Tennessee Vols: Five Reasons They Are Going Bowling after a 2-6 Start
Shortly after the Georgia Bulldogs dismantled the Vols in the middle of October, many were wondering if this Tennessee team was the worst in the SEC. Sure, they should have defeated LSU in Baton Rouge and were a bad third quarter away from defeating Florida, but losing by 27 to a bad Georgia team seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Now, barely one month later, the Vols are awaiting a bowl invitation following their 2010 SEC East-best four-game winning streak in the month of November.
So, how did Tennessee go from 0-4 in October and 2-6 overall to 4-0 in November and bowl eligible at 6-6 overall?
Over the next few slides you'll see exactly why Tennessee won't be home for the holidays after another stellar final month.
The Schedule Lightened Up Considerably In November
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Tennessee's September schedule was bookended by UT-Martin and Alabama-Birmingham. Unfortunately for the young Vols, two Top 10 teams filled out the two weeks in the middle. Of those two teams, Oregon is now on the verge of playing for a National Title. Florida, while completing a disappointing 7-5 season, was ranked No. 10 in the nation when they played the Vols.
Then came October when Tennessee lost a heart-breaker on the road at No. 12 LSU. The next week the Vols were pounded at the hands of a Georgia team determined to end its four-game losing streak. Then Tennessee played No. 8 Alabama and No. 20 South Carolina to end the month.
For a young, inexperienced team playing for its third head coach in three years, that's an enormous mountain to climb.
So, it was no small relief when November's schedule began with one of the worst Memphis teams in a very long time. The next week, Tennessee put up 50-plus on a bad Ole Miss team. After that, all that was left were perennial Tennessee punching bags Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
Tyler Bray
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Tyler Bray was named the starter shortly after he played the entire second half in relief of Matt Simms against South Carolina. The difference between the two was like night and day. Of course, when you consider the teams that Simms started against you might see one reason why that was the case.
There's no denying, however, the spark that Bray, a true freshman, brought to a previously stagnant Tennessee offense.
In Bray's first two starts, against Memphis and Ole Miss, the Vols scored 50-plus points. Simms quickly became an afterthought.
Bray's a gunslinger and is still very young and raw, but there's no questioning his value to this Tennessee team and its remarkable turnaround in 2010.
The Re-Establishment Of Wide Receiver U
3 of 5Tennessee already had two of the most underrated wide receivers in the SEC with seniors Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore. Add to that mix 6'4" speedster Justin Hunter and the rivals.com No. 2-rated wide receiver in the nation, Da'Rick Rogers, and you'll see one of the reasons quarterback Tyler Bray has been so successful this season.
Hunter routinely stretches the field with his amazing athleticism. He's tall enough to get any jump-ball and fast enough to bolt by opposing defenses.
Rogers has been utilized more on the running game, but his speed and quickness have been a remarkable addition to this team.
But it's the seniors that have come through in a big way for Tennessee in November. Denarius Moore likely became a legit second round NFL draft pick, and Jones has made play after play on his side of the field.
The Vols offense has been nearly unstoppable since the wide receivers have re-emerged as the stars of the show.
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Senior Leadership
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So much was made of the youth and inexperience on this Tennessee team. That combo was blamed for many of the struggles this season--and rightfully so. But if you blame the youth for the problems, you must praise the experience for the solutions.
The Vols trio of Luke Stocker, Nick Reveiz and Chris Walker were the vocal leaders on this team through the best and worst of times in 2010.
Reveiz, the middle linebacker, was the heart and soul of the defensive unit all season long. Really, the former walk-on has served in that role for much of the last two seasons--even after he tore his ACL during his junior year.
Walker is another exemplary leader who not only talked the talk but walked the walk for Tennessee this season.
Had Luke Stocker left after his junior year, he would have likely been drafted in the second round of the NFL draft. He stayed and never griped when he became the third or fourth option for much of the season.
Without the stellar leadership which these three and more have provided, the Vols would likely not have finished the season on a four-game winning streak.
Derek Dooley
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After losing multiple players and commitments due to the drastic change of losing a head coach two weeks before signing day in January '09, the newly hired Derek Dooley had his work cut out for him. 2010 was not going to be a great year for the Volunteer football program anyway, but beginning the season with its third head coach in three seasons made the task even more daunting.
Dooley was a relatively unknown commodity when he was hired in January. Sure, his last name is far from unknown in SEC circles, but the best attribute many Vols fans could point to was his longtime association with Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Still, Vols fans were behind him because he said all the right things to the media--when he actually talked to the media, that is. Dooley appeared to be the anti-Kiffin. But one major question still remained: Could he coach?
Wes Rucker, Tennessee beat writer for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, went on a Chattanooga radio station before the season and said that if this Tennessee team finished 6-6 or better Tennessee had hired one heck of a coach.
With Saturday's win over Kentucky the Vols improved to 6-6 and will likely play in the Music City Bowl in December.
If winning half your games and going to a bowl game with fewer than 70 players on scholarship in the rough and tumble SEC isn't a good enough answer, then you may never be satisfied.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
