Five Longhorns Who Could Decide Texas vs. Tennessee

For the first time this season, the Texas Longhorns will be hitting the road to take on Tennessee in what’s bound to be a raucous Neyland Stadium.

The Volunteers enter with a formidable squad — undefeated and ranked 14th in the nation.

Facing a solid run game, a dangerous dual-threat quarterback and an edge pairing that could pose a threat in the pass rush, here are five Longhorns who could decide Texas vs. Tennessee.

Arch Manning

The most obvious player on this list, Manning will need to play consistent football for four straight quarters if Texas wants to leave Neyland undefeated.

Possibly easier said than done, this will be Manning's first away game in over 300 days, and Rocky Top is known for having an energetic, ear-splitting crowd.

If the Longhorns get the version of Manning they saw in the fourth quarter against Ohio State — when he completed 72.7% of his passes and threw a touchdown — they’ll have a good shot of winning.

If they get the version they saw against UTSA against a better defense and a tougher crowd, it’ll be much harder.

Hero Kanu

What makes the Volunteers' offense so dangerous this season is their run game.

They're averaging nearly 300 rushing yards a game with two running backs who are averaging over 6 yards a carry — Daune Morris averaging 8.1 and Desean Bishop averaging 6.7.

Stopping the run game obviously starts in the trenches.

The Longhorns will have to rely on Kanu to hold his ground in the interior and disrupt Tennessee at the line of scrimmage if they have any hope of slowing down what’s been a red-hot Volunteers run game.

Rasheem Biles

Part of what makes the Volunteers so dangerous on the ground is dual-threat quarterback Faizon Brandon. Even when a defensive line has collapsed the pocket, Brandon has proven he’s got enough savvy and speed to find a lane to scramble.

Biles will be key to helping contain Brandon, as well as stopping and cleaning up any rushing attack that reaches the second level.

Expect to see Biles all over the field on Saturday.

Lance Jackson

With Colin Simmons’ status for Saturday still uncertain — and Sarkisian declining to provide an update on Monday — Jackson could be the next man up.

The Volunteers have had issues protecting Brandon this season, even against lower-level out-of-conference talent. If Simmons is unavailable, Jackson becomes the main edge-rushing threat for Texas.

Texas will need him to not only generate pressure, but also find a way to get the shifty Brandon to the ground.

Trevor Goosby

Goosby is without a doubt the best player on the Texas offensive line. He held up against Ohio State’s menacing pass rush; the Volunteers now offer another challenge.

Jordan Norman and Tyree Weathersby have both had strong starts to their season — combining for 14 pressures, 11 hurries and two sacks.

If Manning is going to be comfortable in the pocket, Goosby will have to do a good job of protecting his blind side against two large, experienced edge rushers.

That challenge becomes even greater at Neyland, where a loud crowd could force Texas to operate under a silent count and give Tennessee’s edge rushers an advantage off the snap.

Goosby’s ability to handle that environment could go a long way toward determining how comfortable Manning is in the pocket.

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