Western Kentucky vs. Tennessee
Postgame

7 Toppers

1 2 3 4 Tot WKU 0 0 7 0 7 Tennessee 0 28 7 28 63 Final

63 Vols

Well, there are so very many positive things to say about this game that it is hard to really know where to start, thus, I’ll just start at the top, here are the stats for the game:

The stats speak loudly.  Tennessee racked up a whopping 710 total net yards.  Last season the Vols managed only 3,225 yards on the season, today they produced over 20% of last season’s total yards in a single game.  They scored more points than they have since the 2000 game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Even more surprising was the balance in the offensive yardage between the pass and the run.

Passing

I am hardly surprised that the Vols managed big numbers on the ground, but the passing game was a pleasant surprise—oh what a change from 2008.

In fact Jonathan Crompton pretty much had a career day while Nick Stephens also notched  some quality time:

On this point, I am really happy for Jonathan Crompton.  After all of the adversity he suffered through last year, it is so nice to see Crompton have a strong showing.  As I mentioned during the liveblog earlier, Crompton just looked like he felt much more comfortable and confident in the pocket.  He looked like he knew what he was supposed to do.  He looked like he understood the plan and he looked like a quarterback who was having fun.  In several of the shots from the SEC Network broadcast you could see him smiling in the huddle.  After a 2008 season in which he received death threats from Tennessee fans, I am so glad for this young man to see him go out and be able to perform the way (according to Clay Travis’ “On Rocky Top”) he had dreamed of since he was a child.

What a change a year can make…

Receivers

On the receiving end of Crompton’s passes were a bevy of Volunteers.  It was nice to see a lot of players getting a lot of touches.  Of particular note were Marsalis Teague, Quintin Hancock, and Nu’Keese Richardson who combined for 182 yard receiving, while tight end Luke Stocker added 23 yards and two touchdowns.  Nice to see that the Kiffin cadre of coaches realize that the big guy at the end of the line can catch the ball too.

Despite the worst fears of fans of the Vols, the men in orange look like they have finally shaken off the sour taste of offensive ineptitude that was so pervasive in 2008.  Again, a nice change.

Running Game

Of course the running game was hardly lacking.

Montario Hardesty led with a banner day of 160 yards—more than half of the 271 yards he had in all of 2008.  Freshman Bryce Brown also showed why he was the number one ranked recruit in the country with his 107 yards in his first game in an orange shirt. Meanwhile, Tauren Poole and David Oku added 58 and 47 yards respectively.

Of course all of this was made possible by the excellent zone blocking by the Vols’ offensive line which opened holes that even I could have run through.  Nice game by the big guys in the trenches

Defense

I expected the Tennessee defense to look tough and they did.  I was really stuck by how well they seemed to be able to adapt to both the pass and the run.  This was particularly apparent when, with about 4:50 to go in the second quarter Western Kentucky attempted a reverse.  The quarterback, showing a pass had a face full of orange as he made the pitch, but the backs were all over the reverse as they brought the carrier down for a loss.

I will be honest, I am still trying to learn what to look for in the Monte Kiffin’s “Tennessee Two” defense, but all I can say is that the Vol defenders have clearly taken to the Full Monte’s scheme.

Coaching

I did not try to keep track of the specific calls today, but for the first time in years I was thrilled to see that I did not always know what was coming next.  There was a great mixture of run, pass, pocket, roll-out, off-tackle, sweep, and over-the-middle.  Heck, we even got to see the direct snap (which I imagine UCLA will be looking at meaningfully this week).  I’ll probably have a better grasp on exactly what we did and when after I get a chance to watch the game again.  For now, however, all I can say is that the Vols looked very well coached—they were not flawless, but they knew what they were supposed to do.  This game was an excellent way to start the Lane Kiffin era as the Blackjack General was clearly in command of the field.

Yes, I think we may have made the right choice in terms of coaches.

Final Thoughts

Yes, this was only Western Kentucky.  Yes, we were supposed to win this game.  We were also supposed to win our games against the UCLA Bruins and the Wyoming Cowboys last year.  I know that the competition level is going increase exponentially in the coming weeks.  Still, at least Tennessee has shown that it has a solid grasp on fundamentals.  They have shown that they can play as a team.  They have shown that they have the ability to do great things.

Do we know how they will match up against the Florida Gators?  No.  But at least we know that they are ready to play.

After all, I’ll take a win over a loss any day of the week…

– So it goes…

About the Author:  "Lawvol" -- I'm just a guy living in North Carolina who has an unnatural fascination with the color orange. Just because I'm a Tennessee alum and die-hard Volunteer fan doesn't mean that I can't poke a little fun at the Big Orange and anybody else for that matter. Feel free to complain all you want. >> Read more from this author

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