Tennessee football offense returns but I still have questions even after scoring 45 vs UTSA | Adams

The Tennessee football offense returned for a repeat engagement at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. "Welcome back" should have flashed on the scoreboard.

After two puzzling performances, the Josh Heupel offense that Tennessee fans have come to know and applaud reappeared in the first half of a 45-14 victory over outmanned UTSA, which was reeling from UT's first offensive snap − an 81-yard touchdown run by quarterback Joe Milton.

As the No. 20 Vols (3-1) rolled up the points and yards against the Roadrunners in the first half, you might have wondered who were those offensive impostors that showed up in UT colors in a 30-13 victory over FCS opponent Austin Peay and a painful 29-16 loss to Florida in The Swamp.

You didn't have to wait long to find out. Suddenly, in the final minutes of the first half, the impostors returned. And just like that, an offense that seemingly was on its way to 60 points, went on the fritz.

The Roadrunners (1-3) owned the third quarter in cutting a 31-point deficit to 17 points. The turnaround was as inexplicable as Tennessee's overall play the previous two games.

The Joe Show turned into "Oh no, Joe." After completing 14 of his first 16 passes, Milton missed on 11 of his next 12

In fairness to Milton, he was playing with a brace on one leg after being injured near the end of the first half. Maybe, that affected his throwing.

But you can't explain all that went wrong in the third quarter on a quarterback with a knee brace. UT's defense was so ineffective you might have wondered if it had exhausted itself celebrating a first-half shutout.

The quarterback of note in the third quarter was UTSA's Owen McCown, who spent the first half sitting on the bench while starter Eddie Lee Marburger was being swallowed up by Tennessee's defense. Marburger was the replacement starter for UTSA star Frank Harris, who was sidelined by a lower leg injury.

Good thing for UT that UTSA coach Jeff Traylor waited till the second half to insert McCown into the game. All McCown did was complete 10 consecutive passes in directing back-to-back touchdown drives. He was even more accurate than Florida quarterback Graham Mertz was against the Vols the previous Saturday.

Tennessee regained its footing and returned to its first-half form in the fourth quarter. With two quick touchdowns, the Vols righted their third-quarter wrongs and put away the Roadrunners while reminding you why they have averaged 40 points through 30 games under Heupel.

The rout that seemed so certain at halftime resumed.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t put all the concerns − offensive or defensive − to rest. Tennessee’s three victories have come against severely overmatched opponents. As for the one loss, there’s no shame in losing to Florida in The Swamp – at least, not unless you watched a Utah team depleted by injuries have their way with the Gators in the season opener.

But you can't ignore 45 points regardless of the competition, particularly since Austin Peay held Tennessee to 30.

UT vs. UTSA was more of a highlight show than a game. And Tennessee had the highlight market cornered for three of the four quarters.

So, the Vols should feel more comfortable entering the South Carolina game on Sept. 30 than they did after stumbling around against Austin Peay. Playing the Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium isn’t akin to playing the Gators in The Swamp.

In preseason, I expected South Carolina to be a tougher test for Tennessee than Florida. What was I thinking?

But how was I to know the Gamecocks offensive line would practically usher opposing pass rushers back to quarterback Spencer Rattler? He won’t win the Heisman Trophy but deserves consideration for the Red Badge of Courage for taking multiple snaps behind such a feeble set of blockers. North Carolina welcomed Rattler to the 2023 season by sacking him nine games.

Saying Rattler “doesn’t have much help” is like saying Davy Crockett’s team was outnumbered at the Alamo. The Gamecocks entered Saturday’s game against Mississippi State averaging 53 yards rushing per game.

My point: South Carolina won’t be the test I thought unless Rattler can perfect the art of completing passes while being knocked to the ground.

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That's a game Tennessee should win on its home field. But how can you be sure?

A quick review: The Vols looked as sharp as I expected in beating Virginia 49-13 in the season opener. They looked anything but sharp against Austin Peay and Florida. Then, they were dominant for three quarters against UTSA. Three, not four.

But four games into the season, we don't know if Tennessee can play a complete game against a good team.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football offense returns. But I still have some questions.