The Tennessee Volunteers and Texas Longhorns are almost here, with kickoff set for less than 24 hours away. And before the ball gets rolling, several members of the staff have put their boldest calls on the line for the matchup.
Radarious Jackson is one of the names drawing attention in the Tennessee passing game, and one prediction has him finally turning his production into points against Texas. As Sisk put it, "Radarious Jackson has been one of my favorite players on this team when it comes to underrated production.
He is by far one of the players who has been playing the best at the position and is the No. 2 receiver in yards; however, he has yet to contribute to points. I think this will change against the Longhorns, as they continue to focus on Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley.
I believe RaRa will thrive on the outside and will be someone who runs open a couple of times," Sisk said.
Another prediction sees the Tennessee defense making life miserable for Texas while Faizon Brandon puts together a milestone day through the air. "The Tennessee defense forces the Texas Longhorns into 3 costly turnovers, while Faizon Brandon has his first 300-yard passing game," Dowden said.
Brandon was also the centerpiece of another bold take, this one tied directly to Tennessee’s offensive balance. "My bold prediction is that Faizon Brandon is responsible for at least 3 of Tennessee’s touchdowns.
The Volunteers have had a very impressive run game to start this season, averaging 298.7 yards per game, which will force the Longhorns to crowd the box in an attempt to slow down the Vols’ deep running back room. This will lead to opportunities for Brandon, whether it be on the ground or through the air, as Texas tries to force the freshman quarterback to put the Tennessee offense on his back and beat them through the air or with his legs," Elrod said.
That run-heavy identity also came up in another forecast, though this one expects Texas to try to disrupt it early and push Tennessee into a different kind of game. "Through two games, the Vols have dominated the run game.
I think the game state of Saturday's game will change that a little bit. I expect Texas to try and take away the run to force Faizon Brandon to beat them through the air.
Then I do feel Tennessee will be behind and trying to catch up. Both of these set up for a larger passing attack," Passons said.
On the ground, DeSean Bishop is another player getting a strong vote of confidence. "I believe that DeSean Bishop will finish the game with two touchdowns and 100 yards minimum after missing a good bit of the contest last week, and being cleared for this game," Greer said.
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