The 5 Most Telling Stats for the Tennessee Volunteers This Season

With the 2014 regular season now in its final month, it's time to reflect on what the Tennessee Volunteers have done statistically so far to get a good idea of how the team will finish down the stretch.

The Vols have been up and down this season. For the first half of the year, Tennessee's defense appeared to be a strength, while the offense was a liability.

But in recent weeks, the roles seem to have reversed, with opposing offenses torching the Vols and Tennessee's own offense showing flashes of brilliance under the command of sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs. 

Of course, the biggest question on the minds of everyone associated with Tennessee football—from fans to players to coaches—is what the Vols need to do to make a bowl.

With so much statistical data available through nine games, it's much easier to get a read on both the Vols and their remaining opponents at this point in the season.

Here are five telling stats that could play a huge role in Tennessee's chances to win out and earn a bowl berth for the first time since 2010.

Tennessee Has a 35.7% Chance of Finishing 7-5

USA TODAY Sports

After a strong start against Utah State and Arkansas State, as well as a tough but highly competitive loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, it looked like the Vols were well on their way to making a bowl game and finishing in the top half of the SEC East standings.

But a brutal loss to the Florida Gators, followed by losses to the Ole Miss Rebels and Alabama Crimson Tide, made that kind of finish seem unlikely.

However, Tennessee has new life with the emergence of Joshua Dobbs at quarterback and an impressive come-from-behind win on the road against South Carolina. The Vols now stand a pretty good chance of winning out and finishing the season with a 7-5 overall record and a 4-4 record in conference.

In fact, ESPN's FPI statistics show that Tennessee currently has a 35.7 percent chance of beating Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt to finish 7-5. 

In addition, after a brutal opening stretch that featured Top 15 opponent after Top 15 opponent, the Vols now face just the 65th most difficult remaining schedule in the country.

The Vols Are a Borderline Top 25 Team

USA TODAY Sports

Yes, the Vols currently have a lowly 4-5 record and have only won a single SEC game this season. But despite the team's unimpressive win-loss record, Tennessee is ranked just outside the Top 25—according to both the Sagarin Ratings and ESPN's FPI (Football Power Index). 

Much of that is due to the Vols' brutal schedule and the difficulty of playing on the road against teams like Oklahoma, Georgia and Ole Miss.

Tennessee is unlikely to receive any Top 25 votes in the AP Poll unless the team runs the table and wins a bowl game against a decent opponent, but the Vols also aren't as bad as they appear to be at first glance.

With a slightly more forgiving schedule, Tennessee's worries about becoming bowl eligible could already be a moot point.

The Vols' Rushing Attack Is Four Times as Effective with Dobbs at QB

USA TODAY Sports

Despite having one of the most talented running backs in the country in Jalen Hurd and a seasoned veteran in Marlin Lane, the Vols' rushing attack was abysmal against quality competition to start the season—averaging fewer than 65 yards per game against major conference foes (including zero against Ole Miss), according to NCAA.com statistics.

With Dobbs in at quarterback against Alabama and South Carolina, however, Tennessee piled up 505 yards of offense on the ground for an average of 252.5 yards per game. 

In this case, statistics aren't necessary to tell the story. Even a casual viewer of both games could see that Dobbs' rushing threat opens up big lanes for Hurd and Lane that didn't exist earlier in the season.

Granted, South Carolina's defense is among the worst in the SEC, but Alabama gave up the most yards on the ground all season to Dobbs, Hurd and Lane. 

Having a respectable rushing attack is vital for success in the SEC, and the Vols will need to take advantage of that to win their remaining three games.

Tennessee Is 117th in Passing Yards Per Completion

USA TODAY Sports

Part of this statistic is due to offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian using short screen passes as part of the run game, and part of it is due to the lack of success Tennessee has had connecting on deep balls this season.

Still, ranking almost dead last in yards per completion—10.15 yards per catch—is a concern for the Vols moving forward.

Tennessee's dink-and-dunk passing game can be effective at times, and the Vols have 2,121 total passing yards this season.

But as head coach Butch Jones frequently points out, the offense needs more big plays, and so far, the Vols haven't shown much for opposing defensive coordinators to fear when it comes to attacking down field for touchdowns or big chunks of yardage.

The Vols Are 3rd in Penalty Yards Per Game

USA TODAY Sports

Need further proof that Butch Jones is changing the culture at Tennessee? 

The Vols are not only third in the country in fewest penalty yards per game, but they're also tied for fifth in fewest overall penalties per game, according to NCAA.com.

That's impressive considering how many freshmen are starting or playing significant minutes on both sides of the ball for Tennessee this season.

And for a young team, minimizing penalties is important when the margin for error is razor-thin.

In fact, penalties could play a big role in Tennessee's final three games considering Kentucky is ranked 59th, Vanderbilt is tied for 62nd and Missouri is tied for 96th for fewest penalties per game.

With at least two of the three remaining games expected to be close, Tennessee's penalty and home field advantage could play huge roles in helping the Vols finish the season on a high note.