Tennessee football will host South Carolina in an SEC battle with bowl berth implications. Here’s everything you need to know.
Butch Jones is still the coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, for now. Everyone, Jones included, knows that he’s running out of time. If the Vols’ head man wants to save his job he’s going to have to beat a South Carolina team that has certainly looked beatable so far in SEC play.
To find that elusive first SEC win the Volunteers will hand the reigns of the offense over to a new starting quarterback. After trusting junior Quinten Dormady to lead the offense through their first five games, during which the team went 3-2, Jones has announced that sophomore Jarrett Guarantano will get his first start of the season against the Gamecocks.
At this point the Vols are desperate for an answer and Guarantano’s insertion is probably less about the quarterback battle than it is about the state of the team as a whole. Because of that, the Gamecocks have the clear edge when it comes to quarterback play. Sophomore Jake Bentley continues to do just enough to keep him in consideration among the better passers int he SEC.
Neither defense has been characterized as “lock down” which should set up for a lot of points and a fun game. Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Tennessee vs South Carolina game:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Venue: Neyland Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
With a new quarterback in the lineup Tennessee need to do what they’ve failed to do all season: commit to running the football. Tailback John Kelly might be one of the most talented rushers in the SEC. He’s already racked up 494 yards on 97 carries with six touchdowns. The Gamecocks are vulnerable on the ground and that bodes well for another big day for Kelly.
South Carolina needs to find a replacement for Deebo Samuel. When their star wide receiver went down several weeks ago the team lost a critical piece of their offense. He’s too talented to replace, but the production has to come from somewhere. Bentley is lucky to have a receiving corps that is filled with depth and experience. It could Bryan Edwards or Hayden Hurst, but someone needs to become the go-to guy that keeps the chains moving.
Prediction
South Carolina enters the game with SEC wins over Missouri and Arkansas. Each of those schools figures to finish at or extremely close the bottom of their respective divisions. The sky isn’t falling at Tennessee, not yet. Butch Jones has some issues, but he also has enough talent tow in with talent alone.
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Jake Bentley is going to get his chance to rally late on Saturday. But, in a fashion all too familiar to the Vols, something weird happens at the end of the game to put it away. Call it luck, good fortune or just a South Carolina mistake, but Tennessee has enough magic left for at least one more SEC win.
Final Score: South Carolina 24, Tennessee 28