By Brody Rupert
The Tennessee Volunteers are back at home this week after taking care of business at Georgia State and are ready to host their first Division I program of the new season: Kennesaw State.
Kennesaw State Owls (1-1)
The simple fact for this week’s matchup is that it should be an easy win before SEC play starts. Kennesaw State is coming off a poor loss at home against Georgia State, where the team looked deflated.
Its biggest weakness was its ground defense: 230 yards and 3 touchdowns allowed led to a 2-score hole by the end of the game.
The pass defense was better — no touchdowns given up while forcing an interception — though 253 yards were allowed on 15-for-23 passing.
The offense struggled with only 2 touchdowns: 1 on the ground and 1 through the air.
The run game was unable to find its spark, accumulating only 73 yards and averaging fewer than 3.5 yards per carry.
The air attack was not enough to counter the inability to pound the rock: 260 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception on less than 65 percent efficiency.
It seems clear that the deflated Owls will have their work cut out for them. However, they may have extra motivation from head coach Jerry Mack, who is only a few years removed from being with Tennessee.
Mack was the running backs coach for the Vols from 2021 to 2023 before leaving for a role in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just one year later, he took the head coaching job at Kennesaw State.
Mack found immediate success with the Owls, going 10-4 in his first season and earning Conference USA Coach of the Year honors.
Playing against his former team brings him into a familiar environment with a chip on his shoulder.
No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
If Josh Heupel and the Volunteers want to fix anything before starting SEC play against the Texas Longhorns, now is the time.
Tennessee is coming off a statement win against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, where the offense was on fire.
The running game was the main facilitator for the Volunteers’ high-scoring offense, racking up 299 yards and 3 touchdowns while averaging over 6.5 yards per carry. The high-powered ground game should be able to keep rolling against a struggling Kennesaw State run defense.
The Vols would like to see more consistency in the passing game. Faizon Brandon took care of the football and threw 2 touchdowns, but he logged a completion percentage under 50 percent — a mark that is not sustainable in conference play. He missed several deep passes, which contributed heavily to the low completion rate.
One area needing immediate improvement is screen passes; Brandon has missed several short throws, resulting in empty downs.
This week provides one final tune-up for Brandon to settle into the offense. Crucial mistakes in conference play will cost the Vols heavily. His deep balls must be on target; he needs to know when to extend plays outside the pocket, and he must command the huddle.
Defensively, things look bright for Tennessee under coordinator Jim Knowles. His unit allowed just 2 touchdowns — both coming in the second half while holding a 2-score lead that permitted a more conservative scheme.
One area needing correction is special teams following a disastrous blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jackson Ross utilizes a rugby-style rollout punt, which gave the Yellowjackets extra time to penetrate the protection.
Another player to watch is tight end DaSaahn Brame. With starter Ethan Davis lost for the season to an ACL injury, Heupel emphasized a “next-man-up” mindset. Brame stepping up to fill that void quickly will give the Vols a major boost.
This week serves as a bridge — while winning shouldn’t be a hurdle, the operational clarity gained ahead of SEC play will be critical.