Tennessee’s aggressive defense carries the burden for an uneven offense

Knoxville, Tenn. — Tennessee’s defense under coordinator Tim Banks has been loaded with enforcers this season, forming a unit that is one of the best in college football.

It’s fitting because Banks’ initial plan was to enter law enforcement after finishing an all-conference career as a cornerback at Central Michigan.

“I wasn’t even thinking about coaching,” Banks told ESPN on Tuesday. “I wanted to go back to Detroit and become a police officer.”

But that all changed while waiting for his wife Robin in Central Michigan. Someone on the Chippewas staff told Banks he should go into coaching. He thought about it, and he and his wife stayed up late for the next few weeks and sent resumes around the country.

Only two coaches responded: Brian Kelly, then at Grand Valley State, and Bowling Green’s Gary Blackney. Both responses were “Thanks, but we don’t have any openings.” But later that year, in 1996, shortly before preseason camp began, Banks got a call from Steve Spagnuolo, then Bowling Green’s defensive backs coach and now the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator.

Bowling Green’s staff had had trouble with a graduate assistant, and Spagnuolo wanted to know if Banks was still looking for a job.

Now, 12 jobs later — from coaching duties to running back, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, safety and defensive coordinator — Banks is in charge of a blossoming defense that flipped the script in Knoxville.

The No. 11 Vols, known for their up-tempo and high-scoring ways under head coach Josh Heupel, are still trying to find their way on offense with first-year starting quarterback Niko Imaleva and a line that has struggled to defend him. As a result, they lean on a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 19 points in any of its six games and ranks among the top five nationally in scoring defense, total defense and third-down defense. Tennessee has allowed just three plays from scrimmage of 30 yards or more, tied for the fewest in the nation.

Flashy stats are all well and good, but Banks said what Tennessee (5-1) does on defense from here on out is important and, most importantly, it does its part to help the Vols stay in the hunt on defense. SEC title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“It was building for us, and we were ready for this moment,” Banks said. “We obviously weren’t perfect, but our guys embraced it. They believed in our offense, and we’ve got to hold a team to 10 or whatever that number is, that’s our thing.

“How much better can we get?”

Tennessee’s defense faces its toughest challenge of the season Saturday when No. 7 Alabama (5-1) comes to town. Jalen Milroe is easily the best quarterback the Vols have faced and has already accounted for 23 touchdowns (12 passing and 11 rushing). Alabama (34.3 points per game) is second in the SEC in scoring in conference games behind Texas.

“It’s another chance to prove to the world that Tennessee plays some defense, too,” fifth-year senior defensive lineman Bryson Eason said. “That tone Coach Banks came in here, playing with a chip on your shoulder. I think he’s had that chip on his shoulder his whole career, and you see the way we play.

“We scrap for everything and ball out for each other.”

Tennessee needs everything (and then some) from its defense this season. For the first time in Heupel’s four seasons in Knoxville, the Vols’ offense has gone three straight games with two or fewer touchdowns. In the Vols’ three SEC games, they have yet to score more than 23 points.

But even a year ago it wasn’t an offensive smorgasbord for them. They were held to 20 or fewer points in five of their eight SEC games.

“As a football team, we’re trying to be plus-one on the scoreboard, and if we can find a way to be more than that, that’s great,” Heupel said. “We’ve never been anything but together since I’ve been here, man. Our defense — their competitive makeup, but the other side of the football is their belief that they’re going to make a play — it’s about a team.”

What stands out about this Tennessee defense is the depth, playmaking ability and talent up front. Already, 12 defensive linemen or edge rushers have at least one tackle for loss and eight have at least two tackles for loss.

“That’s where it starts and allows you to play whatever style of defense you want and be able to switch styles,” Banks said. “When you’re able to get as many guys up front, and you don’t really see a drop-off, that’s what it takes in this league to play defense at the highest level.”

One of the other keys was the addition of Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy at cornerback. His presence has allowed Tennessee to play more man coverage, and according to Pro Football Focus, McCoy owns the fourth-highest coverage grade in the nation among cornerbacks.

