Tennessee Football: How the Volunteers Can Pull the Upset at Ole Miss

The Tennessee Volunteers enter Saturday's contest with the Ole Miss Rebels as 16-point underdogs. To pull off the upset and minimize the weakness of the offensive line, the Vols will need to open up the playbook and take some big risks. 

The last time Tennessee faced off against Ole Miss in 2010, freshman quarterback Tyler Bray threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns as the Vols routed the Rebels 52-14. 

A lot has changed in four years.

The Rebels hired former Tennessee high school football coach Hugh Freeze in December 2011, and he has quickly transformed Ole Miss into an elite SEC West team. 

Meanwhile, the Vols are still experiencing growing pains under second-year head coach Butch Jones, who is rapidly improving the team's talent level but also feeling the frustration of a depleted offensive line left by his predecessor.

Quarterback Justin Worley is having a solid year, but Ole Miss' defensive front will give him even less time than usual to make his reads and deliver catchable balls.

If Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian utilizes a conservative game plan similar to the one he used against the Florida Gators two weeks ago, the Vols won't stand a chance.

Instead, he needs to draw inspiration from Tennessee's consecutive near-upsets of Georgia in 2013 and 2014 to keep the offense moving.

Here are four keys to the Vols' chances of pulling a huge upset on Saturday. 

Worley Has to Get Rid of the Ball Quickly

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As Butch Jones told the media Wednesday, quarterbacks have about 2.2 seconds to make a decision of where to throw the football before it's too late. 

Worley will likely have even less time on Saturday with Ole Miss' vaunted defensive line gunning for his head on every snap.

While Tennessee's offensive line is giving up the most sacks since 2010, one particular type of sack is hurting the Vols' offense the most: those of the blindside variety that lead to fumbles and excellent field position for the other team.

Worley fumbling the ball after a sack inside Tennessee's own territory against the Gators likely cost the Vols a much-needed win two weeks ago. Even the Chattanooga Mocs got in on the action last weekend with a blindside sack and fumble recovery of their own.

To have any chance in this game, Worley needs to get of the rid of the ball as soon as possible if no wide receivers are open. An incompletion is always better than a sack—particularly if it causes a turnover and a scoring opportunity for the opponent. 

Bajakian Has to Take Risks on Offense

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Bajakian called the two best games of his career at Tennessee against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2013 and 2014.

One common thread from both of those games is the offense played like it had nothing to lose.

In 2013, Tennessee converted multiple times on fourth down to set up both a game-tying touchdown and a quick score to take the lead with a little more than one minute left on the clock.

In 2014, the Vols offense drove down the field against the Bulldogs with ease to score a crucial touchdown before halftime and again in the fourth quarter to keep the game within striking distance after it seemed Georgia had sealed a victory.

Bajakian admitted to 247Sports' Wes Rucker, however, that his offensive scheme wasn't ideal against the Gators two weeks ago:

"We’ve just got to work on execution more than anything. It starts with me. Obviously I’ve got to do a better job of preparing our guys during the week for those different types of situations and putting them in situations to make those plays."

Simply put, Tennessee's offense works best when it's moving fast and trying to score in a hurry.

That urgency, mixed in with a few timely trick plays, should be enough to partially negate the Rebels' massive advantage in the trenches. 

The Defense Has to Hold Up for 4 Quarters

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Tennessee's defense is the surprise of the season.

Not only is it ranked 16th out of all FBS teams in total defense, but it also ranks sixth in tackles for loss, according to NCAA.com statistics. Add in the unit's nine interceptions, and it's clear the Vols defense is the real deal.

Ole Miss' offense, on the other hand, is fairly average, ranking 45th in the nation. 

Tennessee's defense must put constant pressure on quarterback Bo Wallace and come up with a few turnovers to keep the Vols in this game heading into the fourth quarter.

It's not enough for Tennessee to simply play a field position battle against the Rebels. While the Rebels offense isn't setting the SEC on fire, Tennessee's is far more anemic at 106th in the nation.

The Vols offense alone can't win this game, and it will be up to the defense to limit Ole Miss' passing attack and force coach Hugh Freeze to rely on the team's unproven running game.

Tennessee Has to Play Its Most Complete Game of the Season

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With the exception of the offensive line, the Vols have shown drastic improvement in most facets of the game compared to 2013. 

The defense has more speed and is finally getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The special teams, including punt and kickoff return coverage, are much improved. And Justin Worley is throwing the ball with more accuracy and confidence than ever. 

If it weren't for a few costly turnovers, penalties and bad reads, Tennessee would be 5-1 right now.

The Vols are close to breaking through and pulling out a much-needed upset win, but a handful of plays are the only thing separating the team from being winless in the conference and being in the driver's seat of the SEC East.

Tennessee has the pieces to keep it close against Ole Miss heading into the fourth quarter. However, the Vols need to play nearly flawless football to have the opportunity to steal a win in Oxford on Saturday.