Tennessee football: 5 reasons Vols can upset WVU

2. West Virginia is prone to turnovers

Part of this reason plays off the last reason we named. Tennessee football is capable of getting pressure on Will Grier, and Grier is horrible when he is under pressure. As a result, he throws a lot of balls up in the air for grabs. And that’s where the next reason comes in.

Dana Holgorsen’s system in general doesn’t account for proper pressure. As a result, if the Vols do what they’re capable of doing, they can throw everything for a loop. Last year, West Virginia was No. 97 at avoiding interceptions. They gave up 14, and Grier threw 12 of them before he got hurt.

Interceptions aren’t the only part of this equation, though. WVU was in the top 15 in the country in overall turnovers with 26 as they also lost 12 fumbles. The combination of the two should work significantly in the Vols’ favor.

Even if they give up a few big plays, Tennessee should be able to force quite a few West Virginia mistakes by being aggressive. It’s why we said in our keys that sparks would fly early. Jeremy Pruitt’s system calls for press coverage by the cornerbacks and pressure from the outside by the front seven.

Those things could make for major fireworks, but given West Virginia’s tendency to turn the ball over, the Vols could get a lot of things go their way. Don’t forget that Grier himself fumbled six times last year and lost two of them. So, again, pressure can cause a lot of mistakes on West Virginia’s end.

The Vols beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in their opener last season thanks to their ability to force turnovers. They have the chance to do the same thing in this game. And if they capitalize enough, things could get very interesting.