Nick Saban the football coach spent years terrorizing Tennessee football as the head coach at both LSU and Alabama. Josh Heupel handed Saban one of his few losses against Tennessee during the 2022 season and now, Nick Saban the media personality, continues to like what he seems from Heupel’s fourth team in Knoxville.
Defense has often been the weak point of Heupel’s first three teams at Tennessee but the 2024 Volunteer defense is off to a tremendous start absolutely suffocating Chattanooga, NC State, Kent State and Oklahoma in the first month of the season.
Saban has taken notice.
“I’m glad you mentioned Tennessee’s defense,” Saban told Kirk Herbstreit on College Gameday Saturday morning. “They probably have the best defense in the country and no one ever talks about them because of their offense.”
Through the first month of the season, Tennessee’s defense ranks second nationally in scoring defense and first nationally in team defense (yards allowed per game).
Tennessee’s defense has been good against the run through Tim Banks four seasons as head coach and that hasn’t changed this season with the Vols ranking second nationally in run defense.
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The surprise comes with Tennessee’s pass defense. Tennessee’s young secondary was a massive question entering the season. But with solid play in the back end, an elite pass rush and a lack of strong passing opponents so far this season, the Vols’ pass defense ranks fourth nationally.
“The concern was the back end because they’re young but I think they’re better because it is inexperience but they’re much more athletic,” Herbstreit said.
Arkansas boasts the best passing offense that Tennessee has faced so far this season but it is still a major question mark. The Razorbacks lean on a strong rushing attack behind senior tailback Ja’Quinden Jackson and dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green.
Green has been decent throwing the football so far this season but it’s been a very inconsistent passing attack. Tennessee’s pass rush should once again shine and make life difficult for the Wolfpacks’ passing attack.
Kickoff between Tennessee and Arkansas is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night at D.W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe are on the call for ABC.
