By Alec Nederveld
From 2008 to 2020, Tennessee went 78-82. Once one of the strongest brands in the strongest conference, the SEC, the Volunteers had become a laughingstock. The stretch included paying $950,000 for Georgia State to win in Neyland Stadium and going 0-8 in the SEC in 2017. Alabama won all thirteen matchups over the stretch, with the in-state Vanderbilt rivalry being far more competitive for Tennessee.
NCAA Sanctions had also hit the program. There are expected to be more sanctions for recent NIL violations, but paying players is effectively legal now and the violations are less of an issue. It’s different than shoving cash in McDonald’s bags during visits, possibly the funniest way to break NCAA rules.
Coaching was the biggest issue over the stretch. It started with the poor final year of Phil Fulmer‘s legendary career, before one decent year of Lane Kiffin. Derek Dooley then had three years, finishing with a losing record each time. Butch Jones had the most success, winning nine games in 2015 and 2016. However, he was fired after going 4-6 (0-6 in the SEC) en route to the winless SEC season. The infamous 2018 coaching carousel ended with the hiring of Jeremy Pruitt. A solid 8-5 record in 2019 was sandwiched between seven-loss seasons in 2018 and 2020. The McDonald Bag scandal was also under his time, leading to sanctions and more laughter towards Tennessee.
I was at McDonalds today and happened to misplace my bag which was full of money could you help me find it? @Vol_Football
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) January 20, 2021
With Pruitt being fired for cause in January, options for Tennessee were limited. Most of the top names were gone. However, recently hired AD Danny White had a plan and some connections. He brought over his head coach at UCF, Josh Heupel. Heupel was going to bring something different to Knoxville with proven success in the SEC. Falling under the Art Briles Veer and Shoot coaching tree, Tennessee would have the fastest and most modern offense in the traditionally defensive conference.
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Heupel’s track record, in both the SEC and beyond is strong. From 2018-2020, he went 28-8 at UCF, winning the American in his first year. He developed QB Dillon Gabriel into a 3,653-yard, 29-touchdown passer as a true freshman. In all three seasons, the Knights’ offense was top-five nationally in yardage and top-ten in points per game.
Before that he was the OC at Missouri in 2016 and 2017, developing Drew Lock into a star with the SEC’s best offense in points and yardage per game. He was a Co-OC for Oklahoma from 2011-2014 and was the QB coach for his Alma Mater between 2006 and 2010.
Not everything was perfect for Heupel. Like most up-tempo offenses, the defense gives up a lot of points and that was no different at UCF. In addition, his records got worse and worse every year in Orlando. Some asked if he was just a product of the structure Scott Frost set up. In addition, he was fired from Oklahoma after Lincoln Riley brought in his staff and his first go at OC was unspectacular. In 2015 at Utah State, Heupel’s offense was 64th of 128 teams in scoring for a 6-7 team.
When Tennessee stepped onto the field in 2021, we got what was expected from a Heupel-coached team and then some. The offense was in the top ten nationally in both yards and points but was bottom three of SEC teams in the defensive equivalents. Hendon Hooker, a transfer from Virginia Tech didn’t start until week three but became a star shortly after. He finished with an efficient 2,945 yards with 31 touchdowns to three interceptions. WR Cedric Tillman broke out, ending with 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns. The future was looking bright, especially considering how thin the roster was.
We all know how 2022 went and how the Tennessee offense faired. A historic 46.1 ppg to lead the country in scoring was paired up with a (mostly) improved defense, balanced running game, and more of the same from Hooker. His primary receiver changed to Jalin Hyatt, who caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading to a Biletnikoff Award win.
The season included the immaculate, streak-ending win over Alabama. Hyatt and Hooker connected five times in the end zone. Chase McGrath kicked a game-winning field goal, causing pandemonium on the field and goalposts in the Tennessee River. The Volunteers also blew out SEC West Champions LSU and #19 Kentucky by a combined 84-19. Following the Kentucky win, Tennessee was #1 in the initial CFP poll.
However, we also know how that season ended. Tennessee lost to Georgia in week ten, then again two weeks later in a blowout to South Carolina where the defense allowed 63 points. Adding injury to insult, Hendon Hooker would tear his ACL. Luckily, Joe Milton finished the season strong, showing improved accuracy and throwing 10 touchdowns to zero picks. He was set to be “the guy” for the following year, so this was a promising sign for the Volunteers.
Joe Milton dominated Clemson in their bowl game to end last season:
🔸19/28
🔸251 yards
🔸3 TD (10 TDs in ‘22)Hendon Hooker is out, so is this the year Milton finally lives up to his 4-star prospect rating?
— Redshirt Heisman (@TasteOfSport) May 16, 2023
2023 was disappointing, to say the least. We didn’t see the jump from Joe Milton. We did see versatility from Heupel, as Tennessee switched to a run-first offense, but we didn’t see the team show up in big games. The Volunteers lost 29-16 to a 5-7 Florida team. They were outscored 27-0 in the second half as they lost 34-20 to Alabama. Cody Schrader ran all over Missouri, losing 36-7. Finally, Georgia dominated with a 38-10 win in Neyland.
The bowl game gave the best look at what Tennessee can be next season. Against Iowa and their stiff defense, the Vols won 35-0. Notably, this was former five-star Nico Iamaleava’s first start. The defense obviously won’t be as effective since they don’t have the luxury of playing the Hawkeyes’ laughably bad offense, but the efficiency and dual-threat QB should continue to factor in next year. Iamaleava ran for three rushing touchdowns as HB Dylan Sampson did the heavy lifting with 133 yards.
Now that Tennessee has shown an improved defense, their ceiling is so much higher. They will never be the team to win 13-10 but could survive an off day to get a win 23-20. Iamaleava looks to be the future and should lead a tough-to-stop offense. Tennessee could easily go back to their winning ways and find themselves in the 12-team playoff next fall and beyond.
