Tennessee Pass Rush

[bpalmer28]

If you go back and look at the best defenses in CFB over the last 5 years, they don’t lead the nation in sacks. Sacks are awesome, but they don’t correlate (much less cause) good defense.

Defense is all about control. Are you forcing fast pass plays and requiring teams to keep a RB/TE in to block? Are you forcing the QB to move (or forcing him to stay in the pocket when he wants to escape)?

If a DL gets quick pressure against a 7-man protection and forces the QB to roll out of the pocket and throw the ball away or check it down, that’s a huge win for the defense. But the win is invisible on the stat sheet.

The best ways to get a lot of sacks is to take risks. A speed rush attacking a tackle on his outside shoulder might get home, but the tackle could just as easily push the play upfield and give the QB a nice lane. A blitz might get home, or it might set up an explosive for the offense.

Any bum can get pressure. It’s just math. An elite defense applies pressure while maintaining gap integrity and forcing the offense to play off balance.

My eyes say that Pearce having a great season so far, but that expectations may be a little inflated based on getting lots of sacks last year. He’s affecting the game.

Tip of the hat sir. Good post.

 

[Willie Hutch]

Nobody is upset. Just thinking about the upcoming game and what it will take to win. One way to lose is to fail at pressuring Arnold. When he's under pressure, he has a tendency to throw it to the wrong person. Therefore, I'd like to see our pass rushers get in his face. James Pearce Jr is one of the best pass rushers in the country. Saturday would be a good time to put that ability on display don't you think?

I agree with the sentiment of this post. When I read the original post, this isn't the sentiment I get at all. Probably just a disconnect between the 2. I agree I'd like to see Pearce Jr ball out. I want us to win and I want him to have as high as draft stock as possible.

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

I have asked about why Pearce has been in a milk carton. And some have said teams are scheming against him. Well duh. When you have a guy line Pearce, teams are gonna scheme against him. And if NCST and Kent State can neutralize him, then we are in big trouble.

Unless Pearce really starts turning it on, this whole talk about him being a top 5 pick was nothing but hype. Very disappointed in his play so far. When you are as talented as Pearce is, you dominate regardless of the situation.

Lololol dude how many teams that we’ve played have dropped back and passed? We get hit with quick game all game and in 2 games he played maybe 30 combined snaps… yall be so foolish sometimes it hurts like do you understand what a TEAM is? He barely has had any true pass rush snaps we are +178 the greatest in a 3 game stretch in the history of college football and you are “disappointed” just answer me have you ever played a down of football In your life?

 

[Carp]

Time to make an appearance.

All this talk about James Pearce Jr. and he’s got 1 tackle on the year. 0 sacks. As a team we are tied for 96th in sacks with 4. And it’s not because our opponents were loaded with NFL offensive linemen.

I have asked about why Pearce has been in a milk carton. And some have said teams are scheming against him. Well duh. When you have a guy line Pearce, teams are gonna scheme against him. And if NCST and Kent State can neutralize him, then we are in big trouble.

Unless Pearce really starts turning it on, this whole talk about him being a top 5 pick was nothing but hype. Very disappointed in his play so far. When you are as talented as Pearce is, you dominate regardless of the situation.

Pearce has played a grad total of 53 snaps this year. I believe that is the lowest by a good amount among our starting defensive players. And yes, the offensive scheming of the opposing teams is part of it. But our pass rush has been very good. The reason the stats aren't there is because we are #2 nationally defensively on 3rd down percentage. That means we generate a ton of 3 and outs.

Combine that with our 1st string playing only about 5 quarters total in 3 games, and you are left with the numbers we have.

Seriously, we haven't allowed a TD all season and teams are only converting 15% of 3rd downs against us, and you think our pass rush is an issue????

 

[RockyTop140]

So teams have the blueprint to neutralize Pearce? The thread is more about Pearce not the defense as a whole. The defense is doing great. Pearce hasn’t done anything really. Some of us are wondering why he hasn’t gotten any sacks through 3 games. He is an elite level pass rusher.

You keep mentioning Pearce hasn’t done anything. Go rewatch the snaps where he’s in. He’s pretty consistently bringing pressure and causing the qb to move/get the ball out quick. He’s just as fast/explosive as last year

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

He needs to be all over the field Saturday night

 

[Carp]

So teams have the blueprint to neutralize Pearce? The thread is more about Pearce not the defense as a whole. The defense is doing great. Pearce hasn’t done anything really. Some of us are wondering why he hasn’t gotten any sacks through 3 games. He is an elite level pass rusher.

He's probably been involved in about 20 passing downs total and he hasn't been rushing the passer every one of those either. If the blueprint to nuetralize Pearce is to run the ball and throw screens, quick slants, and out patterns, then teams will have about as much offensive success as our last 4 opponents.

We should hope that teams continue employing that sort of offense against us. We might not allow a TD all season.

