Up Next: 'Animated' Bentley impresses Vols coach on multiple levels
Count Tennessee coach Butch Jones among those impressed by South Carolina true freshman quarterback Jake Bentley.
Shortly after watching Bentley on video complete 17-of-26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception in his debut Saturday afternoon against UMass, Jones raved about the former four-star prospect.
“I thought he did a very good job,” Jones said during his weekly press conference Monday. “He’s animated, he has great intensity and he can throw the football. I thought he managed their offense very well. He took care of the football. He looked like a mature competitor and a mature individual that had been there. I was very impressed the way he handled the game.”
Bentley handles himself on the field like the son of a football coach, Jones said.
“His upbringing with his father (USC RB coach Bobby Bentley) has really helped him because he has been around the game,” Jones said. “But you still have to go in there and do it in live game situations. He has proven he can do it. He has played at a high level. I watched him in high school and was very impressed as well. He manages the game, has a lively arm and can make all the throws. He is playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Jones maintained his review of the video from Saturday’s USC-UMass game clearly showed how much respect his teammates have for Bentley.
“In order to be the starting quarterback, your first job is winning the respect of your teammates,” Jones said. “What you see on video is the respect of his teammates, along with McIlwain as well. You can tell their players believe in them by the way they rally around them.”
Jones expects the Gamecocks will again utilize a system where true freshman Brandon McIlwain came onto the field to run the Wildcat in short yardage situations.
“The two freshmen quarterbacks really complement each other, so it really challenges you schematically as far as which quarterback is in the game. They have playmakers, big up front and play a number of running backs.”
Just in terms of experience, Saturday’s matchup between Bentley and Tennessee senior Joshua Dobbs is heavily skewed in favor of the Vols. Dobbs is set to make his 30th career start for the Vols on Saturday.
Dobbs, an aerospace engineering major, currently ranks fourth in Tennessee history in total yards (7,401) and is the only player in Tennessee history to amass 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game. He has accomplished the feat twice - at USC in 2014 and again against Georgia in 2015.
Despite Dobbs’ exploits, the Tennessee offense is situated in the middle of the SEC rankings in most statistical categories – seventh in scoring offense (30.4), 10th in rushing offense (169.6), 11th in total offense (393.6) and seventh in passing offense (224.0 ypg).
The Vols will be without second leading rusher Alvin Kamara (313 yards on 64 carries) on Saturday. Kamara suffered a knee injury against Alabama two weekends ago, and is expected to return in a couple of weeks.
Kamara is also tied for the team lead in receptions (22), so his absence will be felt on two levels.
The chess match between Dobbs and a Gamecocks defense allowing just 21.3 points per game and ranked seventh in the SEC in total defense (394.7), second in pass defense (183.6) and fourth in red zone defense (69.0 percent scoring rate by opponents; SEC-high 5 red zone turnovers) promises to be an intriguing battle.
Moreover, USC’s 14 turnovers forced on defense is topped by only four other SEC teams
The USC-Tennessee rivalry has been one of the closest in the SEC in recent years. The last four meetings between the Gamecocks and Vols has been decided by a combined 11 points. The largest margin of victory for either side in that span is three points.
The 2013 and 2014 games were decided on the final snap and in overtime, respectively. Last year, the Gamecocks were driving for a potential game-winning touchdown before a fumble with less than a minute remaining in the red zone cost them dearly.
“Most of the games (between USC and UT) have come down to the final play of the game, so everything is in your preparation,” Jones said.
Thus, even though USC is still ranked last in the SEC in scoring offense (16.9), rushing offense (106.9) and third down conversion percentage (29.9 pct.), Jones realizes the Gamecocks are a dangerous team, especially at home with a new quarterback and coming off a victory.
“South Carolina continues to gain a lot of momentum,” Jones said. “As a coach, you watch their body off work on video. I see a football team continuing to improve and getting better and better and better. I am very impressed with them defensively. They make you beat them through execution. Their defensive statistics speak for themselves. So, execution will be at a premium.”
After facing Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama four consecutive Saturdays prior to a bye last weekend, some analysts view Tennessee’s closing stretch as ‘soft’ with contests against USC, Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri and in-state rival Vanderbilt.
Jones doesn’t agree, and cautioned his team against complacency as they battle to win the SEC East and play in the conference championship game for the first time since 2007.
“If we thought the first seven weeks was a grind, the last five weeks are going to be even more of a grind,” Jones said. “We’re playing football teams that are progressively improving. For any team, it’s all about constant growth and development. That’s what I see in these other teams. They are very talented with a lot of momentum and energy. They will obviously be up to play Tennessee and that’s a responsibility we haven’t been in for a long time around here.”
SEC WEEK 9 SCHEDULE (Sat. Oct. 29)
Kentucky at Missouri, noon (SEC Network)
Florida vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville), 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Samford at Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tennessee at South Carolina, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
Auburn at Ole Miss, 7:15 p.m. (SEC Network)
New Mexico State at Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
