I bet this is something you didn’t expect to see heading into the first week of the college football season. Only two years removed from the Great Sunseri Debacle, the Vols’ defense turned a few heads in week one.
“It’s crazy what we have to defend in college ball,” Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek said in an ESPN article. “By no stretch is the defense ahead.”
In camp, Tennessee defenders finished each drill either with tackling or ball disruption. During non-tackling practices, they worked heavily on pursuit angles. Jancek counted only five missed tackles in 59 plays against the slippery Keeton and Utah State, which “stressed” the Vols with formations and pre-snap motion.
“We’ve always emphasized tackling, but the maturity level of the younger players allowed them to see the value,” Jancek said. “They recognized this is really important.”
Forum discussion: ESPN Loves us: Vols in ‘The Secret To Great D’
2 responses to “ESPN’s “Secret to Great D” features Tennessee”
5 missed tackles in 59 plays? Very impressive!
For our young defense in the first game, it’s not bad.