Tennessee looked routine in its season opener against Virginia in Nashville on Saturday.
The No. 12 Vols cruised to a 49-13 win at Nissan Stadium, providing at least a few answers that lingered during the offseason.
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Those answers could look different in the coming weeks, especially once SEC play begins at Florida on Sept. 16.
For now, here are the three things we learned about Tennessee in its 2023 debut.
Vols boast elite RB room
Running back was expected to be an area of strength for Tennessee's offense and the group delivered on Saturday.
The three main backs in Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson all had strong performances, combining for 234 yards and each had long stretches as the main ball carrier.
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Wright got the start and carried the offense on the opening drive, taking the ball on the first five plays, which included four runs and a pass that went for positive yardage. He finished with a game-high 115 yards on 12 carries and averaged 9.6 yards per carry.
Small got off to a slow start but found a rhythm early in the third quarter with five-straight carries to set up a scoring drive. He was second on the team in rushing with 67 yards with an average of 5.2 per carry.
Sampson made an impact as a freshman a year ago and showed why Tennessee's running backs room has three legitimate options again. He made an argument for being the Vols' offensive MVP vs. Virginia, scoring four touchdowns with three on the ground and the other on a pass from Joe Milton III on fourth down to cap the opening drive.
On an afternoon where the Vols' passing game got off to a sluggish start, the run game proved to be the headliner, which bodes well Tennessee's offensive balance going forward.
No drop off on defensive front
Tennessee's defensive line was a strong suit last season, finishing as one of the top run stoppers in the SEC.
There were a few question marks entering the season after LEO Byron Young left for the NFL but the Vols showed little to no drop off up front, setting the tone early and helping Tennessee to one of its most dominant defensive performances over the last three years.
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It started with James Pearce Jr. who was a force, totaling two sacks and two quarterback hurries. It was a promising start for Pearce who the coaching staff was hoping would take a big step after contributing as a freshman last season as well as Tennessee's pass rush efforts.
At defensive end, Tyler Baron tallied a pair of sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss and Omari Thomas and Omarr Norman-Lott combined for seven tackles and 1.5 TFL on the interior.
Tennessee held Virginia to just 95 rushing yards, including -9 yards in the first quarter and quarterback Tony Muskett was sacked four times for 22 yards.
Milton can use his legs
Aside from what he did in the passing game, Hendon Hooker provided another wrinkle in Tennessee's offense as a runner last season, rushing for 430 yards and five touchdowns.
Before Saturday, it remained to be seen what the coaching staff's plans were for Joe Milton III in the run game. In 10 appearances in 2022, mainly as a backup, Milton carried the ball 18 times for 77 yards.
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He was more of a factor with his legs vs. Virginia. In mostly designed runs, Milton picked up 33 yards on nine carries and scored twice, matching his Tennessee career high in rushing touchdowns.
One of his most impressive plays came on a run in the second quarter when he stiff armed and ran through a Virginia defender to set Tennessee up inside the five on a scoring drive.
Given the Vols' quarterback room, which feature just two scholarship players, it will be interesting to see the rest of the season how Milton is used in the run game but he showed another element to his game that could serve Tennessee well the rest of the way.
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