A struggling team will recover when BYU meets Tennessee in Knoxville

Tennessee and BYU are so determined to stay focused on themselves that they have done everything but deny having a match to play on Saturday.

This is apparently what happens when you have two significant losses because problem resolution becomes more urgent than that of other players in the field.

So, what could have been a plot of East meets the West or the independent SEC's independent legendary program, is becoming more of that can reset their season.

The Cougars are considered underdogs, but think they still have a lot to do if they can fix the mistakes that were part of the 30-12 loss to Utah.

"We have two teams that are very unhappy with their performances in the first week," said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. "Many teams have made great progress from one week to the next, so let's see who is ready for this one."

Ensuring that the offensive has a better pace is a priority, as is taking better care of the ball. The Cougars have had three turnovers against Utah and that can not happen if they want to succeed, said quarterback Zach Wilson.

"I have to be smarter with the ball in my hands and perform better," he said.

As for Tennessee, the Flights are hoping that Saturday's game will allow them to get in the right direction after the terrible defeat against Georgia State. A program traditionally known for his national titles, his annual SEC title, and his bushels of NFL stars are not used to such debacles, although his coach Jeremy Pruitt did his best this week to get the bad start.

"If you train long enough, every defeat is the same," he said. "None of them has more weight than the other, so you want to be at your best every week."

He's a good coach, says one guy who is well aware that the Tennessee fan base has little patience for difficult, even less embarrassing seasons.

A victory over BYU would not erase the embarrassment of losing to Georgia State, but it could at least appease the critics a bit.

The danger for BYU may well be that the Flights will be an easy victory on the road, but the players do not feel like falling into this trap.

BYU's offensive lineman, James Empey, said that few stocks could be put into the first week's result since each week is different.

"You can expect to get the best shot from each opponent every week," he said. "They got the best shot from Georgia State last week and they are going to give us their best shot, so we have to give them our best shot this week, we have to be ready to go to work."

Wilson said that Tennessee had a good defense with a lot of good athletes.

"It will be a crucial week for us to ensure that we are well-connected and that everyone knows their tasks and plays the parts we need to play," he said.