Many people coming into this game expected the Vols to fall flat and play uninspired against the 'Cats. However, as you can see in the highlight video, the Vols came out sharp and fast to jump out to an early lead. With some good fortune on Dobbs' pass to Croom, the Vols extended their lead to two touchdowns. Finally with a 40 yard run by Dobbs and then a short pass to Devrin Young, the Vols ended with 27 points against the Cats. Overall, the UT offense looked fairly sharp, while the defense seemed to keep pace as well. Lead by senior Corey Miller, the UT defense was relentless and much more aggressive. In fact, Corey Miller broke a school record for most sacks in a single game with 4.5, which was held by none other than the Minister of Defense, Reggie White.
With this win, the Tennessee Volunteers continue to hold a record that only themselves and Ohio State can claim: neither program has ever lost 8 games in a season. Simply astonishing. While Ohio State doesn't seem to threaten their chance at holding this feat anytime soon, the Vols have finished 5-7 in three straight years, so it's easy to say that this record has been close to being lost by us the past few years. While this accomplishment doesn't mean much when it comes to rankings and recruiting, it's cool to think that perennial powers like Alabama, Michigan, and Florida State can not say the same thing about their program's history.
Finally, I believe this win played a key part in keeping hope alive among the staff, players, and fans. Right now, this fan base only has a few things about this team to hang its head on to keep hope alive, and one of those things is recruiting. As of now the Vols are ranked 3rd by 247sports' recruiting service, and this 2014 class has 32 members. This is a very large group of highly sought-after athletes that many can come in immediately and play, and there's a great chance that we will add even more 4 and 5 star recruits to this list. With a foundation like this, it was important for this team to beat Kentucky on the road over the weekend. Any kind of slip-up by the Vols against Kentucky could have had catastrophic consequences when it came to the future of this program.
Something that I can tell you about the future of this program is that it is bright. There's no doubt about that. When it comes to how long it will be before this bright future becomes the present, I do not know this, nor does anyone else. But I'll tell you this...
...this man knows how to get us there. You be patient in Butch Jones, and Butch Jones will bring wins to you. Go Vols!
