Tennessee football’s pass defense distinguished itself with crucial first-half interceptions, and its running game too often was too much for Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.
That combination proved decisive as the No. 18 Vols improved to 2-0 with a 45-24 victory over upset-minded Georgia Tech (0-2). But that one-two punch wasn’t enough to produce a runaway comparable to the Vols’ 56-9 victory over Furman in the season opener.
If you were familiar with Georgia Tech’s history under fourth-year coach Brent Key, you might have thought the Vols were catching the Yellow Jackets at the wrong time. His teams have been at their best as underdogs and have upended at least one nationally ranked opponent in each of the past four seasons.
Georgia Tech showed its resolve just when the Vols seemed blowout bound after taking a 31-10 lead early in the third quarter.
The Yellow Jackets sprung to life behind the passing of quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who led them 75 yards for a touchdown and had them on the brink of another score when UT defensive back Dejuan Lane broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
But that wasn’t Lane’s biggest play of the game.
Tennessee secondary play vastly improved
Lane was so dialed in on a second-quarter bubble screen, you might have wondered if he had slipped into the Georgia Tech huddle. He cut in front of the intended receiver, intercepted Mendoza’s pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.
Linebacker Jeremiah Telander picked off another Mendoza pass to blunt a Georgia Tech threat in the final minutes of the first half.
UT’s pass defense in a starring role? How’s that for a switch.
One quarterback after another thrived against UT’s pass coverage last season when the Vols ranked 112th nationally in passing yards allowed per game.
Tennessee running game clicks again
UT’s rushing game also factored prominently in the victory as the Vols rushed for 299 yards. Not surprisingly, DeSean Bishop, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, jump-started the offense with a 33-yard run on Tennessee’s first possession.
The running game wasn’t a one-man show, though. Javin Gordon and Daune Morris also contributed. Morris’ speed seemingly caught the Yellow Jackets off guard when he skirted left end for a 16-yard run around left end in the second quarter.
UT didn’t lose its running momentum at halftime. Bishop carried six times for 50 yards on its first possession of the second half as the Vols took a 31-10 lead.
He also finished what he started, running 29 yards for a touchdown as the Vols took a 28-point lead with 4:25 to play.
The Vols weren’t done, though. Morris sped through the Georgia Tech defense on a 47-yard touchdown run with 1:30 to play.
Faizon Brandon better than his stats showed
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon again gave the Vols another running threat, though his stats weren’t nearly as impressive as they were against Furman when he ran 10 times for 68 yards and completed 13 of 17 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
Brandon rushed for only 22 yards but made key third-downs runs and threw two touchdown passes. He was just 10-of-21 passing for 148 yards but – unlike Mendoza – he protected the football.
How good is Georgia Tech?
The Yellow Jackets aren’t as bad as I thought while watching them lose to Colorado. But characterizing them as more than a mid-level ACC team would be a stretch.
Georgia Tech has averaged slightly better than seven wins per year in Key’s three previous seasons. That’s commendable. But it’s not headed in the right direction. Dating back to last season, it has lost six of its past seven games.
So, what can you make of the Vols’ 14-point win?
Beating an FBS opponent on its home field is noteworthy. Doing so with a true freshman quarterback in his first road game is also meaningful. Another positive sign: A defense that returns only two starters looks more competent than last season’s model.
But more significantly, Tennessee avoided stumbling against a program that has been at its best in an underdog role.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football pass defense steps up first, running game finishes the job | Adams