Another plus for Tennessee is edge rusher James Pierce Jr., a projected NFL first-round draft pick, coming off his best two games of the season. Against Arkansas and Florida, he had a combined 16 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 9 pressures. He also forced a fumble at the 1-yard line in last week’s 23-17 overtime win over the Gators.

The Vols will be short-handed the rest of the way with captain and middle linebacker Keenan Pilley suffering a season-ending knee injury against Florida. He was not only the team’s leading tackler, but also received in-helmet contact from coaches during games. It will be hard to replace what Pili did, but one thing won’t change for the Vols.

They want to attack every play.

“We still have what we call a mayhem board, tackles for loss, sacks, pass breakups, whatever,” said sophomore linebacker Arion Carter, who is tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss. “It’s all about disruption. That’s our calling card. We want to wreck shop and make crimes in bad situations, and it comes down to the fundamentals and we all have a good feel for what crimes are doing.”

Banks said his team was as studious in watching tape and preparation as it was aggressive on the field — and Carter set the tone. He gets up by 5 a.m. every morning and watches tape at the football complex by 5:30.

“I want to beat my coaches,” said Carter, who estimates he watches an average of five hours of tape a day, counting the time he has for himself at home. “We’re all for this defense, and that’s what we do.

Early on, Banks could be taken for granted by people outside of Tennessee’s program, be it fans, media or anyone else. Offense is what sells, and in Heupel’s second season in 2022, the record-setting Vols went 11-2 and led the nation in scoring with an average of 46.1 points per game. They finished seventh nationally in Heupel’s first season averaging 39.3 points per game.

When some defensive coordinators hear that their team’s offense is going to play up-tempo, it’s spread out and rarely chatted. That usually means more snaps and extra pressure for the defense. And in Banks’ first season, the Vols played 1,010 snaps on defense. Michigan State is the only power conference school to have played more. The number of snaps Tennessee’s defense played has decreased since that first season, but Banks was ready for the challenge when Heupel came calling in 2021. At the time, Banks was co-defensive coordinator at Penn State and wanted another shot at calling plays.

“There were a lot of people who told me not to take the job, but I wasn’t scared,” Banks said. “I knew at that time that we have to play a certain style of football, if I can be honest, to be able to match. We have to be able to adjust, and this year is no different. Always have to be able to adjust.

“It always comes back to, ‘What do you have to do to win?’ So, yes, we’ve had to overcome some things to get to this level and we’re still nowhere near where we need to be.”

Along the way, Banks has felt the wrath of fans second-guessing her. Coordinators are often more of a lightning rod than the head coach. The Vols gave up 30-plus points in three of their four losses last season and lost to 22-point underdog South Carolina 63-38 in the game that put Tennessee in a possible playoff spot in 2022.

“I’ve been called Belichick, and I’ve been called a high school coach,” Banks said. “I rely on my Christian faith and don’t read what’s out there. I don’t get caught up in other people’s opinions and sleep well at night knowing I’m doing my best to put my kids in the best possible situation. Be successful.”

Banks didn’t have to wait long to get a chance to run his own shop. He was involved in the Middle Tennessee State head-coaching search last year before withdrawing his name, and college insiders expect him to be in the running for other head jobs this offseason, especially with how well his defense is playing.

Banks is in the final year of his contract at Tennessee, which is rare for a coordinator at the power conference level, and ranks seventh in the SEC ($1.5 million annually) among the highest-paid defensive coordinators. He is not among the top 20 highest-paid defensive coordinators nationally.

But the numbers are of little concern to Banks or his players, who are proud of what they’ve created on defense and ready for the role they’ll have to play in keeping Tennessee in the championship chase.

Eason was at Tennessee under the previous coaching staff and saw what Banks faced on the transfer portal and as the Vols struggled to get things together, especially on defense. That first season may have been Banks’ best coaching job.

But this season, he might have the best defense and the timing couldn’t be better for the Vols.

“Coach Banks has always believed in us, and we believe in Coach Banks,” Eason said. “The best thing about this whole team is we have each other’s backs and we’re getting to where we want to be defensively.

“If you want to play with some real angst, play for each other and follow someone, this is the place to be.”