All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee vs South Carolina: 5 Vols to Watch for vs Gamecocks

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 17, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) hands the ball off to running back Jalen Hurd (1) during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 28 to 19. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) hands the ball off to running back Jalen Hurd (1) during the second half against the Ohio Bobcats at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 28 to 19. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) in action during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) in action during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

We’re back to where we were with the start of this post. Tennessee vs South Carolina is going to come down to the pass rush of the Vols.

Heck, over the past few years, it’s come down to the pass rush. Jadeveon Clowney made the game-winning play in the 2012 Tennessee vs South Carolina game by causing a strip-sack late. And then, in 2014, this other guy came away with three sacks to deliver an overtime win for the Vols.

That guy was a freshman, and his name was Derek Barnett. Barnett is now a junior, and he is still just as valuable as he was then.

Heck, now he’s better and even more valuable. So Barnett is once again going to be a crucial player in this game.

As we mentioned, the Vols need to get as much pressure on Bentley as possible in this game. They need to force him into making mistakes, which UMASS failed to do for the most part.

Barnett is also deceivingly good at stopping the run, which the Gamecocks managed to get better at last week. So Butch Jones and Bob Shoop will need every bit of him this weekend.

If Barnett can play like he’s been playing, this game is over. After all, through four SEC games, he has six sacks. And he has not yet gone an SEC game without a sack.

So coming off of a bye, the Vols need him to step up and have another huge game. That could deliver them a strong victory.

Home/Vols Football