Tennessee football begins October with a 4-1 (1-1 SEC) record and is looking to start the month off with a conference win before heading on the road for back-to-back SEC games. They’re hosting an Arkansas team that has struggled badly to this point in the season, making a coaching change at the end of September.
The Vols are 12.5-point favorites against Arkansas with kickoff a day away. Here’s three keys for Tennessee in its SEC matchup against Arkansas.
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Get Off The Field On Third And Fourth Down
Expect Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino to coach with nothing to lose in this game. The Razorbacks’ offense has been great this season while their defense has struggled badly. Petrino is an offensive coach and he knows Arkansas has to score a lot of points to win this game.
That makes me think that Arkansas will be very aggressive on third and then also fourth down in this game. If Tennessee’s defense is going to have the breakout game its been looking for, they must get off the field on third and fourth down.
Arkansas has been great on third down this season, converting 58% of their attempts and ranking fifth nationally. The Vols’ third down defense has been shaky. They have to improve up that on Saturday. Forcing Arkansas into third-and-long situations would be a big help too.
Bottle Up Taylen Green’s Legs
A big part of that third down defense will be about containing Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green’s legs. Green is fantastic at creating when plays break down. That gave Tennessee issues at times a season ago and is a big part of what makes the Razorbacks’ offense so dangerous.
Green leads Arkansas in rushing with 441 yards on 54 carries. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns. He’s a big reason why Arkansas’ rushing offense is one of the SEC’s best.
Tennessee’s rush defense has been a bit lackluster so far this season. Green is a big part of why Arkansas’ rush defense is extremely difficult to slow down. The Vols taking Green’s legs out of the equation is a good recipe for a victory.
Capitalize In The Red Zone
Arkansas defense ranks out as one of the SEC’s worst in nearly every major statistic. Tennessee’s offense has bounced back and looks like one of the SEC’s best after struggling the last two years.
Tennessee should be able to move the football at will this game. For the Vols’ offense, it’s about capitalizing on their scoring opportunities. Take care of the football and avoid the turnovers that have plagued them throughout this season to date.
Then when Tennessee gets to the red zone, they need to end the drive in the checkerboards. Tennessee should have more scoring chances than Arkansas. If they’re efficient with their scoring opportunities then they should take care of business in this one.