 

[onevol74]

This is a non-issue for me. We are 3-0 and have one of the best run defenses in the country. No one has yet to score a TD on this defense. When that changes I will worry about defensive weaknesses. Right now I do not see any.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

You should tune in for some game tape. I hate to tell you but I don’t think our secondary is world class yet. Our pass rush is making them appear that way. We get lots of pressure. NFL scouts will see that to. I could care less about individual stats when we aren’t allowing touchdowns in 12 quarters of football. I expect you’ll see a lot more if the defensive scheme opened up this week. We haven’t needed it up until this point. I’d love to see our blitz % so far. It’s prob nearly nonexistent. You have to look at the big picture.

 

[JRVOL11]

Pearce will be fine, teams have been chipping and playing to his side so far. He would’ve had a sack on Nc state off the spin move he did if Mcall didn’t run a qb draw & would’ve had one on kent state if they didn’t hold him. Teams have been throwing quick against us so far, now that we are in sec play the sacks will start to come.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

You should tune in for some game tape. I hate to tell you but I don’t think our secondary is world class yet. Our pass rush is making them appear that way. We get lots of pressure. NFL scouts will see that to. I could care less about individual stats when we aren’t allowing touchdowns in 12 quarters of football. I expect you’ll see a lot more if the defensive scheme opened up this week. We haven’t needed it up until this point. I’d love to see our blitz % so far. It’s prob nearly nonexistent. You have to look at the big picture.

Jakobe Thomas and Jermod MCcoy were big acquisitions from the portal. The secondary probably still has issues but man, those two guys have played some great football.

 

[Doctrippin]

I have asked about why Pearce has been in a milk carton. And some have said teams are scheming against him. Well duh. When you have a guy line Pearce, teams are gonna scheme against him. And if NCST and Kent State can neutralize him, then we are in big trouble.

Unless Pearce really starts turning it on, this whole talk about him being a top 5 pick was nothing but hype. Very disappointed in his play so far. When you are as talented as Pearce is, you dominate regardless of the situation.

Very true. They schemed against Derrick Barnett too and he broke a record for sacks

 

[Doctrippin]

Thus far there hasn't been an opponent to cross the goal line on offense. Let's worry about the pass rush once that actually happens.

If we keep that stat intact Sat night, this is a natty team

 

[the_great_pumpkin]

Let the debate !

 

[Ritzwatch]

 

[Vol in Buckeye Land]

If we were giving up yards and points while not reaching the passer then you would have a point. But right now we're 2nd in the country in yards allowed and #1 according to ESPN's defensive efficiency stat. The lack of sacks by Pearce and the team isn't an indictment of their play. If anything it's an indication of our dominance. Pearce has barely had to play because we've been blowing everyone out. And our opponents are so scared of our pass rush that they are rushing everything in the pass game and going max protect.

Once teams start playing us straight up rather than scared you'll see the pass rushers start to get sacks.

For once, D4H is dead on, folks. Read this post two or three times if you need to in order for it to sink in.

 

[pricevol5]

This is like complaining about Barry Bonds having no home runs in 3 games when he’d be walked in 10 of 12 plate appearances.

 

[Deathandtaxes]

This might be the dumbest thread I have seen in awhile. No, this is the dumbest thread I have seen in awhile. There are very logical common sense answers but ya know… that would require common sense.

 

[m1al]

This thread.....

 

[Other_Guy]

Dumb thread is dumb.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

This is like complaining about Barry Bonds having no home runs in 3 games when he’d be walked in 10 of 12 plate appearances.

Maybe the best comparison possible. In 2002 Barry Bonds was seeing like one decent pitch every couple of games and he would knock it out of the park.

 

[Volfan76]

Time to make an appearance.

All this talk about James Pearce Jr. and he’s got 1 tackle on the year. 0 sacks. As a team we are tied for 96th in sacks with 4. And it’s not because our opponents were loaded with NFL offensive linemen.

Teams have been playing us to not get blown out so far. Assuming OU plays to win, Pearce will eat this week.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

"As a team we are tied for 96th in sacks with 4"

And we are #2 in overall defense. What are we upset about here?

Nobody is talking about the overall defense. We are talking mainly about Pearce. We all got excited when he was projected as the #1 overall pick in 2025. He returned as the best defensive player in the country. He has done next to nothing. Some of us are just wanting him to start playing like we know he can and stop disappearing.

Our overall defensive ranking is irrelevant to the conversation.

 

[volnbama_]

Nobody is talking about the overall defense. We are talking mainly about Pearce. We all got excited when he was projected as the #1 overall pick in 2025. He returned as the best defensive player in the country. He has done next to nothing. Some of us are just wanting him to start playing like we know he can and stop disappearing.

Our overall defensive ranking is irrelevant to the conversation.

saying he's disappeared bc he hasn’t gotten to the QB in his limited snaps is an elementary way of looking at his play

 

[WeeohdeeWood]

For once, D4H is dead on, folks. Read this post two or three times if you need to in order for it to sink in.