Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee vs Virginia Tech: 10 Keys for Vols and Hokies

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 14, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of a mockup of Bristol Motor Speedway before the announcement that the Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies will play a football game on Sep. 10, 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee vs Virginia Tech match-up in the Battle at Bristol will be a tough game for both teams. Here are the 10 keys for the Volunteers and Hokies.

About a decade ago, Tennessee vs Virginia Tech would have been a game everybody would want to turn on to see. However, both teams recently fell off the map, and on the surface this game would appear to bore some people.

But immediately, things have changed.

The schools worked out the Battle at Bristol deal to play in front of the largest football crowd ever at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Tennessee, despite the scare it gave fans last week, is a Top 25 team with tons of expectations. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is deceivingly good with a great defense and a brilliant offensive mind for a head coach who has the perfect quarterback to run his system.

All of this leads to this game becoming an epic battle. Unfortunately, since the Vols dropped from the Top 10 and the Hokies are massively underrated, the overall epicness of the battle will be overlooked.

It probably should have been later in the season as a result.

After all, Tennessee vs Virginia Tech should be a rivalry match-up anyway. Knoxville and Blacksburg are not too far from each other. Bristol is at the halfway point, right on the Tennessee/Virginia border.

How much better could this game get?

Well, with expectations of a very tough game, both teams will have to do lots of certain things to win the game.

Here are our Top 10 keys to the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game.

Sep 26, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers tight end Ethan Wolf (82) works out prior to the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

10. Tennessee’s tight end play

Last week, Ethan Wolf made a bit of a splash for the Vols with four receptions for 40 yards. This week, they will have two tight ends to go to with Jason Croom returning to health.

On top of that, they are playing a similar defense loaded with talent and experience in the front seven. As a result, Mike DeBord has to know that the play of the tight ends will be key to off-setting everything Bud Foster can do.

So Joshua Dobbs will need to find the Croom and Wolf as much as possible. Think back to the Outback Bowl against the Northwestern Wildcats. Alex Ellis was the star of that game.

Virginia Tech is similar with a very solid defense that has easy holes to exploit. So for Tennessee, the message is clear: feed Croom and Wolf as much as possible.

They should have plenty of chances to get out into open space, and if Dobbs has time, he can hit them.

If he can’t Virginia Tech’s defense will shut down the entire Tennessee football offense. It’s crazy to think that the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game actually comes down to the play of the tight ends, but it’s the biggest mismatch the Vols have.

On top of that, tight end blocking is going to be crucial, and that makes Wolf even more of a crucial player. Wolf’s blocking and Croom’s ability to be a threat inside the red zone will be the thing to jumpstart Tennessee’s offense.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) before the game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

9. Jalen Hurd’s ability to get past the front seven

Jalen Hurd showed that he can be the workhorse player for the Vols in any game at any time. Against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, he was the one player to get the season off to a good start with over 100 yards on the ground.

Sure, he had a fumble, but that was redeemable since Dylan Wiesman recovered it and he recovered Joshua Dobbs’s fumble in the end zone in overtime.

Butch Jones and Mike DeBord will feed him again in the Battle at Bristol.

Only the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game won’t come down to Hurd simply being a workhorse. He has to be a playmaker.

Hurd said that he worked all offseason on being able to to more than just get three to four yards consistently on every play.

He has tried to improve at getting past the front seven to turn solid gains into big gains. Although Hurd didn’t do that too often last week, it’s crucial that he does that this week.

Virginia Tech has a much more loaded defense even than Appalachian State, and they are extremely well-coached under Bud Foster. They’ll give the Vols’ offense hell.

To keep things balanced, Hurd has to turn some big plays. Tight end blocking and receiving can help, but Hurd’s agility will be a huge deal as well.

If he can do those things, he’ll keep Foster on his heels. And that’ll open up the Vols’ offense. But to start that off, Hurd needs some help from another unit.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Josh Malone (3) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won in overtime 20 to 13. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

8. Tennessee’s offensive line vs Virginia Tech’s defensive line

There’s no magic part of the offensive line for the Vols or the defensive line for the Hokies that can dictate the flow of the trenches in the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game. In short, when the Vols’ offense is on the field, whomever wins that battle will have a huge advantage in the Battle at Bristol.

Last week, the Vols struggled up front all game. Coleman Thomas was a disaster at center. That was a surprise considering how well he played last year.

This week, Thomas is one major question on the Vols’ line. Drew Richmond is still a question as a blindside freshman tackle.

And the rest of the line faces an experienced and well-coached Virginia Tech defensive line. Simply put, they have to step their game up by about 100 times what they did last week if they don’t want another embarrassing output.

Last week was just pathetic.

