Run Game Flies Under the Radar

[SNAFU]

-At Tennessee, Heupel is 24-3 in games where the team rushes for 150+ yards and 3-9 when it doesn’t. UT did it against Iowa that bottled up Michigan’s run game, something Bama couldn’t do.
-Previous years under Heup
2021 — 2,832 yards (4.9 ypc)
2022 — 2.593 yards (5.0 ypc)
2023 — 2.663 yards (5.4 ypc)
-1st time UT has rushed for over 2,000 yards in three consecutive years since a stretch from 1989-1994. The first time in school history that the program has ever rushed for 2,500+ yards in three consecutive years. And this is a gimmicky offense?

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Our offense relies on the run game first and foremost. Anyone who doesn't understand that isn't paying much attention. And anyone who says we run a gimmicky offense also isn't paying attention. Notice when Hyatt and Hooker were putting up video games numbers it was "gimmicky" but I didn't see anyone saying that with Joe at QB.

 

[malibuvol]

Our offense relies on the run game first and foremost. Anyone who doesn't understand that isn't paying much attention. And anyone who says we run a gimmicky offense also isn't paying attention. Notice when Hyatt and Hooker were putting up video games numbers it was "gimmicky" but I didn't see anyone saying that with Joe at QB.

Because with Joe, it wasn't 'gimmicky' at all...Not at all...

 

[Doberman]

The only “gimmicky” thing about the offense is the tempo.

Otherwise, it’s just foozeball.

 

[SpookyAction]

That is the offense. The Rushing game is the key to the whole thing.
QB as threat and RBs gashing the running lanes as defense pulls DBs to the sideline to defend the bubble screens.
Everything else flows from there.
Hooker and Dillon Gabriel were both very good in the scheme. An accurate QB that can run make big things happen.
Nico shapes up to be the perfect Heupel QB.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

The only “gimmicky” thing about the offense is the tempo.

Otherwise, it’s just foozeball.

Maybe add the to the boundary alignment of up to 4 wide.

 

[AlsaceFreak]

Wright did not get the credit he deserved this year. He just got left off the ESPN Top 100 players in College Football list for 2023. Complete travesty....
There were several RB's on the list. Wright led the nation in Yards Per Carry of all the RB's with at least a 1000 yds. The list of RB's with 1000 yards per carry is not that long so to do that in a 3-person backfield is even more impressive.
Not to mention how many running backs took the ball untouched, 75 yards for a TD against the best Defense in the country the last few years...

To back up my point... Blake Corum had only 100 yds more rushing than Wright despite having 103 more carries than Wright! He made the list..
You give Wright 100 more carries, and he probably leads the nation in rushing.
Same with Ray Davies of Kentucky who made the list. Only a 120 yds more rushing yards than Wright and he had 62 more carries than Wright.
Wright got shafted on that list.

 

[ntxVOL]

The running game is what puts pressure on defenses. Spreading the field keeps defenses from loading the box. Soon those safeties start looking in the backfield and that opens up the passing game. Adding tempo just puts even more stress on the defense. When it's all working, it's a beautiful thing.

 

[Orangethumb]

We all know this, but I hope everyone else still thinks it's a gimmick and we smash them for 200 a game again this year.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Our offense relies on the run game first and foremost. Anyone who doesn't understand that isn't paying much attention. And anyone who says we run a gimmicky offense also isn't paying attention. Notice when Hyatt and Hooker were putting up video games numbers it was "gimmicky" but I didn't see anyone saying that with Joe at QB.

Haven’t we ran the ball more than we have passed it since Heupel has been here? Or am I wrong?

 

[Jackcrevol]

if we'd had ANY semblance of a dynamic playmaker (other than squirrel) at WR, wed have won ten games. that's just it.

Thought play calling and execution in Gainesville was abysmal. Mcallan was a weapon. What we did versus Iowa in the I, showing multiple looks, would have won us that game in Gainesville. Esp with Joe running into endzone.

 

[The Original Fade]

When it’s new and successful and your favorite team didn’t think of it, it’s called gimmicky. That’s why they say that.

 

[norrislakevol]

Makes sense. If you run the ball on average 50 percent or more of the time and you get less than 150 yards that means that the opposing teams defensive front 7 is being effective against you, and is making you somewhat one dimensional.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

if we'd had ANY semblance of a dynamic playmaker (other than squirrel) at WR, wed have won ten games. that's just it.

Thought play calling and execution in Gainesville was abysmal. Mcallan was a weapon. What we did versus Iowa in the I, showing multiple looks, would have won us that game in Gainesville. Esp with Joe running into endzone.

It's going to be interesting to see this season how much of that was our WR's and how much of it was Milton. If guys like Squirrel, Nimrod, and Thornton have big years, we'll know it was Milton. If they meander like they did this year, well, we know Huep missed on those guys. Hopefully Bru will be back 100% and guys like Matthews and Brazzle and be big contributors.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Our offense relies on the run game first and foremost. Anyone who doesn't understand that isn't paying much attention. And anyone who says we run a gimmicky offense also isn't paying attention. Notice when Hyatt and Hooker were putting up video games numbers it was "gimmicky" but I didn't see anyone saying that with Joe at QB.

When Joe was QB it was called "game management".

 

[KTrain]

Makes sense. If you run the ball on average 50 percent or more of the time and you get less than 150 yards that means that the opposing teams defensive front 7 is being effective against you, and is making you somewhat one dimensional.

Usually the big culprit for this O for lackluster performance is the 3 and out. Most of the time it happens and is aided by penalties. Like our first series vs Iowa. We make a 20 yard run Dang yellow flag Holding Ollie, now its 1st and 25 next play Cooper has a offsides penalty. This is what crippled this O most of the year. You get behind the sticks and it screws up your script.Remember a team we rolled over after that 1st series caused the team to limp to a 0 to 0 at the end of the 1st Quarter.The good thing these 2 back to back penalties were the only ones vs Iowa then we rolled. We need to work on discipline and be aware of when you get in a certain areas of the field, getting your arms on the outside of D player gives a trigger finger to a yellow thrower an opening. Looking for experienced disciplined O-line next year and if we can keep penalties down have good chance for the final 12. GBO

 

[NMVol]

Vol run game ranked 9th nationally this year.

 

[norrislakevol]

Usually the big culprit for this O for lackluster performance is the 3 and out. Most of the time it happens and is aided by penalties. Like our first series vs Iowa. We make a 20 yard run Dang yellow flag Holding Ollie, now its 1st and 25 next play Cooper has a offsides penalty. This is what crippled this O most of the year. You get behind the sticks and it screws up your script.Remember a team we rolled over after that 1st series caused the team to limp to a 0 to 0 at the end of the 1st Quarter.The good thing these 2 back to back penalties were the only ones vs Iowa then we rolled. We need to work on discipline and be aware of when you get in a certain areas of the field, getting your arms on the outside of D player gives a trigger finger to a yellow thrower an opening. Looking for experienced disciplined O-line next year and if we can keep penalties down have good chance for the final 12. GBO

Yes, this too! ^^^

 

[kptvol1452]

The running game is what puts pressure on defenses. Spreading the field keeps defenses from loading the box. Soon those safeties start looking in the backfield and that opens up the passing game. Adding tempo just puts even more stress on the defense. When it's all working, it's a beautiful thing.

I watched Ole Miss bowl game
they played fast good QB rbs and wr TE was awesome they
looked like Vols 2022.....