Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners Complete Game Preview

The Tennessee Volunteers took care of business the first two weeks of the season, but warm-ups are over.

It's time for the Vols to travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma, and the fourth-ranked Sooners appear to be a matchup nightmare for a young UT team with questions abounding.

Can the Vols get their offensive line situation squared up enough to slow down OU's vaunted pass rush? Can the defense keep its impressive third-down run going? Can the Vols generate any yardage on the ground?

A lot must be sorted out before Saturday night's showdown, and there's not a lot of time to do it.

The Vols passed their first test in slowing mobile quarterbacks Chuckie Keeton and Fredi Knighten. They also overcame playing sluggishly after a short week of practice.

Now comes the biggest challenge so far.

On paper, it looks like UT's first loss of the season awaits, but there's no better way for the Vols' young team to grow up than to play grown men. That's about to happen.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 13

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Place: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

TV: ABC

Radio: Vol Network, Sooner Sports Network, Sirius/XM 91

Spread: Oklahoma by 21 points, according to OddsShark.com.

Tennessee's Keys to Victory

USA TODAY Sports

Balancing Act

Tennessee raised its rushing average from 2.8 yards per carry to 3.7 from the first to second game, but those still aren't the kind of numbers any SEC team wants against Utah State and Arkansas State.

Now, the competition gets considerably tougher as the Vols go against one of the top front-sevens in the nation.

Somehow, the Vols are going to have to generate at least the same kind of rushing attack against a Sooners squad that hasn't allowed 100 rushing yards in either game. Without some balance, UT will be stifled against a defense as good as OU's.

Head coach Butch Jones has to keep pounding it with Jalen Hurd and Marlin Lane to keep the Sooners honest, if nothing else. It'll be a long day if the Vols' rushing game is smothered.

Splash Around

A year ago, the Vols couldn't generate any big plays downfield—or "splash" plays, as Jones likes to call them. In the first two games of 2014, the same issues are present.

UT has just eight plays of more than 20 yards through the first two games, and only two went for more than 30. As sharp as quarterback Justin Worley has been, he hasn't had time to throw downfield, and his accuracy has been off when he has unleashed.

The Vols simply have to generate more downfield, coach Butch Jones told the media:

"

You know, football is a game of momentum swings, and that is where that mental conditioning comes into play…But again, we need some more big splash run plays and secure a level one to level two in the run game.

"

Worley has to peel off yardage in chunks for the Vols to have a chance to shock the Sooners. OU's defense is too good to let UT march down the field five yards at a time.

With Von Pearson's ankle injury keeping him out of action (per Jones at his weekly press conference Monday), this is going to be even more difficult, but the Vols have to find a way. 

Third Down for What?

Ever since the Vols turned their own phrase on DJ Snake and Lil John's hit "Turn Down for What," turning into "Third Down for What?" Neyland Stadium has rocked, and UT's defense has stood tall.

The Aggies and Red Wolves converted just seven of 31 third-down attempts against UT, a 22.5 percent clip.

With Trevor Knight at the helm, Oklahoma has been much more efficient, converting 44 percent, but the Sooners have still had issues there. UT's young-but-opportunistic defense needs to continue to exploit that on the road, get off the field and give its offense extra possessions.

Oklahoma's Keys to Victory

USA TODAY Sports

Bring the Heat

The biggest weakness for the Vols this season has been by far the offensive line. With senior left tackle Jacob Gilliam out for the year, UT is even weaker and searching for some consistency.

It makes Justin Worley's hot start even more impressive considering he's been sacked four times and pressured countless other times in the season's first two games.

Now that young, inexperienced front has to go against Eric Striker and a talented front seven that is well-rested after a pair of blowouts. You can guarantee that defensive coordinator Mike Stoops will dial up tons of pressure on Worley and try to take UT's young line out of the game early.

If they can harass Worley, the senior quarterback is mistake-prone, and that bodes well for OU.

