Arkansas Razorbacks Football: Tennessee Pays a Visit
By Tommy Tabler
The Arkansas Razorbacks will be looking to right the ship on Saturday when the Tennessee Volunteers pay a visit.
Two teams in the SEC that should be building a rivalry is the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Tennessee Volunteers. Both states are neighbors, and it would just make sense for both to have started a rivalry, but that has not occurred yet. The two teams each come into the game on Saturday looking to overcome tough losses. We are going to look at what Arkansas needs to do to put the Texas A&M loss in the rearview mirror.
The Arkansas offense needs to get off to a quick start like they did against the Aggies. Arkansas drove down the field easily last week against Texas A&M, however Arkansas must sustain momentum and execute. Mixing the run with the pass should keep the Volunteers off balance. Getting off to a strong start will be important for the Razorbacks.
Meanwhile, getting Treylon Burks, Trey Knox and Mike Woods will be key for the Hogs this weekend. The Volunteers’ secondary has struggled when going against athletic wide receivers and Burks is just starting to hit his stride this season. Arkansas fans should look for quarterback Feleipe Franks to get Burks, Knox, and Woods involved early. The passing game for the Hogs, has the potential to give the Volunteers plenty of headaches this weekend.
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has had a decent season for the Volunteers. The problem is when Guarantano has been pressured, he has shown a history of being a bit careless with the football. Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom has terrorized SEC quarterbacks this season. The Arkansas defense has forced 13 turnovers on the season and are looking to force Guarantano into making some mistakes on Saturday.
The Tennessee game is a winnable matchup for the Hogs. However, the defense has got to put some pressure on Guarantano. The Arkansas offense must sustain drives and make good use of the wide receivers. Meanwhile, the final key to the game is hang on to the football, avoid the big turnover at all cost. Should Arkansas accomplish those goals, Fayetteville will be a happy place on Saturday night.