Homecoming In Neyland: Tennessee Volunteers vs Charlotte 49ers
By Kyle Schmidt
Saturday, Tennessee will take on the Charlotte Forty-Niners at Neyland Stadium for homecoming as they look to get back in the win column.
After eight games played, the Volunteers find themselves sitting at 3-5. If they can win three out of there next four games, they will finish with a 6-6 record and will be eligible for a bowl game. The first of those four games will be the Vols homecoming game against Charlotte. Will this game be the cupcake game many fans think it will be? Charlotte enters this game with a 4-4 record, looking to spoil homecoming. Here is a look at the Forty-Niners brings to the table.
Offense
Offensively, Charlotte is a very run-heavy team. The Forty-Niners have run the ball 306 times this season compared to only 220 passing attempts. As a whole, they are averaging 340.3 yards/game with 143 of those yards coming on the ground and 197.25 yards through the air.
The leading rusher for Charlotte is junior running back Benny LeMay. Of the 306 rushing attempts by the Forty-Niners, LeMay accounts for 141 of those carries. In addition to his 745 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, he also has 16 receptions for a total of 226 yards.
The leading passer for the Forty-Niners is freshman quarterback Chris Reynolds. Through six games Reynolds completed 65.2% of his passes 1181 yards and 6 touchdowns. However, after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery he will not be a factor in this game.
The new starting quarterback for Charlotte is senior Evan Shirreffs. Shirreffs has played in three games so far this season and has completed 33/61 (54.1%) of his passes for 405 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Victor Tucker is the leading receiver with 46 catches for 566 yards with 2 touchdowns. I expect Vols defensive back Alontae Taylor to draw the assignment of covering Tucker and this could be a very interesting matchup.
The weak spot for Forty-Niners is the offensive line. They have given up 23 sacks so far this season for a loss of 178 yards. If the Tennessee defensive line is able to establish the line of scrimmage early and put pressure on Shirreffs, it could be a very long day for the senior quarterback. Against a quarterback who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, the Vols’ defensive backs should be able to create some turnovers in the secondary.
Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, the Forty-Niners have given up an average of 318.6 yards/game. Nationally, they have the 18th ranked defense, only two spots behind Alabama. As a defensive unit, they have forced 14 turnovers so far this season with 9 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries.
Where this defense struggles the most is defending the pass. The secondary has given up 1831 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through the air. The Vols should be able to use this to their advantage if the offensive line can hold the line of scrimmage and give Guarantano time to go through his reads and progressions.
In order for the Tennessee Volunteers to make a bowl game this year and surpass the expectations most had for this team, they are going to have to win three out of the next four games. As long as they are not looking past Charlotte and they stay focused on the task at hand, they should have no problem taking care of the Forty -Niners.
With so much to play for, it will be very interesting to see how Tennessee will close out the season.