It’s time for our weekly 3-2-1, three observations, two questions and a prediction as the Vols look to get back on track at Arkansas following an open date.

1. Vols better stop the run — Arkansas is getting better at running the ball and they are committed to running the ball. Here’s a look at the Razorbacks growing success running the ball.

77 vs. Georgia — 28 carries/2.8 yds a rush

63 vs. Miss State — 37 carries/1.7 yds a rush

119 vs. Auburn — 42 carries/2.8 yds a rush

150 vs. Ole Miss — 48 carries /3.1 yds a rush

222 vs. Tx A&M — 42 carries/5.3 yds a rush

I understand that Georgia and Mississippi State are the two best rushing defenses they have faced, but there is no doubt that Arkansas’ offensive line is improving and they are finding a rhythm with their run game.

Jeremy Pruitt’s defense seems to be heading in the other direction. Alabama rushed for 170 yards on 40 attempts. Kentucky amassed 187 yards on 45 carries. Georgia had 193 on 50 carries. Missouri rushed for 126 on 37 carries and South Carolina had 89 yards on 35 carries. Arkansas used their open date to their benefit on their run game. Tennessee is hoping for the same success defensively in stopping the run starting with improved tackling.

2. Tennessee must fix their second half woes in the second half of the season— Not sure what the speech is at the half or what’s going on, but the third quarter start has been a disaster for the Vols offensively. They have struggled the whole quarter but the last three games the first possession has been two fumbles and a three and out. On the season they have been outscored 67-24 in the third quarter. In the last three losses it’s been 37-7 that they have been outscored.

Jim Chaney must find the right adjustments at the half because his offense has been awful in the third quarter.

3. The back half of this season isn’t easy — In watching the SEC this weekend, the back half of Tennessee’s schedule is not easy at all. In fact it’s harder than I thought it would be. Vanderbilt is bad. I thought they would be and they are. I thought Auburn was going to be a game that Tennessee could very easily go to the Plains and steal. After all, the Tigers should have losses to Arkansas and Ole Miss if the end of the game had been officiated properly, but those were wins and Auburn looks to be getting better.

I know that LSU is bad. Really bad on defense, but Tank Bigsby is giving the Tigers an offensive identity. His emergence will continue to take pressure off Bo Nix and give them much needed balance.

Texas A&M is also improving. Kellan Mond is playing well and the playmakers around him are developing. They look a good bit different than they did the first couple weeks of the season.

Then Florida is Florida and I won’t pick the Vols to beat them until they do (my rule).

I say all of this to say the obvious. Saturday in Fayetteville is huge for this team.

1. Can the Vol defense make Felipe Franks uncomfortable? — Tennessee has 10 sacks on the season, four of them came in the first game against South Carolina. Against Alabama, Mac Jones had time to make a sandwich, smoke a Boston butt, or whatever he wanted to do. Tennessee’s defense never got near him. The Vols don’t want Franks to get into a rhythm. He got knocked around a good bit by A&M’s defense. Pruitt and Derrick Ansley must schematically and personnel wise find a way to start making quarterbacks uncomfortable otherwise they are going to continue to get shredded in the back end by offense’s passing game.

2. Did the off-week work help the offense find a rhythm? Everyone understands, no matter how much they don’t like it or disagree with it, that Jarrett Guarantano is going to start. With JG as the quarterback, can Chaney find a rhythm and keep it. At times the up tempo offense has worked, but this offense is just ok running the football and outside of deep shots to Josh Palmer and two weeks ago to Jalin Hyatt, the offense has been extremely inconsistent. No 5-10 yard completions have turned into explosive plays. And in the running game, the gain is just what it’s blocked for. At the half way point of the season, Tennessee has a 22 yard run from Eric Gray and a 21 yard run from Ty Chandler as the longest runs of the season. Did Chaney find anything creative with his offense during the off-week to find some offensive rhythm.

Youth will play the back half of this season — I know we have been talking about it and talking about it when it comes to the freshman receivers and everyone has been asked about Harrison Bailey. I’m not sure how much youth you see on offense, but I think you are going to see it on defense. I think you are going to see more Key Lawrence in the secondary along with Tamarion McDonald. I also think you will see more Omari Thomas, more Bryson Eason, Morven Joseph and even more Tyler Baron as the Vols play the back half of this season.