You can tell by my username that I'm a Tennessee fan. Wanted to give y'all my take on the Vols and would love to learn more about your Huskers as well.
Quarterback:
Josh Dobbs makes this offense go. He leads the SEC in touchdown passes (26) and QB rating (152.6). Dobbs has gained 974 yards rushing this season, but minus sack yardage he has a net of 713. He has rushed for 9 touchdowns on the season.
For his career, Dobbs has over 50 TD passes and 25 TD rushes. The only other SEC QB's to accomplish such a feat are Dak Prescott, Tim Tebow, and Johnny Manziel.
Nebraska's number 1 priority should be stopping Dobbs legs. When he runs the ball effectively, this offense clicks and is hard to stop. Dobbs most significant issues this season have been taking big sacks (he is elusive but tries to do too much at times) and turning the football over (both fumbles and interceptions).
Running Back:
Jumbo athlete Jalen Hurd decided to leave the program half-way through the season. But the Vols haven't missed him. Per touch productivity from former 5* Alvin Kamara and sophomore John Kelly have exceeded Hurd's production by a wide-margin.
For his career, Kamara average 6.2 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per catch. Kelly averages 5.9 yards per carry. They are similarly built ball-carriers, both around 5'11 210.
Kamara has battled a knee injury that sidelined him for 3 weeks, but he should be close to 100% for the bowl game.
Wide Reciever/Tight End:
This unit is lead by Josh Malone. The 6'3 junior has 10 TD receptions and average almost 19 yards per catch. Jauan Jennings is Tennessee's second most productive WR. Jennings, also 6'3, has 7 TD receptions and averages 14 yards per catch.
After Malone and Jennings, there are plenty of able bodies at WR, but mostly young guys whose production is inconsistent.
At TE you will see a lot of Ethan Wolfe (6'6 245 JR) and converted WR Jason Croom (6'5 246 RS SR). They are utilized on the field together a lot. Their pass catching productivity is spotty, but seem to be productive players when they are targeted. They combine to average just over 37 yards per game. Neither are overly physical blockers, but are effective blockers.
Offensive Line:
Because of injuries and inconsistent play, the OL has been a revolving door of starters and different starting combinations. They have played better the last half of the season. Senior C Dylan Weisman missed the last two games of the season with an ankle injury. Unsure of where his healthy will be for the bowl game. I wouldn't expect our OL to dominate many opponents, but they have been playing well enough to win the last several weeks.
Overall Offensive Summary:
Spread attack with a power run game. Typically utilize 10, 11 or 12 personnel. Try to be balanced between run and pass. Play calling and productivity can be a little inconsistent which leads to some sputtering results, but that also means this offense can be incredibly explosive when things are rolling. Their 36 point per game average is 2nd in the SEC.
Defensive Line:
Derek Barnett is one of the best in the country. The 6'3 265lb true junior has 31 career sacks and 51 tackles for loss. The impressive thing about Barnett is his production comes vs P5 opponents. He doesn't load up on sacks vs Ut-San Antonio like some other "big-time" defensive ends.
Opposite Barnett, RS SR Corey Vereen is a solid player. He is a little undersized at 6'2 250, but has played a lot of football and is productive getting after the passer with 6 sacks this season.
Depth at DE is good, not great. There are plenty of able bodies, but not a lot of production from the reserves at this position.
Defensive tackle has been decimated by injuries and departures. Of the top 4 DTs that started the season, only 1 will be playing in the bowl game. Big-timers like Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie are out with injuries. Salty veteran Danny O'Brien was dismissed for violation team rules.
No doubt that Tennessee's run defense misses the beef on the inside. Sliding bigger DEs like Jonathan Kongbo and Kyle Phillips inside has been the only plausible solution. Both guys play hard and make some plays, but down-in-down-out they just don't have the size to play inside.
Linebacker:
Missing All-American candidate Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been a huge loss. His back-up, Quarte Sapp also was lost for the season in the same week JRM went down. Depth at Will-LB has been tested and has failed... but 3rd string and beyond isn't going to be a winning recipe for many teams.
Mike-LB Darrin Kirkland Jr has missed several weeks with an ankle injury. He is back, but clearly not 100%. He is an All-Conference level player when healthy. I will be interested to see how healthy he is come Dec 30.
