Tennessee’s path to an upset over top-ranked Texas starts with the kind of game that keeps you out of trouble: run the ball, make Arch Manning uncomfortable, and don’t hand the Longhorns cheap field position.
That’s the challenge awaiting the Vols in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, and it’s a big one. If Tennessee wants a shot at leaving with a win, it can’t afford a sloppy afternoon. It has to stack good plays together and make Texas work for everything.
The ground game sits at the center of it all. With Faizon Brandon at quarterback, Tennessee needs to give him help early and often by getting the run game moving.
If the Vols can make Texas honor the run - and even crowd the box at times - it changes the whole shape of the offense. Suddenly, play action becomes dangerous, and the outside receivers can find more one-on-one chances without much help over the top.
It’s not just about big plays, either. Staying ahead of the chains matters just as much.
Second-and-six is a whole different world from second-and-10, and third-and-two is a lot friendlier than third-and-eight. For Brandon, avoiding those obvious passing downs is a major part of the equation.
That all begins with the offensive line, especially the interior. Tennessee needs better push there, and then the backs have to finish the job. DeSean Bishop is expected to be the bell cow, while Javin Gordon - if cleared - and Daune Morris also need to contribute when they get their chances.
On the other side of the ball, Tennessee’s secondary has a clear job: stay glued to Texas receivers when the pressure comes. Arch Manning can get careless when he’s forced to deal with pass rushers, and that opens the door for the Vols to get stops and maybe even create turnovers.
Jim Knowles can get there a few different ways. Tennessee should be able to bother Manning with a four-man rush at times, but blitzes from linebackers and secondary pieces are also in the mix.
When the Vols bring extra bodies, the coverage has to hold up behind it. If it doesn’t, Texas has the kind of receiver talent that can turn one breakdown into a huge gain.
The Longhorns have Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, plus a deep group of other options, giving them one of the best receiving rooms in the country. That makes every coverage snap a stress test.
Tennessee also has to avoid giving Texas the kind of easy field position that can tilt the game fast. Short fields would make an already tough defensive assignment much harder.
That means protecting the ball on offense. Brandon has to keep the interceptions away, and the offensive line has to make sure he isn’t blindsided into a strip-sack. The backs can’t be loose with it, either.
Special teams are part of the same warning. Jackson Ross already has one punt blocked this season, and Georgia Tech turned that into a touchdown.
Ross has bounced back well overall, but Tennessee can’t afford another mistake like that. Qua Moss also has to be clean when fielding punts after muffing one against the Yellow Jackets, though Tennessee did recover it.
If the defense does its job and then gets sent right back out because of a muffed punt, that’s a disaster the Vols can’t allow.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Sees One Big Edge For Tennessee Against Texas
Nick Saban took a first look at Tennessees matchup with Texas during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and his focus quickly settled on the part of the Vols offense that has become such a defining feature under Josh Heupel. He pointed to Tennessees running game as an important edge and tied it directly to the structure and tempo of Heupels system, which has long been built to stress defenses and keep them on their heels.
Saban also spent time on Texas, where the biggest question in his view centers on Arch Manning and the Longhorns ability to create explosive plays downfield. It sets up an intriguing early storyline for a game with plenty of attention already attached to it, and Sabans full breakdown is slated to air Saturday morning on ESPNs College GameDay. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Suddenly Faces A Serious Situation With Key Defensive Assistant
Tennessees defensive staff is dealing with an unexpected off-field concern after the program announced that linebackers coach William Inge has been hospitalized because of a personal medical issue. The university asked for privacy for Inge and his family while also thanking supporters for their prayers, a reminder of how quickly football can take a back seat when a coachs health becomes the priority.
Inge has been an important part of Tennessees recent defensive work, helping guide a unit that has developed into one of the teams strengths and played a role in the growth of linebackers such as Arion Carter. For a staff that leans heavily on continuity and communication, his absence is a significant situation to monitor while the program waits for more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
College GameDay Is Bringing Another Big Stage Moment To Tennessee
Tennessee is getting another national showcase this weekend, with ESPNs College GameDay set to broadcast from the University of Tennessee campus before the Volunteers matchup with No. 1 Texas. The show will air Saturday morning from the lawn of Ayres Hall and inside Neyland Stadium, adding another spotlight moment to a setting that already figures to be loud, bright and packed with anticipation.
Johnny Knoxville will serve as the celebrity guest picker, giving the pregame spectacle a distinctly Tennessee flavor. The GameDay crews trip also brings the program back into a familiar lane with the Vols, who have had their share of moments on the show over the years, and now get another chance to turn a big-game atmosphere into a full-blown campus event. [Read more 🡒]