Unexpected Underdogs Poised to Shake Up College Football Playoff First Round: Who Will Defy the Odds?
Next up, at 26.4%, is Tennessee. The Vols rate highly in this department every year, but defenses have reached a new level of “not loading up at the line of scrimmage” against them this year. Perhaps that’s out of fear of Iamaleava, who has been inconsistent (a 76.9% well-thrown rate, below the national average of 77.5%) but likes to air the ball out (11.0 average air yards per attempt) and has flashed brilliance in certain moments.

The main beneficiary of defenses’ bodies-off approach to the line of scrimmage has been running back Dylan Sampson, who gained 5.8 yards per carry and made first-team All-SEC. Tennessee was outnumbered in the box on 25.9% of Sampson’s snaps at running back, a much lower rate than any of his peers in the conference. Sampson took 193 carries against an even or offense-advantaged box – 59 more than anyone else in the SEC – and averaged 6.2 yards on them.

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