And illegal touching penalty against wide receiver Braylon Staley negated a 35-yard reception in the second quarter of Tennessee football's win over Arkansas. Staley doesn't think he stepped out of bounds while running his route, but hasn't seen every angle.
“I ain’t look at the back view. I saw the side view and from the side didn’t look like it," Staley said on Oct. 12.
It would have been the second-longest passing play in the game for the Vols, but the small misstep from Staley lead to a punt instead of an opportunity to score inside the red zone.
The No. 14 Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) escaped with a 24-17 win over the Razorbacks on Oct. 10 despite a passing game that was inconsistent and more explosive than efficient. But with No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 3-1) visiting Neyland Stadium on Oct. 17 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), their margin for error is much smaller.
The Vols are averaging 34.7 points per game this season, thanks in large part to the SEC's second-leading rushing offense that averages 228.3 yards per game. Meanwhile, the passing offense is the worst in the SEC at 186.5 yards per game.
Staley and Mike Matthews, the Vols' two leading returning receivers, accounted for 1,650 receiving yards during the 2025 season but have only 589 through six games in 2026. They've struggled to produce consistently so far this season and the Vols will need more from the passing offense to beat the Crimson Tide.
“(Alabama is) a good secondary," Staley said. "Them boys are experienced, they’re physical, they create turnovers, so we’ve got a big week.”
While the Vols began preparations for Alabama, coach Josh Heupel decline to shed any light on his quarterback situation. Whether it'll be George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon starting remains to be seen.
Playing with two different quarterbacks has "been an experience," Staley said. But he and the other receivers have logged enough practice time with both MacIntyre and Brandon to understand each player's strengths and weaknesses.
It showed as MacIntyre, making his first career start, hit on a number of explosive plays. He threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, with 199 of those yards coming on seven completions of 15 or more yards. He also threw a pair of interceptions and fumbled once.
Against Arkansas, Staley finished with seven receptions for 53 yards and Matthews logged four catches for 78 yards.
Even with the three turnovers, UT's ability to pick chunks of yards through the air helped keep the Razorback defense honest as DeSean Bishop rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown.
The Crimson Tide rank 103rd among FBS teams and 1th in the SEC in pass defense with 236.5 yards allowed per game. But they also have the intercepted nine passes this season, tied for the third-most in the country.
So the Vols will have opportunities to hit on some big plays, but Staley believes balance will be key to getting more consistency out of the passing attack moving forward.
“I feel like it’s a real threat because I feel like, once we get the pass game going, that opens up the run game. And once we get that run game going, it opens up the pass game," Staley said. "So it plays off one another and once we get that pass game going, it’s going to be a big deal.”
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Braylon Staley explains how Tennessee football can improve passing offense