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Tennessee Football: 2021’s Three Biggest Surprises

By Kathryn Rose

Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel reacts to a call in overtime at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel reacts to a call in overtime at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue /
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Tennessee defensive back Alontae Taylor (2) takes down Georgia running back James Cook (4) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.
Tennessee defensive back Alontae Taylor (2) takes down Georgia running back James Cook (4) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. /

The Defense…Was Decent, Actually?

At first glance, Tennessee’s defense in 2021 doesn’t look great, ranking 12th in the SEC in yards allowed per game. Look closer though; they also faced more plays than anyone else in the conference. Adjusting for the number of plays against, the Vols ranked an impressive 5th in the SEC in yards per play allowed.

Alontae Taylor, the cornerback who became the heart and soul of the entire Vol football program, was always going to be one of the keys, but they needed more.

Joining him as a big-time player in the secondary was safety Theo Jackson, who became an all-SEC performer after 78 tackles and 12 pass breakups. Linebackers Jeremy Banks and Byron Young each put up 11.5 sacks apiece, and Matthew Butler took another step forward as the interior anchor on Tennessee’s defensive line.

The defense wasn’t perfect, as games against Kentucky, Alabama, and the bowl game against Purdue illustrate. Still, though, it held up enough for each game plan during the season to have a shot at succeeding.

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