All for Tennessee
Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 11
Next
PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 26: A penalty flag is seen uring a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts on August 26, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 26: A penalty flag is seen uring a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts on August 26, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

8. Will Arkansas be able to maintain its penalty advantage?

We’ve been stressing penalties for Tennessee football over the past month. The Vols got off to their 2-0 start by being one of the least penalized teams in the SEC. At that point, they had fewer than 90 penalty yards on the whole season, and this seemed to be an advantage they would have over lots of other teams throughout the season.

Then the Georgia Bulldogs game happened, and they committed 10 penalties. Multiple personal fouls cost them multiple drives against the Kentucky Wildcats the next week. Now, UT is one of the worst teams in the SEC, averaging 50 penalty yards a game. While it didn’t cost them against the Alabama Crimson Tide, it cost them in the other two games.

On the other hand, the Arkansas Razorbacks are among the best teams at minimizing penalties. They only have 37 penalty yards a game, which is good for third in the SEC behind the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Kentucky Wildcats. This type of discipline under a first-year head coach is impressive, but it’s a big reason for them being competitive in so many games.

Taking that into account, the question is which Vols team will show up. Jeremy Pruitt’s team has been so hot and cold with penalties, but if they have one of their good days, they can neutralize this Arkansas advantage. The Hogs will likely remained disciplined, so this comes down to what Rocky Top can do to take away something that could cost it.

Home/Vols Football