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Tennessee opens it's true home schedule this week against a formidable powerhouse in Oklahoma. Last year, the Sooners beat the Vols pretty badly, with our offensive line taking a whipping, and Justin Worley taking it even worse. However, there were a few plays, that had they gone a little bit differently, could have made the game very interesting.
A lot can change in a year, and most expect the Sooners to encounter a Tennessee team that is much improved and ready for a dog fight. This time, it looks like we've got the dogs to stand toe to toe.
Keys to the game:
1. Break Baker: Baker Mayfield runs the Air Raid offense for Oklahoma. This set typically sees four wide receivers and a single running back... not exactly the offense you would hope to see after a shaky showing by the Tennessee secondary last week. However, the Oklahoma offensive line is inexperienced, and the Tennessee defensive line is not, which means if we can get pressure on Mayfield early and often, the best Mayfield in Tennessee on Saturday night will still be found in the yellow carton in your grocery's frozen dessert section.
2. Strike Striker: Last season, linebacker Eric Striker came peeling off of the edge like a bat out of hell. Though he didn't register an official sack, it sure seemed like it, and he "hurried" Worley 3 times and caused a lot of problems for the OL. This year, the Vols have to do a better job at protecting the QB. The offensive line looked improved last week, but as we know, that was Bowling Green, not Oklahoma. Look for the running backs to have a key part in protecting Dobbs and giving him time to find a receiver.
3. From Attrition to Addition: This week, the Vols add assistant head coach/DB coach Willie Martinez. All Vol fans are praying that his absence was the reason that our DB's looked like they had no clue what to do half of the time. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, but there was certainly some communication problems on the back end, and you have to think Martinez would have sorted that out quickly. The Vols also get back Pig. Our favorite multi-purpose yard gainer will be a welcome addition, and will likely be targeted early and often. If Justin Martin is ready to go, that is huge for the DB's. TK Jr. is ready to go. No one really knows what to expect from Marquez North. Apparently, healthy enough to play, but not be targeted, so who knows if he is ready to catch or just run around. The bottom line is, Tennessee just got a lot better than they were last week.
4. Run CMG: Even with the atrocious play of the OL last year, the Vols ran pretty well against OK. Hurd picked up 97 yards and Marlin Lane ran for 4.2 yards per carry. How do you think this year's Hurd and Alvin Kamara may fare? Probably, pretty well. Add in the Dobbs element, that forces a defense to stay honest, and you have a recipe for a big game on the ground. The Vols need to run often, run hard, and completely drive the ball down the throats of their opponent.
5. Let them know...Bob Stoops is telling the media that Knoxville is not a big deal for his team, and they've played in big games. Sorry Bob, but Neyland is about to rain 100,000 frenzied fans on your head. Let me know how the communication is with your OL during that first quarter. If the Vols get some points on the board early, it's gonna be even worse. Hands down, this is the most anticipated game in Knoxville since Florida came to town in 2012, and that game was fever pitch. Now, expectations are higher, and achievable, and Oklahoma gets to experience the full brunt of years of frustration. We're ready for a big win.
Prediction: I'm having an awful time with this game. It's so hard to call, which means it should be a great game. At this moment, I think Tennessee wins a scrappy game with a dominant run game. Oklahoma gets their points on a soft secondary, but it is enough to hold.
Tennessee 31
Oklahoma 30
A lot can change in a year, and most expect the Sooners to encounter a Tennessee team that is much improved and ready for a dog fight. This time, it looks like we've got the dogs to stand toe to toe.
Keys to the game:
1. Break Baker: Baker Mayfield runs the Air Raid offense for Oklahoma. This set typically sees four wide receivers and a single running back... not exactly the offense you would hope to see after a shaky showing by the Tennessee secondary last week. However, the Oklahoma offensive line is inexperienced, and the Tennessee defensive line is not, which means if we can get pressure on Mayfield early and often, the best Mayfield in Tennessee on Saturday night will still be found in the yellow carton in your grocery's frozen dessert section.
2. Strike Striker: Last season, linebacker Eric Striker came peeling off of the edge like a bat out of hell. Though he didn't register an official sack, it sure seemed like it, and he "hurried" Worley 3 times and caused a lot of problems for the OL. This year, the Vols have to do a better job at protecting the QB. The offensive line looked improved last week, but as we know, that was Bowling Green, not Oklahoma. Look for the running backs to have a key part in protecting Dobbs and giving him time to find a receiver.
3. From Attrition to Addition: This week, the Vols add assistant head coach/DB coach Willie Martinez. All Vol fans are praying that his absence was the reason that our DB's looked like they had no clue what to do half of the time. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, but there was certainly some communication problems on the back end, and you have to think Martinez would have sorted that out quickly. The Vols also get back Pig. Our favorite multi-purpose yard gainer will be a welcome addition, and will likely be targeted early and often. If Justin Martin is ready to go, that is huge for the DB's. TK Jr. is ready to go. No one really knows what to expect from Marquez North. Apparently, healthy enough to play, but not be targeted, so who knows if he is ready to catch or just run around. The bottom line is, Tennessee just got a lot better than they were last week.
4. Run CMG: Even with the atrocious play of the OL last year, the Vols ran pretty well against OK. Hurd picked up 97 yards and Marlin Lane ran for 4.2 yards per carry. How do you think this year's Hurd and Alvin Kamara may fare? Probably, pretty well. Add in the Dobbs element, that forces a defense to stay honest, and you have a recipe for a big game on the ground. The Vols need to run often, run hard, and completely drive the ball down the throats of their opponent.
5. Let them know...Bob Stoops is telling the media that Knoxville is not a big deal for his team, and they've played in big games. Sorry Bob, but Neyland is about to rain 100,000 frenzied fans on your head. Let me know how the communication is with your OL during that first quarter. If the Vols get some points on the board early, it's gonna be even worse. Hands down, this is the most anticipated game in Knoxville since Florida came to town in 2012, and that game was fever pitch. Now, expectations are higher, and achievable, and Oklahoma gets to experience the full brunt of years of frustration. We're ready for a big win.
Prediction: I'm having an awful time with this game. It's so hard to call, which means it should be a great game. At this moment, I think Tennessee wins a scrappy game with a dominant run game. Oklahoma gets their points on a soft secondary, but it is enough to hold.
Tennessee 31
Oklahoma 30
