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Tennessee football vs. WVU: Vols and Mountaineers keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 01: A general view of Bank of America Stadium before the preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers on September 1, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 01: A general view of Bank of America Stadium before the preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers on September 1, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images /

2. Can Tennessee football dominate on the ground and control the clock?

Jeremy Pruitt has been saying to the media that he likes to be able to run up to three guys at running back in his system. Well, his depth chart showed just that. And the good news is all three guys complement each other.

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    • Madre London, the graduate transfer from the Michigan State Spartans, is the power back. Ty Chandler is the speed back who makes the big plays. Tim Jordan is the smart back who can pick up the system quickly enough. The combination of the three is perfect.

    Make no mistake, Tennessee football needs to use these three guys to absolutely dominate west Virginia on the ground in this game. The Mountaineers had one of the worst rush defenses last year, allowing over 200 yards a game.

    There is a reason for this. Sure, the Vols could throw all over what was a weak pass defense. But one of the best ways to knock the air raid offense off its rhythm is to keep it on the bench. Jeremy Pruitt, with all the questions in his secondary, will want to keep Will Grier on the bench as a result.

    Now, it is true that the Vols were horrible last year at running the ball, ranked No. 112 in the country. And even worse, that was mainly due to an offensive line that has everybody back. But injuries and horrible coaching were also factors.

    Related Story. 5 Vols to watch for vs. West Virginia. light

    This year, everybody healthy, a new system, and the addition of guys like Brandon Kennedy should help offset that. Add in guys like London and the other backs gaining experience, and Tennessee should have the horses to develop a solid running game. They need to use that as much as possible against WVU if they want to win.

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