Tennessee Volunteers vs. Bowling Green Falcons Complete Game Preview

The Tennessee Volunteers will finally end all this hype and speculation when they take the field Saturday in a neutral-site season opener that will still have a hometown feel.

Coach Butch Jones' Vols will open in Nashville's Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, in a game that will showcase plenty of UT's young talent on display against Mid-American Conference upstart Bowling Green.

It's only fitting that the Vols open in the Midstate considering all the talent on the roster that hails from there.

After a preseason camp that featured far too many injuries, plenty of physical position battles and a wealth of attention from national media in nearly every major publication, it's good to finally be playing football. UT begins the season ranked 25th, and it'll kick right into full-throttle action.

The Falcons finished 8-6 a season ago with a win over South Alabama in the Camellia Bowl, and that was without star quarterback Matt Johnson, who'll return from a season-ending injury suffered last year.

"They're a very, very explosive offense," Jones told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan.

Tennessee, meanwhile, took an important step forward, finishing 7-6 to have its first winning season since 2009 and win its first bowl game since two years before that.

It was just the tip of expectations on Rocky Top, and this offseason already has come to a head of excitement ready to explode. UT fans are hungry to contend for an SEC title. That may still be a year away, but a strong start against BGSU may get the Vols believing.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know for the matchup.

Date: Saturday, Sep. 5

Time: 4 ET

Place: Nissan Stadium, Nashville

TV: SEC Network

Radio: Vol Network, Bowling Green Falcons Sports Network, Sirius 119/XM 192

Spread: Tennessee by 20.5 points, according to Oddsshark.com.

Tennessee Keys to Victory

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Stretch the field

There were plenty of hindrances to UT's offense a season ago, but one of the biggest was the Vols' inability to get anything going downfield.

It's really been that way since Jones took over, just because of a talent dearth.

A study of statistics from UTSports.com shows that in the past two years, UT had just 18 plays from scrimmage of 40-plus yards, the lowest total in the SEC. 

The Vols had 30 gains from scrimmage of 25-plus yards in 2014, with the majority of those coming once Joshua Dobbs took over for Justin Worley. Only 101 plays in the past two seasons went for more than 20 yards.

Now with talent and speed all over the field in guys such as Kamara, Jauan Jennings and Von Pearson, the Vols need to enhance that number.

Dobbs has been working on his accuracy, and there may not be a better early-season opportunity to show it off than against a defense that finished 108th nationally a season ago, allowing 33.5 points per game.

It's time for Tennessee to keep defenses honest, and Dobbs must prove he can with some pretty downfield passes.

Pound the ground

Throughout the preseason, the Vols have spoken highly of their running game, particularly the sophomore tandem of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.

Now, it's time to see UT's version of thunder and lightning in action.

A season ago, when the Vols opened the season with a lopsided win over Utah State but failed to run the ball with any authority, it was a harbinger of things to come. Even though the Vols offensive line still has issues, it should dominate Bowling Green's defensive line.

If it does, it may get that unit excited about their potential. If it doesn't, it's going to be a huge early-season red flag with Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia on the near horizon.

Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord has a long history of leaning on the run and building his offense around it. Tennessee endured a physical fall camp with players banging each other around and playing everywhere along the front to get a general idea of who belongs where.

With the way the Vols have talked up the running game, you know they're going to utilize Hurd, Kamara and Dobbs' feet. Saturday could be the beginning of Tennessee's return to a rush-heavy team.

"It's gonna be scary," Kamara told GoVols247's Wes Rucker. "It's gonna be scary with me and Jalen and Dobbs in the backfield together. It's gonna be crazy. We've got a lot of things going in."

Nothing big

There are a lot of explosive playmakers on that Falcons offense, and it's expected that they'll score some points.

But as salty as the Vols should be defensively this year, they at least need to make BGSU work for what points it gets. That means no big plays.

It may be a big loss from a depth standpoint for starting safety LaDarrell McNeil to be gone for the season, but Todd Kelly Jr. and Evan Berry are both better than McNeil in coverage, so that helps the Vols. They also need to make sure they take quality angles and keep plays in front of them.

UT really did an improved job tackling a season ago and minimizing the back-breaking plays from opponents. With Matt Johnson at quarterback, the Falcons have the ability to produce some explosive plays. Tennessee needs to keep that from happening.

Bowling Green Keys to Victory

Duane Burleson/Getty Images

A return to remember

Back in 2013, Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson torched the MAC and everybody else he played, finishing the season with 3,467 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Then, after posting stellar stats in a 59-31 season-opening loss to Western Kentucky last year, he left in the fourth quarter with a hip injury that cost him the rest of the season.

