The Vols look to continue their winning ways as they face the South Carolina Gamecocks in their SEC home opener.
The game will be played in Neyland Stadium at noon and will be televised on ESPN2.
The Vols are coming off an impressive 62-24 win over the Missouri Tigers.
Vols managed to rush for 458 yards in their win over Mizzou, the most since 1951.
Tennessee had 683 yards of total offense in their win and have an overall 3-2.
This season, South Carolina is 3-2 and is coming off a 23-14 win over the Troy Trojans.
1st year head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks are still searching for their first win in conference play.
Gamecocks are 0-2 in the SEC, with losses to Georgia and Kentucky.
Tennessee will wear black uniforms this Saturday against South Carolina.
This is the first time the Vols will wear black jerseys since 2009.
The last time the Vols wore black jerseys, they would defeat #21 South Carolina 31-13 on Halloween night.
For Josh Heupel and the Vols to continue their winning ways, here is what they must do to beat South Carolina:
Contain South Carolina’s Defensive Line
Arguably the most significant thing Tennessee needs to do is to contain South Carolina’s defensive line.
This Gamecocks D-Line will be much more of a challenge to Tennessee’s O-Line than Missouri was.
Gamecocks have some talented guys on their line, such as Kingsley Enagbare, who leads the team in sacks, and Zacch Pickins and Aaron Sterling.
South Carolina also has depth on the D-Line, and the Vols line will need to be tested.
If Tennessee’s O-Line can control the trenches and allow the offense to open up, Vols will have a great shot of a win on Saturday.
If not, this game will be up in the air.
Make South Carolina’s Offense Uncomfortable
Tennessee’s defense needs to keep up the intensity and make South Carolina’s offense uncomfortable.
Tim Bank’s defense did a great job winning over Missouri, forcing two turnovers and holding Missouri to just 24 points.
Luckily for Tennessee, South Carolina’s offense is much worse than Missouri’s.
Gamecocks are ranked 117th in Total Offense and only average 326 yards a game.
With a defense that is improving each week and facing a bad South Carolina offense, this could be a recipe for success for the Vols.
If Tennessee’s front seven can bully South Carolina’s O-Line and force QB Luke Doty to make risky throws, Tennessee will win this game handily.
Feed Tiyon Evans The Rock
Lastly, Tennessee needs to continue to give the football to RB Tiyon Evans.
Evans had an incredible performance against Missouri, rushing for 156 yards and 3 TDs.
Evans is 18th in the country and 2nd in the SEC in rushing yards per carry, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
With 5 Rushing TDs already and a receiving TD, Evans has proven that he is a reliable option for this offense.
Luckily for Evans, South Carolina has a below average rushing defense being ranked at 77th.
This offense should be able to create opportunities for Evans.
If he can execute on those open opportunities again, Evans will have another excellent performance.
With a team that has been improving each week, Saturday should be a fun game to watch for Vols fans.
If Tennessee can continue to execute on offense and force some turnovers, Tennessee should cruise themselves to victory.
