Schedule Preview: Tennessee
We are nearly a month away from fall camp and two months away from the start of the college football season, and while there are still several questions that need to be answered before Missouri kicks off its 2019 campaign (such as clearing up whether the team will be allowed to play in the postseason this year), it’s never too early to start taking a look at the schedule. In this series, we are going game-by-game to break down the Tigers' slate. Today, we preview Missouri's penultimate game of the regular season, a home matchup against Tennessee.
2018 season
Record: 5-7
Against Missouri: Lost 50-17
Key Losses: DE Kyle Phillips, DE Alexis Johnson, DT Shy Tuttle, S Micah Abernathy
Key Returners: QB Jarrett Guarantano, RB Ty Chandler, RB Tim Jordan, WR Marquez Callaway, WR Jauan Jennings, OT Trey Smith, LB Daniel Bituli, LB Darrell Taylor, CB Bryce Thompson, S Nigel Warrior, CB Baylen Buchanan
Quick look
Tennessee showed some signs of life last season under first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt took over a program coming off a 4-8 campaign in the final year of the Butch Jones era, and while the Volunteers scored a couple big victories over Auburn and Kentucky, they failed to reach bowl eligibility for the second year in a row. They also provided little resistance to Missouri for the second season in a row, as the Tigers marched to a 50-17 victory in Knoxville.
The good news for Pruitt and the Volunteers is that nearly every significant contributor returns on the offensive side of the ball. The bad news is that Tennessee struggled mightily on offense a year ago. The Volunteers ranked No. 122 out of 130 FBS teams in total offense and No. 108 in scoring. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who has had an up-and-down career during his first two years at Tennessee, will look to improve a passing game that averaged fewer than 200 yards per game a season ago. So far in his career, Guarantano has taken care of the ball, throwing only three interceptions versus 12 touchdowns a season a year ago, but he rarely puts up eye-popping numbers. He has also been prone to some clunkers; last season, he completed 7 of 18 passes and threw two interceptions in a loss to Florida and completed 13 of 29 passes against Vanderbilt. Guarantano will have his top weapon back in the passing game in Marquez Callaway, but he will need better protection from the offensive line this season. Tennessee will also look for the offensive line to create more room to run for running back Ty Chandler, who emerged as the top back during the latter half of last season. Over the team’s final three games, Chandler averaged 86.3 yards per game on 7.0 yards per carry.
Tennessee was far better on the defensive side of the ball last season, but the Volunteers are dealing with more attrition there, especially on the defensive line. The team will have to replace both of its starting defensive ends in Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson, as well as starting nose tackle Shy Tuttle. The trio combined for nine sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season. The good news for Vol fans is that several key players return in the back end of the defense, including cornerback Bryce Thompson, who earned the highest individual grade on the defense last season according to Pro Football Focus. Thompson was named to the SEC all-freshman team as a result. He will be joined by fellow returning starters Baylen Buchanan and Nigel Warrior in the secondary.
Players to watch
1. Jarrett Guarantano, QB
Tennessee simply has to be more productive on offense this season, and that starts with Guarantano. He exhibited clear progress from his freshman season to sophomore seasons, including a monster game in the team’s road upset of Auburn, in which he threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Now, he needs to take the next step and force opponents to respect the Volunteer passing game. Tennessee’s passing attack was absolutely dreadful against Missouri last season; the Vols completed just seven of 21 passes for 83 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions (it should be noted that Guarantano left the game in the first quarter with a concussion). That’s not the formula to beat a Missouri team that figures to have another strong run defense this season.
2. Trey Smith, OT
The starter at left tackle since the moment he arrived on campus, Smith is easily the most talented player on Tennessee’s offensive line. Unfortunately for the Volunteers, the former freshman all-American has battled blood clots in his lungs, which caused him to miss spring practices a year ago as well as five games last season. Smith’s playing future is still in doubt, and if he is unable to play this season, it would create a big hole for an offensive line that needs to improve this season. The Volunteers gave up 92 tackles for loss last year, tied for 10th-most in the country.
3. Darrell Taylor, LB
Tennessee may have lost both defensive ends, but it actually has its leader in sacks and tackles for loss back this season in Taylor. Taylor totaled eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss as a junior despite missing one game due to injury. Taylor will play a big role in both stopping Missouri’s rushing attack and pressuring Tiger quarterback Kelly Bryant — two things the Volunteers didn’t do in last season’s matchup. A year ago, Tennessee mustered just one sack while the Missouri offensive line paved the way for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Summary
Tennessee showed promise during Pruitt’s first season. That said, the Volunteers are still likely to experience some growing pains this season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. New offensive coordinator Jim Chaney did an impressive job at Georgia last season, but Tennessee doesn’t quite have the talent level of the Bulldogs, especially on the offensive line. If Missouri is establish its running attack and take care of the football, it should be favored to win its third straight matchup against Tennessee.
Missouri's full 2019 schedule
8/31: at Wyoming (Read our preview here.)
9/7: West Virginia (Preview)
9/14: Southeast Missouri State
9/21: South Carolina (Preview)
10/5: Troy (Preview)
10/12: Ole Miss (Preview)
10/19: at Vanderbilt (Preview)
10/26: at Kentucky (Preview)
11/9: at Georgia (Preview)
11/16: Florida (Preview)
11/23: Tennessee
11/29: at Arkansas*
* Game will be played in Little Rock