Now he's back, and he beat out James Knapke for the starting job.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones thinks highly of the quarterback who could lead the coach's old conference in passing yardage this year: "They have a quarterback who I feel is an NFL quarterback," he told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan.

He's going to have to tear it up through the air in order for the Falcons to have a chance to pull a monumental upset. 

When Johnson is on, he's a dynamite quarterback who could play on the next level. Coach Dino Babers' bunch needs that and then some.

Put it on Dobbs

UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs has tons of talent and the physical ability to beat almost anybody the Vols play with his arm or feet. 

But he doesn't have a history of consistency.

Though the Falcons aren't expected to have a strong defense at all (they didn't place anybody on Athlon's All-MAC first, second, third or fourth preseason teams defensively) they should load the box to stop Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. That way, Dobbs will have to beat them with his arm or running on the perimeter.

Of course, the junior signal-caller probably can do that, but you've got to pick your poison if you're a lower-level team like BGSU, and the Falcons need to hope Dobbs is still having the same accuracy issues that plagued him a season ago.

With the injuries in UT's receiving corps, that's the only thing the Falcons can do to have a shot on that side of the ball.

Play perfect

The last time an upstart team from a lower-tier conference with a hotshot quarterback opposed Tennessee in the opener, the Vols torched Utah State and Chuckie Keeton 38-7 a season ago.

UT's defense made Keeton look extremely average, and the Aggies looked bad against bigger, stronger, faster athletes. 

The Vols are even better this year, and BGSU is the same level of team. This shouldn't go well unless the Falcons play way, way, way above their heads and force UT into some very bad mistakes.

If that happens, maybe they'll have a chance to pull a massive upset.

Tennessee Players to Watch

Credit: 247Sports

Joshua Dobbs

The junior quarterback from Alpharetta, Georgia, is a dynamic athlete, an elite student, a well-spoken ambassador of the program and could be the next face of the SEC.

He has gotten tons of hype all through the offseason after he was inserted late last season and ignited a bowl run.

But is he the kind of playmaker who can lead Tennessee past quality opponents such as Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia? We may not know that against Bowling Green, but the Vols signal-caller can begin building his resume and his confidence.

If he struggles, it won't bode well. If he's exceptional then it may get everybody clicking on the same page. Watch his footwork and whether he can set his feet and repeat his throwing mechanics with a stance that isn't as wide as a season ago. Watch the zip on his passes and his ball placement.

Those are the things that will separate him from being a running quarterback who can occasionally complete a pass and the kind of player that can lead the Vols to championships.

Jauan Jennings

The last time there was this much buzz surrounding a true freshman in preseason camp in Knoxville, Derek Barnett went out and had the best first year ever for a Vols defensive lineman.

This year, the daily story from camp has been 6'4", 200-pound converted quarterback Jennings. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native has been a revelation for UT.

He has elevated the level of play with his competitiveness, displayed unreal ability to make acrobatic catches in traffic and has looked more polished than any youngster should, especially considering he has been a receiver for about four weeks.

"(His transition) has exceeded our expectations right away," Tennessee coach Butch Jones told the Knoxville News-Sentinel's Dustin Dopirak. "Usually there is a learning curve. … That has not affected Jauan."

With Pig Howard suspended, Justin Croom out with a foot injury and Marquez North's status for the opener up in the air, Jennings will get plenty of opportunities. It's time to see if his great fall can translate on the field.

Darrin Kirkland Jr.

The true freshman middle linebacker from Indianapolis won't begin the season as Tennessee's starting anchor in the center of its defense, but Kirkland will play, and he'll play a lot.

Sophomore Colton Jumper won the job, and the walk-on is going to play a key role. But Kirkland has the elite ability to be a difference-maker at middle linebacker.

He can bring sideline-to-sideline star potential to the position, and he is the kind of athlete who can make a defense better.

Junior Jalen Reeves-Maybin told Chattanooga Times-Free Press reporter Patrick Brown:

"

He's physical, he can run, he's smart. He really has all the tools. I've been knowing about Jumper since we were in high school. He graduated the same year I did, and I've been a believer in him since the first time he came in here last spring. He has all the tools to play linebacker, and he's going to keep competing out, and we'll see who wins the job.

"

Though he'll have a learning curve that any freshman would have, he's extremely talented. It's going to be interesting to see if he displays the skills necessary to play the position. If he does, a lot of the Vols' defensive concerns will be alleviated. 

