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Tennessee football at Arkansas: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 1: View of Donald W. Reynolds Stadium, home of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and John McDonnell Field before a game against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Razorback Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 1: View of Donald W. Reynolds Stadium, home of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and John McDonnell Field before a game against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Razorback Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Sep 15, 2018; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Overall view of the field before the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the North Texas Mean Green at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2018; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Overall view of the field before the game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the North Texas Mean Green at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

Here are the keys in Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tennessee football Volunteers.

Coming off a bye, Tennessee football is desperately looking for a turnaround amidst a three-game losing streak and a 2-3 record. Jeremy Pruitt is feeling a lot of heat, as all three losses were blowouts against him as well.

On Saturday, the Vols are set to face another 2-3 team, the Arkansas Razorbacks. Led by first-year head coach Sam Pittman, Arkansas has had a lot more energy injected into its program than than anything it has had over the past three years, especially the previous two with Chad Morris.

Because of that, what was initially an expected win for Tennessee football at the beginning of the year has now turned into a toss-up. At the same time, it’s one the Vols desperately have to win if they want a chance at a winning record this year.

Given Arkansas’s brutal schedule, though, the Hogs likely need this win just as much if they want to get to .500 on the year. Taking that into account, both teams could be playing with a sense of desperation in this game on Saturday.

As we get set to break down our keys to this game, psychological and coaching factors will definitely come into account. Plenty of things on the field will matter as well. Both teams have looked wildly different in certain areas from game to game as well, so this could be more difficult to do than usual.

One interesting non-factor is injuries, as Arkansas is relatively healthy and the Vols have had time to recover from their injuries coming off the bye. That should make for a more entertaining game when these two face off.

What will come into account, though? Which factors will determine the team that heads into next week back at .500? Let’s break all of that down here. These are the 10 keys to the game between Tennessee football and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

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