By Jimmy Hyams
You’ve got the ball on the one-foot line, but you can’t score.
You force a turnover on a fumble through the end zone, but it’s negated by a penalty.
You force a third-and-10 when it’s 14-0, but another penalty gives Alabama a first down en route to a touchdown drive.
You score on a 97-yard interception return and a star defensive player classlessly flips off Alabama fans with both middle fingers.
That, folks, is Tennessee football. And it’s not a pretty site.
It must be frustrating and maddening for Tennessee fans to watch the Vols continue to implode, this time in a 45-7 pasting Saturday afternoon against No. 1 Alabama.
Alabama showed why it is undefeated.
Tennessee showed why it’s 3-4 and headed toward a losing season – unless things change dramatically on offense.
In my 33 years of covering Tennessee football, this is the most inept offense I’ve seen.
Tennessee’s attack has now gone 14 quarters without scoring a touchdown. It crossed midfield only twice against the Crimson Tide’s top-ranked defense. It managed just seven first downs.
It was outgained by a staggering 604 yards to 108 yards (3.2 yards per snap).
It converted 1 of 12 third-down tries and faced third downs of 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 17, 8 and 7 yards. The Vols have now made good on 5 of 37 third downs spanning three games.
As bad as the third-down offense has been, the red zone offense has been just as bad. It ranks last in the SEC and among the bottom 20 in the nation. The Vols have scored a touchdown on 10 of 20 trips in the red zone; they are 10 of 12 v. non-SEC opponents, 0 of 8 against SEC teams.
“The offense had way too many negative plays, no explosive plays, and too many tbhree-and-outs,’’ said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, now 2-8 in his last 10 SEC games.
The offense refrain has become familiar, and I see no relief in site.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano complete 9 of 16 passes for 44 yards – and some considered that progress.
I don’t think Tennessee can post a winning record in its last five games with Guarantano at the helm. He is not accurate, he stares down receivers, he holds the ball in the pocket too long, he doesn’t anticipate receivers breaking open and he isn’t that good of a runner.
In short, he’s not ready for prime time playing.
I would strongly consider going back to Quinten Dormady, if his bum right shoulder is healthy enough to perform. After all, he did play very well in the second half and overtime against Georgia Tech, and did a nice job in the fourth quarter against Florida.
I’m not the only one that would look to Dormady.
Former Tennessee great Tim Irwin said on WNML’s Sunday Sports Soundoff that he would go back to the junior.
“Don’t pay the price to get him (Guarantano) ready,’’ Irwin said.
But there might not be a way to fix Tennessee’s inept offense at this point.
The offense line is awful. The receivers don’t get open consistently and drop too many passes. And the quarterback play might be the worst in the SEC.
Quick: Name an SEC team that has had poorer quarterback play.
Irwin also thinks UT’s offense must do two things to get better: Find the tight end and get the ball to receiver Marquez Callaway.
In the last 14 quarters, Tennessee’s offense has gained 561 yards, allowed 14 sacks and averaged 2.98 yards per play.
One series in the fourth quarter against Alabama typified how pathetic UT’s offense has become.
The Vols took over on the Alabama 20 after a fumbled punt. Two plays later, roughing the passer put the ball on the 5. Two runs put the ball on the 1 after John Kelly was ruled to have come up a foot shy of the goal line.
Just as I predicted before the snap, UT was guilty of illegal procedure, moving the ball back to the 5. A run gained 1, then, on fourth down, Guarantano threw well behind intended receiver Kelly and Alabama intercepted near the goal line.
Had Guarantano led Kelly on the pass, UT would have scored.
That, in a nutshell, tells you where UT’s offense is.
And if it doesn’t get much better soon, UT’s three-game winning streak could stretch to four at Kentucky this Saturday.
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