Game Prep: Vols' Defense Lead By Aggressive Front

The South Carolina Gamecocks are facing a Tennessee group that's shaky on the back end but athletic and aggressive in the box.

South Carolina is gearing up to play one of their most formidable opponents on the season Saturday night when they take on a college football playoff hopeful in the Tennessee Volunteers. 

While Tennessee's defensive unit doesn't carry the notoriety that their offense does, the Gamecocks' offense can ill-afford to take them lightly due to the vast talent the Volunteers possess.

What has Tennessee done defensively that has made them a Top 40 team nationally in terms of points allowed?

Subtle Chaos

One thing the Volunteers' defense likes to do is create confusion, falling partly in line with the play style of their offensive counterparts, and they accomplish this in various ways. 

Tennessee makes up for their lack of exotic blitzes by running stunts and twists with their defensive line, forcing the opposing offensive line to process their surroundings much quicker to avoid disaster.

Tennessee will showcase another unique facet of its scheme in its 3-3-5 formation. They'll drop a line defender for one who's recognized by the offense as a second-level defender, intending to mess with the quarterback's psyche.

Masking Their Weak Point

A common component of good football teams is a keen awareness of their strengths and weaknesses and basing their game plan around them. Regarding Tennessee's defense, if there's one area that an opponent with the proper offensive setup can exploit, it's the Volunteers' secondary.

Due to this, you'll usually see Tennessee play more soft zone unless the situation dictates otherwise. 

Even if just a few skill players are out on the edge, the Volunteers will respect this by running a zone blitz that still sends defensive backs back into coverage, an indicator of their concerns regarding giving up explosive plays.

Entrusting Their Athletes

While the Volunteers might stray away from heavily relying on their secondary to go and win them football games, this is not the case with their defensive line. 

Tennessee conveys a lot of confidence with simple things they do schematically upfront, such as allowing defensive linemen to shoot through a predetermined gap instead of being reactive and believing in their ability to wreck plays.

On 3rd and long situations, you'll see Tennessee's defensive line take a wider alignment to give them an outside angle that aims to evenly collapse the pocket and give them a shot at the opposing quarterback. 

Spencer Rattler and South Carolina's offensive line unit will need to come ready to play on Saturday night, as their performance could make or break the Gamecocks' chance for offensive success.

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