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Tennessee football vs. ETSU: Keys to the game for Vols and Bucs

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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9. Vols skill players with the ball in open space

Tennessee football clearly is going to have trouble executing plays to the fullest extent this year on offense. That is especially true early on in the season, and there are numerous factors as to why. When that happens, you need your skill players to step up.

Last Saturday, Tim Jordan showed what he could do with the ball as a running back. With Ty Chandler hurt and Madre London and Jeremy Banks focusing more on being power backs, the Vols will need more of that this game.

At receiver, we know that Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings can do some amazing things with the ball. Callaway continued to show solid hands last Saturday, but he now needs to return to form in terms of being the dynamic playmaker. None of that showed through.

Dominick Wood-Anderson caught Jarrett Guarantano’s lone touchdown pass, but the Vols need to utilize the tight ends in the passing game a bit more. Wood-Anderson and Eli Wolf have too much talent to be riding the bench.

Simply put, there are lots of skill players out there. With the offensive line still going through a major transition period and questions at quarterback, these guys need to step up. ETSU is the perfect chance for them to do that.

They should have far more opportunities than they had against the West Virginia Mountaineers, and they should be able to look better doing it. So being unable to make plays in open space will spell bad news for this game.

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