University of Tennessee Athletics
Four Downs: UGA Game by the Numbers
September 29, 2014 | Football
UTSports.com
Each week, UTSports.com takes a look at the numbers from the weekend past and the weekend ahead in Four Downs. This week: Third down is the power of ONE, Ya Hurd how he runs and a coin flip that defies the odds.
First Down: 1 - Third Downs Converted By Georgia
When Tennessee held Utah State and Arkansas State to a combined 7-31 on third down conversions, people were impressed. Yet, there was a feeling that the statistic would be short-lived with trips to Oklahoma and Georgia ahead. The stat did change. It got better.
The Volunteers proved that they didn't need the now-familiar tones of "Third Down for What" to get the job done as they had at Neyland Stadium. Two weeks after holding Oklahoma to 3-12 on third down, Tennessee allowed Georgia to convert on just one third down situation. The Bulldogs were 1-10 on third down, the fewest conversions allowed by a Volunteer defense since Western Kentucky was 1-12 in 2009.
On those 10 third down plays, Georgia gained just 24 yards.
If the feat was not impressive enough on its own, the Bulldogs entered the game among the best teams in the conference in third-down conversions at 44 percent.
Through four games, Tennessee has held opponents to 11-53 on third down, a 20.8 conversion percentage. That ranks the Vols first nationally in defensive third-down efficiency, a half-point better than Louisville's 21.3 percent (16-75).
Second Down: 119 - Jalen Hurd Rushing Yards
If you're starting to notice a trend with Hurd being featured in this space, you're correct. Hurd continues to impress and the numbers keep going up.
As you probably heard (and at some point, I'm going to stop unintentionally making that pun each week), his 119 yards were the most by a Tennessee true freshman since Jamal Lewis went for 127 in the 1997 SEC Championship Game.
If it seems like Hurd keeps getting better with every game he plays, that's because the statistics say that he is, even as the level of competition also improves. Hurd's last three games have been the three best games by a true freshman at Tennessee since 2009.
He debuted with 29 yards in the season opener and took a huge step forward a week later with 83 yards against Arkansas state, then the highest total for a Vol freshman since Bryce Brown's 104 against Western Kentucky in 2009. Hurd topped it in his first road game a week later with 97 at Oklahoma.
With a team-high 328 rushing yards on 72 carries, Hurd already has the best season by a true freshman since Brown ran for 460 in 2009. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, the exact same average Brown had on his 101 carries in 2009.
Third Down: Quick Hits
10- Consecutive coin flips lost. Tennessee continues to take the statistical anomaly to new highs, having dropped the 50-50 proposition in every game dating back to the meeting with Georgia in Neyland Stadium last season.
3 - Points on the first UT drive, the first points scored on an opening possession by the Vols in 2014. After losing coin the toss in each game, Tennessee has received the opening kickoff but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.
Not only did Tennessee score its first opening-possession points, Jalen Hurd's 3-yard run on the second play from scrimmage marked the initial first down picked up by the UT offense on an opening drive this season. UT had gone three-and-out in each of the first three games this season.
17 - Tackles by A.J. Johnson. It marked the 20th double-digit tackle performance of his career, the second this season after recording 11 against Oklahoma. The senior had nine in each of the first two games.
79 - Kick Return Yards for Devrin Young. He now has with 1,485 kick return yards, which leaves him 303 away from Leonard Scott (1,788) for second and just 369 yards from Willie Gault's all-time record of 1,854.
25 - Consecutive starts made by Justin Coleman.
69 - Receiving yards for Ethan Wolf, a new career high.
10 - Jalen Reeves-Maybin tackles, tying a career high set against Utah State.
101 - Career tackles for Curt Maggitt, who passed into triple digits with five stops against Georgia.
54 - Yards covered by Matt Darr's career-high punt in the second quarter.
46 - Yards on Aaron Medley's first-quarter field goal. It marked a career best and was the longest field goal by a UT kicker since Michael Palardy's 51-yarder at Missouri last season.
251 - Consecutive games with a point scored by UT, dating back to Sept. 17, 1994. It marks the fourth-longest active streak in FBS, the 10th-longest in history
Fourth Down: A Look Ahead
19 - All-time wins against Florida, the next opponent up for Tennessee. The Gators have won the last nine games in the series.
13 - Current scholarship players from the state of Florida.
8 - Wins on Oct. 4, versus four losses. The last time the Vols played on Oct. 4, UT knocked off Northern Illinois, 13-9 in 2008.
2001 - The last time the Volunteers opened SEC play against a team other than Florida, a 13-3 win at Arkansas on Sept. 8.
2003 - A 24-10 victory for Tennessee the last time the Volunteers played Florida at noon, as they will on Saturday when it's once again Football Time in Tennessee!
