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Tennessee football vs. UTEP: 10 keys for Vols against Miners

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers brings his team onto the field prior to a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images
Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images /

6. UTEP’s terrible pass protection vs. the Vols’ terrible pass rush

Something’s got to give here, right? Tennessee football has been embarrassing with its pass rush to start the season so far, and quite honestly, that’s not something we expected. Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson at defensive tackle were supposed to finally reach their potential.

The same was true for Kyle Phillips at end. And then the moves of Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor to outside linebacker should have made for a team that can wreak havoc in the passing attack, even if the inside linebackers and defensive backs struggle with the transition to a 3-4.

Simply put, the defensive line and outside rushers to make for a pass rush should not have been a problem, but it has been completely quiet. If the Vols don’t make noise there in this game, though, the problem is way worse than we thought.

UTEP comes in with a horrible offensive line that can’t protect anybody. These guys have already given up seven sacks on the year, and it’s not like they’ve faced elite defenses. They went against an FCS school and then the UNLV Rebels.

So the Vols’ edge rushers in particular have got to show that they can make an impact in this game. They could be responsible for breaking things open early. But struggling again will be more than devastating for the prospects of this team. This was supposed to be a major strength for the Vols going into the season. They need to show that on Saturday.

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