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Tennessee Football Overreactions: Vols Defense Outperforms Offense

Vaseline September 8, 2024

CHARLOTTE, NC — Tennessee football finished a top 25 opponent on Saturday — and the defense led the way.

The No. 12 Vols (2-0) defeated No. 23 NC State 51-10 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Here are three overreactions to the victory:

Tennessee’s defense is better than its offense

Don’t look now, but Tennessee’s offense wasn’t the best unit on the field against NC State (1-1). The defense took that crown, making the Wolfpack look average.

It crushed a veteran offensive line, with four players starting at least 20 times. The defensive line still looked like the elite, deep unit it was before the season. Bryson Eason and Omari Thomas deserve special praise. UT forced three turnovers, including Will Brooks’ 85-yard interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Tennessee has dominated defensively for three straight games, since a 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. It was the best offense in that three-game stretch, but it didn’t matter. Tennessee’s defense was significantly better.

Tennessee won’t be threatened until November

Tennessee will play top-seeded Georgia on November 16, marking the first time this season that the Vols have been in danger.

This is a byproduct of how Tennessee is playing and how the teams it will face in the next seven games look after two weeks. The Vols play at Oklahoma on Sept. 21, which will be their first test game. They host Alabama on Oct. 19. The Sooners and Crimson Tide looked like the two biggest tests in the first two months, but they struggled against Houston and USF on Saturday, respectively. Florida looks a mess. Kentucky looks terrible. Arkansas did everything it could to lose at Oklahoma State on Saturday.

So, for the second time in three seasons, keep the circle to Vols-Bulldogs in November, because that game will have major implications for the College Football Playoff. It could be a matchup between two undefeated teams.

REPORT CARD: Nico Iamaleava Stats: Tennessee QB Flawed But Still Effective Against NC State

Penalties cost the Vols

The only downside for Tennessee on Saturday was the penalty trouble, which could leave the Vols without a game against a better team than NC State.

Tennessee’s challenges included a late hit on Keenan Pili, an ineligible player on the field who scored a touchdown, a personal foul for a block in the back that negated a solid punt return and an unnecessary foul when offensive linemen Lance Heard and Javontez Spraggins blocked an NC State player deep into the bench.

Mike Wilson covers athletics at the University of Tennessee. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilsonIf you enjoy Mike’s reporting, consider a digital subscription which gives you access to everything.