Tennessee football vs. Charlotte: 10 keys for Vols and 49ers

9. Number of penalties Vols commit

Tennessee football’s loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks came down to nine penalties, and three were critical. One was a pass interference penalty that set up what became the South Carolina game-winning field goal.

Two others were unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, one of which gave the Gamecocks great field position to set up their first touchdown and another of which forced the Vols to settle for a field goal instead of maybe scoring a touchdown. Add in numerous formation penalties on offense with a makeshift line still having to gel amidst key injuries, and you had a recipe for killer penalties all night.

Will it get any better on Saturday? Well, it’s going to have to. The Charlotte 49ers are tied at No. 23 in the nation for fewest penalties per game with just over five. They are No. 29 nationally in fewest penalty yards per game with just under 47.

Overall, the Vols have been a middle of the road team when it comes to penalties. But you have to think that what happened against South Carolina was more about a trend given the issues facing the offensive line with Trey Smith out.

On Saturday, if they make those mistakes again, Charlotte may very well capitalize. And all of a sudden, these guys will be in some serious trouble. This is part of the focus we were talking about, but it’s a separate key altogether. And it’s a bigger key, which is why we moved it up on the list.