Tennessee football: Discouraging loss means bowl eligibility on the line at Vandy. Will Vols actually fight for it?
By Dave Hooker
Published:
Tennessee’s 50-17 loss to Missouri was a stark reminder that the Vols have little room for error against a quality opponent.
Think about UT’s two key wins this season, against Auburn and Kentucky. The Vols were crisp in each. The Vols were equally as flat against Missouri. Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt didn’t mince words after the game.
“We will have to go back and regroup,” Pruitt said. “We have one more game to play, and it’s a game that means a lot to a lot of people around here. The only thing I can say is that Missouri outcoached us and outplayed us today.”
Some programs can overcome a flat day. Alabama can put its foot on the gas against most anyone and pull out a victory. Georgia has proven it can throttle opponents even on an off day. The Vols couldn’t release the parking brake Saturday.
Tennessee fans would have liked to believe that the Vols were mature enough to play well in two consecutive games. They weren’t. After beating Kentucky 24-7 last week, all seemed swimmingly with the Vols. It’s not, especially with a backup quarterback trying to lead the charge.
It isn’t a shock that Missouri showcased a potent offense in UT’s season finale at Neyland Stadium. However, it must be disheartening for UT fans in how the Missouri manhandling went down.
The Vols gave up 494 yards and 29 first downs to the Tigers. It was almost as if the Tigers were in the Big 12, save one exception. The Tigers weren’t playing anything close to a high-flying offense. Imagine UT’s offense in the Big 12.
When UT is really good again — if that happens — the Vols will have to be far more consistent than they’ve been this season. The Vols are most adept at following a strong performance with a weak one. That’s a sign of immaturity. That’s a sign of a rebuilding program.
Missouri’s beatdown against the Vols makes UT’s upcoming game against Vanderbilt monumental. The Vols have to beat their cross-state rivals to become bowl eligible. Vandy is trying to secure the same prize.
The Commodores are 5-6 after a 36-29 overtime victory over Ole Miss on Saturday. UT should have shown the same spunk. Fans of much more successful football would see the UT-Vandy game as dull. No one is fighting for the College Football Playoff. Both teams are just fighting to have two more weeks of practice and a bowl game in a less than desirable destination. Nothing screams the holidays like Memphis in December.
Certainly I could try to convince you that those two weeks of bowl practice are important — because they are. However, the most significant conclusion that could be drawn from the Vanderbilt game is whether the Vols will fight. They didn’t on Saturday. Time for Tennessee fans to hope that’s not a harbinger of things to come.
If so, Rick Barnes has a team worth watching.
Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. He hosts an SEC radio show out of Chattanooga and covers the SEC for Saturday Down South.
