Tennessee football vs. Missouri: Keys to the game

4. Jarrett Guarantano’s accuracy

Obviously, the most standout story in Tennessee football’s close win over the South Carolina Gamecocks was Jarrett Guarantano’s issues throwing the ball. Guarantano took care of the ball, he was tough in the pocket and he made all the right decisions. That’s why he was 19-of-31 for 259 yards and two total touchdowns, one rushing, with no turnovers in that game.

However, a huge reason for the Vols’ struggles on third and manageable was Guarantano often overshooting wide open receivers. His numbers could have actually been 25 or 26 completions for over 300 yards and potentially another touchdown pass. He also kept USC in the game because of those overthrows, and it frustrated lots of fans.

What does that mean for this game? Well, Guarantano may not get away with what he did again. If the Missouri Tigers are better than expected, and that could be the case with Eliah Drinkwitz, their offense could be much more likely to cash in on the Vols’ inability to stay on the field because of Guarantano’s issues. Those things have got to be addressed this week.

Now, Guarantano assured everybody he would get better. There is the chance that he just had a lot of excitement about playing in the opener, and he was clutch when he needed to be. However, those misses are concerning for a fifth-year senior, and consistently having them will cost Jeremy Pruitt’s team at some point. Until they go away, they’ll always be a key.