There’s a three-play sequence that gives a near-total snapshot of Tennessee’s offense this season as the Vols debut at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2022. It came during the epic tide-shifting win over Alabama, early in the second quarter.
On first-and-10 out of a stoppage, Tennessee short-motions one receiver into a stack alignment and hits a modest in-breaking route that goes for a big gain. The Vols follow it up almost immediately with a run play that goes for a short gain inside the 10. They line up again for a play that ends up being stopped by the officials, and then they score on a two-yard plunge.
It may not be what you think of with the Tennessee offense if you’re expecting the highlights you’ve seen of streaking receivers in acres of space (and who doesn’t love watching receiver Jalin Hyatt behind a busted coverage 50 yards downfield from QB Hendon Hooker?). But these plays showcase the things that make this offense so difficult to stop from a down-to-down basis. Like any good unit, Tennessee has five core offensive philosophies:
