Tennessee Football: 3 fixes Volunteers must make for 2020 success

3. Start faster and finish stronger

Tennessee’s early-season struggles were defined by their lack of ability to start and finish. Those are two simple words, but they sum up exactly what ailed the Vols in 2019.

Their inability to start is the easiest trait to identify. This team opened the season by digging themselves the deepest hole they possible could, and it took an unprecedented effort to climb out of it.

It all started in the opening week against Georgia State. An FCS team, and not an elite one, came into Knoxville and beat Tennessee straight-up. In the following week, Tennessee failed to finish a game in which they had BYU left for dead. The Volunteer defense allowed a 64-yard pass from Zach Wilson to Micah Simon, setting up a game-tying field goal that would send the game into overtime, where the Cougars would grab the victory.

Of course, Tennessee finished the year with a six-game winning streak, but a run like that should have pushed this team to a ten-win year. It was those two losses to open the year that held back the Volunteers from truly breaking into the SEC conversation as double-digit winners.

Its sounds simple, but it’s far easier said than done. If Tennessee can become a more consistent team, they’ll avoid putting themselves behind the eight-ball before the SEC slate even begins.