Tennessee football’s defense put together another elite performance in the Vols’ 24-17 win over Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.
The Crimson Tide totaled just 314 total yards against Tennessee’s offense including just 75 yards on the ground. Tennessee made major plays both to keep points off the scoreboard as well as to put the game away in the closing minutes.
It was a continuation of a dominant season for Tennessee’s defense but the Vols doing it against a highly touted Alabama offense silenced any remaining doubters. Through seven games this season, Tennessee hasn’t allowed a single opponent to reach 20 points with its four SEC foes averaging 17 points per game.
Now a good chunk of the way into the season, the sample size is large enough to say that Tennessee has one of the best defenses in the country thanks to a stellar defensive line and a secondary that’s exceeding expectations.
Tim Banks’ unit ranks near the top nationally and in the SEC in a number of defensive statistics so far this season. Taking a look at them here.
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Tennessee Defensive Stats
Yards Per Play
- 4.03
- 2nd nationally
Rushing Defense
- 79 yards per game
- 2nd nationally
- 2nd in SEC
Third Down Defense
- 23.7%
- 2nd nationally
- 1st in SEC
Scoring Defense
- 11.6 points per game
- 4th nationally
- 3rd in SEC
Tackles For Loss
- 59
- 3rd nationally
- 2nd in SEC
Total Defense (Yards Per Game Allowed)
- 259
- 4th nationally
- 2nd in SEC
Fourth Down Defense
- 25%
- 5th nationally
- 1st in SEC
Red Zone Scoring Rate
- 65.2%
- 6th nationally
- 2nd in SEC
First Downs Allowed
- 112
- T-14th nationally
- 4th in SEC
Team Passing Defense Efficiency
- 113.32
- 20th nationally
- 4th in SEC
