Tennessee-UTSA: 3 things to watch for in Week 4
The Tennessee Volunteers will host the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium. The Vols will have to bring their best effort in this one if they want to cover the -21.5-point spread as the Roadrunners have been one of the best ‘Group of 5’ teams for the last few years. The Roadrunner’s veteran QB Frank Harris is set to be a game-time decision, as a turf toe injury kept him sidelined during their 37-29 loss to Army last Friday. If Harris gives it a go it is imperative for this Vol offense to show up as the Roadrunners have proven in recent years that they are more than capable of putting up big numbers. The Vols are looking to avoid an embarrassing performance for the third week in a row, and there are 3 things the Vols need to focus on to make that happen.
Establish The Running Game Early
This UTSA defense just got mauled by a military school’s offensive line and running game. No disrespect to the men and women serving our country, but if Army can run roughshod over this defense there’s no reason an SEC-level running game can’t have the same effect. The Vols have a stable of running backs and hopefully, (fingers crossed) Cooper Mays back at center pointing out the assignments up front. Stay Patient with the running game, lean on your advantage in the trenches, and take your shots in the passing game when they are available. Furthermore, if Joe Milton can get some long completions off play action it would be a big boost for this struggling offense. The Vols couldn’t get much going on the ground against the Gators last week, and that’s probably why they could only muster 16 points. Josh Heupel’s offense is and always will be centered around a strong rushing attack. This is a perfect opportunity for the Vols to go out and prove that if they are effectively running the ball the offense can still be as electric as we all expect.
BLITZ BLITZ BLITZ
Attention Tim Banks, this defense is not good enough to sit back in zone. It has been proven time and time again that the Vol defense is at its best when they are bringing pressure. The secondary as it stands now can not cover for more than 3 seconds, and when the Vols only bring 4 in pressure it is a guaranteed completion. The bend but don’t break method does not mesh with Josh Heupel’s offensive philosophy, and I don’t understand why the Vols don’t expect teams to have ball-control gameplans on offense. The Vol defense should have one thing in mind and that is getting the ball back to the offense as soon as possible, and being aggressive is the best way to do that. If the defense would let it rip and bring 5-6 guys in pressure 3 good outcomes would happen way more often. Number one turnovers, number two 3 and outs, and number three giving up touchdowns. I include number three because if the defense is going to give up a touchdown anyway just do it faster so the other team can’t chew the clock. Yes, I realize that sounds insane, but as the offense stands on the sideline they get more cold, more out of sync, and less effective. The offense seems to be the main concern from Vol fans at the moment, but in my eyes, the lack of aggressiveness on defense is just as frustrating. So, Tim Banks please bring the pressure against the Roadrunners and throughout the rest of the year if you want to keep your job past December.
Nico Reps
The Vols likely only have the services of Nico Iamaleava for 3 years, and any reps they can get for him before he’s given the reigns to the offense are crucial. Furthermore, it would be an absolute tragedy if he gets discouraged by a season’s worth of poor offense under Joe Milton without being given a chance and decides to transfer. The bottom line is if the offense does their job Saturday night this game should be decided early in the 3rd quarter, and if it isn’t that means the offense has been horrid yet again. The Vols should play Nico against the Roadrunners, it’s just yet to be decided whether it will be mop-up duty or a last-ditch effort to spark the offense. If the Vols are struggling on offense again and decide to ride or die with Joe Milton, it will be absolute malpractice. Going 7-5 with Joe Milton is not a good consolation prize if Nico decides to transfer once the season is over. I hope none of this comes to pass of course. I hope Joe Milton goes out and leads the Vols to an SEC title. I just know the era of college football we are currently in, and a player with the Talent that Nico has doesn’t have much patience for a coaching staff hesitant to divorce a struggling QB. This will all be moot if the Vols get the offense turned around, so please get Nico some reps Saturday night, preferably in mop-up duty.
The Vols are favored in this game for a reason. They are more talented, playing at home, and coming off a disappointing loss. This is a culture-defining game for Josh Heupel. Come out and take care of business and everything calms down for a little bit before the matchup with South Carolina. Come out and win a nailbiter or God forbid lose and the doubters will be louder than ever. The Vols were hopefully 100% focused on the Roadrunners throughout the week and are primed to fix the mistakes and execute like we all know they can. I lean toward a massive bounceback for the Vols in this contest. I still believe that the Vols can turn things around and challenge for the SEC East, and even though it’s not a conference game, it starts on Saturday Afternoon.
Prediction – Vols - 56 Meep Meeps - 17
Featured image via @NormalVolFan on Twitter/X