Tennessee football: Five reasons Missouri could upset Vols

3. There are lots of reasons for the Vols to be rusty.

Pick your poison if you’re Tennessee football. The Vols are playing a noon game a week after playing a night game. In fact, this is the first noon game these guys have played since last year’s win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. At that point, they were 1-4, left for dead and still hadn’t beaten an FBS program. This is a dramatically different team that has cashed in on night games.

Adding to the chaos of the noon game and the lethargy that comes with it is the fact that Neyland Stadium will only be at 25 percent capacity in their home opener. How can they generate the excitement they need to play this game when it’s at noon in front of a limited audience against a team they expect to blow out one week ahead of their trip to the Georgia Bulldogs?

This is a trap game. But more importantly, then there are on-the-field reasons for rust. Cade Mays figures to be inserted into the starting lineup at offensive line this week after finally being cleared by the SEC. Despite practicing with the team throughout the offseason, the quick turnaround could make him rusty as well.

Other guys coming back who figure to play key roles also have kinks to work out, including Darel Middleton on the defensive line. Can the Vols overcome all of these issues against a team looking to get its first win under a new head coach? It will be tough.