It’s week eight and the Tennessee Vols are ready for action! After an exciting upset over Alabama at Neyland Stadium, the Vols will face the UT Martin Skyhawks for their homecoming game on Saturday afternoon. In another game at home, the Vols kick off against the Skyhawks at 12:00 PM EST; the game will be aired on SEC Network.
Tennessee Vols: 6-0 So Far
Coming off last week’s upset, the Vols are 6-0 for the season so far. They’re almost certainly looking ahead to next week’s matchup against Kentucky which is not unlike the game against Akron, played one week before the rivalry game against Florida. Assuredly the Skyhawks are a better team than the Zips, but they’re still not a better team than the Vols.
Last week, the Tennessee Vols upset the Alabama Crimson Tide in their first win against the Tide since 2006. A victory that came down to two seconds and one field goal, it was quite possibly the game of the season. This week’s matchup will see another Vol victory, albeit a bit more lowkey for the Vols given the way the 4-2 Skyhawks have been playing this season.
Related Article: Tennessee vs. Alabama Rivalry Match
Tennessee Vols vs. UT Martin Skyhawks: What To Expect
Boise State beat UT Martin like a drum a few weeks ago, but at 4-2 the Skyhawks are clearly doing something right. A lot of the Skyhawks’ success can be attributed to its efficient pass rush and skilled offense.
The pass rush might disrupt Hendon Hooker in the early moments of the game, serving to keep the Skyhawks in the game from the beginning. UT Martin’s offense is averaging 44 points per game in FCS play. They have a strong offensive line and a strong passing game which will also help to keep them on pace with the Vols for a little while. But, Hendon Hooker and the Tennessee Vols offense will break out to control the game.
Tennessee’s defense is strong enough to handle UT Martin’s offense, though. The Skyhawks will throw the ball but they won’t ultimately be able to handle the Vols offense especially if Tennessee comes out fast and finds its rhythm immediately. UT Martin has a good offense but the Tennessee Vols are a top offense in the country; if there’s a game they can’t control, it won’t be this one.
Tennessee will play to its full strength to get an early lead; they’ll have to, to be able to pull their starters out relatively early ahead of next week’s game against Kentucky. The Skyhawks are playing well so it will be critical for the Vols to excel early on both sides of the ball. They did this consistently last week which kept the Tide from running away with the game the way they so often had in the past and, ultimately, the efficiency from both sides led the Vols to end a 15-year losing streak. Because they could do it against Alabama, there is no question they can do it against UT Martin.
Tennessee Vols: Refocusing In Week Eight
The Tennessee Vols are halfway through the regular season and have defeated their two biggest SEC rivals in front of sold-out crowds in Neyland Stadium. But, that’s not stopping the team or the coaching staff from treating every game with the same level of urgency regardless of the name or rank of the opponent.
Speaking this morning about refocusing for this week’s contest, Vols Offensive Lineman Javontez Spraggins said, “Nothing changes for us. We go to work from Monday to gameday. Nothing changes. Win a game? That’s fine, we go back and we get ready for the next one. Before the season, we knew that we were going to have ups and downs playing the game of football this year, but we just didn’t know what time they’d come.”
Arguably, they’ve had ups and downs during several games this year. But, the commitment is apparent as the Vols are currently 6-0 and are looking to be 7-0 after Saturday afternoon.
Inarguably, the Tennessee Vols are having an outstanding season. Despite injuries and off-field issues which have had the potential to disrupt productivity, the players and coaching staff have handled different obstacles well with a winning record to show for it. Expect a week eight victory for the Tennessee Vols, and head back to Gridiron Heroics for more great Vols content!