Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for vs. Akron

We said at the start of the season that the Akron Zips would be the worst team Tennessee football faces all year, and that holds true. However, Joe Moorhead is a good head coach, and when he was with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2019, the Vols were locked in a dogfight until a late touchdown gave them control.

As a result, when UT gets set to face Akron and Moorhead, its new head coach, there are certain aspects to his scheme they should be ready for. Jeremy Pruitt prepared for the scheme perfectly in 2019. It’s likely Josh Heupel does the same, and they need it to avoid a letdown with the Florida Gators coming to town next week.

There are clear players the Vols will need to rely on to make sure they take control of this game early and are never threatened. That’s partially based on Moorhead’s scheme, but it’s also based on Akron’s personnel. These are Tennessee football’s five key players to watch for Saturday.

These Tennessee football players will be critical in the Volunteers’ third game of the season.

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Although schematically other players will actually be more crucial, you can’t ignore the quarterback. Hendon Hooker showed last week that, when needed, he can be used on designed running plays. The Vols will beat Akron based on what they do to them on the ground if you look at how the start of the season has gone for that team.

Against the St. Francis Red Flash, Akron allowed their two quarterbacks to rush for a combined 75 yards. Payton Thorne didn’t have any rushing yards against them in their loss to the Michigan State Spartans last week, but he’s not much a running quarterback.

To be fair, Thorne is mobile and has used his legs in the past. He just wasn’t needed for that in last week’s game. Ideally, Tennessee football will be in the same situation with Hooker. However, if they have to use his legs, they have that option, and that is what makes him a key weapon in the game. Being the quarterback also helps.