Tennessee Beats Austin Peay In Home Opener
Yes, the Vols are 2-0, but it doesn't carry the same feeling that many expected. Heading into week three against Florida, Tennessee hasn't put together a consistent passing attack, which is shocking considering their history under head coach Josh Heupel. Austin Peay gave Tennessee everything they had in front of 102,000 fans in Knoxville.
The obvious headline is quarterback Joe Milton III, who had a very uneven performance on Saturday. The numbers read fine - Milton accounted for three touchdowns, had an efficient passing mark, and had more passing yardage than he did in week one. However, the eye test told us much more than the box score. Tennessee tried to air the football out on their first two drives, but after a series of misses by Milton, with the receivers mixing in a few drops, they essentially became a screen-pass offense for the rest of the game.
SEC play begins next week - Tennessee is facing Florida, who looks like one of the worst teams in the conference. However, they are far better than Tennessee's first two opponents, and the orange and white haven't won in The Swamp since 2003. They won't be able to throw screen passes and run the football exclusively - Heupel must open up the playbook, whether with Milton or not. To be clear, the sky isn't falling. Heupel could have predetermined that they would scale back the passing concepts and not give too much away. Nonetheless, Tennessee needs Milton to be better against the Gators.
The defense was the bright spot on the day, totaling a bunch of TFLs. The secondary looked better, though there were some learning moments. The front-seven continues to improve weekly, and inside linebacker Aaron Beasley looks like an early All-American candidate. While it's easy to be down on Tennessee right now, they are 2-0, which is the best they could be through two weeks. Week three must be better, but they continue to move at the expected pace for now.
Tennessee Volunteers RB Jaylen Wright scampering through the middle against Austin Peay on September 9th, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Randy Sartin of USA Today Sports)
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