Missouri continues its quest for a second straight Southeastern Conference East Division title against the Tennessee Volunteers. Here are five things to watch for ahead of the critical conference clash at Neyland Stadium:
**1. The play of Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs**
Since Dobbs took over behind center for Tennessee, the Volunteers have lit up the scoreboard. In his three games of action this season, the sophomore has totaled 1,079 yards (289 rushing) and 11 touchdowns (four rushing). Dobbs led a strong comeback effort in a loss against Alabama, and guided the Vols to consecutive victories over South Carolina and Kentucky. In the wins, Tennessee had outbursts of 45 and 50 points, and Dobbs was the main reason why.
**2. The absence of Vols’ linebacker A.J. Johnson**
Somehow, Mizzou keeps finding ways to avoid key starters on opposing teams. Last week, Texas A&M star freshman defensive end Myles Garrett missed the game due to injury. This week, Tennessee senior linebacker A.J. Johnson will likely not play with a rape allegation looming. Johnson, the team’s leading tackler and is a Butkus Award semifinalist, awarded to the nation’s best linebacker. If there is one guy who flies under the radar but is absolutely critical to his team’s success on defense, it’s Johnson.
**3. The physicality of Tennessee freshman tailback Jalen Hurd**
Hurd isn’t your typical back. He is big, powerful, and tough to bring down. At six-foot-three, 227 lbs., Hurd is a load and has played well in the last couple weeks with Tennessee’s offense clicking. He has posted consecutive 100-yard games and has also seen his workload increase (20-plus carries in both games). Hurd numbers may not be something to marvel at—he is just 15th in the SEC in rushing—but if he gets going, Mizzou could be in for a long day.
**4. The play of Mizzou tailback Russell Hansbrough**
Hansbrough is coming off a career performance against Texas A&M in which he rushed for 199 yards and two scores. Touchdown runs of 45 and 49 yards sparked the offense in the second half as the Tigers were able to pull away. Hansbrough might not be the flashiest back in the conference, but he gets the tough yards. We’ll see if he carries the momentum over from last week against Tennessee.
**5. Mizzou’s offensive game plan**
Last week, Mizzou’s offensive game plan was simple: feed Hansbrough. It worked to perfection. The junior tailback carried the ball 20 times, and opened up the passing game. Short, quick, simple routes became sophomore quaterback Maty Mauk’s best friend, and Mizzou should not shy away from a similar strategy this week. The best way for Mauk to gain his confidence back is through these easy, three-step drop routes, and his numbers the past few weeks have shown this to be true. Expect the Tigers’ offense to continue trending upward against a Tennessee offense that ranks just tenth in the conference in rush defense and eighth in total defense.
