LSU faces Tennessee in an SEC conference battle on Saturday. The Tigers are seeking their second straight win. The Vols are seeking to find their way as their season has been shaky so far. Tennessee has been through a lot in 2017, and it isn’t over just yet.
LSU Faces Tennessee
Last Sunday, the Vols fired head coach Butch Jones after a crumbling 50-17 loss to Missouri. A change was needed in Knoxville, however. Tennessee is historically bad record wise. They are on pace to finish 0-8 in the SEC and 4-8 overall. They have never lost eight games in one season in program history. The Volunteers have a lot of questions on every side of the ball. This game should be an easy one for the Tigers, though. LSU has been playing quality football as of late. This game could wind up being a trap game, as well. The Tigers are facing a new-look Vols team. Tennessee has a new coach that will bring forth a new scheme for their team.
For LSU, Danny Etling has to be a pivotal factor. He was average last week, but did throw two deep touchdown passes to D.J. Chark. But Etling hasn’t been all that great this season. Then again, he hasn’t needed to be. The Tigers’ rushing attack has been lethal all season long. With Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams leading the way, this offense is rolling. LSU faces Tennessee for the first time since 2011. The Tigers took that game in Knoxville 38-7.
Defensively for LSU, Donte Jackson has been an absolute freak all over the field. Last week, Jackson sacked Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen in what has to be the most athletic sack of the year. But other than that, Jackson has become a leader on the defense. Between Donte, Devin White, and Arden Key, the Tigers’ defense is back to their elite form. They haven’t shown signs of letting up either. LSU is playing tremendous on defense.
What’s at Stake for the Vols
For Tennessee, this will be a tough game. Knoxville will be a tough place to play with the emotion being so high. The Vols are going to come in with a brand new attitude on Saturday. With a new coach leading them, this team will play their hearts out. There is a lot of pressure on the Volunteers as well. They have to win their final two games to become bowl eligible. Those remaining games are LSU and Vanderbilt. The latter is winnable, but this LSU matchup will be tough. Tennessee will likely play their most physical game of this season on Saturday.
Defensively, Tennessee’s run defense is awful. That is the only way to put it. With LSU having a perennial rushing attack, that statistic could get worse. The Vols have to stop the run to get the win this weekend. But Guice is a pivotal back, and is hard to bring down once he elevates into open space.
On the offensive side, injuries have plagued Tennessee this season. A bit of uncertainty at quarterback has put them in a bad situation and resulted in them losing meaningful games. This team hasn’t put forth a perennial offense but a few times this season. At least twice, Tennessee has looked lost on offense in SEC play. When LSU faces Tennessee this weekend, there will be a sense of urgency for UT. The fans definitely want to start winning again. More importantly, the players want to win. It all starts with how they can elevate their game on Saturday.
Much credit and thanks to our own Vols writer, Mike Loveall, for contributing with this piece. You can check out Mike’s Tennessee articles and college football content here: https://lastwordoncollegefootball.com/author/mike-loveall-cfb-dept-head/
