Tennessee Opens Season Against Georgia Tech

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Who Will Be the Tennessee Starting QB?

For both sides, what everyone wants to know coming into this game is simple: who is the starting quarterback? Both teams have yet to name a starting QB and both sides seem content withholding information. For Tennessee, that quarterback battle is between junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarret Guarantano. While both players could be announced as the starter, Volunteers head coach Butch Jones seems to have already made his decision behind closed doors. On his quarterback situation, Jones says, ?Through video study and everything that goes into it, we have a pretty good idea who the quarterback will be for us, and we have a pretty good idea who the quarterback will be for them as well.?

What About Georgia Tech?s Quarterback?

For Georgia Tech, the QB battle is between four players. The Yellow Jackets? depth chart lists juniors Matthew Jordan and TaQuon Marshall and redshirt freshmen Lucas Johnson and Jay Jones all with an equal chance of being the starting quarterback Monday night. Just like Butch Jones, Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson is in no rush to announce a starter. When asked who the starter would be, Johnson said ?I think I could call the game for any of them. We?ve tried to highlight what each of them do and go from there, and that?s why I?m not in any big hurry to tell everybody who it is. We may play all four of them in the first game. Who knows??

Matchups to Look For

Here are a couple of matchups that might make or break tonight?s game.

Georgia Tech?s Run Offense Against Tennessee?s Defense

Even without knowing who will be under center for the Yellow Jackets, we know that they will run the ball and likely be successful at it. Their triple-option offense is tough to stop for any defense, but it may be especially tough for Tennessee. Last season, Tennessee allowed nine runs from scrimmage of at least 40 yards ? eight in the last eight games of the season ? and six carries of at least 60 yards. They saw their run defense get taken advantage of over and over last season. In Georgia Tech can run the ball like they are capable of and the Tennessee defense hasn?t improved from last season, it could end up being a long night for the Volunteers.


Going against the Georgia Tech Defense

The Tennessee offense should still have the advantage in this game, but the Georgia Tech defense should not be ignored. The Yellow Jackets play a physical style of defense. They have several returning veterans who are looking to build on last year?s successful 9-4 season. Butch Jones had some comments about Georgia Tech?s defense, mentioning how talented the Yellow Jackets are on defense and that they follow the same format for winning on defense as they do on offense.

 

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by W. M. Lawson


The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets kick the season off tonight (8 PM EDT) in ?The Benz?, and take on the Tennessee Volunteers. It?s a massive game for both teams.

With the full attention of the college football world affixed to Atlanta, Georgia Tech opens the season tonight against the Tennessee Vols. Both teams have questions coming into this game and the season. We?ll begin to get answers to those questions tonight. Here are three keys to the game (there are many more):

Quarterback Questions. Both Georgia Tech and Tennessee enter this game with significant questions at QB. But they are not the same questions. Tennessee, presumptively, will start Junior Quinten Dormady. By most accounts, dude has talent, but he?s never really seen significant action. Tech comes in listing four equal Quarterbacks on their depth chart. It most likely will be Matthew Jordan getting the start, but we could see multiple QBs from both teams. It will be the team with the kids who step up at this position that will win.

Line of Scrimmage. Yes, it seems pedantic to suggest that the team that wins will control line of scrimmage. Common sense. But with both of these teams, it is especially true. Georgia Tech averaged 255 yards/game rushing in 2016. If they can control the LOS and get to that number, Tennessee will be in trouble. Tennessee?s defensive strength is on the Defensive Line, and if GT is running it down their throat, it?s over. Conversely, if Tennessee gets John Kelly going, and Georgia Tech can?t force Dormady into throwing pressure passes, the Vols will literally run away with it.



31 Points. Most seem to think that this game will be low scoring, because of the aforementioned questions on the offensive side for both teams. I don?t think so. I think the winner has to get to 31 points or north of it. Both teams are very talented on Offense. Both teams will get theirs tonight. 31 points is the number that usually means a couple of turnovers and/or incredibly efficient scoring drives.



Both coaches need to win this game. A Tennessee loss, and you can start looking for possible landing spots for Butch Jones. A Georgia Tech loss and the mumblings about Paul Johnson will turn to audible grumblings.I actually could see Tennessee blowing Georgia Tech out. But when analyzing the depth chart, one realizes that Tech brings back nine Seniors and nine Juniors on Defense. They aren?t big, but they have experience. I was leaning Vols until the recent injuries to Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Austin Smith. They are two starting Linebackers who will be missing in a game where discipline and assignment is name of the game.