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Kickoff: 3:20 p.m. ET, Friday, Jan. 2
Where: Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
TV: ESPN
Westgate Superbook line: Tennessee -3.5
The Tennessee Volunteers make their first bowl appearance since 2010 during the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tennessee is coming off a win against Vanderbilt, while the Hawkeyes suffered back-to-back losses to end their regular season. Iowa has the size advantage in the trenches, facing a young, inexperience Vols offense line. However, Tennessee has the edge at the skill possessions, with a roster that includes several players with elite speed and the ability to see a breakout performances.
Five things to watch
- Will Tennessee’s offensive line hold up against Iowa’s defense?
- Can Joshua Dobbs lead the Vols to victory?
- Will Jalen Hurd be prepared after a rough December?
- Will Derek Barnett be able to record a sack against Brandon Scherff?
- Can Vols earn first bowl victory since 2008?
Tennessee
Motivation: Tennessee hasn’t made a bowl appearance since 2010 and hasn’t won a postseason game since 2008. Butch Jones has promised big changes in Knoxville and, thus far, his team has shown progress in his second season. The Vols can validate their coach’s rebuilding process with a two-win improvement from 2013.
If you’ve never seen them play: Tennessee is a young team with an abundance of talent. The Vols defense has one of the SEC’s best pass rush duos in Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt and a stellar secondary. Tennessee’s offense has speed at its skill positions, but also has the worst offensive line in the SEC, which has been a liability all season.
Weakness: Offensive line. The Vols ranked No. 124 in tackles for loss allowed and No. 119 in sacks allowed. Tennessee’s offense will live and die based on its inability to block and needs to see improvement in the trenches to capture a victory.
Iowa
Motivation: The Hawkeyes look to bounce back from back-to-back losses in their final regular season games. Iowa dropped three of its last four games, finishing fourth in the Big Ten West. The Hawkeyes can end their season on a bigh note by defeating a favored Tennessee team.
If you’ve never seen them play: Iowa is a Big Ten program, which means big bodies in the trenches with a bruising rushing attack that looks to wear down defenses. However, the Hawkeyes passing attack ranked higher than the running game in 2014, finishing No. 53 overall.
Weakness: Though Iowa has the edge in size, its skill players won’t win many track meets against the Vols. The Hawkeyes will hope to stop plays at the line of scrimmage and avoid being beat by Tennessee’s talented receiving corps.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
