Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. (6) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee vs. Western Carolina game is a chance for the Volunteers football team to rebound. Here are five Vols to watch for against the Catamounts.
It is time to look past the heartbreaking 31-24 double-overtime loss to the Oklahoma Sooners. The Tennessee Vols still have a lot to play for and 10 more regular season games on the season, including all eight SEC games.
So let’s look ahead.
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The Vols are caught in a trap game lodged between a very tough loss to a Top 25 team and a huge showdown next week against the Florida Gators.
On top of that, the team is still young, injuries are starting to pile up, and the Western Carolina Catamounts have a very experienced bunch that should make for a solid FCS squad this year.
To be fair, Western Carolina is coming off of a 28-10 loss to The Citadel, so they do not look like a team that the Vols should have any type of trouble with.
But at the same time, they will actually have to play a bit this game, and Butch Jones will need to get this team ready.
With some unfortunate injuries that have hit the program, the biggest thing we need to see is how those replacements perform in this tune-up game with SEC play right around the corner.
We also need to see how much improvement is being made. Western Carolina is a third straight up-tempo spread offense that the Vols will see, and they have to deal with another great defensive front, although that is extremely relative to their competition in FCS play.
Still, the offensive line has got to develop in understanding schemes, and the Catamounts do have some experience up front, so they could deal with some complex rushes.
That is a bit of nice preparation if we are trying to reach, and Jones has to do everything he can to improve his depth.
But overall, this should be a blowout. Here are the five Vols to watch in the Tennessee vs. Western Carolina game this Saturday.
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