Tennessee football at Georgia: Keys to the game for Vols and Dawgs

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 /

5. How long can the Vols defensive line get a consistent push?

Tennessee football’s defensive line finally came to life against the Florida Gators last week…for a quarter. Alexis Johnson picked up a sack and Shy Tuttle had a key tackle that should have set the tone of the game for the Vols.

Meanwhile, Kyle Phillips was able to be all over the field at times at defensive end. So the Vols were able to make an impact at times. The problem was the fact that they were not able to sustain it, and once the onslaught began, the unit went silent.

Still, overall it was a step in the right direction. Could Jeremy Pruitt get more out of those guys this week? Everything about the pass rush in the 3-4 defense comes back down to the defensive line being able to get pressure. If the Vols can do that up front on a more consistent basis, their defense could finally begin to take off.

It’s not like these guys don’t have the talent to do that. Tuttle, Johnson and Phillips have all shown an ability to get pressure against even the best competition. And Emmit Gooden has shown flashes off the bench as well. So there are certainly some advantages on Rocky Top, and another one for them is the next key to this game.

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