Six weeks ago, Tennessee’s football season was in limbo.

The frustration that Florida escaped Neyland Stadium with a one-point victory was still undiluted. The jubilation and promise of the come-from-behind avalanche of a win at Georgia hadn’t yet arrived.

But my gut feeling at the time was that the Vols would be a team to be reckoned with in November.

And for one reason:

Tennessee was going to be an improving team. It was going to solve some of its problem issues because young players were going to develop.

Flying home from Arkansas on Sunday, I wondered where that scenario went wrong.

The team that got overpowered by the Razorbacks, 31-14, on Saturday night hasn’t gotten better.

On the contrary, it’s gone south.

Name an area where Tennessee is better than it was in early October?

OK, Jonathan Hefney has put some sizzle in the punt returns and nobody on the other team has run a kick back for a touchdown lately.

Name another.

The defense has been lit up two consecutive games, giving up 478 yards to LSU and 425 to Arkansas.

(A week earlier South Carolina’s 395 yards was seriously flirting with the 400 plateau.)

LSU rushed for 231 yards, a prelude to Arkansas’ 259.

Offensively, Tennessee has regressed.

The passing game hasn’t been as sharp or consistent. The running game hasn’t topped 100 yards since Georgia.

So what’s going on?

A couple of obvious factors must be weighed.

One, which was to be anticipated, was the schedule.

Even in July, LSU figured to be the most talented team Tennessee faced. Arkansas announced itself to the world when it cold-cocked Auburn on Oct. 7.

California and Florida notwithstanding, the opinion here is that Tennessee has played the most talented teams on its schedule the past two weeks.

The other factor could not be anticipated, at least not with any precision: injuries.

With Erik Ainge at quarterback maybe the Vols beat LSU. They certainly have a better chance of trading punches with a volatile Arkansas offense.

While Ainge’s ankle has been the headline injury, it’s far from being the only one that has affected UT’s performance lately.

This is a banged up football team. It shows on game day. It shows on the practice field.

"Back in two-a-days, we had less missed practice time during camp than any time I can remember,’’ head coach Phillip Fulmer said Sunday night.

"The last couple of weeks, we’ve had a lot of guys missing time.

"We didn’t go full-speed any last week.’’

Maybe that helps explain why the Vols looked so sharp across the board against Cal on opening day — and why they looked so day late, dollar short against Arkansas.

Injuries, bruises, sprains, they’re all part of football. But there are 85 guys on scholarship.

One guy goes down, or even slows down, another guy is supposed to step up.

I haven’t seen a lot of young guys stepping up like I thought I would.

Demonte Bolden is coming on at defensive tackle, an area of urgency. Are Walter Fisher or Dan Williams going to keep pace? Teams are beating the Vols’ up front and now starting end Antonio Reynolds has a neck injury.

Linebackers Marvin Mitchell and Jerod Mayo have been playing hurt. Are Rico McCoy and Ellix Wilson coming on fast enough? Whatever happened to Adam Myers-White?

A lot is being asked of the big three receivers, Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith. Fulmer wondered Sunday night if Lucas Taylor or Josh Briscoe were going to make a move.

The offensive line has been a unit of great discussion. Other than Josh McNeil taking over at center, it doesn’t look like anybody else is pushing the starters.

Since Cory Anderson has virtually disappeared at fullback, wasn’t the door open for David Holbert?

Lots of questions. Not enough young guys bringing answers. That’s one reason Tennessee isn’t the football team it was a month ago.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.