Why the Offensive Versatility of Tennessee Separates them from the Pack

The Tennessee Volunteers had one of the most impressive performances of Week 2, which resulted in them moving from No. 14 to No. 7 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll following their dominant 51-10 win over NC State in Charlotte on Saturday.

Tennessee’s offense had their way versus the Wolfpack, getting it done in the run game and the pass game with an offensive attack led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. A scheme that Volquest‘s Brent Hubbs believes is misunderstood and dangerous for any defense they face this season.

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“I don’t think anybody truly understands the versatility of the Josh Huepel offense, it’s the Art Briles system that he’s tweaked,” Hubbs said at the On3 Roundtable. “And everybody thinks of Jalin Hyatt going down the middle of the field against Alabama and they think of just over the top throwing plays, explosive plays, 60-70 yard touchdowns.”

“The reality of this offense is they’re very much rooted in the run game and they can play the run game in a variety of ways.”

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After leading the SEC in passing yards per game in 2022, Heupel and the offense adapted last season and led the conference in rushing. But so far this season with Tennessee’s personnel on offense, the offensive mastermind has been able to place the Vol’s rushing attack in a position where they may now be at the peak of their powers.

“They got RPO off of it, they can run the stretch, they can run tight end lead, power. They got into a two tight end set Saturday night against NC State to kind of neutralize some of that 3-3-5 look that State plays. And Dave Doeren, NC State’s head coach, said after the game we weren’t expecting that and we really hadn’t prepared much for that. And Tennessee got into it, liked it, and stayed in it, and adapted to it,” Hubbs explained.

The Vols rushed for 249 yards on Saturday, highlighted by 132 yards and two scores on the ground for running back Dylan Sampson and Iamaleava ending the game as the team’s second-leading rusher with 65 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown of his own. A ground attack that will only make things easier for the young, talented signal caller in the passing game.

“So the versatility that they have in the run game makes Tennessee unique and I think we’re only going to see Nico get better as the season goes along here,” Hubbs added. “But they can run the football effectively with Dylan Samson, those backs, to take some of the pressure off of Nico. Which I think is a good thing, it’s not going to be all on him to make a bunch of plays if they can continue to run the football schematically the way that they did.”

Iamaleava threw for 211 yards and two touchdowns as well in Saturday’s game, and it will surely be fascinating to continue watching him grow within Tennessee’s offense and see what heights he can potentially lead the Volunteers to this season.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s Heisman odds are on the move after the team’s win against NC State.

It was a massive weekend for the Tennessee Volunteers as they walked out of the Duke’s Mayo Classic with a 51-10 victory over NC State, who was ranked at the time. The Volunteers dominated on both sides of the ball and their impressive win vaulted them all the way into No. 7 in the AP poll rankings. Their spot in the rankings wasn’t the only thing that saw a shift this weekend though.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has quickly become a name to know in the college football world. He looked impressive against Chattanooga in week one and now with a ranked win added to his resume people are really starting to pay attention. So much so that Iamaleava’s Heisman odds have since changed, according to Draft Kings. Last week, Iamaleava was pinned at +1400 odds to win the Heisman and now those odds are even lower.

Iamaleava is not yet in Heisman finalist territory just yet but if the Volunteers keep playing like they have then it is likely he will end up in that range. So far on the season, Iamaleava has thrown for 525 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 74.5 percent of his passes. The Volunteers will host Kent State this weekend which will be broadcasted on SEC Network. Kickoff is set for 7:45 PM.

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MT. JULIET – It’s said that April showers bring May flowers, but for Green Hill’s Hawks, an early September downpour assisted in holding Summit without a score in a 20-0 win on Friday night.

A pleasant Friday evening that had a hint of fall in the air at kickoff took a sudden turn early in the second quarter when strong rain showers arrived and lingered throughout the rest of the game.

“I really felt like we handled the elements about as well as we could,” said Green Hill head coach Josh Crouch. “It was a torrential downpour for the majority of the game.”

An uneventful first quarter where both sides entered opponent territory but had drives eventually stall transitioned to the second quarter during a lengthy Green Hill possession.

A 15 play drive that took over five minutes off the clock resulted in the Hawks (3-0) getting on the scoreboard first with Caden Chandler’s 26-yard field goal with 7:56 left to play in the first half.

After a Summit punt, Green Hill established another productive drive that would lead to the home team doubling their advantage just before halftime. A career long 36-yard field goal by Chandler gave the Hawks a 6-0 lead with 1:19 remaining in the first half.

Attempting to find an offensive spark, Summit quarterback Mason McElhaney had a deep pass intercepted by Jason Grant with less than a minute to play before halftime. Green Hill’s try at a last second score before the break ended the half on a Kannon Burroughs 25-yard pass to Aaron Mattingly that reached the Spartans’ 11-yard line.

The struggles continued for both offenses in the second half as the rain continued to impact the contest.

Green Hill’s three-and-out to start the half was followed by another McElhaney interception that was picked off by Will Milner. Two minutes later, the Hawks turned the ball over on downs before getting it right back by forcing a Spartans three-and-out.

Still leading 6-0, Green Hill’s run heavy attack led to the game’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

A 10 play drive that lasted nearly six minutes ended in the end zone on a two-yard run by Burroughs. Chandler’s extra point put the Hawks up 13-0 with 10:39 to play.

A bouncing, wet football on the ensuing kickoff was misplayed by the Spartans’ return team, which allowed Will Butler to slide on the soggy artificial turf and scoop up the loose ball at the Summit 18-yard line.

Five straight Green Hill rushing attempts led to a one-yard score for Burroughs’ second visit to the end zone in the game. The PAT by Chandler would be the last point scored on the night in the home victory for the Hawks.

With the shutout, the Green Hill defense has held opponents scoreless two weeks in a row while not having surrendered a point in their last nine quarters dating back to the first week of the season.

“I’ve been really excited about the defensive side of the ball because they have been playing so well all the way back through the summer,” said Crouch.

“They are a really close, tight-knit bunch and you are seeing it on Friday nights.”

Summit finished the night with 114 yards of total offense. McElhaney completed five of his 18 pass attempts for 84 yards while also leading the team in rushing with 31 yards on the ground.
Receiver Luke Oliver caught four passes for 70 yards.

The Green Hill offense produced 312 yards as a team. Burroughs went 14-of-31 passing for 133 yards and rushed for 125 yards on 18 carries. Mattingly led the Hawks in receiving with five catches for 51 yards.

Green Hill is scheduled to play at Wilson Central on Friday, Sept. 13 while Summit (1-2) travels to Murfreesboro to take on Blackman High.