Overall, with our top 3 guys out or severely limited, LB play has been pretty poor this season.
Defensive Back:
Cornerback Cam Sutton could have been a 1st round draft pick, but he missed the majority of the season with a broken bone in his foot. He has returned the past couple of games (very surprising he made it back), but he is clearly not 100%. Like Kirkland, Vol Nation will be watching to see how much healthier Sutton is on Dec 30. Sutton is a game-changer at CB and Punt Returner when he is healthy.
Outside of Sutton, the CB position will be manned by Junior Emmanuel Moseley and SR Malik Foreman. Both guys are in the "good, not great" category.
Nickelback Rashaan Gaulden has had a solid season in his first year as a full-time starter. The sophomore is an aggressive tackler and pretty good in coverage as well.
At safety it is a similar story to the OL. Inconsistent play and injuries have lead to a lot of guys rolling through those two positions. Evan Berry looked ready to own the SS position but a torn ACL derailed such plans. Berry is also sorely missed in the kick return game as he was an All-American there in 2015.
Overall Defensive Summary:
Tennessee plays a 4-2-5 the overwhelming majority of the time. 1st year DC Bob Shoop likes to bring pressure and play a lot of man-to-man.
Injuries have decimated this unit, but the product on the field should still be better than what we have seen the past 3 weeks. Up until the final three games, Tennessee's defense wasn't good... But it wasn't the historically bad either... The bowl practices will be huge for Tennessee to get some issues fixed on defense.
IMHO, if the defense can just be "okay," they don't even have to be good, Tennessee has a chance to win the game... Problem is, they will have to improve quite a bit just to be "okay."
Special Teams:
Butch Jones' teams usually win the kicking game. Coverage units have been okay this season, not as good as in years past. The return games have also dipped this season, but that is two fold. One reason is teams kicking away from us. The second is injuries to Evan Berry (KOR) and Sutton/Kamara (PR). I would expect Sutton or Kamara to be healthy enough to impact the game returning punts. Freshman Tyler Byrd did break a long kickoff return in the last regular season game, we will see if he is able to build on that success.
Place kicker Aaron Medley is good inside of 40. Outside of 40, he's consistently bad. Punter Trevor Daniel averages a net of 44 ypp.
Quarterback:
Josh Dobbs makes this offense go. He leads the SEC in touchdown passes (26) and QB rating (152.6). Dobbs has gained 974 yards rushing this season, but minus sack yardage he has a net of 713. He has rushed for 9 touchdowns on the season.
For his career, Dobbs has over 50 TD passes and 25 TD rushes. The only other SEC QB's to accomplish such a feat are Dak Prescott, Tim Tebow, and Johnny Manziel.
Nebraska's number 1 priority should be stopping Dobbs legs. When he runs the ball effectively, this offense clicks and is hard to stop. Dobbs most significant issues this season have been taking big sacks (he is elusive but tries to do too much at times) and turning the football over (both fumbles and interceptions).
Running Back:
Jumbo athlete Jalen Hurd decided to leave the program half-way through the season. But the Vols haven't missed him. Per touch productivity from former 5* Alvin Kamara and sophomore John Kelly have exceeded Hurd's production by a wide-margin.
For his career, Kamara average 6.2 yards per carry and 9.5 yards per catch. Kelly averages 5.9 yards per carry. They are similarly built ball-carriers, both around 5'11 210.
Kamara has battled a knee injury that sidelined him for 3 weeks, but he should be close to 100% for the bowl game.
Wide Reciever/Tight End:
This unit is lead by Josh Malone. The 6'3 junior has 10 TD receptions and average almost 19 yards per catch. Jauan Jennings is Tennessee's second most productive WR. Jennings, also 6'3, has 7 TD receptions and averages 14 yards per catch.
After Malone and Jennings, there are plenty of able bodies at WR, but mostly young guys whose production is inconsistent.
At TE you will see a lot of Ethan Wolfe (6'6 245 JR) and converted WR Jason Croom (6'5 246 RS SR). They are utilized on the field together a lot. Their pass catching productivity is spotty, but seem to be productive players when they are targeted. They combine to average just over 37 yards per game. Neither are overly physical blockers, but are effective blockers.
