Tennessee

Five for Friday: Tennessee

Published

2 years ago

November 25, 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 117th assembly between Vanderbilt and Tennessee kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday inside FirstBank Stadium.

The Commodores (5-6, 2-5 SEC) can be going for a 3rd win in a row after victories over Kentucky and Florida, respectively. Vandy has dropped three in a row to the Volunteers since successful the 2018 matchup.

Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC) has misplaced two of its final three and is coming off a 63-38 loss at South Carolina. The Volunteers are searching for their first 10-win season since 2007.

Right here is extra on the right way to watch, hearken to and observe Saturday’s contest in addition to 5 key matchups to contemplate when the Commodores face the Volunteers:

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Location: FirstBank Stadium (39,790)

Tv: SEC Community

Broadcast Crew

Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline)

Channel Finder

AT&T | Xfinity | DISH | Comcast

Streaming

Obtainable by way of WatchESPN

Vanderbilt Sports activities Community from Learfield

Announcers: Andrew Allegretta (play-by-play), Norman Jordan (analyst), Kevin Ingram (sideline)

On-Air Time: 5:30 p.m.

Associates: Nashville WQZQ 93.3 FM; Chattanooga WALV 95.3 FM; Lewisburg WJJM 1490 AM, 94.3 FM; Memphis WMPS 1210 AM, 103.1 FM

Satellite tv for pc: SiriusXM 192; SiriusXM on-line 963

Sport Day Program

Social

Twitter: @VandyFootball and @VandyNotes

Instagram: @VandyFootball

Fb: @VanderbiltFootball

Streaming Audio

Vanderbilt Athletics App (Free)

Climate

58 levels at kickoff, 68 p.c likelihood of rain

1. Tempo

The Vanderbilt protection has confronted speedy offenses like this earlier than, however none with the tempo that Tennessee likes to play with.

Head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh deploy a hyper-speed offensive system designed to attain shortly, usually and all the time. Tennessee averages 3.66 factors per drive (sixth nationally) and almost seven yards per play (thirteenth nationally). Conversely, solely three groups in the entire FBS have a shorter time of possession common than the Volunteers.

“They attempt to go quick and get you confused, get you drained so that you mess up,” Vandy senior linebacker Anfernee Orji stated. “It’s actually simply as much as us to do our jobs, staying structured and everybody doing their 1/11.”

Saturday gained’t be a lot concerning the Vanderbilt protection surrendering yardage, however how shortly they will get well and realign earlier than the subsequent step. If that unit is left scrambling, it is going to be an extended evening on the workplace for the Commodores.

2. Persist with the Course of

It’ll be very tempting for the Vandy offense to wish to put the ball within the air Saturday. However simply as if it have been eyeing that final piece of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner, Vanderbilt should resist the urge and keep true to itself.

Tennessee has the SEC’s worst cross protection and solely Ohio has given up extra yards per sport by the air nationally. Solely as soon as this season have the Volunteers not allowed 200 passing yards to an opponent and in 5 video games they’ve surrendered no less than 300 passing yards.

Nonetheless, offensive coordinator Joey Lynch, quarterback Mike Wright, operating again Ray Davis and that Vanderbilt offensive line are at their greatest when the run sport is buzzing and the clock is ticking.

The Commodores need to proceed to stay affected person and keep on with their offensive course of with a purpose to dictate the narrative of the sport and, finally, the end result.

3. Disciplined Soccer

One strategy to probably beat Tennessee is to have it beat itself.

The Volunteers are averaging a whopping 8.27 penalties per sport, the worst common within the SEC and third-worst in all of school soccer. In each sport this season Tennessee has drawn no less than six penalties.

In a win towards Tennessee Martin in October, Tennessee was flagged a season-high 13 occasions.

The penalty drawback hasn’t been a demise knell for the Volunteers, but it surely’s a problem the Commodores can’t let go unpunished by the course of Saturday’s matchup.

4. It All the time Comes Right down to Third Down

It’s been a recurring theme all season lengthy, and Saturday can be no totally different: For Vanderbilt to achieve success it have to be one of the best third-down group on the sphere.

Vandy has transformed 18 of 31 offensive third downs the previous two weeks in two wins. The earlier three weeks – all losses – the Dores registered simply 15 third down conversions whole.

