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Tennessee football vs. Georgia State: 10 keys for Vols and Panthers

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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Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images /

9.  Shawn Elliott’s familiarity with Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee and the SEC

If one person is not going to be intimidated by the opener against Tennessee football, it’s Georgia State Panthers head coach Shawn Elliott. Let’s look back at a bit of Elliott’s history in big games. He was on the staff of the Appalachian State Mountaineers team that upset the Michigan Wolverines in 2007.

Then he spent seven years as an assistant with the South Carolina Gamecocks, coaching offensive line the whole time, serving as offensive coordinator for four years and then replacing Steve Spurrier as interim head coach in 2015. A Spurrier protege who has SEC experience is a big deal.

On top of that, Elliott was on the staff during that entire four-year run from 2010-2013 in which South Carolina won their first SEC East title and also had three top 10 finishes. During his seven years, the Gamecocks went 4-3 against UT and won in Neyland in 2011. As a head coach, he almost beat them again in 2015 despite the team going 3-9.

Elliott was also there when S.C. blew out the Alabama Crimson Tide while Jeremy Pruitt was Nick Saban’s defensive backs coach. Then, as offensive coordinator, he scored 38 points in a win over the Georgia Bulldogs when Pruitt was UGA’s defensive coordinator in 2014. Simply put, Elliott can handle Pruitt, big openers, the Vols and the SEC.

All of this is going to give Elliott and his players confidence going into Saturday. He is going to pull out all the stops in trying to score a huge upset, and the Vols have to be ready. Elliott’s and Pruitt’s familiarity with each others’ schemes will play a huge role in what happens.

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