- It’s all about me (Tennessee) — This is not a knock on South Alabama. They are clearly better than Bowling Green or Tennessee Tech, but the Vols are favored to win and are more talented and the better team. That’s why unlike the last few match ups, this game is about Tennessee not the opponent.
Heupel said he likes the way this team prepares and how they have prepared this week and he has no doubts about his team being ready to go.
“No doubt in our guys and who they are. They’re disappointed with the outcome. Didn’t happen because we didn’t like their preparation or their focus. They didn’t do the things we needed to, to make it a game down the stretch. It’s a group that I’ll go compete with every Saturday,” Heupel said of his team following Saturday’s loss to Georgia
There’s plenty on the line for the Vols and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be ready to go even though it’s a night game and a cold forecast.
2. Start fast —
The best thing this offense has done this season and they have done it consistently is their play in the first quarter. Tennessee has scored 148 points in the first quarter in 10 games this season. They have scored on the opening drive in six games. Offensively this team has been a rocket out of the gates. They have executed brilliantly and their tempo has given opponents fits if the Vols can make that first first down.
Is there any doubt that Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh won’t have someone running wide open down the middle of the field on the first drive Saturday night?
3. Find Tolbert — Jalen Tolbert is South Alabama’s best player. He has over 1,000 yards receiving this year and it’s his second straight year hitting that mark. Tolbert has 65 catches, 1140 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s averaging 17 yards a reception. He has given everyone he has played fits for two years which is why he’s heading to the senior bowl.
You can best the Jaguars will line him up everywhere and you can bet he will work the middle of the football field which at times is a vast wasteland for the Vol defense.
Tolbert doesn’t have quarterback Jake Bentley to get him the ball, but the guy can get open. Tennessee can lose him in the defensive backfield.
“They’re talented and, like I said they have a good scheme,” defensive coordinator Tim Banks said. “We know we’re going to have to bring our A-game to be successful.”
4. Tight ends will be a bigger factor — Princeton Fant and Jacob Warren were targeted 6 times against Georgia. They were targeted 3 times at Alabama, 2 at Kentucky, and twice versus Ole Miss.
Earlier in the year, the tight ends were a bigger factor. In the first four games, the tight ends were targeted 24 times. When Tennessee moved Velus Jones to the slot and focused on a three receiver group with Javonta Payton, Jones, and Tillman after the Florida game the number of balls going the tight end’s way dropped. They were targeted just 11 times combined against Missouri, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky.
With Payton out, Jones will likely slide back out wide some and not be exclusively in the slot. The result should mean more opportunities for the tight ends in the offense as we saw Saturday against Georgia when Payton went out in the first quarter.
5. Finish in the redzone —I get it, Georgia has the best redzone defense in the country. Teams have run 91 snaps inside their 25 and are averaging less than 2 yards a play. So Georgia is good, but Tennessee must finish better. The Vols were in the redzone 5 times Saturday and came away with just 2 touchdowns. Tennessee couldn’t finish 1st and goal from the 9 in the fourth quarter at Kentucky to put the game away.
On the year, Tennessee has 27 touchdowns on 41 redzone trips. That’s not awful, but this offense can and should be better in the redzone. Tennessee must complete drives Saturday night.