No Gifts

Trevor Knight is dynamic with the ball in his hands, and the quarterback has been impressive since his breakout performance against Alabama in last year's Sugar Bowl.

But he has been known to give away early Christmas gifts to opponents in the form of turnovers.

In limited action as a freshman, Knight had five picks. He threw another one in the season-opener against Louisiana Tech. 

Oklahoma has the horses to overpower the Vols on both sides of the ball, and the Sooners should win if they don't turn it over. Tennessee needs some breaks to win, and OU has to ensure the Vols don't get them.

Neutralize North

Tennessee's biggest offensive weapons lie in its receiving corps, and there's no bigger playmaker on the entire team than sophomore wideout Marquez North.

The 6'4", 221-pound receiver doubled his touchdown output from a season ago Saturday against Arkansas State, catching a pair of scores from Worley, and he looks more confident every time he steps onto the field. It's just a matter of time before he's a star.

The Sooners have to make sure North doesn't beat them. If UT's injured offensive players miss the game, OU can afford a lot more focus on North.

OU needs to shade help in North's direction and make Josh Smith, Josh Malone or somebody else beat it downfield.

Tennessee Players to Watch

USA TODAY Sports

Josh Smith

The sophomore receiver from the Christian Academy of Knoxville has proven over the course of the season's first two games that he has some serious talent.

With Von Pearson sidelined because of an ankle injury, it's time for Smith to break out against the Sooners. The Vols need him now more than ever.

After sprinting down the sideline for a 38-yard gain against Utah State, Smith took an end-around, hurdled a defender and gained 21 yards on a highlight-reel play against Arkansas State. He's a pretty ridiculous athlete who has a ton of potential to be a major asset on UT's offense.

He'll get plenty more reps against the Sooners, and he has to take advantage.

Jalen Hurd

It appears the future is now for the former heavily recruited running back from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Hurd has 10 more carries than senior starter Marlin Lane on the season, and after coaches said they were going to go with the hot hand this season, they must be much happier with the way the freshman is running the ball.

When asked about the carries discrepancy, UT head coach Butch Jones told the media in his postgame press conference, per UTSports.com:

"

No, you guys need to stop looking into that stuff. We just play who is running the ball well, and we thought Jalen gave us a great opportunity. I thought Jalen got some tough yardage. I thought he hit the hole. Jalen runs hard. It was just the flow of the game of who you put in there. But it doesn't matter who is in the football game, whether it is him or Marlin (Lane) or Devrin (Young), we want to run the football.

"

With UT needing any offensive spark it can get in a stagnant run game, Hurd gives his team the best chance for a home run. He needs to hit a couple in Norman.

Curt Maggitt

The junior defensive end who was supposed to be the heart and soul of UT's defense hasn't backed it up with his play just yet.

The Vols need Maggitt to be much more explosive and to get into the backfield and after quarterbacks.

He has six tackles, including one for a loss so far, but Maggitt has been out-shined by fellow linemen Owen Williams, Jordan Williams, Corey Vereen and Derek Barnett. He needs to shake off the rust and be more of a factor off the edge.

Part of it has to be Maggitt getting acclimated to a new position. Another excuse is this is his first game action since November of 2012. But it's time for him to be the impact player he's capable of being. 

Oklahoma Players to Watch

USA TODAY Sports

Sterling Shepard

With more than 600 yards in each of his first two seasons and 10 career touchdowns, Shepard is the big-play game-breaker for the Sooners.

Again this year, he's Trevor Knight's favorite target, hauling in 12 passes for 226 yards and a couple of scores. Fresh off a career day with 177 receiving yards against Tulsa, Shepard is sharp and confident.

Now, he'll get a marquee matchup with Tennessee sophomore star cornerback Cameron Sutton, and you'd better believe he'll earn a bunch of targets again. The Vols must center their attention on Shepard and keep him from beating them downfield, because he can change games in a hurry.

