All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football vs. Ball State: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 20, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Fans outside Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2018; Knoxville, TN, USA; Fans outside Neyland Stadium before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 10
Next
Oct 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Byron Young (6) on the field during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Byron Young (6) on the field during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Vols’ elite edge rushers vs. Ball State’s experienced outside blockers

Sticking with elite play vs. elite play, pay attention to what happens on the outside when Tennessee football’s defense is on the field. The Vols return Byron Young, who is on track for a potential All-American season given how elite he was as an edge rusher last year despite not even playing early in the season due to an eligibility issue.

Meanwhile, this year, with Caleb Tremblay and Ja’Quain Blakely gone, they are going to start Tyler Baron on the other side, so they have two elite edge rushers ready to wreak havoc. Against an inexperienced quarterback who isn’t mobile, that should be a recipe for dominance.

Once again, though, not so fast. Ball State has some questions on the interior, but they return both starting tackles from last year, Corey Stewart and Damon Kaylor. They were top 50 in fewest sacks per game last year, only allowing 25 on the year, so with more experience, they should be better.

Of course, a lot of this depends on whether or not John Paddock’s experience results in him having more trouble getting rid of the ball than Drew Plitt, who appeared to be fine on that front. Still, we don’t know how this will all shake out, but it’s a matchup worth paying attention to.

Home/Vols Football