Thomas has to play better. Richmond has to prove himself. Dylan Wiesman and Jashon Robertson have to show how elite the interior is. And Brett Kendrick has to be consistent.

The depth is a pretty big deal as well. Everybody has to play solid up front for the Vols at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

None of that happened last week. If it doesn’t happen again this week, this game will be over quickly. It’ll also hamper another part of the offense we need to see more of.

That’s our next key to this game.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) looks to pass against the Appalachian State Mountaineers during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

7. Joshua Dobbs’s ability to air it out downfield

This has always been a big issue in Joshua Dobbs’s game. Maybe it’s Mike DeBord hampering him. Maybe it’s Butch Jones using too many rotations to allow him to get into a rhythm.

But whatever the case, Dobbs has been awful at throwing down the field his whole career. And it almost cost him last week.

This week, he has a much tougher test. The Vols face an even more talented Virginia Tech defense and a much more experienced Virginia Tech secondary.

We have already mentioned the importance of the Vols’ offensive line. Dobbs clearly needs that unit to be able to have time to make decisions.

But when he does, he’s got to be able to throw the football downfield. As we’ve said, Tennessee has elite tight ends they need to utilize. Dobbs also needs to utilize his elite receivers as well, from Josh Malone to Preston Williams on the outside with Josh Smith on the inside.

Not being able to throw downfield was one of the biggest things to nearly cost Tennessee in the opener. Making the same mistake against Virginia Tech in Bristol could be deadly.

Dobbs has the mobility, he has the decision-making, and he sometimes has the accuracy. He just has to have the ability to throw the ball downfield and let his playmakers do serious damage.

The downfield passing from Dobbs will dictate how much scoring is involved in the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game. So he has to do it well. But he’s not the only quarterback who will have pressure.

Sep 3, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Jerod Evans (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Liberty Flames at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

6. Jerod Evans’s decision-making

Jerod Evans fell out of the sky for Justin Fuente in his first year at Virginia Tech. A junior college transfer, Evans was a four-star recruit who is a major dual-threat.

He had a nice start against the Liberty Flames last week, but his first major test is this week in the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech Battle at Bristol.

Evans enters the game with major expectations. He will be a key part of whether or not the Hokies win, and not just because he’s a quarterback.

Fuente loves to run lots of misdirection and East-West plays. These plays by the Appalachian State Mountaineers nearly ruined the Vols’ season last week.

However, lots of those plays are based on quarterback reads. So the entire Virginia Tech offense will come down to Evans’s reads.

He’s going to be the catalyst for the rushing offense all night, as everything about the misdirection plays goes through him. Expect Evans to obviously do all the passing and handing off, but also lots of the running at the same time.

In Fuente’s offense, he could be the leading rusher on the year, and he’s got the size and physical ability to be very dangerous. If he just makes the right reads, the Vols could have a lot of trouble all night. Even as a young quarterback, he’s got the perfect coach to help him do that.

But a lot of what Evans does will also be dictated by another key to this game. That brings us to our next point.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Cameron Sutton (23) motions to the crowd during the second half against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won in overtime 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

5. How well does the Tennessee’s back seven stay in position?

The loss of Jalen Reeves-Maybin last week early in the game was clearly devastating for the Vols. Overall, the defense wasn’t that bad.

They gave up one touchdown after a fumbled punt and another touchdown off a busted coverage.

However, they struggled too often to get off the field and allowed Appalachian State to control the clock. That happened after Reeves-Maybin was ejected from the game due to a stupid targeting rule.

Reeves-Maybin is the quarterback and the leader of the defense as its outside linebacker, and without him the Vols are lost.

His return this week is crucial.

Against Justin Fuente’s misdirection plays, Butch Jones and Bob Shoop will be relying on him a lot to make the right reads. They will need him to keep everybody in the right spots and to make numerous plays himself.

But it’s not just Reeves-Maybin.

Tennessee’s entire back seven has to be in the right positions to make plays. Micah Abernathy did a good job on that last week and needs to keep it up. Todd Kelly Jr. needs to step his game up in that regard as well.

And Darrin Kirkland Jr. shouldn’t be a problem with Reeves-Maybin back. But if the Vols can’t stay in position against Fuente’s offense, they’ll be in serious trouble. So they need to stay in their lanes all game.

They could use a bit of help up front, though, which brings us to our next key in this epic Tennessee vs Virginia Tech Battle at Bristol match-up.

Sep 3, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies tight end Bucky Hodges (7) celebrates his touchdown against the Liberty Flames at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

4. Tennessee defensive tackles vs Virginia Tech interior linemen

Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen are superstars. Jonathan Kongbo and Kyle Phillips are on their way. LaTroy Lewis is a veteran.

We say all this to note that the Tennessee football defensive ends are clearly veterans and reliable players who will not mess up this game. Where the Vols need to worry is on the interior line.

