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The university of Tennessee ended the 2015 season with 8-4 stats and tied for second in the SEC east and they are headed to a bowl game. On paper that sounds like a solid season in the SEC. But there is more to the eye test.
Tennessee’s four losses to #3 Oklahoma, former #8 Florida, Arkansas, and #2 Alabama equal a total of 16 points to separate UT from being undefeated. I’ll break that down a little more. In Florida’s two losses they were beat by a total of 32 points. Florida beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt by a combined seven points. Tennessee crushed Kentucky and Vanderbilt by a combined 56 points. The Tennessee defense held Alabama to 19 points, the fewest points they scored all season. Alabama averaged 35 points a game.
The Vols should be playing Alabama in the SEC Championship game and be in the playoff conversation. The reality is that they didn’t lean how to hold on to (big) leads in the second half. Add in the conservative play calling and that equals an 8-4 season.
I understand that when you’re 8-4 there is not a lot of attention on your program. But how is Tennessee’s running back Jalen Hurd not getting the attention he deserves? After the Missouri game, Hurd became the first sophomore in UT history to record 1,000 yards in a season. The sophomore has been the beast of burden every game since he started playing as a true freshman. He is a threat with his legs and he can catch too. Hurd rushed for 899 yards in 2014 and 1,158 yards for 2015. There were only three games where Hurd was under 80 yards rushing.
Yes, Alabama’s Derrick Henny leads college football with 1,797 rushing yards, but Hurd is just special. This is the calm before the storm and soon all of college football will be talking about Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd.
You would never know that Hurd has had two shoulder surgeries on his right shoulder by the way he carries the Vols on his back. His yards-per-carry will improve next year as he becomes Tennessee’s all-time leading rusher. Knoxville has been nicked named Wide-Receiver-U for their ability to produce dominant wide receivers and now with offensive coordinator, Mike DeBord calling the plays, the running game is putting W’s on the scoreboard and Jalen Hurd is the foundation of it all. So while the fans remember how much those four loses hurt, this team will be capitalizing on how much they Hurd!
Again, on paper, Tennessee is just another team going to a bowl game. But Coach Butch Jones has built this foundation brick by brick and Tennessee is about to explode. The Vols are back!