Bowling Green Players to Watch

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Johnson

The 6'0", 219-pound quarterback from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, may be a little too short to play in the NFL (like Jones says he will) but he's a sterling college quarterback.

And the Falcons have plenty of weapons surrounding him, as well as a veteran offensive line to keep him as safe as they can against what could be one of the best pass rushes in the nation.

Johnson lost nearly all of last year, but as a redshirt senior, he'll have the opportunity to put up sick stats with nine starters returning. BGSU should be a favorite for the MAC for that reason alone, but that doesn't mean the Falcons will score at will against the Vols.

Still, if he doesn't have any rust, it may be a big year in their conference. If he does, the door will be open for James Knapke.

Roger Lewis

Speaking of Knapke, he absolutely dominated South Alabama in last year's bowl game, and a big reason for that was then-freshman Lewis.

The 6'0", 199-pound target from Pickerington, Ohio, had his breakout game on national television, finishing that game with four catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. For the year, he had an eye-popping 73 grabs for 1,093 yards and seven touchdowns.

Tennessee will need to know where Lewis is at all times. He saves his best games for the best opponents. Playing against Big Ten foe Indiana last year, he had 16 catches for 149 yards in an upset win over the Hoosiers.

He's on the Biletnikoff Award watch list and was named first-team All-MAC by several different publications.

Travis Greene

Just when you think BGSU is a pass-happy team, the Falcons will unleash Greene on you. The redshirt senior from Carol City, Florida, is on the Doak Walker Award watch list for the nation's top running back.

Last season, he finished with 949 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he'll get the ball plenty as the Falcons strive for a balanced offense.

He also had 27 catches and rushed for 105 yards in the MAC championship game loss to Northern Illinois and had two touchdowns in the Camellia Bowl win over USA.

Greene may have a difficult time getting on track against the Vols, but if he does, it will bode well for his team.

What They're Saying

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

With all the offensive backfield talent at coach Butch Jones' disposal, the Vols head man tinkered some this spring and fall with putting running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara on the field at the same time with Joshua Dobbs.

While that wrinkle may not be on showcase against Bowling Green, it's something Kamara told the Tennessean's Matt Slovin he's looking forward to:

"It’s going to be scary, me, Jalen (Hurd) and (Josh) Dobbs in the backfield together. It’s going to be crazy. We’ve got a lot of things going in that I’m not even going to talk about. We’re just going to show."

It isn't often that you hear coordinators talk positively about their unit. It's that hard-to-please mentality that makes those guys continually strive to keep improving their group.

UT defensive coordinator John Jancek isn't necessarily happy with where the Vols defense is right now, especially after nickelback Rashaan Gaulden was lost for the year, but the way he talks, you can see this group has the opportunity to be elite.

"It's not just one guy. It's a culmination of all their efforts," Jancek said, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "We're really communicating at a pretty high level. … Seems like they're pretty comfortable with everything. It looks like they're in a good rhythm. So it's been positive up to this point. (But) we still have a lot of work to do."

SI.com listed the 100 reasons to be excited about the 2015 college football season, and Matt Johnson made the list at No. 62:

"

He was supposed to be the best player in the conference last season, but Matt Johnson lost 2014 to a hip injury. After missing a season that was expected to put him on NFL draft boards, Johnson enters ’15 as one of the nation's most tantalizing comeback stories. Under the tutelage of head coach Dino Babers, noted for his development of New England Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo at Eastern Illinois, Johnson should improve on his standout ’13 season, in which he tossed 25 touchdowns.

"

Prediction

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Everybody who is part of the Big Orange Nation wants to see the Vols come out, light up the scoreboard, shut out Bowling Green and earn a ton of style points.

While that could happen, it isn't the end of the world if it doesn't.

Tennessee is going to win against the Falcons, and it's going to win handily. But don't be surprised if there is a lot of backup quarterback Quinten Dormady and the subs throughout the second half after the starters get three quarters of a tune-up.

With a front-loaded schedule that includes Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Georgia, the Vols will get plenty of action. They need to stay healthy against the MAC opponent and still win.

Quarterback Matt Johnson will ensure BGSU doesn't get shut out, and there will be some points where the youngsters in UT's defense make valuable mistakes that will be teaching points on film. But this one won't ever be in doubt.

The Vols have too much talent on both sides of the ball, and the Falcons shouldn't offer much resistance. 

Even without a few of the banged-up (or suspended, in Pig Howard's case) playmakers, the Vols will have plenty of firepower.

The Vols will pull away, and BGSU will add a late score to make things look a little more respectable than they actually were.

Prediction: Vols 41, Bowling Green 17