Forde-Yard Dash: Tennessee, Miami Facing a Critical Saturday

If Tennessee and Miami want to prove they're truly back, their respective games against Georgia and Clemson this weekend loom large.

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football (Pittman For President buttons sold separately in Fayetteville):

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SECOND QUARTER: PROVE-IT SATURDAY LOOMS

Hello there, Smokey and Sebastian. Good to see you again. You’re both looking well. Congratulations on your early success this football season. Word is that you’re prepping to get back into The Club—that group of elite programs at the top of the sport. Well, this Saturday provides a great opportunity to prove you’re really ready: big-time opponents on the road.

A quick Dash breakdown of the two games where long-dormant powers could take a big step toward restoring their prowess:

Tennessee (11) at Georgia, 3:30 p.m. ET.

Current streak: The Bulldogs have won three in a row over the Volunteers, by an average of 32 points, and eight of the last 10.

Rankings: Tennessee (2–0) is No. 14 in the AP poll, its highest ranking since October 2016. Georgia (2–0) is No. 3.

Spread: Georgia favored by 13.5.

Last time Tennessee finished a season in the Top 10: 2001.

Calvin Mattheis-USA TODAY NETWORK

What’s changed about Tennessee this season: increased physical prowess up front. The Vols ran the ball 51 times for 232 yards against Missouri on Saturday, their most yardage on the ground against an SEC opponent not named Vanderbilt since 2016. Of note: They never took a step backward—there were no negative-yardage plays in the running game. At times Tennessee was downright Wisconsin-esque, putting seven offensive linemen on the field. (That included Georgia transfer Cade Mays, who was making his first appearance in a Vols uniform after being declared eligible during the week.)

What Tennessee is up against: Arguably the best defense in the nation (12). Through two games, Georgia is allowing the second-fewest yards per play in the country at 3.84. Particularly important here: the Bulldogs are crushing opposing ground games, allowing just 116 total rushing yards thus far. That includes 10 tackles for loss.

There has been a lot of self-congratulation on Rocky Top for Tennessee’s current eight-game winning streak, which is the longest in the nation. Here is who the Vols have beaten in that time: South Carolina twice, Missouri twice, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, UAB and Indiana. While that certainly beats the alternative, it’s not like Tennessee has been beating the likes of, say, Georgia. Win this weekend and that streak gains much more currency.

Miami (13) at Clemson, 7:30 p.m. ET.

Current streak: The Tigers have won two in a row over the Hurricanes, by an average margin of 44 points.

Rankings: Miami (3–0) is No. 7 in the AP poll, its highest ranking since Nov. 2017. Clemson (3–0) is No. 1.

Spread: Clemson favored by 15.

Last time Miami finished a season in the Top 10: 2003.

What’s changed about Miami this season: Like Tennessee, the Hurricanes have a newfound physical running game that is paying early dividends. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is a Gus Malzahn guy, and Gus has always put a premium on running the ball. Currently, Miami is averaging 232 rushing yards per game, on pace to be the most at The U since 1957. Having a dual-threat quarterback in D’Eriq King certainly helps in that area. “They’re fast and physical,” said Clemson linebacker James Skalski on Monday. “They’ve got a little chip on their shoulder, they play really hard. As a linebacker, that’s what you like to see.”

What Miami is up against: the lords of the league (14). Clemson hasn’t lost an ACC game since 2017, when its quarterback was Kelly Bryant and he was injured in the game against Syracuse and the Orange won by three points. There has been at least one scare per season in the last two (rallying past Syracuse in 2018 when Trevor Lawrence was hurt, and surviving at North Carolina last year). Can Miami provide the annual scare, or more?

One ACC coach said a lot will depend on how the game starts: “Miami is all about momentum—they’re front runners. If they grab some early momentum, they could make it interesting. They have to make Lawrence press to make a play, and they have the defensive line to pressure him. That being said, I think Clemson is too consistent to lose. Miami hasn’t faced a defense like Clemson.”

