GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Kyle Shurmur has been a thorn in Tennessee’s side, knocking off the Vols in each of the last two seasons. The senior quarterback is 41-of-65 for 699 yards in those wins, posting 42 and 45 points on the Tennessee defense.
At 2,477 passing yards, Shurmur is 346 yards shy of equaling his single-season best, established as a junior. But he’ll have to reach that mark against a Vols secondary that’s surrendered just three 300-yard games to opposing quarterbacks this year.
That unit has received a boost from a pair of freshmen cornerbacks. The duo of Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor rank Nos. 1 and 4 in the nation at the position among freshman, according to Pro Football Focus through the season’s first 11 games. Thompson leads the Vols with 10 passes defended and ranks third in the SEC with three interceptions. Taylor has 36 tackles in his debut campaign to go along with a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
The Tennessee defense is yielding 209.8 yards per game via the air.
DRAFT SLANT
–ILB Daniel Bituli registered a dozen tackles last year against Vanderbilt to finish the season with a team-best 90 take-downs. The senior enters his final regular season contest with 70 tackles and the almost certainty that he’ll become the 11th Volunteer since 1970 to lead the program in consecutive years. Bituli has 169 career tackles, 9.5 of them for a loss.
ROSTER REPORT:
–WR Marquez Callaway is listed as day-to-day while he recovers from a chest injury sustained against Missouri. The Vols leading receiver on the year (556 yards, touchdown) hauled in pair of 49-yard catches for 98 total yards versus the Tigers prior to the injury. “I think he’s going to be in a black jersey, no contact for a couple of days,” coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “He had a bruise to his chest area. He’s a tough guy. I’m sure he’ll be out there ready to go.”
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