Game Week 2: Vols (Still) Have Nothing to Prove Against N.C. State

Ellie Williamson
Sep 2, 2024
3 min read

Ellie Williamson

Sep 3, 2024

Week 1 is in the rearview. It was a checked-box. The Vols did not disappoint against UTC. All cylinders seem oiled up and ready to roll. Moving on.

Week 2.

Tennessee heads into the first AP poll ranked match-up of the season. The Queen City will host both an ACC and SEC team ranked in the Top 25. N.C. State will play without a key contributor and Tennessee will be without backup edge rusher Emanuel Oyoke.

Regardless of the situational football from Week 1, both teams will have to reset for Week 2. There is no carry over in college football. Vols Coach Josh Heupel took to media and explained it like this:

“Everybody faves the same challenge. As a competitor you can live in what everyone was talking about last week, the reality is, you’re only as good as your next performance. Prepare, practice the right way and get ready to go play.”

For Week 2 here are the 3 things on my scouting report

Grayson McCall. Simply put: He’s good. However, I do not see him ready to face our stunts and an aggressive Tennessee defensive front. He has a solid core of backs and receivers that are giving him room to move downfield but, perhaps, not the time in the pocket to take advantage. Yes, he is a transfer from Coastal Carolina with plenty of experience, but he has shown several signs of a QB yet to reach his full potential. Coming to N.C. State was a fresh start and a way to help him develop as a QB, however, he’s not ready for Tennessee in Week 2. I look to see the Vols carry the fight and shut him down.
Nico is a Heisman candidate. Fact. It hasn’t been announced yet, but this guy has got to be on the front end of the voting. Those that say he played a team without pressure are taking away from the capabilities he showed. Give him a ranked defense that loves to run around in the space of the backfield and let’s see his vision and development for the haters. What he has learned from Joe and Hendon is mixing nicely with the talent he has at the QB position. There may be some mistakes made, and that’s okay. However in Week 2, I look forward to seeing him pick apart a talented secondary that leads the ACC in interceptions.
N.C. State will be a true test on the road. No, they are not a SEC defense but N.C. State does show off all three levels of defense. Don’t take any team in any conference for granted, the college football playoffs will expose you if you do allow any team to get in the door. N.C. State is one of those teams. Tennessee must follow the lead of Iamaleava and “keep our foot on their throats” in order to progress this week as a team.

Do the Vols score more than four times? I think we will see a style of complete football from Tennessee and my prediction is that the team will change the scoreboard at least four times. It will truly be a gamechanger for this team to put the recipe together on the road and taste test the product Sunday morning to find the missing pieces. This week is important for more than one reason as the Vols look to capitalize off the depth and energy seen from Week 1.

Make sure to watch members of this team including Donte Thornton Jr that flashed two trips to the checkerboards in most one half of football from Week 1. He sits down on our YouTube and website: this week as he speaks on playing in an NFL stadium for the first time in his life.