Situational growth offensive key in winter doldrums
In year one, Tennessee’s offense led by Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh set records. Records for points. Records for big plays. Hendon Hooker joined elite company with over 30 touchdown passes. Cedric Tillman made the exclusive 1,000 yard club.
Both are back and with that comes expectations. In fact, the Vols made multiple way to early top 25 lists following Monday night’s national championship game.
But as the Vols head into what I call the dark period, Alex Golesh said it’s these winter doldrums that separates teams from each other.
“I enjoy getting to work in February and March with our guys. I told them after the last game what you are getting ready to go into are the dark days of college football. There’s really no light at the end of the tunnel. There’s really no reward. There’s no fans. There’s no anything but this is when teams are made,” Golesh said Sunday night on The Nation. “This is when elite offenses are built. I’m excited for our guys to get back here and go through a real off-season and build it from the ground up. To continue to pour into our culture That part I do love and I’m excited. I think our guys have been through some hard. I think we have to keep going through hard for us to become the best version of ourselves. That part excites me.”
So what is the best version or a better version of the Vol offense in year two. More explosive plays? Yes. A better run game? Yes. Better pass protection? Yes. The reality is the offense can get better in every phase. For Golesh the area of greatest improvement is with playing better in different scenarios.
“It’s situational football,” Golesh offered. “It’s the one yard line going in at the goal line. It’s going to come down to converting third downs. That’s where you win football games. It’s truly in the margins. The points are great, the yards are great all of that, but I think you still have to run the football to win games. I think you have to be able to finish games in the 4th quarter. More than anything we have to become a way better offense understanding situational football. Understanding what it takes to convert. Understanding when we have 4 downs instead of 3. At the end of the day, the explosive plays are what gets everyone excited, but converting third downs and scoring touchdowns instead of kicking field goals is really what’s exciting. I think those are the margins where we have to continue to get better.”
Tennessee finished the year 80 of 178 (45%) on third downs which is a good number and is impressive considering they were awful in the second quarter. But the Vols have to finish better on third and short and fourth and short. They had two opportunities at 4th and 1 in the bowl game and failed.
The other area where the offense has to grow is in the redzone. After all, Monday night’s title game reminded everyone that you don’t kick field goals and win. Alabama converted more third downs. The Tide had 2 plays of over 40 yards, Georgia had three. The difference was in the finish. Georgia in three trips in the redzone scored 17 points. Alabama in 4 trips scored 15 points including 3 field goals on their first three trips which changed the complexion of the game.
The Vol offense in year two must be better in the redzone and that includes Golesh and Heupel’s play calling. Tennessee had 58 trips in the redzone in 2021. They scored on 49 of those trips (84%) but they only had 39 touchdowns in those 58 trips (67%). That percentage has to be better. Translation — Tennessee has to play situational football better. And more importantly they have to find a way to run the football better especially near the goal line where throwing windows are much smaller.
It’s all a part of the second year growth in the doldrums of winter where no one is watching. However this year’s dark period is different. The identity of the offense is cast. The foundation is known and established. So instead of trying to build something, you are trying to build off something. A concept that is welcomed for the Vols.
“Year two in our system is really, really big. We are so unique in what we do offensively I think year two in general the way you are teaching now changes,” Golesh said. “Instead of it being the first time they are hearing it, they are hearing it for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th time they have heard the same coaching points over and over again. At the same time we have to evolve and continue to change. Now we have gone through a year and see what SEC defenses look like and how SEC defenses play us. We have to continue to evolve and change. The goal at the end of it doesn’t change. We want to be the best version of ourselves at the end of it. Whatever that looks like it looks like. I have told our offensive guys and coaches the same thing since the day we got here. Our goal is to become the best version of ourselves.
“There is a ton that we left out there. We will show them as opportunities lost and how to win those opportunities and then we will go to work.”
Working with an identity and a purpose. A welcomed concept to a group that spent last winter wondering who their coach was going to be.