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Date: Saturday, October 17th
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
Venue: Razorback Stadium, Fayettville, AR
Network: SEC
The Vols head to Razorback country this week following their bye-week. Most Vol fans had this chalked up as a probable victory before the season but Arkansas has exceeded expectations and Tennessee lost to Kentucky, which speaks for itself. The fact is, both teams are 2-3 with losses to ranked opponents and losses to a bad team. This is a game that can set the tone for the rest of the season for either program. Let's see what Tennessee needs to do to walk away with the win.
Keys to Victory:
1. 3 and outs: The Arkansas offense has been effective, but inconsistent this season. They are still trying to find their groove and while they have put together a number of quality drives, they have also been plagued by a lot of 3 and outs. The Tennessee defense will need to be effective on early downs to try to force early punts and stay fresh through the game.
2. 3rd down conversions: The Tennessee offense has looked like stale bread most of the season. One of the greatest concerns is 3rd down efficiency. The Vols are averaging a 3rd down conversion on a paltry 26% of attempts, ranking 97th out of 103 teams. Gross. Arkansas only gives up a conversion on 36% of attempts, almost as good as Georgia and Mizzouri. Barry Odom is an excellent defensive coordinator and this stat does not favor the Vols. They will need to be much better that 26% on Saturday.
3. Find a QB: Not going to touch it. Y'all know. Anyways, Kentucky leads the nation in interceptions, mostly off of the back of Tennessee. Arkansas is 2nd in the nation and hasn't played the Vols yet. Uh oh. Needless to say, the QB, whoever he/they might be, can't afford to be turning the ball over. If it's JG, he can't make inexplicable decisions. If it's Maurer, he can't be reckless. If it's Bailey, he has to play smart and not make freshman mistakes, which is nearly inevitable. Arkansas is strong in the secondary and Tennessee cannot afford to give the ball over to them.
Prediction: The Vols under Pruitt have looked strong coming out of the bye-weeks, but I just don't see much of anything here that makes me think this is going to go well. I need to see the Vols offense come to life before I believe it, and I need to see the defense defend the middle of the field. Show me.
Vols 17
Razorbacks 20
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
Venue: Razorback Stadium, Fayettville, AR
Network: SEC
The Vols head to Razorback country this week following their bye-week. Most Vol fans had this chalked up as a probable victory before the season but Arkansas has exceeded expectations and Tennessee lost to Kentucky, which speaks for itself. The fact is, both teams are 2-3 with losses to ranked opponents and losses to a bad team. This is a game that can set the tone for the rest of the season for either program. Let's see what Tennessee needs to do to walk away with the win.
Keys to Victory:
1. 3 and outs: The Arkansas offense has been effective, but inconsistent this season. They are still trying to find their groove and while they have put together a number of quality drives, they have also been plagued by a lot of 3 and outs. The Tennessee defense will need to be effective on early downs to try to force early punts and stay fresh through the game.
2. 3rd down conversions: The Tennessee offense has looked like stale bread most of the season. One of the greatest concerns is 3rd down efficiency. The Vols are averaging a 3rd down conversion on a paltry 26% of attempts, ranking 97th out of 103 teams. Gross. Arkansas only gives up a conversion on 36% of attempts, almost as good as Georgia and Mizzouri. Barry Odom is an excellent defensive coordinator and this stat does not favor the Vols. They will need to be much better that 26% on Saturday.
3. Find a QB: Not going to touch it. Y'all know. Anyways, Kentucky leads the nation in interceptions, mostly off of the back of Tennessee. Arkansas is 2nd in the nation and hasn't played the Vols yet. Uh oh. Needless to say, the QB, whoever he/they might be, can't afford to be turning the ball over. If it's JG, he can't make inexplicable decisions. If it's Maurer, he can't be reckless. If it's Bailey, he has to play smart and not make freshman mistakes, which is nearly inevitable. Arkansas is strong in the secondary and Tennessee cannot afford to give the ball over to them.
Prediction: The Vols under Pruitt have looked strong coming out of the bye-weeks, but I just don't see much of anything here that makes me think this is going to go well. I need to see the Vols offense come to life before I believe it, and I need to see the defense defend the middle of the field. Show me.
Vols 17
Razorbacks 20
