Tennessee Volunteers
Overall Rank: #46
#9 SEC Conference
Tennessee Team Page
2010: Record: (6-7, 3-5)
2010 Bowl: Music City Bowl vs North Carolina (L ot 27-30)
Coach: Derek Dooley
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Chaney
Defensive Coordinator: Justin Wilcox
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Tauren Poole, RB, 1034 yards
Passing: Tyler Bray, QB, 1,849 yards
Receiving: Justin Hunter, WR, 415 yards
Tackles: Herman Lathers, LB, 75
Sacks: Malik Jackson, DT, 5
Interceptions: Janzen Jackson, FS, 5; Prentiss Wagner, FS, 5
Other Key Returnees: WR Da’Rick Rogers, QB Matt Simms, OT Dallas Thomas, OT James Stone, OT Ja’Wuan James, SS Brent Brewer, LB John Propst,
Key Losses: WR Gerald Jones, WR Denarius Moore, TE Luke Stocker, LB Nick Reveiz, DE Chris Walker
Coach Derek Dooley is working with plenty of weapons; the problem is a majority of them will be freshmen and sophomores. Coach Dooley is still cleaning up the mess that Lane Kiffin left in a blaze during his one year at Tennessee. Coach Dooley has a quarterback in Tyler Bray and running back in Tauren Poole that he will be able to depend on from the get go, but the rest of the Volunteers are plenty of questions, without any answers at the moment.
Strengths:
Bray and quarterback Matt Simms have both been through the fire of big time college football. Bray set several freshmen Tennessee records, and Simms is a senior with plenty of experience to fall back on. In the backfield, running back Poole is ready to complete a very nice career. On the outside, receiver Da’Rick Rogers is ready to break out after arriving at Tennessee as a high school All-American last season. Rogers and receiver Justin Hunter are both extremely long and athletic, opening up big targets for Bray or Simms to complete down field balls. The offensive line should be very solid. They have three returning starters that should help quarterback play and open up lanes for Poole and other backfield mates. Hopes are sky high for the offense in Volunteer land this season, but it better produce, because the defense is a deer in the headlights at this point.
Weakness:
Where to start with this unstable defense has to be in the secondary and every other part of the defense. Defensive back Janzen Jackson was a star in the making but he withdrew from school in the first part of 2011. Tennessee coaches are expecting him back, but that caused plenty of shifting during spring practice. Strong safety Brent Brewer has been reliable, but is still a very young player. On the front seven there are more questions than a spelling bee. The defense gave up 382.2 yards and 25.1 points a game last season, and that must come down immensely if the Volunteer’s hope to contend for the SEC East title. The front seven must be rebuilt, but with all four of the secondary players returning there is a crack in the window for improvement. Defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox will have his hands full fixing this jaded defense into a contender for Tennessee.
The Bottom Line:
The Volunteers offense seems ready to contend in the SEC. Bray is a very smart quarterback with a bag full of potential, as are his receivers Rogers and Hunter. The running game is rock solid as is the offensive line, but the question remains, will they be asked to outscore everyone again this season. The defense is Raggedy Ann and Andy built. The middle of their schedule will tell how their season will go, with consecutive games against Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and South Carolina. Coach Dooley is well liked, but that could all change with a poor showing this year, considering his very words were, “The honeymoon is over.”
Projected Bowl: BBVA Compass Bowl
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 109.2 (105th in nation, 12th in conference)
Passing Offense: 254.5 (30, 4)
Total Offense: 363.8 (75, 9)
Scoring Offense: 27.0 (58, 11)
Rushing Defense: 152.5 (8, 60)
Pass Defense: 229.6 (81, 8)
Total Defense: 382.2 (69, 10)
Scoring Defense: 25.1 (58, 11)
Turnover Margin: +0.31 (36, 6)
Sacks: 2 (48, 8)
Sacks Allowed: 3.3 (115, 12)
Madness 2012 NFL Draft Rankings:
#58 Janzen Jackson
Madness 2011 Football Recruit Rankings:
#60 DeAnthony Arnett
#85 Antonio Richardson
#135 Cameron Clear
#145 A.J. Johnson
#148 Curt Maggitt
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