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

By Caleb Calhoun

A military flyover passers over Neyland Stadium before an NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football
A military flyover passers over Neyland Stadium before an NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football /
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Tennessee placekicker Chase McGrath (40) kicks the ball as Tennessee punter/placekicker Paxton Brooks (37) holds the ball during an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Tennvskentucky1106 1428
Tennessee placekicker Chase McGrath (40) kicks the ball as Tennessee punter/placekicker Paxton Brooks (37) holds the ball during an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Tennvskentucky1106 1428 /

5. Can Diego Guajardo hang with Chase McGrath in place kicking?

Yes, special teams continue to be a huge key, but the blocked kicks lead right to another issue, and that’s place kicking in general. This will only become a key if the game gets close, but should the game get close, Tennessee football has a huge advantage here.

Chase McGrath isn’t an elite kicker by any stretch of the imagination, but he has made 10-of-13 field goals this season. That includes going 7-for-8 inside 40 yards and a perfect 4-of-4 inside 30 yards, which is what you need to be, while hitting all of his extra points.

The same can’t be said for South Alabama kicker Diego Guajardo. He has missed two extra points on the year, and although he is 10-of-15 on field goals while going 4-of-6 beyond 40, he has missed three inside 40 yards, going 6-of-9 on those kicks while missing even one of his three attempts inside 30 yards.

This is part of why South Alabama’s red zone touchdown percentage at 66.67 is in the top 40 but their red zone scoring percentage at 78.57 is down at No. 99. They can’t always make the field goals they need to make when they get down there. Another part of that, though, is turnovers, and it leads to our next key.

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