{"id":47102,"date":"2022-11-25T17:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T22:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=47102"},"modified":"2025-09-13T16:20:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T20:20:46","slug":"vols-at-vanderbilt-three-things-to-look-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2022\/11\/25\/vols-at-vanderbilt-three-things-to-look-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Vols at Vanderbilt: Three Things To Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tennessee faced the first real dose of adversity in the Josh Heupel<\/strong> era last week at South Carolina. The Vols defense was torched for nine touchdowns against a Gamecocks offense that failed to score against Florida the week before. The loss knocked the Vols out of a likely College Football Playoff position. There are stories swirling around discontent in the locker room. And Tennessee\u2019s Heisman hopeful, Hendon Hooker<\/strong><\/a>, suffered a season-ending injury. All in all, it could not have been worse for the Vols last Saturday. The big question this week for Heupel\u2019s charges is whether they can get back on track and likely secure a New Year\u2019s Six Bowl berth with a win against in-state Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n

Vols at Vanderbilt: Three Things To Look For<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has shown improvement in the last two weeks. After losing 26 straight SEC games, Vanderbilt has beaten Kentucky and Florida in back-to-back weeks. The Commodores are one win away from bowl eligibility in head coach Clark Lea<\/strong>\u2019s second season on West End. And Vanderbilt would love nothing more than add to Tennessee\u2019s late-season slide.<\/p>\n

Bounce Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Last week was, in a word, embarrassing for the Volunteers. Tennessee looked materially different against South Carolina. And in the aftermath of the Columbia Catastrophe, there were several as yet unsubstantiated reports of discontent in the locker room. Whatever the reason, the Vols players better figure out a way to play better. The Commodores are athletically out-matched but will come into this game with plenty to play for and hungry to make another statement against a Top 10 in-state opponent.<\/p>\n

What to Look For: No Measurables — Just watch how the team interacts with each other.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joe Milton<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With Hooker\u2019s season-ending injury, Joe Milton<\/a><\/strong> takes the reigns of the Vols\u2019 high-powered offense. Milton is an incredible athlete and has the strongest arm in all of college football. Milton casually tossed a 60-yard strike last week while rolling to his left. There are only about five NFL quarterbacks that could have made that throw. Milton is also a powerful runner.<\/p>\n

Milton\u2019s issue has always been his accuracy downfield and his ability to put touch or take a little bit of heat off of the short- and intermediate throws. If Milton can master the art of passing, he can put up numbers similar to Hooker with all the speed and talent that Tennessee has at wide receiver and tight end.<\/p>\n

What to Look For: Joe Milton > 70% completion percentage.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Defense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It will come as no surprise that Tennessee must be better on defense. They\u2019ll face a different threat this week, as Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright<\/strong><\/a> will stress the Vols defense on the ground more than Spencer Rattler<\/strong> did. The good news is that it\u2019s unlikely (but not impossible against this defense) for Wright to duplicate Rattler\u2019s passing performance from last week.<\/p>\n

The Vols defense struggled in just about everything last week. Third down conversions, coverage in the secondary, pass rush. Jeremy Banks<\/strong><\/a>\u2019 return will help, particularly against the elusive Wright. But every unit will have to play better to get rid of the taste of last week\u2019s disaster.<\/p>\n

What to Look For:\u00a0Vanderbilt < 24 points.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Vols at South Carolina: The Last Word<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tennessee still has plenty to play for. And the Vols have shown maturity in game situations all season \u2013 they\u2019ll need that maturity to surface both in Saturday\u2019s game and during preparation this week.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the Vols strength on defense is against the run and that\u2019ll keep Vanderbilt from pressing the secondary as South Carolina did.<\/p>\n

The only thing standing between Tennessee and a ten-win season is Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Tennessee: 38<\/strong>
\nVanderbilt: 24<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n