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Tennessee: What to know
We're off to a good start to the season, and while LaTech and Tulsa weren't powerhouses, they weren't terrible either. So, this week brings another chance to see where this year's team is, and one last opportunity to carry the Big XII flag before starting conference play.
Tennessee isn't an easy team to identify. On the surface, it's easy to think this game could be a blowout and expect another lopsided game. However, Butch Jones (in his second season) has recruited some of the top talent in the country over the past two years. Tennessee has the talent to play with OU, but that doesn't mean anything if inexperience and youth show up for the Vols on Saturday.
Here's a look at personnel to watch Saturday:
Defense
Tennessee runs a 4-3 defense and show a lot of man coverage on the back end. The Vols will switch to a 3 man front on occasion and use their linebackers as a 4th rusher. The defense is the strength of this year's Tennessee team, but there are a lot of inexperienced players on that side of the ball. Only one player (DE Curt Maggitt) had any game experience coming into the season, and that was spotty. In the secondary, the Vols only have two players will real game experience (Senior CB Justin Coleman and junior S Brian Randolph). One place the volunteers have plenty of experience is at linebacker. All-SEC linebacker A.J. Johnson returns for the Vols as a senior. Johnson isn't a menacing linebacker physically (6'2" 240), but is easily the best player on the defense. In the first two games of the year, Johnson has already racked up 18 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception. He is definitely someone the Sooners must account for on Saturday.
While the defense may be the better side of the ball for the Vols, they haven't been completely dominant. With Utah State and Arkansas State in the win column for the Vols, the defense has allowed an average of 120 yards rushing. That could create an issue for Tennessee on Saturday. In pass defense, the Volunteers have looked pretty solid despite the youth in their secondary. Through two games, the Vols have allowed an average of 99 yards passing per game. A respectable number, albeit against inferior competition.
Offense
Tennessee runs a semi-spread offense (not too dissimilar to OU) with 3 WRs and a TE. The Vols will go with 4 and sometimes 5 wide receivers at times. The TE will be a target in the passing game, and not just used as a 6th lineman. Everything starts for Tennessee with senior QB Justin Worley. Although a senior, Worley has had to battle for the starting spot each of the past two years, and started 8 games for the Vols in 2013 until a thumb injury resulted in Worley missing the final 4 games of the year. Worley is a tall QB with a serviceable arm, and almost no mobility. If given time, Worley can and will complete passes consistently. Tennessee will field several talented players for Worley to target, most notably sophomore WR Marquez North. North is a tall receiver (6'4") with plenty of speed. In addition to North, Worley's go-to-guy is junior WR Pig Howard. Howard is a small target (5'8" 187), but a versatile weapon that runs with a purpose once he gets the ball. Tennessee will run the ball with two backs primarily; freshman Jalen Hurd and senior Marlin Lane. Hurd (6'3" 227) is more of a power back, and while Lane runs with some power, he carries a smaller frame (5'11" 209).
The biggest variable in Tennessee's 2014 offense is the offensive line. Like the Vol defensive line, the offensive line consists of no returning starters in 2014. The Tennessee offensive line isn't just inexperienced, they aren't overly big either. The average size of the Volunteer O-line is about 299 pounds (compared to OU's average of about 324). While the Tennessee O-line returns no starters from last year, they have three players that have seen game action, however nothing substantial. The player to watch on the Tennessee O-line is OG Jashon Robertson. Robertson is a true freshman, and will have to deal with the Sooner defensive tackles. He could be in over his head.
Conclusion
Tennessee is young. What's most problematic for Tennesse is that they are young in some areas that the Sooners could really exploit, namely the offensive line. It will be a difficult task for the Vols to handle the likes of Jordan Phillips and Charles Tapper with so much inexperience. The Vols have weapons on offense, but if they are going to be effective, Worley will have to have time to find them in space...that will be a challenge. Defensively, AJ Johnson will be the best linebacker the Sooners will face all year, however, one player surrounded by inexperience will have a difficult time slowing the Sooner offense.
Butch Jones may come out throwing early in an effort to back off the coverage and find some room for the running game. While that could work, I think the Sooners have enough in our front 3/4 to get plenty of pressure on Worley early and make finding receivers difficult. The Sooner defense looked a little soft in pass coverage last week (in the middle), so expect the Vols to try and hit there. With the talent OU fields on defense, I don't see any mismatches that favor Tennessee, and I see a lot of mismatches that favor OU.
The Sooners should be able to soften the Tennessee line with our punishing backs, but I won't be completely surprised if the Tennessee defense holds up for most of the first half. If Heuple sticks with the running game (and there's no reason to think he won't), "putting that money in the bank" will pay off big time in the second half, and the Sooners may eclipse the 200 yard mark on the ground again. In the passing game, Tennessee looks a lot like Louisiana Tech, and the results should be about the same (or better).
This game could be close in the first half, unless the Sooners play mistake free football early, if that happens it'll be over early. Either way, expect OU to outman/outgun Tennessee and pull away in the second half. It could get ugly if Tennessee can't slow OU's offense. There's no way Tennessee can let the game turn into a shoot out, if it does it could get embarrassing for them.
8timechamps
-Sooners Fan Admin
Tennessee: What to know
