Tennessee holds on to defeat Ohio, despite another lackluster performance

After an impressive second-half performance in the Battle at Bristol, many thought that Tennessee had finally awoken and would play up to its potential for this season.

However, in a turn of events that will surely concern Volunteer fans, Tennessee played poorly yet again. For the second time this season, the Vols under-performed at home against a team they should’ve outmatched.

To begin the game, though, Tennessee started at a blistering pace. In just three plays, the Vols went 55 yards in only 38 seconds. The drive began with a 35-yard run by Alvin Kamara on the first play of the game – his longest play of the season. Two plays later, quarterback Josh Dobbs connected with Josh Malone on a 20-yard touchdown. It was Malone’s third touchdown reception in as many games, and it gave the Vols a quick 7-0 lead.

After that touchdown, things were considerably more rough for the Vols.

Tennessee scored just one more time before halftime, while allowing Ohio to kick four field goals. The Vols were largely responsible for the Bobcats’ opportunities to kick those field goals, having shot themselves in the foot several times with inopportune penalties.

The first half was also an injury nightmare for the Vols. Two of the team’s captains – Cam Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin – left the game with injuries. Danny O’Brien, another defensive starter, also left the game with an injury, but he returned to the field.

“Cam Sutton will be out an extended period of time,” according to coach Butch Jones. “I will know more tomorrow.” On Sutton’s impact on the team, Jones added, “You give me 11 Cam Suttons, and we’ll win a lot of football games.”

Coach Jones also provided an update on Reeves-Maybin’s injury. “His (Reeves-Maybin) is a shoulder,” said Jones. “I hopefully anticipate him back this week. I should know more tomorrow.”

These in-game injuries, along with the absence of Darrin Kirkland Jr. and LaTroy Lewis to ankle injuries and Malik Foreman to a suspension, left the Tennessee defense severely depleted.

In the second half, the Vols looked a bit better, but they still underwhelmed.

Much of these problems continue to resonate from the same sources – the offensive line and the inconsistency of quarterback Josh Dobbs.

The offensive line was pushed around and bullied all game, giving up three sacks. One sack in particular embodied the line’s struggles – Ohio only rushed four men, Tennessee was called for holding on the play and Dobbs was still sacked. If the line doesn’t improve and get into rhythm quickly, the Vols will be in for a tough time with Florida next week.

“We’re searching right now for the best five that give us the best opportunity,” coach Jones said in regard to the offensive line struggles. When asked about improving the offense as a whole’s consistency, Jones said, “I think it starts in practice, first and foremost. We have to do a much better job as coaches demanding that.”

Keeping the offensive line struggles in mind, Dobbs cannot be blamed entirely for the team’s lackluster performance. Although, he does deserve his fair share. Dobbs finished 19-for-27 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. That stat line isn’t too bad, but if you watch his play on the field, it was obvious that he was holding the offense back.

There were multiple occasions where Dobbs overthrew a wide-open receiver. Had he been more accurate, those would have been touchdowns. There were also several times that his passes were deflected near the line of scrimmage that nearly turned into more interceptions for the Ohio defense. Although he didn’t lose any fumbles, Dobbs still struggled to consistently hold on to the football.

There were bright spots, though.  Josh Malone continued his great start to the season by reeling in five catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara finally got more involved on offense, albeit mostly in the run game, but it was still promising to see him utilized more.

The major bright spot to take away from this game is the play of defense. Considering the losses that the team was facing coming into the game, along with the injuries they experienced in-game, it is impressive that the defense was able to play as well as they did. They could have easily broken and allowed Ohio to rack up points. However, they remained tough and held the Bobcats to four field goals, rather than giving up touchdowns.

The Vols have been able to avoid disaster so far this season, but the time is now for them to wake up and play up to their potential.

“Trust is huge. It’s the number one thing,” Dobbs said at the post-game press conference.

He’s right. The team must be able to trust the offensive line to turn their abysmal start in 2016 around. However, the team must also be able to trust Josh Dobbs to put them in the best position to win.

When asked about next week’s game against Florida, “Ya know, it’s the most important game because it’s the next game,” said Jones. “We’re gonna play a really, really good football team.” On how they have to prepare for the Gators, Jones said, “It’ll be a challenge for us. We have to get better in a hurry.”

Edited by Dalton King 

Featured image by Hayley Pennesi, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics 

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