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The Vols open up the hallowed gates of Neyland Stadium to kick-off home play against the Indiana State (IS) Sycamores.
IS is a Missouri Valley Conference FCS opponent that averaged a game attendance of 9,509 last season. That includes a 41,000 game at Minnesota, bringing their otherwise average down to around 6,000-7,000. To say this is the biggest game these players will ever be in is a huge understatement.
While the Vols enjoyed the last minute heroics of their game on Monday night, IS suffered on the other end of the scoreboard. After taking the lead with two minutes left, their opponent marched down the field on an 11 play, 69 yard drive to snatch victory with 3 seconds left. I guess it's nice to know there is precedent for that if Tennessee decides to play that game.
Fun Fact: Several members of the IS staff have coached with Brady Hoke, anywhere from Ball State, SDSU, and Michigan. This includes head coach Mallory, Assistant Head Coach and OC. I'm not going to search for more beyond that... you get the idea.
Keys to Victory: I'll be honest, most of these keys are less to do with acute victory this week, and more for season preparation, but we'll roll with it. It's also harder to dig up quality info on middle of the road FCS opponents.
1. Don't Come out Flat: The Tennessee defense played a horrific amount of football on Monday. 4 days later, they have to play again, against an opponent that is not the most motivating to get up against. The mindset needs to be clear that they need to put in the early work to get this victory secured, and then pull back if you are able too.
2. Share: Sharing is a swell thing. Our parents always teach us to share. Quinten Dormady did not share on Saturday, and JG was sad. John Kelly also did not share much, and others were sad. This is a week for sharing, and friends. As co-starter, JG will play this week, and maybe half of the game. The coaches will also look to get as many young players as possible involved to let the starters rest and recover, and to see what they've got in the young'ns.
If the starters do their job and lock this thing up early, it will be the perfect opportunity to let others develop and prove they deserve a bigger slice of the pie in SEC play. Low risk, high reward.
3. Dominate Defense: The Bob Shoop mystery is a strange one, but this much is true... when he has had a full defense, and no gimmick offense, he has done well here. Remember back to the first few games of last season. App State, VT, Florida, UGA... these were strong defensive performances. When we had some more players available against Nebraska, we looked good too.
The talent gap will not reveal much about how much the defense has improved this game, but you should expect the first string to absolutely dominate. IS managed 293 yards against Eastern Illinois.
4. QB or not QB, that is the question: This week will not settle it, but it's a step in the right direction, as both will play. Dormady has a lot to work on. Placement, footwork, staring down receivers, risky balls are among the things he needs to clean up. JG is a completely unknown commodity, other than practice reports and HS film two years ago. After this game, we can officially let the debate.
Prediction: Well... don't expect 70-0. Just like when TN played North Texas a few years ago, and Canales was on the other sideline, I expect Butch to show some classy mercy for Hoke's old buddies. That is no excuse for sloppy play and poor execution though. If the team can get up and focused for this game, they should score plenty, and not allow any until the back-ups are in. Kelly plays for a half and Chandler gets a ton of yards in the back-up role, accidentally busting through for huge gains. Vols shut it down in the 3rd, and IS scores one late.
TN 38
IS 7
IS is a Missouri Valley Conference FCS opponent that averaged a game attendance of 9,509 last season. That includes a 41,000 game at Minnesota, bringing their otherwise average down to around 6,000-7,000. To say this is the biggest game these players will ever be in is a huge understatement.
While the Vols enjoyed the last minute heroics of their game on Monday night, IS suffered on the other end of the scoreboard. After taking the lead with two minutes left, their opponent marched down the field on an 11 play, 69 yard drive to snatch victory with 3 seconds left. I guess it's nice to know there is precedent for that if Tennessee decides to play that game.
Fun Fact: Several members of the IS staff have coached with Brady Hoke, anywhere from Ball State, SDSU, and Michigan. This includes head coach Mallory, Assistant Head Coach and OC. I'm not going to search for more beyond that... you get the idea.
Keys to Victory: I'll be honest, most of these keys are less to do with acute victory this week, and more for season preparation, but we'll roll with it. It's also harder to dig up quality info on middle of the road FCS opponents.
1. Don't Come out Flat: The Tennessee defense played a horrific amount of football on Monday. 4 days later, they have to play again, against an opponent that is not the most motivating to get up against. The mindset needs to be clear that they need to put in the early work to get this victory secured, and then pull back if you are able too.
2. Share: Sharing is a swell thing. Our parents always teach us to share. Quinten Dormady did not share on Saturday, and JG was sad. John Kelly also did not share much, and others were sad. This is a week for sharing, and friends. As co-starter, JG will play this week, and maybe half of the game. The coaches will also look to get as many young players as possible involved to let the starters rest and recover, and to see what they've got in the young'ns.
If the starters do their job and lock this thing up early, it will be the perfect opportunity to let others develop and prove they deserve a bigger slice of the pie in SEC play. Low risk, high reward.
3. Dominate Defense: The Bob Shoop mystery is a strange one, but this much is true... when he has had a full defense, and no gimmick offense, he has done well here. Remember back to the first few games of last season. App State, VT, Florida, UGA... these were strong defensive performances. When we had some more players available against Nebraska, we looked good too.
The talent gap will not reveal much about how much the defense has improved this game, but you should expect the first string to absolutely dominate. IS managed 293 yards against Eastern Illinois.
4. QB or not QB, that is the question: This week will not settle it, but it's a step in the right direction, as both will play. Dormady has a lot to work on. Placement, footwork, staring down receivers, risky balls are among the things he needs to clean up. JG is a completely unknown commodity, other than practice reports and HS film two years ago. After this game, we can officially let the debate.
Prediction: Well... don't expect 70-0. Just like when TN played North Texas a few years ago, and Canales was on the other sideline, I expect Butch to show some classy mercy for Hoke's old buddies. That is no excuse for sloppy play and poor execution though. If the team can get up and focused for this game, they should score plenty, and not allow any until the back-ups are in. Kelly plays for a half and Chandler gets a ton of yards in the back-up role, accidentally busting through for huge gains. Vols shut it down in the 3rd, and IS scores one late.
TN 38
IS 7
