Don’t Beat Yourself
Against UTEP, Tennessee left a ton of points on the field. The final score should have been 38-0, rather than 24-0, a score that would have been much nicer in the eyes of Tennessee fans.
Jerome Carvin and Drew Richmond partnered up for a chop-block that wiped a touchdown off the board, and Jeremy Banks fumbled the ball on the 1-yard line to give UTEP the ball. Banks was attempting to extend the ball over the goal line, and while you love the effort, there’s no need to risk a fumble on 2nd-and-one from the 1-yard line.
Jarrett Guarantano has done a great job of not turning the football over, but Tennessee fumbled it twice against UTEP. Along with Banks’ fumble, Marquez Callaway muffed a punt, gift-wrapping the Miners with two more possessions. Tennessee can’t afford to give extra possessions to Florida.
The Vols also committed eight penalties against UTEP after committing just nine combined penalties against West Virginia and East Tennessee State. Tennessee is only committing 44.0 yards per penalty, the fewest in the SEC, but the Vols can’t afford to give Florida extra yardage like they did against UTEP.
Emotions will be high in this football game as it’s the first Tennessee/Florida game for many coaches and players. It’s important that the Vols reign in those emotions and don’t get too amped up to the point where it hurts them.