THREE NOON GAMES TO WATCH—NONE OF THEM RED RIVER

You know it’s a messed-up year in college football when Texas-Oklahoma (combined record of 3–3) is the fourth-most relevant noon kickoff on the second Saturday of October. Yet here we are. The three that matter more:

Florida (15) at Texas A&M, noon ET.

The only previous time the Gators played in College Station happened to be the Aggies’ first-ever SEC game, in 2012. It was also the college debut of a skittery quarterback named Johnny Manziel. Florida went on to have its only good season under Will Muschamp, going 11–2, and then commenced wandering the wilderness until Dan Mullen arrived to revive things a couple years ago. Now he’s taken the Gators to their highest ranking since that 2012 season.

Florida is doing it the old-fashioned way, dialing back to its Fun ’N’ Gun days under Steve Spurrier by chucking the ball all over the yard. The Gators rank fifth nationally in pass efficiency, and their 10 passing touchdowns are the most for any team that has played two games. If quarterback Kyle Trask isn’t a Heisman Trophy candidate, then tight end Kyle Pitts is—though he is fighting history. No tight end has finished in the Top 10 of the Heisman voting since Notre Dame’s Ken McAfee was third in 1977.

After watching the Texas A&M secondary give up three scoring passes of longer than 60 yards against Alabama, Mullen and Trask have to be salivating while putting together this week’s game plan.

Virginia Tech (16) at North Carolina (17), noon ET.

Speaking of teams trying to get back to their glory days, both these would apply. The No. 19-ranked Hokies (2–0) last finished the season in the Top 10 in 2007; the No. 8 Tar Heels (2–0) last did it in 1997 (Mack Brown 1.0). Winner of this one stays prominently in mix at the top of an improving league, alongside Clemson, Miami and ACC renter Notre Dame.

This is another matchup of strength vs. strength in the trenches. Riding the legs of Kansas transfer Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech leads the nation in yards per carry at 7.01. North Carolina, meanwhile, leads the nation in fewest yards allowed per play at 3.75. Quarterback-turned-linebacker Chazz Surratt has picked up where he left off last year, recording 17 total tackles with three sacks and three quarterback hurries in just two games.

Maybe Tech will be back closer to full strength for this trip to Chapel Hill. The Hokies have had a long list of unavailable players (and coaches) their first two games.

Behind QB Grayson McCall, the Chanticleers are hoping to stay undefeated this weekend / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Coastal Carolina at Louisiana (18), noon ET. Yes, you heard The Dash correctly. A Sun Belt game with potentially more gravitas than the Red River Shootout.

The Chanticleers and Ragin’ Cajuns are both undefeated and both have victories over Big 12 opponents—Coastal crushed Kansas, and Louisiana took down Iowa State. If either of them runs the table, it would at least be in the New Year's Six bowl discussion.

Louisiana has captured the nation’s attention with the opening upset win over the Cyclones, and subsequent dramatic comeback victories over Georgia State and Georgia Southern. This weekend it takes on the No. 4 quarterback in the nation in pass efficiency, in Coastal freshman Grayson McCall.

WELCOME BACK TO THE PRODIGAL AAC PROGRAMS

Two teams will be making their season debuts this week:

Houston (19) finally gets to play Thursday night against Tulane. In football terms, nobody has had worse COVID-19 luck than the Cougars—their first four season openers were all scratched. The original opener, Sept. 3 against crosstown rival Rice, was the first to go (Rice still hasn’t started playing and is not scheduled to until Oct. 24). Then games against Memphis, Baylor and North Texas were axed by the pandemic. Houston also lost a Sept. 12 game against Washington State when the Pac-12 did away with nonconference games.

In case you forgot, since the program has been invisible for months, the coach of the Cougars is Dana Holgorsen.

Temple (20) finally gets to play Saturday against Navy. The Owls lost their first three games against non-conference opponents Miami, Idaho and Rutgers, which meant the opener was scheduled to be at Navy on Sept. 26. But then that was pushed back a few weeks ago—fortunately for both teams, they had a mutual opportunity this weekend to play. 

MORE DASH: Texas Flop | New Coaches | Impressive Stats