An under-the-radar reason for the Tennessee Vols' recent offensive struggles may have been discovered

There are numerous reasons for the Tennessee Vols' offensive struggles (UT hasn't scored than 25 points in their past three games) over the last few games that have been discussed ad nauseam in recent weeks.

Execution hasn't been great, the offensive line hasn't played its best, the quarterback position hasn't been crisp, pass protection from running backs has been shaky, and wide receivers have had some tough drops.

The entire operation has just been....off.

One under-the-radar factor that could be contributing to some of the offensive struggles is the fact that Tennessee has played five straight games that started at 7:00 PM ET or later.

Night games can make for more energetic crowds, but they can also make for less energetic players.

That's something that Vols wide receiver Dont'e Thornton pointed out this week during an appearance on The Players Lounge .

"I'm cool with it (the 3:30 PM ET start against Alabama this week), I'm tired of these night games," said Thornton. "Every game this season has been a night game -- except for the first game of the season."

"Being in the hotel (all day) is the worst part," added Thornton. "Because you wake up with a bunch of energy and then it slowly dies down. And then you gotta try to find it again before the game starts."

It's worth noting that under Josh Heupel, the Vols practice in the morning. Some SEC programs choose to practice later in the day.

I don't think the night games are the sole reason for Tennessee's offensive struggles -- we've seen the Vols play extremely well in home night games before (such as Kentucky in 2022). But it could definitely be one of several factors that's contributing to Tennessee being just a little "off" in recent weeks.

Ultimately, it's up to Tennessee to figure out a way to tighten things up and perform well regardless of what time of day the game is played. Maybe that means a new pre-game routine for players/coaches. Or maybe it means possibly moving practice to later in the day. Whatever it takes, the Vols just need to find a way to keep their energy levels high for night games. After all, night games aren't going away anytime soon.

Related: Florida HC Billy Napier says Tennessee Vols defender made an 'incredible play' against the Gators