Tennessee football returns to Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon as it hosts the ETSU Bucs in its 2025 home opener. The Vols coasted past Syracuse a week ago and should have no issue with their instate FCS foe this week.
Each week, we look at three keys for Tennessee football to earn a victory. With a Tennessee victory a near foregone conclusion, let’s take a look at three keys for the Vols to leave Saturday’s game feeling like they’re in a good spot.
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Avoid Injuries
Typically, I don’t include anything about injuries because it’s so self explanatory. But Tennessee is already so injury riddled just one game into the season that it feels necessary to include.
Top cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Ricky Gibson are out. The same is true of defensive tackles Jaxson Moi and Daevin Hobbs. Tennessee is extremely thin at those two positions with all four players sidelined. They can’t afford any more injuries at those spots.
The Vols are also thin at receiver and can’t afford injuries there or to a number of other key players like Lance Heard, Joey Aguilar, Josh Josephs and Arion Carter. After an injury filled week one, Tennessee will feel good if they leave week two with no new injuries.
Young Players Step Up At Cornerback, Defensive Tackle
With Tennessee batting injuries at defensive tackle and cornerback, they need to avoid new injuries while young players perform at a high level.
At cornerback, freshman Ty Redmond and transfer Colton Hood were elite a week ago. The key is for both, especially Redmond, to keep stacking good performances and get more-and-more experience before life gets much more difficult in SEC play.
At defensive tackle, redshirt sophomore Nathan Robinson, former JUCO transfer Jamal Wallace, freshmen Ethan Utley and Isaiah Campbell will all earn reps. Tennessee needs that group to improve and at least become formidable against the run.
Get Backup Quarterbacks Snaps
One of the most curious parts of this game is how much Tennessee will play Joey Aguilar and how much they will play Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. On one hand, getting Aguilar as many reps as possible is beneficial because of his lack of experience in Tennessee’s system.
But on the other hand, Tennessee must avoid an Aguilar injury. And if he does go down at some point this season, the Vols need Jake Merklinger and/or George MacIntyre to be more prepared. The true freshman MacIntyre has never played a collegiate snap. The redshirt freshman Merkliner has played 36 career snaps.
Tennessee needs to get at least one quarterback, if not both, multiple drives of work against ETSU.
