It’s no secret in football that a strong ground game opens doors for a successful offense. Whether it be controlling the clock, setting up the pass game or helping out a young quarterback, establishing the run is probably football’s original foundation. Tennessee has one of the best in Division I college football through two weeks.
Tennessee’s backfield is led by DeSean Bishop, who is averaging 122 yards per game. That’s good for second in the SEC, fourth in Power Four football and seventh in the nation. The Vols’ rushing attack stands sixth in the country with 314 yards per game, after their 299-yard production against Georgia Tech.
A group that’s a brotherhood that just wants what’s good for the team. Anyone can pop off a big play, and sophomore running back Daune Morris showed that ability Saturday night in Atlanta.
“Honestly, it’s amazing,” Morris said Monday on the running back depth. “You’ve got an opportunity to have a great room like we have and then to be able to learn from each other each and every game or each and every weekend, being able to push each other how we actually do during practice and throughout the week. It’s a great feeling being able to have actual brotherhood in a running back room.”
Morris sprinted for his career long of 47 yards for a touchdown and finished the night with a career high of 98 yards on 10 carries. Two more yards would have given Tennessee multiple 100-yard rushers for the first time since DeSean Bishop and Dylan Sampson accomplished that against Kent State on Sept. 14, 2024.
This group unlocks the offense for two-time SEC Freshman of the Week quarterback Faizon Brandon. In back-to-back weeks, Tennessee’s emphatic rushing attack showed its effect when the opposing defense thought long and wrong, which opened up the pass for six.
None of that would be possible without the work of the offensive linemen and tight ends. Which brings me to DaSaahn Brame, who made a key block in Morris’ 47-yard touchdown run.
“We huddled up. Coach Heup said we’re scoring. We went out. DaSaahn Brame, he inserted. I seen a hole and I took it,” Morris said.
Brame now looks to be the next man up for the Vols’ starting tight end slot, after Ethan Davis’ ACL injury ended his season.
“DaSaahn’s different,” Morris said. “He can run routes, but he also can block as well too. So just being able to have that type of different versatility at tight end with him opens up and creates a different type of run game for us.”
Brame got the season-opening start against Furman and served more in a blocking role. Against Georgia Tech in week two, he played 24 offensive snaps and caught one ball for seven yards. Last season, he played in nine games and had 63 yards on six receptions. With Davis’ injury, Brame will get to show what all he can do.
“I know Ethan’s injury is something that we don’t want, but I feel like we still got a great group of tight ends that’s still here, and guys that’s gonna step up and that have the opportunity to step up,” Morris said. “So I feel like as long as we just continue to focus on our goals and just things that we know we need to get together just from last week and just going into this week, then I feel like it shouldn’t be a very much of a big drop off.”