Vanderbilt is changing 50.7 p.c of its third downs in 5 wins this season and solely 29.4 p.c of the time in six losses.

Tennessee’s protection has been comparatively strong in defending third downs this season so it is going to be crucial for Vanderbilt’s assault to be at its greatest on these essential snaps.

5. Depart it All on the Subject

Tomorrow is just not assured.

Vanderbilt has scratched and clawed and fought its method again from a 3-6 document by 9 video games to the sting of clinching a postseason berth. It has performed impressed and proudly en path to wins over Kentucky and Florida, respectively, to get itself in place to safe a sixth victory.

However, as second-year Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea asserted Tuesday, nothing goes to be given to the Commodores, particularly not by their arch-rivals from the jap aspect of the state.

Vandy has to go away every little thing on the desk Saturday. The hassle, the combat, the idea should all be at a most. The playbooks have to be extensive open. And on the threat of utilizing each hyperbole and cliché within the books, the Commodores should empty the tank realizing the ultimate Saturday in November at FirstBank Stadium might mark the final time Workforce 2 takes the sphere collectively as one.

(6.) Geoff Macdonald

Vanderbilt will honor one in all its biggest coaches Saturday when Geoff Macdonald drops the anchor at midfield previous to kickoff.

Presently engaged on strategic partnerships and as an engagement supervisor with Vanderbilt Athletics, Macdonald spent almost three many years on the Vandy tennis courts the place he guided Vanderbilt to the NCAA’s Spherical of 16 on 19 events whereas successful the 2015 nationwide championship, posting runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2018, three Remaining 4 finishes and two Elite Eight culminations.

A six-time convention Coach of the Yr, four-time ITA regional Coach of the Yr and the 2015 ITA Coach of the Yr, Macdonald tutored student-athletes to 17 All-America accolades, 24 first group All-SEC honorees and 169 spots on the SEC’s Tutorial Honor Roll.

Macdonald led the Commodores to a few common season titles and 16 top-three finishes, together with a second-place end in simply his second season in 1996. Macdonald guided Vandy to its first SEC Match title in 2015.

— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Observe him @MrChadBishop.

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Tennessee

Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you

Published

57 mins ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Why Tennessee football playoff rankings don’t matter to Josh Heupel but should to you

Coach Josh Heupel understands why Tennessee football fans will watch the first College Football Playoff rankings show on Tuesday night, but it won’t be must-see TV for him.

“Do you remember what the first rankings were last year? I don’t either,” Heupel said. “So it doesn’t matter. What they remember is where you finish as November wraps up.”

For what it’s worth, Tennessee was No. 17 in the first CFP poll last season. And it never factored into the playoff race.

In 2022, the Vols were ranked No. 1 in the first CFP poll. They dropped out of the four-team bracket after losing to Georgia and never got back in.

So Heupel makes a fair point. A team’s finish matters instead of its start when it comes to the playoff rankings.

But in this new 12-team playoff format, there’s more room to maneuver from week to week and still stay in the mix.

The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). A new top 25 will then be released by the CFP selection committee every Tuesday through Dec. 3.

The 12-team playoff field will be announced on Dec. 8.

Focus on Mississippi State before worrying about Georgia

Tennessee is ranked No. 6 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the AP Top 25. Where the Vols are placed in the CFP rankings will indicate what the selection committee thinks of their resume thus far.

But Heupel is right that Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will make or break its playoff chances by what it does in the next four games, beginning with Saturday’s contest (7 p.m., ESPN) against Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5).

“Playoff rankings at this point don’t matter. You don’t have control over it,” Heupel said. “All you have control over is your preparation and how you play. Ultimately, that determines where you’re at or where you’re not at.

“For this football team, we’ve got to continue to grow and get better and control those things that we’re in control of.”

If Tennessee beats Mississippi State, its trip to Georgia on Nov. 16 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) would have a massive impact on the SEC and playoff races.

Are Vols talking about College Football Playoff chances?

No. 2 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) plays at No. 12 Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2) on Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).

Ole Miss likely would drop out of the playoff race with a loss, and Georgia would be in the driver’s seat for a playoff bid and SEC championship game berth.

A Georgia loss to Ole Miss would put the Bulldogs in a potential playoff elimination game against Tennessee.

