Mariyon Dye wasn’t interested in treating Tennessee’s 24-14 win over Auburn like a finished product.
The Volunteers’ defensive line did plenty to swing the game, piling up four sacks and three takeaways. But for Dye, that kind of outing is more proof of what the group can become than a reason to relax.
“I feel like we’re not even pleased yet,” Dye said. “We still got a lot more to do.”
That mindset fits the tone inside a room coached by Rodney Garner. Tennessee’s front has clearly found a rhythm, but Dye said the driving force is simpler than any one player or pass-rush wrinkle.
“I’d say really just playing together, coming with the same mindset every day,” he said. “Just wanting to dominate the man in front of us.”
That shared edge shows up in how the linemen push each other. Dye pointed to Xavier Gilliam as one of the players setting that tone, saying his teammate’s play has raised the bar for everyone else.
“When I see my brother make a play, I think I got to go make a play now,” Dye said.
Gilliam’s presence can also force offenses to account for him in ways that open things up elsewhere, though Dye said edge rushers are still seeing chip help from blockers. The larger goal, he said, is for the entire front to keep creating problems together.
Against Auburn, Dye’s impact went well beyond the pass rush. He forced a second-quarter fumble that Arion Carter recovered, giving him the first forced fumble of his college career. Later, Dye got a hand on Byrum Brown’s pass near the goal line, a play that helped set up Tevis Metcalf’s interception with less than a minute left.
“Our coaches definitely said that was a big part of the interception,” Dye said.
Even with those moments, Dye said Tennessee spent time after the Auburn game picking apart what still needs cleaning up before turning fully to Arkansas. On a personal level, he wants to use his length better by striking first with extended hands instead of letting blockers get into his chest.
For the unit as a whole, the checklist still includes rush-lane discipline and tackling, especially against a quarterback who can escape pressure.
“I missed a few tackles in the backfield,” Dye said. “That was the main thing in that game. We were just missing tackles.”
Garner’s message, Dye said, has stayed the same: keep improving, keep that same mentality and don’t get comfortable.
“I feel like really the job’s never done,” Dye said. “I feel like it’s always more you can do.”
In Other News...
Tennessee's Pass Rush Is Carrying The Vols For One Big Reason
Through five games, Tennessees defensive front has been doing the heavy lifting, and it has become hard to miss how much Rodney Garners group has shaped the Vols start. The line leads the nation with 23 sacks, including 10 in conference play, and it has paired that disruption with 42 tackles for loss, a total that ranks eighth nationally.
Marion Dye and Xavier Gilliam have been central to the surge, with each posting four sacks while Gilliam has also piled up 8.5 tackles for loss. The bigger takeaway for Tennessee is that the pass rush has not just been a nice extra, it has helped keep the Vols competitive in recent games, which makes the next stretch a useful test of how long this edge can hold. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Just Gave Nebraska Fans An Unexpected Hollywood Moment
Matt Rhule turned up in the Season 1 finale of HBOs Lanterns with a role tied to the Cornhuskers, giving Nebraska fans an unexpected pop-culture moment to go along with the usual football talk. It is the kind of cameo that feels right at home in a sport where coaches are already larger-than-life figures, and Rhules appearance now puts him in a long line of college football personalities who have crossed over into film and television.
Mack Brown, Mike Leach, Ed Orgeron, Nick Saban, Barry Switzer, Jim Harbaugh and Brian Kelly have all found their way onto screens in one form or another, from voice work to full-on acting parts. Rhules latest surprise adds another entry to that odd little coaching rsum, and it also raises the sort of question fans always seem ready to ask: who in the sport might be next to trade the sideline for a scene? [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Run Game Already Has Arkansas Feeling The Pressure
Tennessees ground game keeps looking like the engine that can tilt a Saturday before the passing attack even needs to take center stage. After the Volunteers ran for 237 yards in the win over Auburn, with DeSean Bishop accounting for 220 of them and all three touchdowns, the production only reinforced how dangerous Josh Heupels offense becomes when it starts leaning on the run.
That kind of success has been hard for opponents to ignore, especially with Tennessee carrying a 37-2 record under Heupel when it clears 200 rushing yards and having done so in all four of its wins this season. Arkansas defensive coordinator Ron Roberts already acknowledged the challenge ahead, and the bigger question now is whether the Razorbacks can handle Tennessees physical style well enough to slow the game down before it gets away from them. [Read more 🡒]