Early results suggest Tennessee Football should absolutely obliterate the Oklahoma Sooners when the two face off Saturday. The Vols have blown out three teams, and OU has struggled in its last two games. Brent Venables’ squad is banged up severely as well, and we all know Josh Heupel wants revenge on the program that fired him after he did so much for them.
However, UT is now more proven on defense than offense, and OU can turn games into slugfests with the way Venables calls games. As a result, this could be a much tougher matchup than many in the national media see. What can Heupel do to manage that? Well, he needs key players to step up. These are the five Vols to watch for at OU.
5. Omari Thomas
It’s been discussed at length. OU is down to its third string center and severely banged up on the offensive line. That should allow the interior of the Vols’ defensive line, which looks like the best in the nation right now, to dominate. This is really a collective with Omarr Norman-Lott, Bryson Eason, Jaxson Moi, Elijah Simmons, Tyre West and Dominic Bailey, but Omari Thomas is the leader of the group.
4. Cooper Mays
Despite their issues on the offensive line, OU has been able to make other lines look silly. They’ve got a top 25 rush defense in yards allowed per game and per carry, and they’re tied for sixth in sacks with 11. That puts pressure on the entire offensive line to make sure Tennessee Football is able to run its system, and it starts with Cooper Mays in the middle. This is the type of game for Mays to shine.
3. Keenan Pili
Shockingly, OU quarterback Jackson Arnold is the team’s leading rusher to this point. They haven’t been able to run the ball well at all, but Arnold is still a threat with his mobility. UT’s secondary is still unproven, but to make life easier on them, assuming the pressure is there, they have to contain Arnold, which puts the pressure on Keenan Pili to make sure he stays home.
2. James Pearce Jr.
In each of the past two weeks, James Pearce Jr. has come extremely close to getting a sack, but he’s drawing double teams and holding penalties all the time, which is why he hasn’t picked on up yet. Tennessee Football should be able to free him up to make such explosive plays in this one, though. Assuming the interior torches OU’s offensive line, Pearce should be a major force on the edge.
1. Nico Iamaleava
All the matchups suggest otherwise here. Tennessee Football should focus on protecting the ball and shutting down OU’s offense. Sorry, that’s not what Heupel wants to do. It’s time for Nico Iamaleava to have his breakout game. He’s on the road for the first time against a ranked team on national television. Here is where his Heisman campaign begins. UT needs him to live up to the hype starting Saturday.
