The Tennessee offense runs close to 75 plays a game. Can the USC defense keep pace?
There’s no time to celebrate.
Through five games of the season, Clayton White’s South Carolina defense has shown a propensity for generating game-changing plays, leading the Southeastern Conference in turnovers and ranking 26th in the country in total defense.
However, the Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) haven’t faced an offense quite like the one they’ll encounter at Tennessee (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday. Led by first-year head coach Josh Heupel, the Volunteers operate at breakneck speed, putting defenses on their toes with an up-tempo, no-huddle approach.
All week long in practice, White and the Gamecocks coaches have emphasized the importance of lining up quickly and matching that pace. There’s no time to dilly-dally, no time to celebrate after a big play.
“You really got to have a plan,” White said. “You also got to continue to coach them on the little things. For example, if you make a play, this is not a time to turn around and do a five-second celebration. It’s time to get up, eyes to the sideline and play with a lot of sense of urgency. That’s kind of the word of the week here. Just move around fast, and you got to have a great sense of urgency, understand what’s going on with Tennessee and how they run the offense.”
The Volunteers have played fast from the get-go this season. In Week 1 against Bowling Green, Tennessee ran a whopping 88 plays on offense, leading the FBS with 3.37 plays per minute. Among the Vols’ 26 touchdown drives, 21 have taken three minutes or less.
Tennessee ranks 10th in the country in scoring offense while also ranking 125th among 130 FBS teams in time of possession, showing just how little time the Vols need to get down the field. They’re averaging 75.8 plays per game after big days against Missouri (78) and Tennessee Tech (79).
“The challenge is being detailed in your assignment, being detailed in what you have to do for the one play, get right back up, sprint back to the line and look to the sideline for the next call,” said redshirt sophomore defensive back Jahmar Brown, adding that USC’s scout team has tried to mimic that pace in practice. “We’re getting in a good groove of it.”
While up-tempo offenses are often associated with pass-heavy, air-raid approaches, head coach Shane Beamer pointed out this week that Tennessee tries to run the ball more than any team in the SEC, leading the conference in rushing attempts. The Vols rank seventh nationally with 255 rushing yards per game, and UT running backs Tiyon Evans (3rd) and Jabari Small (11th) both rank in the top 12 in the league in rushing with more than 230 yards each.
Defending the run is one area where White’s defense has proven vulnerable through the first five weeks of the season, as the Gamecocks rank 10th in the conference in rushing defense and have allowed 207 rushing yards per game against SEC opponents.
USC’s defense will have to tighten up against the run, especially on first and second downs, to have a chance at stalling the UT offense. Another key will be extending drives and possessing the ball on the offensive end, something that White said was crucial in USC’s win over Troy. With the offense converting third downs and marching down the field, White was able to spend more time on the sidelines with his defense making the necessary adjustments.
South Carolina’s own offense has averaged 62.6 plays per game, with opponents running 61.4 plays per outing through five games.
Against Tennessee, the Gamecocks will need all the time they can get.
“I know what their goal is, and rightfully so,” Beamer said. “And our goal is to be good on first down and be good on second down in order to get our rear ends off the field on third down, and then control the ball on offense and be able to score points, as well.”
How to watch Tennessee football game vs SC
Who: South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Neyland Stadium (102,455) in Knoxville, Tenn.
TV: ESPN2
On-air announce crew: Anish Shroff, play-by-play; Mike Golic Jr., analyst; Taylor McGregor, sideline
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (Todd Ellis, play-by-play; Tommy Suggs, analyst; Jamar Nesbit, sideline) … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite radio: Sirius 137/XM 201
Line: Tennessee by 10.5
