“It’s only Utah State.” “This is an SEC program vs a mid-major.” Tennessee fans need not have this logic come Sunday.

The Vols will host Utah State at Neyland Stadium at 7 pm ET looking to take another step in the “Brick by brick” rebuilding process. Tennessee is coming off a 5-7 season and is far from a heavy favorite, with good reason.

Tennessee has several questions leading up to kickoff. The most glaring ishaving to replace every starter on the offensive and defensive line. Utah State has talent on both sides of the ball, none greater than Chuckie Keeton. Keeton has received just about every preseason honor a quarterback can. He’s an early dark horse Heisman candidate, as well as a member of the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award watch lists. He is a versatile, dual-threat option who is capable of beating defenses on the ground and through the air.

Keeton will be the biggest factor in a potential Utah State upset of Tennessee. The matchup of a great dual-threat quarterback vs. an inexperienced defensive line bodes well for the Aggies and poorly for the Vols. Tennessee’s best chance is a strong performance from its linebacking corps. The group of A.J. Johnson, Curt Maggitt and Jalen Reeves-Maybin will need to execute a strong QB spy on the elusive Keeton. Johnson is one of– if not the– best linebacker in the SEC. Maggitt, when healthy, has also proven to be a standout linebacker and Reeves-Maybin was Tennessee’s best player on special teams as a true freshman last season.

While the focus is on Keeton to perform well against an SEC defense, many people are forgetting that he is coming off a season-ending knee injury. It’s unknown how much his knee has healed since last season and he may take a more conservative approach against the Vols defense.

If he relies more on his arm, Tennessee’s defensive backs will feel the pressure. Senior Justin Coleman and sophomore Cameron Sutton have starting experience and provide reliable pass coverage. Freshman Emmanuel Moseley will take on nickel cornerback duties and has impressed coaches with his speed and work ethic since enrolling early in January. A quality group of talented and experienced SEC defensive backs should be able to matchup well against a Mountain West Conference quarterback. But Keeton is a special talent that makes everyone around him better and is hardly the average MWC player. It’s not to say the task will be impossible, but Vol fans shouldn’t assume stopping Keeton will be an easy feat.