Western Kentucky @ Tennessee Volunteers: What To Watch For

Aug 31, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones during the game against the Austin Peay Governors at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers will be looking to start 2-0 for the third season in a row when they take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers later today.

Here’s five things to watch for when the Vols take the field against the Hilltoppers this afternoon.

1. Conditioning 

Butch Jones said he was pleased with his team’s conditioning against Austin Peay, but acknowledged that his team didn’t play a full game, saying “We had some individuals that only played 33-34 snaps. Usually it is 70-80 a game. That is an area of concern that we will demand a lot from them this week in practice”.

With a 12:21 kickoff time, there will be plenty of heat and although the Vols went through a tough fall camp, their conditioning will be tested. That, combined with Jones saying that he wants his team to player faster than they did against Austin Peay, could cause some issues for the younger Vols. Watch to see how the players react down the stretch, especially in the third quarter, this is where the game could be won or lost for the Volunteers.

2. Running Game

The Vols ran the ball efficiently against an over-matched Austin Peay squad. Despite the success, Jones felt like his team left some yards on the field. Rajion Neal admitted he was looking for the “big runs” and added “It was the first game, had a little rust, but no excuses. They say the jump from week one to week two should be pretty significant and that is what we plan on doing”.

Jones was especially unhappy with all the lateral movement in the running game. Expect to see much more North and South running from Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane.

3. Justin Worley

There’s no doubt that Justin Worley did a good job of leading the offense in the Volunteers’ win over Austin Peay. Unfortunately it’s hard to get a good feel for what kind of asset Worley will be, based on a win over a pretty bad opponent.

Worley didn’t show too much against the Governors, but he did exactly what he was suppose to do.

Early in the game the Vols took a shot downfield and it appeared that Worley underthrew freshman wide receiver Marquez North. Butch Jones indicated on Monday that some of his receivers ran the inccorect depth on their routes. One can only assume he was referring to North in that instance, especially since that was one of Worley’s only incompletions of the afternoon.

4. Quarterback Battle

No, not the starting quarterback battle, that one is definitely settled.

I’m talking about the back-up quarterback battle.

Nathan Peterman is currently the second quarterback on the depth chart, but based on his performance against Austin Peay, that spot may not be secure.

Peterman didn’t look very efficient in the second half last Saturday. Even though he was playing with mostly the second team offense, he still should have been able to muster more than three points.

If Riley Ferguson is given the the opportunity, there’s a very very good chance he could be the backup to Worley sooner rather than later.

5. Return Game

If you haven’t heard by now, the Vols top kick/punt returner, Devrin Young, is going to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

Young looked dynamic on the kickoff to open the second half against Austin Peay. His presence will definitely be missed on special teams (as well as in the passing game, as a slot receiver).

The Vols have several options to replace Young and I’m sure they’d rather see someone take a strong-hold on the job, instead of relying on a committee.

Options to replace Young include Jacob Carter, Cam Sutton, Rajion Neal, Marlin Lane and Vincent Dallas.