KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Two defensive series into the second half of Tennessee's thrilling 38-28 comeback win over Florida, first-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop saw something that he thinks totally unified his group.
With Florida facing a third-and-10 from its own 35-yard line, the Gators went with another screen that had frustrated this defense in the first half. As quarterback Austin Appleby released his pass to his left, junior defensive lineman Dimarya Mixon ripped through Florida's protection and crashed into running back Jordan Cronkrite for a 4-yard loss. In a matter of seconds, the Volunteers erupted with energy.
"That was the moment we came together as a defense," Shoop said. "It was a defining moment.
"There were just a whole lot of different things that came together for 30 minutes in what were arguably as big of 30 minutes for this program in a long, long time."
Mixon's hit and the Vols' effort on that play set the tone for a two-quarter hammering by the Vols after a jumbled first half of miscues and tightness that led to 300 Florida yards and 21 Gators points. Tennessee forced five three-and-outs, grabbed an interception and had two sacks in the second half. Outside of one long, late scoring drive, the Gators didn't muster much of a pulse in the final two frames, giving the Tennessee defense all sorts of confidence ahead of the 11th-ranked Vols' showdown with No. 25 Georgia in Athens.
Georgia's offense, which was dominated by Ole Miss last week, limps in with a true freshman quarterback in Jacob Eason, offensive line issues and an unhealthy lead running back in Nick Chubb. With the shark-like aggression Tennessee's defense has shown, especially in the second half against Florida, it could be a bloody feeding frenzy between the hedges.
"Hopefully we can do what we can to get as much pressure on [Eason] as we can," safety Todd Kelly Jr. said. "Hopefully at the end of the day I will be licking my chops, but until then I know he's a good player and he's back there for a reason."
Making Eason uncomfortable is the main objective. Bringing more guys at him could really benefit the Vols when you consider that Eason completed just 1 of 9 passes for 11 yards against Ole Miss' blitz last week. His line has also given up 12 sacks this season (three per game).
"We want to get after [Eason]," defensive end Derek Barnett said.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, when under duress against Ole Miss, Eason went 0-for-8 passing with a sack, an interception and a fumble. On the season, Eason is just 1 of 7 for 9 yards when under duress and hit. Teams are averaging a paltry 2.19 yards per play when under duress by Tennessee's defense.
"I think it's hard to scheme around fundamentals of football, and I think blocking and tackling are the number one things that you have to be able to do in football," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of developing a game plan based on Georgia's shaky line play. "... We've got to be able to block really well. That's important. ... To try to cover that up, you don't cover that up. You confront it."
Saturday, Smart's line will confront one of the most dynamic fronts it's seen this season, with an anchor that found his groove against the Gators. That would be Barnett, the All-SEC talent who registered both of Tennessee's sacks and was a one-man wrecking crew in the second half. Shoop said he energized this unit and brought the spark this defense needed to smother Florida.
"He was awesome," Shoop said. "I don't think I've ever seen a person quite take over a game like he did."
Barnett could be a real headache for the Bulldogs. Shoop loves to move him around to defend the pass and run from different angles. His quickness and strength make him a pain on the edges, and Rhode Island transfer Tyler Catalina will garner most of the Barnett duty Saturday. And, if Barnett gets going again, it'll allow Shoop to be more creative with his looks and will get his secondary to play up more, to help take away the run.
That's where Georgia must find answers. Tennessee surrendered just 106 rushing yards last week to a Florida team with four healthy backs. Georgia isn't even sure if Chubb, an All-American talent, will play because of an ankle injury and gave up five tackles for loss to Ole Miss.
The Dawgs found success running the ball late against Ole Miss when it was out of hand and gained 191 yards on runs to the outside. Unfortunately, Tennessee's defense isn't giving up much outside. In the last two games, Tennessee has allowed 61 yards per game on outside runs.
The aggressive nature of Shoop's defense, along with the speed and talent he's working with, has to be concerning for Eason and an offensive line that has struggled at the point of attack with one-on-one matchups this season. What's more concerning is that Tennessee's last second half might have just been a dress rehearsal of sorts, as this defense still feels like it can be a lot better.
"We still haven't played our best ball yet," Barnett said.