Kent State (0-2) at No. 7 Tennessee (2-0), Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network).
BetMGM College Football Odds: Tennessee by 48 1/2.
Series record: First meeting.
Tennessee must maintain focus after a big win over then-No. 24 NC State. That win vaulted the Volunteers seven spots into the top 10. They can’t get caught looking ahead to next week’s Southeastern Conference showdown at No. 15 Oklahoma, coach Josh Heupel’s alma mater. The Vols have made a priority of staying in the moment this season. The winless Kent State Golden Flashes are young and building. They can’t allow a top opponent and a hostile environment keep them from making progress. After this, the schedule doesn’t get any easier against Penn State.
Key matchup
Tennessee has amazing depth along the defensive line that starts with preseason All-American James Pearce Jr. Then the Vols can go nine or 10 deep with little drop-off in talent. The linemen will be going up against a Kent State offensive line featuring several first-year starters and a true freshman in Elijah Williams at center. If Tennessee is as dominant as the Vols have been so far, the Golden Flash offense could have a long night.
Players to watch
Kent State: WR Chrishon McCray. A first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection last year, McCray has nine catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns this season. He led the MAC in receiving yards (610) last season despite missing the final month with an injury. If QB Devin Kargman has any time at all to find him, McCray will be his target.
Tennessee: RB Dylan Sampson took over as the main running back in the Vols’ bowl game win over Iowa. He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the three games while scoring five touchdowns. He had a career-best 169 all-purpose yards last week.
Facts & Figures
Tennessee has won 12 straight nonconference games and is 15-2 outside the SEC under Heupel. The Vols have outscored non-conference opponents 823-246 in those games. … Tennessee is No. 6 in the country in total defense (185 yards a game) and fourth in third-down defense (4-26, 15.4%). … Vols C Cooper Mays has gone 16 straight games without giving up a sack. … Since the start of the 2022 season, Tennessee’s defense is giving up 95.3 yards a game. … The Vols have scored more than 50 points in each of their first two games for the first time since 1914. … The Golden Flashes have 22 freshmen or sophomores on their two-deep depth chart. … WR Luke Florea is second in the MAC averaging 98 receiving yards a game. … Kent State LB Khalib Johns started the 2022 season with four sacks and seven tackles for loss in the first four games before dealing with injuries. He is healthy now.
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