Things To Watch For Saturday… Georgia Edition

1.) A change in offensive scheme for UT; to say that UT’s offense has been sub par this year, could be viewed as putting it nicely. The lack of a passing attack has hurt the Vols tremendously. We have seen defenses stack the box to stunt our run game, and without a consistent passing game, our defense has been put on the field for too long. The only success we have seen from our passing attack, has been against Auburn in the 4th quarter, during a hurry up style offense (not counting WKU, and Ohio, for obvious reasons). The reason behind the success is somewhat a mystery. Was it the combination of catching the defense in a vulnerable position, and an increase in instinctual rather than mental reactions by Jonathan Crompton? Or was it simply that Auburn was playing a prevent style defense, and Crompton utilized the soft coverage? If Coach Kiffin has any interest in running the hurry up against UGA, we may definitely find out which of those two scenarios were correct.

Look to see the Volunteers utilize the Nuke Gun, Wild Smokey… on second thought, the Wild Cat offensive formation, more against UGA. To the surprise of most Vols fans, Richardson broke off a 41 yard play, for the first play from scrimmage last week against Auburn, to never be seen again. Kiffin has stated this week, they have been practicing it more, and trying to get a gameplan to utilize it more this coming week.

2.) More playing time for Oku and Poole; Hardesty has been running like a man trying to prove something. Maybe its because he was second fiddle to Foster for his entire career at UT, and didn’t get the respect of a premier back before this season. All I know is that Hardesty is arguably the best back in the SEC right now. That being said, he has remained relatively healthy, but he has still been banged up this season. Bryce Brown has been a nice complement to Hardesty, and also allows Montario to take a breather on the sidelines. However, Bryce has yet to recover fully from the hip injury he received in the summer. The staff has alluded that he hasn’t been running at 100%, which is a great sign, because he’s been showing moments of brilliance this season, and if thats not full speed, then watch out 2010. With our two main backs banged up, watch for Oku and Poole to get a few hand offs as we get later into the game. Coach has also spoken about putting Oku in at a receiving position to get the playmaker on the field. This coming the week of Brandon Warren being removed from the team.

3.) There is a chance of rain in the forecast for tomorrow; this favors the Vols very much. Rain favors the team that can run the ball the best. Georgia has had a skeptical run game all year, and UT has a very good run defense. On the other hand, UT’s strong point is their running game, and has been playing opponents all year who stack the box. If the game does come down to who can run the ball the best, UT has the advantage on this one. However, Crompton must be even more careful to not make mental mistakes. Last week, Crompton and Sullins had issues exchanging the ball twice. I hope Kiffin worked on ball security this week during practice, because we will need it, especially in a wet environment.

4.) UT’s defense against a traditional pro style offense; Monte Kiffin is drooling for this game, I can only imagine. In UT’s last two SEC games, Monte has had to scheme against offenses that he typically never saw in the NFL. Georgia’s offense is finally a more typical offense to scheme against. Not to discount the greatness of a prostyle offense, because it is a great one, it is just something that Monte has schemed against for years. Look for our D-Line to pressure Cox early, and often. The one consistency with UT football this year, is that the opposing quarterback, has had a pretty rough morning on Sunday. We have pounded the opposing quarterback in every game. I think with the knowledge Monte has of the prostyle offense, look for our secondary to come away with one, if not a few more interceptions Saturday. This is all relevant only if our offense can stay on the field more than last week against Auburn. Giving our defense a rest is a huge point this week. Being on the field for almost 20 minutes in the first half last week, is something that should never be duplicated again.

5.) This is a must win for Kiffin and his players; to win against UGA this week is huge. Coming off two very heart wrenching losses to SEC opponents, a win here is needed. If the Vols win this week, they will be riding high, going into a bye week, before The Third Saturday in October. This would do wonders for a team begging to find an identity, begging to have some glimmer of hope and reason to keep fighting this season. It is undeniable that the players this offseason, have put in more effort, more sweat, than prior years. People who have been around the program for a long time, and have been to practices, can tell you that this team is the hardest working Volunteer team in a long time. The players need to feel some reward for their hard work. Its hard enough for the fans to realize that this is a rebuilding year, that losses will happen. The taste of losing is a bitter one, everytime, no matter what. Imagine being the players, working everyday, dedicating yourself to this team, and seeing no tangible product. This win is do or die for the Vols. Going into Tuscaloosa 2-4, and 0-3 in the SEC is something that can’t be done. This is the game that tells us if we are going to have a winning season, or just another “wait till next year” season.