Tennessee would be a playoff shoo-in by winning its final four games for an 11-1 record. Losing to Georgia only and finishing 10-2 would set up a toss-up situation for the Vols, who would need help from other playoff contenders.

Alabama (6-2, 3-2) plays at LSU (6-2, 3-1) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) in a likely playoff elimination game. And there are games in other conferences that will impact next week’s CFP rankings. But none of that matters to the Vols unless they beat Mississippi State to stay in the race.

“It’s just a one-week season at this point. And we’ve talked about us being in control of our destiny,” tight end Holden Staes said. “But in terms of the big picture with the College Football Playoff, we know down the road that will come. But if we just take it one week at a time and do our job each week, then we’ll have the results in terms of that at the end.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Tennessee

Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Press Room

Watch: In-Depth Breakdown Of Tennessee Football’s Two Most Recent Commit

It’s no secret that Tennessee landed two recruits on Halloween day. The Vols had a great holiday as they had a day full of treats and no tricks. Tennessee added a commitment in the class of 2026 and a flip from one school to the Vols in the 2025 class to close out the night.

2026 WR Tyreek King committed to the Vols early on Thursday becoming the first wide receiver to commit to the Vols in the 2026 class. King attends Knoxville Catholic which is closer than most schools to Neyland Stadium. Kings high school is only around 15-20 minutes away from Neyland Stadium so one could argue that the Vols always had an advantage for the hometown prospect.

Tennessee would continue the trend of adding other recruiting classes with in-state prospects as Page High School linebacker Brenden Anes would flip his commitment from Wisconsin to the Tennessee Vols. Tennessee has been looking to add another linebacker in the 2025 class as Austin Howard and Brenden Anes have been the frequently mentioned names when talking about the position of need. The Vols finally convinced the Wisconsin linebacker commit to flip to the in-state program with just over a month before early signing day.

You can learn more about this recruiting success below by watching Talkin’ Tennessee with Caleb Sisk. This video not only talks about the two newest commits but also some prospects and targets to keep an eye on moving forward.

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.

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Tennessee

No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider

Published

16 hours ago

November 3, 2024

Press Room

No. 12 Tennessee Basketball vs. Gardner-Webb: How To Watch, Betting Odds, Prediction | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee basketball opens up its 2024-25 campaign on Monday night as the Vols host Gardner-Webb at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

The reigning SEC Champions are breaking in a number of new players on this year’s squad but expectations remain high for a program that’s been as consistent as any in the SEC in recent seasons.

Here’s everything to know about the Vols’ season-opener against Gardner Webb on Monday night.

“They’re gonna play really fast. They’re well coached, extremely well coached. They got a new coach there, but they’re gonna work hard. They’re gonna really try to score quick. I think (they were) one of the top teams in the country last year. They can almost play with a 17-second shot clock. They get down the floor, they’re gonna shoot it quick, they know what they’re doing. They know how they wanna play. They’ll spread you out. Really good cutting team. If you turn your head, you get caught looking, they’re gonna take advantage of it.”

Gardner-Webb:

*Has not listed its starters

Team Statistics Last Season (via Sports Reference)

Tennessee:

Gardner-Webb:

Stat Leaders (Last Season, Any Team)

Tennessee:

Points: Chaz Lanier (North Florida) — 19.7 PPG, 51 FG%, 44 3PT%

Rebounds: Igor Milicic (Charlotte) — 8.5 RPG

Assists: Zakai Zeigler — 6.1 APG, 2.2 TOPG, 31.6 MPG

Gardner-Webb:

Points: Jamaine Mann (Georgia State) — 6.1 PPG, 46 FG%, 20 3PT%

Rebounds: Isaiah Richards and Ademide Badmus — 4.5 RPG

Assists: Darryl Simmons II — 0.8 APG, 0.4 TOPG, 10.2 MPG

Prediction

For as much new as Tennessee basketball is breaking in this season, Gardner-Webb is breaking in even more new including a first-year head coach and very few of its top contributors from a season ago.

I have a very hard time seeing Gardner-Webb scoring a lot of points in this game so this feels much more about what Tennessee can do on the offensive end of the court, especially after its poor offensive performance in its exhibition against Indiana.

The Vols will shoot better from the perimeter in this game. They need to be able to establish an inside scoring game too. It would be a bad sign if they can’t.

Tennessee 84, Gardner-Webb 51

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