The Tennessee Vols annihilated Western Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium, rolling up 657 yards of offense while holding the Hilltoppers to just 83 in a 63-7 victory.
Much maligned quarterback Jonathan Crompton easily had the best game of his career, leading the Vols offense by completing 21-of-28 passes for 233 yards and five touchdowns.
Despite an overall solid performance, Crompton had his issues, throwing two interceptions, neither of which coach Lane Kiffin said were his fault, had three passes tipped at the line of scrimmage and a fumbled snap.
Crompton’s first pick came as a result of a pass he threw into coverage, with three Hilltopper defenders within two yards of the intended receiver.
But the mistakes aside, Crompton looked like a quarterback that had a genuine clue, something he clearly didn’t have last season.
In fact, Tennessee’s offense in general looked like it had a clue, especially the line and running backs. The Vols rushed for 380 yards on 44 carries, with the line opening holes for Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown, David Oku and Tauren Poole.
Hardesty ran for 160 yards on 18 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter to give Tennessee a 35-0 lead.
Brown, the nation’s top-rated prospect, ran for 104 yards on 11 carries and scored Tennessee’s first touchdown of the 2009 season with 13:41 left in the first half.
But Brown found out the difference between high school football and the SEC, getting pulled from the game after sliding out of bounds on a play where he could have managed more yards had he stayed inbounds.
There were other miscues that resulted in turnovers for the Vols, including a fumble by Hardesty after he caught a short pass from Crompton early in the first quarter.
Another of the Volunteers highly touted freshman, Nu’Keese Richardson, muffed his first punt return in the first quarter, but later showed Tennessee fans the potential he has for being a game-changer.
Richardson returned three punts against the Hilltoppers for 30 yards, caught three passes for an additional 30 yards and had one rushing attempt for eight yards.
Freshman wideout Marsalis Teague led all Vols’ receivers with six receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown, catching Crompton’s fifth scoring pass of the game in the fourth quarter.
Kiffin’s play calling wasn’t dazzling, but it didn’t have to be. The Vols did a good job of executing their offense with an emphasis on running the ball.
As the season progresses, I suspect the play calling will get more imaginative, but for the season opener, it was clear the offense was geared to getting Crompton involved slowly, allowing him to get comfortable and make plays he’s capable of.
During the first quarter when Tennessee had two turnovers, a muffed punt and a roughing the passer penalty, I’d be willing to bet Volunteer fans began to think of the nightmare that was the 2008 season.
That team under the former coaching staff would have eventually defeated WKU, but the outcome would have been in doubt much longer, Crompton wouldn’t have enjoyed anywhere near the same amount of success and the Vols wouldn’t have come close to scoring 63 points.
In addition, some if not all of the Vols talented freshmen may not have seen any time on the field. Former coach Phil Fulmer was reluctant to play freshman because, as he was prone to say, “our system is too complicated.”
Well, Kiffin must have simplified the system or he believes in putting the best 11 players on the field.
Not to mention, while Tennessee would have won the game without the freshmen contributions, those young players are going to be vital to the Vols long term success this season. Giving them an opportunity to get game experience will prove to be beneficial as the schedule becomes more difficult.
Let’s not forget the defense, as the Vols showed off their new Tampa 2 directed by Kiffin’s father, Monte. Utilizing a scheme that’s perfect for the personnel on the defensive side of the ball, Tennessee bottled up WKU the entire game.
The Hilltoppers gained 66 yards on one of their 14 possessions of the game while managing only 17 yards on the other 13 combined. Granted, WKU won’t be a measuring stick the Vols can point to, but it gave the defense an opportunity to put the new defensive philosophy to use.
Even more importantly was how well prepared Tennessee looked, both mentally and physically.
Tennessee’s performance on the field was a direct reflection of the Vols new coaching staff, unlike last year’s team whose performance was a direct reflection of the ineffectiveness of the former coaching staff.
Beginning next week, the Vols will get an idea of how much they’ve improved. UCLA will visit Neyland Stadium with a 1-0 record after defeating San Diego State in their season opener 33-14.
Tennessee will look to avenge last season’s embarrassing loss to the Bruins, a game the Vols should have won by two touchdowns.
