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Tennessee football is no longer undefeated.

The no. 4 Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) were defeated by Arkansas (4-2, 2-1) 19-14 on Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Here are the overreactions to Tennessee's first loss of the season:

Tennessee's offense is no better than the 2023 Vols' offense

Squirrel White ran free in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw White more than five yards and Tennessee missed a touchdown. It was a one-off, but it represented an unfortunate reality for Tennessee: This offense is essentially the same unit it was in 2023.

Tennessee is averaging 19.5 points per game in SEC play and its season numbers are boosted by an easy non-conference start. There isn't a game-changing wide receiver and hasn't been since Jalin Hyatt and the 2022 group. There is no great offensive line. Iamaleava has turned heads but is young and struggled in UT's two SEC games.

The loss brought other problems for Tennessee. Remarkably, a lack of discipline was once again demonstrated through severe punishment. The Vols' mediocre offense in two SEC games is limiting their effectiveness.

Tennessee's offensive line is a problem for Vols

Tennessee's offensive line was back at full strength against Arkansas, but that didn't matter. The group fought with all their might to protect Iamaleava once again.

So that's two SEC games and in both games the Vols struggled to protect the quarterback. Iamaleava had two fumbles with sacks against Oklahoma on Sept. 21 when UT was playing backup tackles. Against Arkansas, Lance Heard was back at left tackle, but not much changed. Iamaleava was often on the run and it was a long day offensively, which led to UT demanding a lot from its defense and that unit ultimately faltering in the fourth quarter.

NICO: Nico Iamaleava stats: Tennessee QB's best and worst moments in stunning loss to Arkansas

Dylan Sampson is SEC Player of the Year

Dylan Sampson is the reason the Tennessee offense scored at all on Saturday — and he deserves serious discussion as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He had 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts.

Sampson has scored 12 rushing touchdowns in five games, on pace to set a program record. Gene McEver, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, holds UT's single-season record with 18 rushing touchdowns.

Heck, Sampson might be the second-best running back in the country. Nobody tops Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you like Mike's coverage, consider a digital subscription to access everything.

On By John Fenwick

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