SEC Spin Zone: Week 1

Happy (belated) Labor Day, Vols fans!

There’s no secret your team got smoked on Saturday. I’m sure you’ve seen all the memes shared about being the only SEC team to lose this weekend. It’s okay to be bummed out, but let’s be honest here, the West Virginia Mountaineers are simply better than the Tennessee Volunteers right now. They’re also one of the better teams in the country as it stands. Things aren’t as bad as they may seem.

Facing a West Virginia offense led by Will Grier, David Sills and Gary Jennings Jr. (1,096 receiving yards, but only one TD last season?????) was a baptism by fire for the Vol secondary and they indeed got torched. 429 yards and five TDs. This was the glaring theme of the game, but there’s a lot of film to analyze and thankfully, this might have been the most prolific passing attack you will see all season. Missouri is on the schedule, but that game isn’t until November 17th.

The offense sputtered for most of the day, but Tim Jordan still managed to gain 120 yards rushing on 20 carries, some of which were incredibly bruising. That stat should be encouraging going forward and the other backs will wake up as the season carries on. Ty Chandler certainly will not average -4 yards for the season. This duo could prove to be one of the most dynamic in the SEC by season’s end.

Another number that the Vols can look at favorably is zero. Tennessee had zero turnovers and that is quite impressive for the first game of the season against a Top 25 opponent. We all know how far ball security can take you.

Being the only team featured in this article may sting, but all things considered, this was the first game under a new coach during the first week of the season. If you’re a Vols fan and anyone at work tries to talk smack, it’s incredibly likely their team didn’t face a potential Heisman candidate and Top 10 offense. Don’t forget to remind them of that.