Depth is already an issue due to Shy Tuttle still getting healthy and Alexis Johnson still trying to get into football shape after his reinstatement in mid-August. Meanwhile, Kahlil McKenzie showed nothing in the first game to suggest he is about to live up to the hype.

And Virginia Tech returns all of its interior linemen, even if the talent is not on the level of the Vols.

So the match-up comes down to the Tennessee defensive tackles against the Virginia Tech guards and center.

The Vols need a much better performance from McKenzie. And at the same time, they need their two veterans to finally step up, Danny O’Brien and Kendal Vickers. Vickers is the intelligent and consistent veteran who has to get off cut blocks.

O’Brien is the strong veteran who has to blow up plays.

Both are crucial for allowing the rest of the Vols to make plays in Justin Fuente’s misdirection system. If they win the battle in the middle, the ends are free to do what they do. And the back seven will be deadly.

Bob Shoop and Butch Jones have to know this. As a result, the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game will come down to the trenches, but for the Vols the interior line matters the most.

Oct 3, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Evan Berry (29) returns the opening kickoff to score a touchdown against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

3. Who has the better return game?

Frank Beamer is gone. But did he take Beamer Ball with him?

That is going to be a huge question in this game. Tennessee vs Virginia Tech features a team establishing an elite identity over the past couple of years on special teams against a team historically known for its play on special teams.

This was the same instance for the Vols last week when they faced the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Thanks to poor kicking by Scott Satterfield’s team, the Vols pulled that one out.

But Justin Fuente, like Butch Jones, has a track record himself of putting a ton of emphasis on special teams.

So this could be an epic match-up in the return game. Will Butch Ball or Beamer Ball prevail in this one?

Since Beamer is gone and the Vols’ special teams coach from last year, Mark Elder, is also gone, what happens here is still a huge question. However, it figures to play a huger role in this game either way.

Evan Berry, Cameron Sutton, and Alvin Kamara will all likely be looking to step up there. None of them showed much last week, although they didn’t have too many chances.

Still, that holds true for both teams.

Neither has shown anything this year in that regard. Virginia Tech didn’t need to, and the Vols almost cost themselves the game last week after an early special teams miscue.

Miscues also lead us to our next point.

Sep 1, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers defensive back Alex Gray (3) recovers a fumbled punt in front of Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Cameron Sutton (23) during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

2. Who makes the early mistakes?

Last week, Cameron Sutton’s early fumble on a punt return set the tone of the entire game when the Vols struggled against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

If he hadn’t done that, it’s likely that Tennessee would have scored on that drive with such good field position. And at that point, they never would have had as significant concerns against Appalachian State as they had.

This week, with the stage a lot bigger, the early mistakes will be more magnified. It’s like the Super Bowl. Every little thing could derail the success of either team.

Doubt has likely already crept into the minds of the Vols players. Virginia Tech already had doubt.

And early mistakes could be disastrous for the morale of both teams. The Vols’ concerns could turn into panic. Virginia Tech’s doubt could turn into an all-out lack of faith in themselves.

So if either team makes early mistakes, they could roll over and die very quickly.

With that in mind, both teams will be looking to get off to a fast start. Butch Jones is clearly a firm believer in General Neyland’s game maxims, especially No. 1 which says the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win. He also emphasizes the fact that football comes down to just a few plays.

If Tennessee makes early mistakes against Virginia Tech, they will be in serious trouble. But a big part of the mistakes could be the stage both teams are playing on.

And that leads us to the final key of this game.

Aug 20, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; Storm clouds gather before the start of the NASCAR Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

1. Who manages the hype?

This is going to be the largest football game that anybody has ever attended. It’s the seminole moment of what should become a huge rivalry in the future.

It’s the battle for Appalachian Supremacy. And it’s also a huge battle to set the tone for the rest of the year, with the Vols looking to be in contention for this year’s national championship and the Hokies looking to show everybody they are still as elite as they have always been.

So with the greatest college football spotlight ever on a game this early in the season, the Vols and Hokies both have a ton of pressure.

Then comes this question: who manages it better?

This is where the Tennessee vs Virginia Tech game could come down to a battle of coaches’ abilities to keep their players focused.

Butch Jones has a track record of doing a good job at that, even if his X’s and O’s aren’t always up to where they need to be.

Justin Fuente isn’t as proven, but he did show an ability to keep the Memphis Tigers prepared in big games over the past couple years. Just ask the Ole Miss Rebels or the BYU Cougars if that is the case.

So going into the Battle at Bristol, with a concert the day before, a huge weekend event being made out of the game, and all of the eyes on your team since there are hardly any good games this week, both teams will have pressure.

And the team that better manages that pressure, which will help it make fewer mistakes, will win.

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