Tennessee football: 3 giant warning signs for Vols after messy win over Austin Peay

Tennessee expected to have an easy time of it in Week 2 against Austin Peay. Maybe that was the problem, because the Vols looked terrible, barely keeping the Governors at arm's length in a 30-13 win over the 48-point underdogs.

A win is a win. With a trip to Florida coming up next week, Tennessee has to focus on cleaning things up and preparing for SEC play.

Head coach Josh Heupel would be wise to heed the warning signs from a game that was closer than it ever should have been. What were those?

No. 3 Tennessee football warning sign: WR sloppiness

The quarterback is a subject for later, but the Tennessee wide receivers didn't exactly make his life easier against Austin Peay.

Drops were an issue for the receiving corps throughout the game but especially early. Just about every receiver was guilty of at least one drop. The miscues put the offense on the back foot and, as the Vols would find out, getting into a groove was difficult.

Then just before the end of the third quarter, after Tennesse made it slightly more comfortable at 23-6, Ramel Keyton gave Austin Peay new life with a fumble.

The Vols need more from their receivers if the offense is ever going to live up to its potential.