Consistent Pass Rush
One way the defensive backs can be supported is if the defensive line can get a pass rush going. Tennessee’s pass rush was nonexistent against West Virginia. Grier set career-highs in large part because he didn’t face any pressure on 25 of his drop-backs. The Vols’ front seven put pressure on the senior just eight different times.
It doesn’t matter if you’re playing West Virginia or East Tennessee State, that lack of pressure can’t happen. Any quarterback that can remotely throw a football will sit back in the pocket and carve up a defense when provided all day to throw. It all starts with Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor, Tennessee’s two most important pass-rushers. The pair combined for just two tackles as they did a poor job of setting the edge and found themselves blocked out of several plays against the Mountaineers.
If Kongbo and Taylor can get any pressure on the edge, it’ll set up nicely for Alexis Johnson, Shy Tuttle, and Kyle Phillips to receive one-on-one match-ups, leading to open gaps that Daniel Bituli and Darrin Kirkland Jr. can jump.
It’s a collective effort to get pressure on the quarterback, but Pruitt and this group have to find a way to do so or it’ll be a long season.