Offensive Line:
Because of injuries and inconsistent play, the OL has been a revolving door of starters and different starting combinations. They have played better the last half of the season. Senior C Dylan Weisman missed the last two games of the season with an ankle injury. Unsure of where his healthy will be for the bowl game. I wouldn't expect our OL to dominate many opponents, but they have been playing well enough to win the last several weeks.
Overall Offensive Summary:
Spread attack with a power run game. Typically utilize 10, 11 or 12 personnel. Try to be balanced between run and pass. Play calling and productivity can be a little inconsistent which leads to some sputtering results, but that also means this offense can be incredibly explosive when things are rolling. Their 36 point per game average is 2nd in the SEC.
Defensive Line:
Derek Barnett is one of the best in the country. The 6'3 265lb true junior has 31 career sacks and 51 tackles for loss. The impressive thing about Barnett is his production comes vs P5 opponents. He doesn't load up on sacks vs Ut-San Antonio like some other "big-time" defensive ends.
Opposite Barnett, RS SR Corey Vereen is a solid player. He is a little undersized at 6'2 250, but has played a lot of football and is productive getting after the passer with 6 sacks this season.
Depth at DE is good, not great. There are plenty of able bodies, but not a lot of production from the reserves at this position.
Defensive tackle has been decimated by injuries and departures. Of the top 4 DTs that started the season, only 1 will be playing in the bowl game. Big-timers like Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie are out with injuries. Salty veteran Danny O'Brien was dismissed for violation team rules.
No doubt that Tennessee's run defense misses the beef on the inside. Sliding bigger DEs like Jonathan Kongbo and Kyle Phillips inside has been the only plausible solution. Both guys play hard and make some plays, but down-in-down-out they just don't have the size to play inside.
Linebacker:
Missing All-American candidate Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been a huge loss. His back-up, Quarte Sapp also was lost for the season in the same week JRM went down. Depth at Will-LB has been tested and has failed... but 3rd string and beyond isn't going to be a winning recipe for many teams.
Mike-LB Darrin Kirkland Jr has missed several weeks with an ankle injury. He is back, but clearly not 100%. He is an All-Conference level player when healthy. I will be interested to see how healthy he is come Dec 30.
Overall, with our top 3 guys out or severely limited, LB play has been pretty poor this season.
Defensive Back:
Cornerback Cam Sutton could have been a 1st round draft pick, but he missed the majority of the season with a broken bone in his foot. He has returned the past couple of games (very surprising he made it back), but he is clearly not 100%. Like Kirkland, Vol Nation will be watching to see how much healthier Sutton is on Dec 30. Sutton is a game-changer at CB and Punt Returner when he is healthy.
Outside of Sutton, the CB position will be manned by Junior Emmanuel Moseley and SR Malik Foreman. Both guys are in the "good, not great" category.
Nickelback Rashaan Gaulden has had a solid season in his first year as a full-time starter. The sophomore is an aggressive tackler and pretty good in coverage as well.
At safety it is a similar story to the OL. Inconsistent play and injuries have lead to a lot of guys rolling through those two positions. Evan Berry looked ready to own the SS position but a torn ACL derailed such plans. Berry is also sorely missed in the kick return game as he was an All-American there in 2015.
Overall Defensive Summary:
Tennessee plays a 4-2-5 the overwhelming majority of the time. 1st year DC Bob Shoop likes to bring pressure and play a lot of man-to-man.
Injuries have decimated this unit, but the product on the field should still be better than what we have seen the past 3 weeks. Up until the final three games, Tennessee's defense wasn't good... But it wasn't the historically bad either... The bowl practices will be huge for Tennessee to get some issues fixed on defense.
IMHO, if the defense can just be "okay," they don't even have to be good, Tennessee has a chance to win the game... Problem is, they will have to improve quite a bit just to be "okay."
Special Teams:
Butch Jones' teams usually win the kicking game. Coverage units have been okay this season, not as good as in years past. The return games have also dipped this season, but that is two fold. One reason is teams kicking away from us. The second is injuries to Evan Berry (KOR) and Sutton/Kamara (PR). I would expect Sutton or Kamara to be healthy enough to impact the game returning punts. Freshman Tyler Byrd did break a long kickoff return in the last regular season game, we will see if he is able to build on that success.
Place kicker Aaron Medley is good inside of 40. Outside of 40, he's consistently bad. Punter Trevor Daniel averages a net of 44 ypp.
Last edited:
