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The Tennessee Volunteers will host Arkansas State on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The Vols are coming off a 38-7 victory over Utah State, sending a message to the rest of the SEC that their rebuilding process could be ahead of schedule. Tennessee will look to have another dominant performance against the Red Wolves, who took a 37-10 win over Montana State in Week 1.
Here are three bold predictions for Saturday’s game:
Jalen Hurd will lead Tennessee in rushing yards
Jalen Hurd was one of the key pieces to Tennessee’s top-5 2014 recruiting class. After enrolling early this past January, Hurd immediately threw his hat into the ring for the Vols’ starting running back competition. The former five-star athlete made his debut Sunday, splitting carries evenly with Marlin Lane at 11 a piece. Lane held a 41-29 advantage in yards, while Hurd excelled as a pass-catching back. This week, Hurd has a chance to steal the spotlight and move ahead of the veteran with a big performance. As the prized piece to Butch Jones’ first full-year recruiting class, many believe Hurd will inevitably nab the No. 1 spot. Saturday could be the first step in Hurd taking over as Tennessee’s featured rusher.
Von Pearson will have a breakout game
Tennessee’s receivers combined for 273 yards and three touchdowns on 28 receptions. 11 different receivers caught a pass for the Vols on Sunday. Consequently, there was no true breakout performance from an individual player. JUCO transfer Von Pearson did turn some heads with an athletic catch and score in the third quarter. Vol fans may have caught a glimpse of what is expected to be a huge season from the former Mid-Empire Conference MVP. In Week 2, Pearson may see an increase in targets and could provide Tennessee with a breakout performance.
A.J. Johnson will reach double-digits in tackles
A.J. Johnson decided to forego the NFL draft in order to finally experience a bowl game with Tennessee. During his first three seasons, Johnson’s Vols held losing records, despite his incredible contributions at linebacker. Playing alongside a healthy Curt Maggitt and an improved Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Johnson may now be apart of the most talented linebacking corps since his arrival in 2011. Last week’s game saw the preseason All-SEC first teamer record nine tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. This week, look for Johnson to record 10 or more tackles against the up-tempo Arkansas State offense.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
