Monday means the 3-2-1. It’s three observations, two questions and a prediction about the Vols who need to get healthy and clean up some mistakes as South Carolina comes calling.

1. Tennessee is winning in the trenches — The Vols aren’t dominating in the line of scrimmage, but they are winning. Tennessee’s tailbacks are averaging 4.2 yards a carry. That doesn’t include Jauan Jennings and Brian Maurer runs against Mississippi State. That’s just tailback runs. Just as impressive against Alabama, the tailbacks had just 3 negative rushing yards in 25 carries. You don’t have to be a football expert to recognize that this offensive line is pushing people around and are finishing better than they have in some time.

Flip it to the other side of the ball and the defensive front is resetting the line of scrimmage more and more each week. The Vol defense had 21 tackles for loss combined against Georgia State, BYU, Chattanooga, Florida and Georgia. The last two weeks the Vol defense has recorded 16 tackles for loss including six Saturday night.

Again, the Vols aren’t dominant in the line of scrimmage but they are along ways from being dominated which tells you how far they have come in the last year and how much they are improving weekly.

2. Tim Jordan is the Vols best back— I admittedly love the sports car backs. The guys who can take it to the house from anywhere. Guys who can break ankles and can be effective in open space in the passing game. That’s not Tim Jordan’s game, but the junior from Florida is currently the Vols best back. Jordan is hitting the line of scrimmage really hard. He’s finishing runs by falling forward and he is Tennessee’s best pass protector. The last two weeks Jordan has 154 yards on 36 carries and a touchdown as he’s emerging as the Vols featured back.

3. Tennessee is capable of winning out if they can get healthy —That’s a big IF. Tennessee will be playing their fourth straight SEC game on Saturday. And in that stretch they have played two top five teams. It goes without saying that the Vols are beat up. There’s obvious injuries like Brian Maurer. But others are simply beat up. How healthy can this team get? And how quickly? There are no cakewalks left on the Vols schedule, but all are winnable games for Jeremy Pruitt in year two with the improvement this team is making. A thought that would have been a foreign one after their week one loss to Georgia State.

1. What does Tennessee do at quarterback?

It will be THE question all week long. What’s the plan at quarterback? It’s hard to see Maurer being ready to go on Saturday after suffering his second concussion in 8 days. If Maurer doesn’t clear concussion protocol, then what’s the quarterback plan. Where is Tennessee with Jarrett Guarantano and where is JG with the Vol coaching staff after the 4th down fumble and ensuing blow up.

Redshirt freshman J.T. Shrout has not been impressive on the practice field and has not taken care of the football well. What kind of trust factor is there with Shrout. How quickly could they get him ready and get a plan together for him?

Then there could be the X-factor of Jauan Jennings. Now, Jennings is not going to be the starting quarterback or play the bulk of the quarterback snaps, but would Jim Chaney put in a real quarterback package for the senior. A package that included more than single wing runs.

2. Can Tennessee figure out how to defend the middle of the field?

Tennessee’s defense is improving. They are making plays in the defensive front. They are holding up ok in the backend outside the hash marks. But they are struggling mightily in the middle of the field. It’s been that way all season and teams are going to continue to attack that area of the field. RPO’s have been a struggle for the inside linebackers who have bit hard on the run fakes opening up the middle of the field. Can Pruitt and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley find any kind of answer in the middle of the field?

It will be by committee at quarterback for the Vols

I don’t know that the Vols will play two quarterbacks, but they will line up multiple guys at the quarterback position.

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, if Maurer doesn’t play, will have to go into this bag of tricks and be creative with some of his play calling starting at the quarterback position. Look for that to mean some wildcat from 2-3 different Vols in the game on Saturday.