SEC Showdown: Arkansas' Strategy Against the Volunteers

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00:00One of those seven teams that is a ranked team on the road against an unranked foe that

00:08is laying at least eight and a half points.

00:10It's nearly two touchdowns in favor of the volunteers.

00:15And Joe, they had to Fayetteville where under Sam Pittman, the hogs have been a great underdog

00:1920 and nine against the numbers since 2020 when Pittman took over.

00:24That's the best of any FBS program booked as a dog at least 20 times in three of those

00:3020 covers this season, Arkansas is perfect as an underdog covering spreads three and

00:36O ATS.

00:37Can the Razorbacks keep it within two touchdowns against the Vols today?

00:41I think they can.

00:42And again, from the series perspective, the last time they played was back in 2020.

00:47Arkansas has won three straight against the volunteers.

00:49I can tell you as long as I've watched college football, this series potentially goes off

00:54the rails.

00:55I can tell you that in regards to high scoring games over time, you name it.

00:59But the biggest thing for me is that I think Arkansas with their rushing attack of Gwendolyn

01:04Jackson, Taylor and green, they're averaging two 12 on the ground.

01:07I think they can run the football.

01:09I think they're a little bit bigger than what Tennessee is faced up until this point.

01:13And that's not a knock in regards to Oklahoma and some of the other teams.

01:16Tennessee's run support phenomenal, 50 yards per game, less than two yards per carry.

01:21But I believe the hogs up front will dictate this game.

01:25I don't know if they win, Ben, but I still like the offensive line of Arkansas.

01:29And I like that defense.

01:30Let's not forget they lost to A&M.

01:32They cover right.

01:33That was a very good game.

01:35They were in it and they lost Oklahoma State on the road.

01:37They should have won that game.

01:38They could have been five.

01:39And oh, if you think about it, if things broke their way, I think they're going to be in

01:43this game.

01:44Covered in both.

01:46I think it's a fair way to break it down, right?

01:48When you say they could have been five and oh, but where I think that's relevant is if

01:51they were what's this line nine and a half probably.

01:55So it's a big thing.

01:56The reason I back off the side here because I was actually looking right for the first

02:00time this season.

02:01I was thinking maybe not Tennessee.

02:03Josh Hypel in his SEC career is not only three no straight up, he's three no against a number

02:07with really good wins at Kentucky, abused LSU on the road.

02:13And then last year, even on a down year with Milton, covered a game at home against Texas

02:18A&M winning by a score.

02:19Now again, laying 14 on the road is a completely different animal than those prior three instances

02:24here.

02:25But I had to back off.

02:26The thing that catches my eye in this game is Nico and what we get out of him because

02:30the under the radar story I think with Tennessee is they are winning in spite of him not having

02:38a monster season.

02:40Those soft games with Chattanooga, Kent State, it's like, oh, look at this kid.

02:44He's not had to do a lot.

02:46Oklahoma really bottled him up.

02:48If he's a Heisman candidate, they are a real national title contender.

02:52He's not been that so far this season through four games in my eyes.

02:55Multiple interceptions against the first power conference competition, a bad NC State team

03:00and two weeks ago in their most recent game for the volunteers, 13 of 21 for 194 yards

03:07and a touchdown in Norman.

03:09For Tennessee, maybe opponent-wise, it's not the most difficult start to SEC play,

03:15but two straight road games, albeit with an off week in between.

03:19Nico Iameleava, 211 yards or less in the last three games for the volunteers, which leads

03:25to Nicky Treats' props for today, 240 and a half to find Pater minus 140.

03:32And I guess when you're the Vols, you're expected to score, they're the best scoring offense

03:36in the country, averaging 54 points per game.

03:39But I think what stands out, and one of the reasons people are overly optimistic, and

03:43I believe rightfully so on the Vols, for the best total defense, they're tied for the second

03:48best scoring defense in the country, and they're the second best rushing defense as well, only

03:53allowing 51 yards per game.

03:56And Joe, when you break down this football game, maybe it's not the quarterbacks in Taylor

04:00Green versus Nicky Treats.

04:02It might be the running backs, action, Jaquindon Jackson behind you, and Dylan Samson, 10 rushing

04:08touchdowns this year, second most nationally, only behind Boise's Ashton Jackson.

04:12And Samson could catch the football out of the backfield, I mean, you've got him in space,

04:16he's like Alvin Kamara, 2.0, he could go from point A to point B in a heartbeat.

04:21So granted, tempo will be a critical factor in regards to this, if you want a similar

04:27type of game, Oklahoma State did run tempo in the second half of that matchup, that's

04:32what allowed them to win it 38-31.

04:34I like Arkansas, but I like the total 57 and a half, I think we're going to get some points.

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