Tennessee Volunteers Defensive Players to Watch vs. Missouri Tigers
Missouri will be looking to bounce back this Saturday after last weekend's loss against Kentucky, but to do that, the Tigers will have to knock off No. 5 Tennessee in Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers haven't lost a game at home in 2022, and they'll be focused on defending their home turf. If Missouri wants to make this a fight, the Tigers will have to be able to put up some points, and probably a lot, considering Tennessee's averaging over 45 points per contest.
The Tigers' offense hasn't scored more than two touchdowns in any game since Week 3, and that's not going to cut the cheese against the No. 5 Vols. Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz is going to have to dial up some big plays if he wants to pull off the upset.
Here are the key defensive players on Tennessee's roster that Missouri will have to compete with.
DB Trevon Flowers
2022 Stats: 49 tkls/ 2 INT/1 pass deflection/1 sack/2 FF
Fifth-year senior Trevon Flowers is all over the field for the Volunteers. He leads the team in tackles and he's the only Volunteer with both a sack and an interception on the season. Flowers is one of the best safeties in the country and is already on the shortlist for plenty of NFL scouts.
Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook has had his ups and downs, but he can't afford to let any turnovers get away from him in this one. If there's one Volunteer he can't lose track of in the secondary, it's Flowers, but Tennessee has another talented defensive back that can create chaos in his own right.
DB Tamarion McDonald
2022 Stats: 32 tkls/3 pass deflections/1 INT/1 FR
Just like Flowers, McDonald is a turnover machine. The junior defensive back is a ballhawk and one of the team's top tacklers. He may not garner as much attention as Flowers, but he makes nearly as many plays. The Memphis, Tenn. native leads the team in pass deflections and is tied for second in picks.
At 6-foot-2, McDonald possesses a lot of length, which makes it tough for quarterbacks to get the ball past him. Cook is going to have his hands full trying to find open spaces in this defense. For the Tigers, a strong running attack will be a necessity in this game.
DL Byron Young
2022 Stats: 21 tkls/ 5 sacks
Young's the most productive pass rusher on this team, leading the Vols with five sacks. At 6-foot-3, 245-pounds, he's not an overpowering force, but he's lightning quick off the ball. The senior notched four sacks in the month of October alone and seems to be hitting his stride. Missouri's offensive line hasn't excelled this fall, so this could be a bit of a problem for the Tigers.
The best way to negate an aggressive pass rusher is with an effective run game. If Mizzou can keep the ball on the ground and keep the chains moving, it'll give Young less opportunities to wreak havoc. It'll also tire this Tennessee defense out, which will be crucial towards the end of the game.
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