Where the Vols rank statistically heading into bye week

Following a heartbreaking road loss to South Carolina this past Saturday, it feels as though the open date for Tennessee football came at just the right time. The Vols enter the bye week after playing eight-straight contests to start the season. They went 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC games during the stretch, good enough to be ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and be in a four-way tie for fourth in the league standings. Tennessee has been spearheaded on the offensive side of the ball by its running game through the first eight games. The unit is averaging 213 yards per game, which places it 17th in all of the FBS (138 teams total) and second in the SEC behind the Gamecocks. Senior tailback DeSean Bishop has been the bell cow of the rushing attack, accounting for 48.6% of the team's total attempts (171 of 352) and 56.2% of the total rushing yards (957 of 1,704). His 957 rushing yards ranks second in the sport behind Dylan Riley of Boise State. Bishop is tied for sixth nationally with 11 rushing touchdowns as well. While Bishop and the rushing attack have posted strong numbers, the passing game has not been nearly as gaudy. The Vols rank 116th in the college football in passing offense, posting 181.5 yards per game. The number is last in the SEC. Sophomore George MacIntyre has been the more efficient passer between the two Vols' starting quarterbacks this year. He's completed just shy of 67% of his passes for 728 yards. Freshman Faizon Brandon started the first five games, and has completed just 60.4% of passes for 697 yards, with both signal callers attempting a tick over 100 passes so far this season. Mike Matthews has been the top target in the Tennessee passing game, catching 34 passes for 528 yards and three touchdowns. Matthews' 528 receiving yards is 45th in the FBS. Due in part to the struggles of the aerial attack, the Vols have only converted on 37% of third down attempts this season, which puts them at 91st in the FBS and a mere 14th in the conference. Still, the offense ranks 48th in scoring offense, averaging 32.2 points per game. On the defensive side of the ball, it's been a strong first two months of the season on numerous fronts. In the first season under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Tennessee ranks 20th in the FBS in scoring defense, conceding just 16.25 points per game. It's a mark that is third in the SEC behind Georgia and LSU. The Vols have given up 122.8 yards per game on the ground (43rd in FBS) and 165.6 yards per game through the air (12th in FBS). In total defense, that comes out to just 288.4 yards, 16th in the country. Much of their success has stemmed from wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. Tennessee leads the nation in total sacks with 35 and is tied for second with 66 total tackles for loss. The defensive unit has a pair of players in the top dozen in sacks. Tyree Weathersby leads the team with seven sacks while Xavier Gilliam is right behind him with six. Gilliam also has 11 ½ tackles for loss, a team-high. Their propensity for creating negative plays has made the Vols a strong third-down defense, as well. Opponents are only converting 31.7% of their third downs, good for 24th nationwide. Fourth down has been tough on offenses, too, as Tennessee has conceded just 27.3% of those, good for sixth in the country and first in the SEC. On the special teams side of the ball, Cooper Ranvier is tied for 17th in the FBS with 11 field goal makes and is one of 27 kickers to have a field goal percentage of at least 90%. Punter Jackson Ross has the 23rd longest average on punts, averaging 44.56 yards per boot. Of his 32 punts, the Australian has had 14 land inside the 20-yard line, 18th in FBS according to Football Database. Kentucky Sold Out On Monday, Tennessee announced its allotment of tickets for the Nov. 7 home game against Kentucky have been sold out. It was the only game on the home slate that hadn't previously been announced as a sellout. According to the school, it will be the 33rd-straight sellout at Neyland Stadium, a streak that goes back to Week 3, 2022, against Akron. Kickoff against the Wildcats will be at 6:15 p.m., with ESPN providing television coverage.