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Tennessee Volunteers vs. Wyoming Cowboys: game preview

Stats and stuff after the jump, but first the key observations:

  • Tennessee may be able to win with defense alone, and based on what's happened so far this season, we may have to.
  • The two teams have identical records but drastically different schedules.
  • With all that has transpired this week on Rocky Top, forget everything you know about the 2008 Tennessee Volunteers. We will likely see a different team.

Okay, so the stats:

Tennessee rush
v.
Wyoming defense
Tennessee pass
v.
Wyoming defense
Wyoming rush
v.
Tennessee defense
Wyoming pass
v.
Tennessee defense
105
99
15
21
56
70
36
116
Wyoming logo
Wyoming logo
Tennessee logo
Tennessee logo
Field Goals
Tennessee punting
v.
Wyoming punt return
Wyoming punting
v.
Tennessee punt return
Intangibles
T-42
73
73
T-85
104
112
Tennessee logo
Tennessee logo
Tennessee logo
Tennessee logo

If only our offense was working . . . .

Here's how the teams look next to each other in each of the key statistical categories currently used in the RTT Ready, Fire, Aim BlogPoll Computer Ballot:

Rank
Team
WL
SOS
PED
RD
3DO
TD
PEO
EXP
OPPG
TO
3DD
AVG R
W AVG
88
Tennessee logo
88
12
21
15
100
11
107
45
25
114
54
53.82
805.05
94
Wyoming logo
88
72
70
56
93
39
119
26
94
111
13
71.00
818.60

Aaaand the context for the numbers:

Tennessee logo
Wyoming logo
Opponent
Result
Record
at UCLA  L 27-24
0-1 (0-0)
UAB  W 35-3
1-1 (0-0)
No. 4 Florida  L 30-6
1-2 (0-1)
at No. 15 Auburn  L 14-12
1-3 (0-2)
Northern Illinois  W 13-9 2-3 (0-2)
at No. 10 Georgia L 26-14 2-4 (0-3)
Mississippi State W 34-3 3-4 (1-3)
No. 1 Alabama L 29-9 3-5 (1-4)
South Carolina L 27-6 3-6 (1-5)
Opponent Result Record
Ohio  W 21-20 1-0 (0-0)
Air Force  L 23-3 1-1 (0-1)
North Dakota State  W 16-13 2-1 (0-1)
at No. 14 Brigham Young  L 44-0 2-2 (0-2)
Bowling Green  L 45-16 2-3 (0-2)
at New Mexico  L 24-0 2-4 (0-3)
No. 14 Utah  L 40-7 2-5 (0-4)
at No. 14 TCU  L 54-7 2-6 (0-5)
San Diego State  W 35-10 3-6 (1-5)

So what's it all mean?

  • We may be able to win this game on defense alone. And we may have to.
  • Tennessee and Wyoming have identical records, but as you would expect Tennessee has compiled its record against much stronger competition than has Wyoming. The relative numbers in each of the statistical categories therefore must be viewed with great skepticism. The RTT computer does have Wyoming within six spots of Tennessee even accounting for the respective strengths of schedule, though, so be a bit wary.
  • Even if we were able to compare similar stats, can we really trust Tennessee's stats to predict what they're going to do this Saturday after all that has happened this week? No.