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Tennessee football: Five Alabama Crimson Tide to watch for against Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide hands off to running back Najee Harris #22 during the game against Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 12, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide hands off to running back Najee Harris #22 during the game against Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 12, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

Quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa. 829. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Junior. 1. player

This is obviously no surprise. We’ve already talked about the need for Tennessee football’s secondary to come through and help shut down Jerry Jeudy. Well, they will also obviously have to shut down Tua Tagovailoa.

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For the year, Tagovailoa is looking better than he did at this time in 2018. He is completing 73.6 percent of his passes for 2,011 yards, averaging 11 yards a completion and over 330 passing yards a game, with 27 touchdowns to one interception. That’s an average of four and a half touchdown passes a game. Oh, and he has 35 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Tagovailoa has been unstoppable, and the Vols are no different from any other team facing the Tide. They have to find some way to slow down this Heisman-worthy quarterback who can make any throw to anybody on the field.

Devonta Smith being out could help Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley to scheme for him. The other part of that equation is drawing up the right packages for the defensive backs and inside linebacker. But the final part is the defensive line getting a push and the outside linebackers getting some sort of rush.

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Tagovailoa showed last year he can struggle under pressure. If UT’s defensive line and outside linebackers can generate some, they have a solid secondary that could cash in on him making bad throws, especially with Smith out. So like many SEC games, the formula for Tennessee football to have a chance is to stop the quarterback, and they need to do it by winning the battle up front.

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