Tulsa defensive coordinator Brent Guy told the Associated Press' Cliff Brunt (via FOXSports.com):

"

Sterling Shepard is a very, very good receiver, and he had us over-matched a couple of times. He's an outstanding player. We should have had double coverage on him and we didn't. We also had some coverage mistakes.

"

The Vols can't afford those, or it'll be a long day.

Zack Sanchez

The 5'11", 179-pound redshirt sophomore starred a season ago, garnering freshman All-American honors from FWAA, according to his bio.

He was so impressive that he was awarded first-team preseason All-Big 12 by the media. He has done nothing so far to make anybody believe those honors were premature.

Sanchez simply shuts down his receiver, and he has two interceptions and two passes broken up in the season's first two games. Thanks to blowouts, all of that has come in limited action.

Sanchez got a bit banged up against Tulsa, but he'll likely be on the field and wreaking havoc for Justin Worley and company again.

The Vols have to know where he is at all times. He'll likely draw Marquez North more often than not, and it's a big opportunity for the sophomore to show he can shut down the big, physical receivers, too.

Trevor Knight

For the third time in as many games, UT will face a quarterback that can beat it with his arm or his legs.

Most of Knight's damage this season has come through the air, and he's coming off 299 passing yards against Tulsa. Meanwhile, Tennessee's secondary has been very strong so far.

The sophomore signal-caller has to take care of the ball and take what the defense gives him. He also needs to dial up plays that gets UT cornerback Justin Coleman one-on-one downfield. 

Tennessee has to hope that Knight is as inconsistent as he's been in several games throughout his career and not the stone-cold killer who dissects defenses the way he did against Tulsa and in last year's Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. 

The Sooners will go how Knight goes.

What They're Saying

USA TODAY Sports

Very few people are predicting a Tennessee upset when Butch Jones takes his young team to the Midwest, and Jason Kersey, The Oklahoman's OU beat writer, is no different:

"The Sooners rarely lose at home under Bob Stoops, and there's no reason to believe Jones’ Tennessee program is ready to pull off a road upset of this magnitude."

Tennessee fans everywhere fretted that Saturday's 34-19 win over Arkansas State was going to be extremely costly. While there is no timetable for the return of injured tight end Ethan Wolf or wide receiver Von Pearson, both tweeted out since the game some encouraging information:

"Nothing's torn…Thanks to the Lord!" Wolf tweeted Sunday afternoon.

Pearson also tweeted a couple of comments Saturday night that seemed preliminarily positive on his injury, though no official news has been released by UT.

Here's the first: "Everything ok ! Little miner (sic) set back for a major comeback. Thanks for the prayers and the support! #ONE"

Then, Pearson tweeted: "Glad it won't (sic) my knee."

Count UT quarterback Justin Worley among those impressed with running back Jalen Hurd after two games, despite pedestrian statistics. Worley told reporters after the Arkansas State game according to UTSports:

"

Jalen's progressed a lot. You may not see the yards per carry that he wants that we want as an offense, but he gets those tough yards. He's done a great job of really embracing his role in protections and understanding week in, week out, where the different pressures are coming from.

"

Prediction

USA TODAY Sports

The level of competition elevates dramatically this weekend for a young Vols team that has shown up (and occasionally shown out) during the past two games.

Tennessee is proving it has come a long way from a season ago, but the Vols are simply not there yet.

UT head coach Butch Jones called for patience multiple times this offseason in various settings. When he did, it's hard to believe he didn't have games like Saturday's in mind. Oklahoma is big, powerful, fast and battle-tested.

Coach Bob Stoops has built one of the most enviable programs in the nation.

As much as Jones cares about perception and preaches about the direction of the program, nothing would illustrate that growth more than a strong showing (or especially a win) in front of a prime-time television audience.

A shocking upset would signal to everyone everywhere the Vols are back. 

Still, that seems like a dream more than a reality. Tennessee must play perfectly to beat OU. It must run the football, generate big plays and remain opportunistic on defense.

While the Vols have made some strides, nothing suggests they're close to pulling off an upset of this magnitude.

Prediction: Oklahoma 37, Vols 16