NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Saturday, October 3, 7:00 p.m., ET, ESPN2
Stadium: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Line: TENN (-6)
In an attempt to save their floundering season from total disgrace, the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-3) hope to defy the Vegas odds and beat Tennessee (2-2). The Razorbacks started this season in high spirits after a 2014 season in which they finished 7-6 and won their first conference game since 2012. Their win over the No. 20 LSU sparked a win the very next week over a top ten Ole Miss team the very next week, both shutouts.
The Razorbacks finished the season with a win over Texas in the aptly named Texas Bowl and started the season ranked No. 18. They hired a new offensive coordinator, Dan Enos, in the offseason and looked to capitalize on last season’s success, but
losses to Toledo and Texas Tech made that seem improbable. While there’s still a lot of football to be played, losses to two non-conference teams in a row does not bode well for a team playing in the consistently dominant SEC West.
Forcing overtime against Texas A&M last week shows some improvement and gives hope to forlorn Razorback fans across the state. The Razorbacks couldn’t pull off the upset, but the close game should give them some confidence heading into Saturday’s game.
Quarterback Brandon Allen has been putting up solid numbers this season with the help of running backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. Arkansas and their pro-style offense fares better with an experienced team and Allen, Williams and Collins are all upperclassmen. It doesn’t hurt that Tennessee allows 394 yards per game and Arkansas’ nickname is RunningBackU.
Arkansas’ defense only allows 23 points per game; Tennessee has needed at least 55 points in their two wins. In their two losses, the Volunteers scored only 24 and 27 points against Oklahoma and Florida, respectively.
Tennessee is coming off a tough loss to Florida (27-28) that saw the Volunteers give up their 27-21 lead late in the fourth quarter and miss two field goals with 3 seconds left. The Volunteers haven’t won a game in The Swamp since 2003, but they play an Arkansas team that still struggles to compete in the fourth quarter.
The Volunteers also finished last season 7-6 and with a bowl win (TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Iowa). It was their first bowl victory since 2007. They also came into the preseason with a ranking (25) but will be eager to prove their dominance over a team that was given more hype than they were. The Vols have fared better against lowly non-conference teams this season as well with wins over Bowling Green and Western Carolina, but lost to No. 19 Oklahoma in Week 2.
Tennessee has a 13-4 record against Arkansas but lost their last contest 7-49 in 2011. However, East teams are 11-12 against West teams in the SEC Championship Game. History might play a factor in Saturday’s game to give Arkansas a more even chance against Tennessee, especially if the SEC West wants to keep claiming their dominance over the rest of college football.
History may not be enough to give a struggling Arkansas team the upper hand, since Tennessee has home-field advantage. But expect a close game.
Prediction: Arkansas 28, Tennessee 34
Hannah Fields is a Tennessee Titans and SEC Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @hanfran7, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.
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