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Tennessee football vs. South Carolina: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is seen on the Field during an NCAA football game between Tennessee and Missouri on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday, Oct. 2 , 2021.Utmizzou 1002 0582
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is seen on the Field during an NCAA football game between Tennessee and Missouri on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday, Oct. 2 , 2021.Utmizzou 1002 0582 /

9. Who dictates the tempo of the game?

We all know how fast Tennessee football likes to play. Josh Heupel wants to speed up the game and run 80-plus plays if possible. That comes despite him employing a run-oriented offense from the spread. It’s unique in that regard, but hey, it’s served him well over the years, so it makes sense why he does it.

On the other side, South Carolina doesn’t really have an identity in terms of tempo, but they’re averaging in the low 60s in the play count. Given the fact that they rely on forcing turnovers to win games, which we’ll get to later, their best chance to put the Vols in a position to commit lots of them is to knock them out of their rhythm.

So far this year, the Vols are averaging just under 76 offensive plays a game. However, they had under 70 plays in both of their losses, to the Pittsburgh Panthers and Florida Gators. Simply put, the fewer plays they run, the more likely they are to lose.

In their three wins against the Bowling Green Falcons, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and Mizzou, they had 88, 79 and 78 wins respectively. There’s a clear connection between them going over 75 plays and winning and failing to win with under 70 plays, so under 70 is what USC needs.

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