Tennessee football: 5 Vols to watch for vs. UMass Minutemen

Perhaps it’s because they’ve been getting behind in games, but one thing about UMass is they like to throw it. And honestly, they’re not that bad at it.

The Minutemen are averaging over 320 passing yards a game, and Andrew Ford is completing over 64 percent of his passes. As a result, Bob Shoop will have to get the Tennessee football pass defense ready for this one.

If Tennessee is to put the game away early, they can’t let Ford get in a rhythm. And that means Emmanuel Moseley has to do his part as the guy who is clearly the Vols’ top cornerback right now.

Moseley will be on Ford’s favorite target at wide receiver, Andy Isabella. One of the most dangerous guys on the field, Isabella is small at 5’10”, but he can beat you. The guy has over 300 yards receiving on the year and already three touchdowns.

The best way to make sure Tennessee shuts down the passing game is for Moseley to shut down Isabella. If he does that, it’ll free up the other guys to make sure they play their roles. The safeties can play a little more freely and won’t have to do as much, which is key in this game since they’re so thin and need to be healthy for Georgia.

It’ll also put the Vols in control early, and Butch Jones needs to make sure his group does that. That requires Moseley doing his part as a lockdown corner that shuts down UMass’s offense’s ability to move the ball.