Arkansas will be selling out to stop the run. Tennessee football’s offense runs through its backfield. 

It’s a favorable outcome for the Vols, who take on the Razorbacks at 4:15 p.m. at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday. The running game will help ease an uphill task with second-year quarterback George MacIntyre set to make his first career start for Tennessee on Saturday. 

Arkansas has the 14th-worst rush defense in the SEC, allowing 146 rushing yards per game. That number rises to 242.5 yards per contest in two conference matchups. Georgia scampered for 254 yards while Texas A&M added 231 yards.

That’s promising news for a Tennessee team that’s won 31 consecutive games under Josh Heupel when rushing for 200-plus yards. It’s even more beneficial when DeSean Bishop is coming off a career-best 220 yards and three scores to defeat Auburn. 

Arkansas defensive coordinator Ron Roberts explained the shortcomings with his run defense during a weekly media availability. 

"A lot of times it's the gap integrity,” Roberts said. “We watch it where a defensive end has this gap and he's responsible for this gap, and he starts peeking inside, and the next thing you know, he gets swallowed up, and we no longer have an edge to our defense.”

Play fakes will be MacIntyre’s best friend as he faces the first real test of his young career. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller settled in with a 42-yard catch-and-run completion to Mike Matthews to open the second half against Auburn. 

MacIntyre faked the handoff to Bishop, watched the underneath slot corner bite, and opened up a passing lane to Matthews on the crosser. Matthews then scampered into Arkansas territory for the longest completion of the afternoon, which was the first spark of a 21-point second half for the Vols. 

With Arkansas already putrid against the run, Tennessee will need to use play action to its advantage. 

Ty Redmond has already faced one of the most athletically gifted players in the country when he lined up in front of Cam Coleman against Texas. Redmond allowed one catch for 30 yards. 

But now he’ll line up in front of one of the best-producing wide receivers in Chris Marshall. The 6-foot-3 receiver is seventh in the nation with 549 yards on 35 receptions. 

“Extremely explosive out on the edge,” Heupel said. “We’ve got to know where he’s (Chris Marshall) at and limit his ability to change the way the game’s played, create explosive plays. Got to do a really good job bottling the quarterback up.”

Despite giving himself and the rest of the defensive back room the title as the “best group in the nation,” Redmond knows what challenge he has on his hands. 

“He's a good player,” Redmond said. “It’s going to be a good challenge for us and the defense. He's got good ball skills and good route running ability. 
So it's going to be a tough challenge for us.”

Tennessee hasn’t allow explosive plays in the passing game. The Vols allowed three passes of 16 yards to Auburn last week, but nothing longer than that. Through five games, they’ve given up five passing plays of 20-plus yards — the Longhorns had three of them. 

Marshall has finished four of his five games with his longest reception 20 yards or longer, with a season-long of 50 yards.