about as close to a 50-50 split as you’re going to find in football. But the numbers aren’t necessarily a true indicator to Tennessee’s offensive balance this season. For much of the season, the Vols has been dependent on screen passes and quick RPOs to move the football.
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In modern college football, a team that runs for as many yards as they pass for is much more run dependent than the average team. For instance, Tennessee’s 220 passing yards per game ranks ninth in the SEC. The Vols’ 217 rushing yards per game leads the conference.
While Tennessee’s offense has struggled throwing the football this season, it also turned in its best passing performance in the first half of last week’s loss at Alabama. The Vols threw for 175 yards while running for 100 in the first half against Alabama. Milton had his best half of the season, finding success throwing in the intermediate and making plays after the pocket broke down.
“This past week you saw Joe really throwing some good deep passes and some very accurate (passes) and maybe one drop in a critical moment and they had some nice plays,” Stoops said. “They’re the same in that they can still really be explosive at any moment.”
That passing success went away in the second half. Still, Tennessee is looking to find the rhythm again this week against Kentucky and to sustain it for four quarters this time. In a matchup between two potent running games, that balance could prove critical.
Kickoff at Kroger Field in Lexington is at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Mike Monaco, Jesse Palmer and Katie George are on the call for ESPN.
