The No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers have several recent instances to remind them not to underestimate Kent State on Saturday night.
For example, last week saw then-No. 5 Notre Dame lose at home to Northern Illinois, and No. 8 Penn State barely managed to beat Bowling Green.
This shows that teams from the Mid-American Conference can be challenging for Power Five teams.
Tennessee (2-0) needs to stay focused on Kent State and not get distracted by their upcoming Southeastern Conference opener against No. 15 Oklahoma. The Volunteers made a significant jump in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. Kent State (0-2) is a young team eager for a win.
“Look at scores from around the country,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “There are examples of teams that didn’t prepare properly, didn’t practice well, and didn’t bring the right competitive attitude to seize their opportunities.”
Kent State coach Kenni Burns has made sure his players are aware of how Mid-American Conference teams can be competitive, despite his team’s recent loss to St. Francis of the Football Championship Subdivision.
“Tough times make tough people,” Burns said. “We’re facing some tough challenges right now. ‘That’s the same (Northern Illinois) team you nearly beat last year in the final game of the season.’ It gives hope to our team.”
Tennessee has scored 130 points in its first two games and defeated then-No. 24 N.C. State 51-10 in Charlotte. The Vols have also been strong defensively, having shut out Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
“I feel like we’ve been one of the better defensive teams in the country,” said Vols defensive lineman Bryson Eason.
