Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
It wasn’t long ago that I wrote about the Tennessee–Georgia series and told you it had been *checks notes* 3,267 days since the Vols last beat the Bulldogs. That didn’t go so well. And yet, here we are again — days away from Tennessee and Josh Heupel attempting to end another streak, this one stretching over a decade.
It’s been 6,540 days since the Vols beat the Arkansas Razorbacks. George W. Bush was President of the United States. The Bee Movie — one of the best films ever made (don’t argue) — was in theaters. MySpace was the craze. The first iPhone had just dropped. And I was ten years old without a care in the world.
Arkansas walks into a revenge-thirsty Neyland Stadium on Saturday, led by interim head coach Bobby Petrino and senior quarterback Taylen Green — the same Green who threw for nearly 300 yards against Tennessee last season in Fayetteville. This year, he’s already piled up 1,398 passing yards, good for fourth in the SEC and 25th nationally, with 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. Green also leads the country in total offense, while Arkansas ranks eighth in the country as a team. However, the offense only mustered up 13 points against a Notre Dame defense that ranks worse than Tennessee’s
Stopping the Razorback offense under Bobby Petrino — known for his offensive creativity, misdirection, and occasional trick plays — will be key to ending Tennessee’s 18-year skid against the Hogs. Just as important, though, will be taking advantage of an Arkansas defense that’s been, frankly, subpar at best.
The Razorbacks rank 112th out of 134 teams nationally in first-down defense, 125th on third down, 113th in passing yards allowed, 93rd in red-zone defense, and 117th overall in total defense.
TL;DR: The numbers point to a game that mirrors Tennessee’s road trip to Mississippi State — a high-scoring affair from start to finish. The difference? Neyland’s atmosphere and Tennessee’s sheer talent advantage on offense should be enough to put the Vols over the top.
It’s been a long time coming — and Neyland’s ready to let Arkansas hear Rocky Top ring after defeat.
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