When looking at Tennessee’s season up to this point, it’s truly a tale of two halves.

The Vols rank dead-last in the SEC when it comes to scoring margin in the first quarter. Things don’t get much better in the second quarter, either — as UT registers with a scoring margin also ranked near the bottom of the conference.

The second half is a completely different story. Tennessee owns the fourth quarters — outscoring opponents by a combined 35 points. There may be several theories for this statistical breakdown.

For one, the team just might be one with a propensity to start slowly. There have been teams in the past that simply don’t perform well early in contests. A second theory could emanate from the coaching staff.

After halftime, the Volunteers seem to turn it on. The staff truly might’ve found a magical recipe for this boost in performance — from either a motivation standpoint, or simply one rooted in making the requisite adjustments.