Tennessee Football: 5 Things to watch for in the UTEP Game

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KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 08: Kobe Kelley #15 of East Tennessee State University Buccaneers is brought down by Marquill Osborne #3 and Shawn Shamburger #12 of the Tennessee Volunteers during a game at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /

#3 – Getting the young guys reps

Getting repetitions for the young players will be key this week for the Tennessee Volunteers, both offensively and defensively. I would look for true freshmen Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor to get a lot of reps this Saturday. Thompson showed out last week for the Volunteers against ETSU. Getting more reps for those guys will only help them even more for next week’s matchup.

Secondary guys like Shawn Shamburger, Trevon Flowers, and Theo Jackson will all likely get some key reps this week against a struggling UTEP team.

Offensively, this week will be key for a few offensive linemen. True freshman Jerome Carvin will get the starting nod at right guard for the Volunteers this weekend, so it will be key for him to get some reps and impress the coaches. It’s also key to get guys like Jahmir Johnson and Ryan Johnson into the swing of things as the season rolls along.

This part might be a little cliche, but this will also be a good week for the Volunteer specialists to show out. With a tough stretch coming up, the Volunteers will need to do the small things, such as making a chip-shot field goal or pinning a punt within the 10-yard line. Those things might not be the biggest thing, but they definitely play a factor.

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