KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It is officially Texas week for the No. 14 Tennessee football team. Monday afternoon, we heard from head coach Josh Heupel along with offensive lineman Jesse Perry, defensive back TJ Metcalf, and wide receiver Braylon Staley to kick off the week. The Vols come into the week 3-0, and will face their biggest test yet against the No. 1 Longhorns.
It seems the words “biggest test” were among the most spoken words on Monday. The Volunteers are keeping it business as usual and no one should expect anything otherwise. They will come out prepared, physical, and ready to take on the day. However, there are X’s and O’s and one team will be better than the other when Saturday arrives.
The non-conference is over and Texas will come in wanting to make a statement. One huge statement would be to minimize the Tennessee rushing attack. Of course, that starts up front.
“As you get into conference play, you’re gonna play extremely talented fronts in this league typically every week,” Heupel said Monday. “Texas is certainly that, great length inside, extremely wide-hipped, strong, physical, will knock you back if you’re not playing with great pad level and playing with hands.”
Tennessee boasts one of the best rushing attacks in the country at 298.7 rushing yards per game. That is good for first in the Southeastern Conference and fourth in the country. Texas has allowed 109 yards per game. They gave up 161 to Texas State, 94 to Ohio State and 72 to Texas-San Antonio (UTSA). Tennessee’s offensive line will need to have their communication and execution figured out by Saturday at noon.
That group knows where the work is needed. On Monday, Perry explained simply what needs cleaning up so the Vols stop leaving opportunities on the field.
“It’s really just simple, self-inflicted stuff,” Perry said. “We’ve had a couple false starts, like a holding penalty, just stuff like that, or a slip up in pro. We’ve done these kind of reps like 1,000 times in practice versus really good competition, and we go out and execute, and we just gotta be clean when it comes to game day.”
When Heupel was asked on Monday, what makes the Longhorns defense good at limiting explosive plays, he immediately pointed to their front.
“Their front,” Heupel said. “The ability to apply pressure. There haven’t been a lot of runs that have popped on them. Gap integrity, physical at the point of attack.”
The Vols have been effective in finding a hole, whether on the running back’s vision or effective blocking to provide running lanes. In the first three weeks, Tennessee has had runs go for 40 or more yards in each game. The Longhorns have allowed a long of 32. That was to Texas State’s quarterback Brad Jackson. That is where I like Faizon Brandon’s ability to hurt Texas if there is room. There will be opportunities. He just has to be ready to capitalize.
The run game is one thing. Keeping Faizon Brandon clean is another, and that starts with Colin Simmons. The projected first-round edge is the kind of rusher Tennessee’s tackles have not seen through a non-conference slate.
“He’s a really good athlete,” Perry said. “I think he’s gonna make us work for sure. But I think we’re all capable of handling him. He’s gonna require our best for sure.”
Whether Perry and the Vols get Simmons at full strength is the question hanging over the matchup. Simmons left Saturday’s game between Texas and UTSA in the second quarter. He returned from the locker room after halftime in street clothes and spent the majority of the half seated on the bench, according to Horns247’s David Eckert. Simmons wore a protective boot on his right foot. There’s some speculation of his condition, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian isn’t giving any information.
“There is something called an injury report in the SEC, so that’s enough of the injury questions,” Sarkisian said during his Monday press conference.
If Simmons is limited or out, it changes things up front for. If he is a full go, Perry and the Vols’ offensive line will get a great test off the edge. For the Vols’ offensive line, they know what is ahead. I am pretty sure they are tired of the questions over the last couple of weeks. While there’s been some criticism, there’s also been positives to take away.
Perry gave his viewpoint on the offensive line on Monday. “I think we’re playing good,” Perry said. “We got a lot of stuff to clean up. But we’re not at our best yet, but we’re definitely tracking towards it. We took some big steps the last couple weeks.”
As Heupel said on Monday, “You play 70 plays in a game, it’s not gonna be perfect up front, but all in all it’s been solid, but this will be our biggest test as far as the front seven that we’re playing.”
