Lucas Clark: Last weekend the No. 11 Oregon racked up an astonishing 720 yards of total offense in a crushing 72-0 blowout win over New Mexico.
Though no one quite expected to see that kind of offensive output, the Ducks were the clear favorite heading into the matchup.
This week, however, Oregon will make a rare trip into SEC territory to take on 102,000 strong Volunteers.
The Ducks returned 17 starters from last year’s Rose Bowl squad and will bank on that experience when they enter Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Oregon’s speed in the backfield is second to none in the nation with redshirt sophomore LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner (who tallied five touchdowns in the first half last week).
That speed will keep the Vols’ defense on its toes for 60 minutes.
Matt Dixon: The Derek Dooley era kicked off about as well as anyone could’ve expected against Tennessee-Martin.
The Volunteers dominated from the start in a 50-0 victory over the Skyhawks. It was the first shutout for UT since 2003.
The Vols amassed 537 yards of total offense while holding UTM to just 142 yards and just three first downs.
Fans shouldn’t put too much stock into either Tennessee or Oregon’s impressive season openers, as the level of competition for both was lacking.
Oregon will make the cross-country flight to Knoxville in what will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
The Ducks’ explosive spread offense will go up against a Tennessee defense led by middle linebacker Nick Reveiz and defensive end Chris Walker.
The Vols’ defensive coordinator, Justin Wilcox, arrived this year from Boise State and helped the Broncos hold Oregon to their worst offensive performance of last season.
For the Vols to have a shot at upsetting the reigning Pac-10 Champions, their offense must rely on the running back duo of Tauren Poole and David Oku to consistently move the ball and get first downs.
UT had to replace its starting quarterback, running back and all five starting offensive linemen from last season.
LC: As second-year head coach Chip Kelly always says, the battle will be won up front. Saturday will be no exception for either team.
The freshly formed front five for Tennessee will have to take on a relatively new group of Oregon defensive lineman, though they all saw consistent playing time last season.
Senior defensive end Kenny Rowe (Rose Bowl defensive MVP) and senior defensive tackle Brandon Bair will resume their starting roles up front, while junior defensive end Terrell Turner and senior defensive takcle Zac Clark will both make an impact in their first year as starters.
Junior linebacker Josh Kaddu won his starting spot this offseason and has already proved himself to be one of the more physical offensive players for the Ducks.
MD: Though Tennessee’s offensive line is inexperienced, it does have a good blend of veterans and promising underclassmen.
Senior left guard Jarrod Shaw started the first three games last season, making him the most experienced player of the group.
Junior Cody Pope has spent time at all five positions up front during his UT career and seems to have finally found a home at center.
Sophomore Dallas Thomas and freshmen JerQuari Schofield and Ja’Wuan James round out a unit that could be better than expected for the Big Orange this season and give junior college transfer quarterback Matt Simms time to get the ball to UT’s playmakers at wide receiver, arguably the Vols’ deepest and most talented position heading into the year.
Top wide out Gerald Jones broke a bone in his hand against UT-Martin and will miss this week’s contest.
The other starter, Denarious Moore, has been hobbled all week with an ankle injury.
Look for sophomore Zach Rogers and talented freshmen Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers to have a bigger impact in the game, but not match the production a healthy Jones and Moore would provide the Tennessee offense.
LC: The absence of Gerald Jones will undoubtedly be a key loss for Tennessee.
If Oregon lost its top receiving threat, senior Jeff Maehl, it’s tough to even imagine what would happen to the Ducks aerial attack.
Somewhat luckily for Oregon (and the rest of the SEC), the Vols’ won’t have former All-American Eric Berry roaming around the secondary.
And at this point in the season, the Oregon passing game still has a few steps to go to be in conference form.
Sophomore Darron Thomas’ first collegiate start was a relative success, in that he remained unhurt and committed only one turnover. The lone turnover stemmed from a blocking miscue, which led to an interception midway through Oregon’s first possession.
If Thomas is able to keep the turnovers in check and keep his composure — look out Volunteer faithful — we could see a real coming-of-age performance come Saturday.
MD: Replacing Eric Berry is a nearly impossible task for the Vols.
The UT secondary returns two starters, cornerback Art Evans and free safety Janzen Jackson.
Jackson was a top high school recruit a year ago and has NFL potential, but has had several off-the-field incidents and character is a big concern for him.
Along with Evans, the Vols will play two other corner backs extensively, both of whom Dooley considers starters: Eric Gordon and Marsalis Teague.
Gordon redshirted last season and will bring an aggressive playing style to the field. One of the best athletes on the team, Gordon works out with the team’s linemen and could see action at punt returner with Jones out.
Teague was a wide receiver last season and was moved to defense just before fall camp. A smart player, he was recruited by some schools as a defensive back despite playing as a quarterback in high school. He quickly became one of UT’s top corners and will play significantly Saturday.
On paper the Ducks should defeat the Volunteers on Saturday, but with Thomas making his first career road start in Neyland Stadium, it could get interesting if the Vols contain the Oregon passing game and force Thomas into making mistakes.