- Go play —
This is a beat up football team. The grind of the season is at it’s longest point with the lone open date looming next week. It’s not clear who will and who won’t play. It’s clear that few are 100%. However it’s also clear that Josh Heupel and his team aren’t interested in mailing it in as heavy underdogs.
I don’t believe it’s in Heupel’s DNA and it’s not the culture he cultivating in is program.
This team will show up short handed and battered but this team will do what it’s done all year and that’s lay it on the line for each other. Center/guard Jerome Carvin said he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I love playing down there actually. I love being on the road in the SEC. It’s fun being in that hostile environment. You ride down that strip to the stadium and their fans aren’t saying anything nice to you. The whole week of practice you hear that sweet home Alabama stuff so you get sick and tired of hearing it. I like playing down there. We are going to take our shot at them.”
2. Protect —
This is Tennessee’s biggest offensive issue at this point and they aren’t at full strength on the offensive line which makes protecting Hendon Hooker or whoever is playing quarterback a significant challenge.
The offensive front has given up 11 sacks the last two games. They only gave up one in the second half against Ole Miss which is a positive.
However playing Alabama isn’t. The Tide have 19 sacks on the season led by defensive end Willie Anderson. And off the edge is where Tennessee has had the most trouble in pass rush. Tennessee’s tackles especially whoever is playing right tackle with Cade Mays out must hold up and must get some help.
Running backs coach Jerry Mack called his unit’s pass pro a B- this week, they have to be better and so do the tight ends when it comes to keeping the quarterback upright.
3. Don’t let Bryce Young run around —
Everyone saw Matt Corral have a field day running the football Saturday night. Corral finished with 195 yards on 30 carries. Emory Jones had a field day earlier this year running the ball. Jones had 144 yards on 15 carries.
Young is not a guy Alabama designs a lot of runs for. On the year he has -2 yards rushing, but he is a guy who can scramble around and will scramble around. Young has taken too many sacks this season. Tennessee must continue to get him to hold the ball and keep him in the pocket. While he may not tuck it and run often and they don’t design runs for you, he can do damage with his legs extending plays. Tennessee must not lose contain on Young.
4. Find a way to hang around —
You can’t upset anyone as a heavy underdog unless you hang around and that’s Tennessee’s goal, keep hanging around and frustrate the Alabama offense. In Tennessee’s only two chances at winning this game recently, 2009 and 2015, the Vol defense forced field goals in the redzone.
Tim Banks’ defense has to win in the redzone Saturday night. Banks’ defense has given up 22 trips in the redzone and has give up 21 scores with 16 being touchdowns.
The Vol defense has to be big inside the 20.
Offensively, the Vols must get through the doldrums that have been the second quarter. In the Vols 3 losses, Tennessee has been out scored 48-20 including 14-3 last week in the 2nd. In their 4 wins, they have outscored their opponent 41-20. They have just gotten out of rhythm in the 2nd quarter. Tennessee is only converting 32% of their 3rd downs in the second quarter (7 of 22). They are over 54% in the other three quarters. In their three losses they are 3 of 10 on third downs in the second quarter. They can’t let the game get away from them before the half.
5. Individuals will continue to grow —
Everyone expects this team to lose this game. It would be a shocker if they didn’t, but what we know is that this team is getting better because individuals are getting better. You have guys like Omari Thomas and Byron Young. Darnell Wright has been solid all year and is seemingly playing better each week. Aaron Beasley and others fall into the same category. It’s not just young players, but older guys as well.
This is a growing team because those who make up the team are improving on a weekly basis and that will be the case this week regardless of the outcome.
