Tennessee

Tennessee football vs Kent State score predictions: Will Vols cover spread?

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2024

Tennessee football vs Kent State score predictions: Will Vols cover spread?

Tennessee football has its final early season nonconference game before opening SEC play.

The No. 9 Vols (2-0) host Kent State (0-2 on Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium, where it opened the season with a win against Chattanooga. UT plays at Oklahoma in its SEC opener.

Here are the predictions from the Knox News staff:

Tennessee vs Kent State odds, money line, over/under

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, as of Tuesday

Spread: -48.5
Money: -115
O/U: 62.5

Not interested in this game? Our guide to college football betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered.

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Tennessee vs Kent State predictions, picks for college football Week 3

Adam Sparks

Tennessee 63, Kent State 3: This is almost as lopsided as an FBS matchup could be. I suppose Josh Heupel could name a score before kickoff, and the Vols would have a chance of hitting that mark.

John Adams

Tennessee 62, Kent State 6: The Vols reached 50 points only once last season. They already have passed 50 twice this season.

This would be the first time in the modern era of UT football that the Vols have scored 50 or more points in three consecutive games. They also did it in 1913.

And no, I didn’t cover that team.

Mike Wilson

Tennessee 73, Kent State 6: Tennessee will threaten school records against Kent State, which looks like the worst team on the schedule for the Vols. It should get ugly and only get uglier. The only thing stopping the Vols from scoring 100 will likely be a second half for the backups.

Cora Hall

Tennessee 66, Kent State 9: The Vols steamrolled their first two opponents and this week will be no different. Tennessee will notch another confidence-boosting blowout win before starting its conference schedule.

TRADITION: How ‘Home of the Vols’ returned to Neyland Stadium thanks to a Johnny Majors picture

Gentry Estes

Tennessee 77, Kent State 0: Yeah, I’m not kidding. The Golden Flashes just lost to Saint Francis.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

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Tennessee

Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal

Published

11 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Tennessee football QB Jake Merklinger plans to enter transfer portal

Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger plans to enter the transfer portal, Knox News has confirmed.

On3.com and Rivals.com were the first to report Merklinger’s decision. The transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.

Merklinger has also opted out of the Music City Bowl. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Nashville. Starter Joey Aguilar will play in the bowl game, so Merklinger was not expected to be a factor. Freshman George MacIntyre will serve as the backup.

Merklinger spent two seasons at Tennessee but barely played and failed to win the starting job. He played six games and went 19-of-33 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2024, Merklinger was a third-string freshman when Nico Iamaleava started. In 2025, he competed for the starting job but lost to transfer Joey Aguilar.

By the end of the 2025 season, Merklinger was neck and neck with freshman George MacIntyre for the backup job. And it didn’t appear that Merklinger would factor in the starting job in 2026.

Merklinger, a native of Savannah, Georgia, was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

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

Seedy K’s GameCap: Tennessee

Published

23 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

When you have two legitimate Top 20 teams testing each other, it’s never inevitable.

But this U of L task in Knoxville against tall favorite Tennessee sure seemed close to that heading in.

Well coached top level foe at its sold out home.

One whose strength — inside scoring and rebounding — made it a bad matchup for the Cards, whose lack of inside depth and strength has been an Achilles heel from the get go.

That the Vols were hungry and angry coming off three straight Ls made a U of L victory seem an almost impossible task.

Then we learned that back issue of Mikel Brown’s is a problem.

Cards were toast before tip.

It was all evident by halftime — actually well before then.

It just takes a peek at a couple statistics.

Tennessee led by only 7, thanks to some tough Cardinal D. And UT’s woeful FT shooting.

That inside game issue: Volunteers 28 points in the paint. Cardinals 10.

That’s right, Tennessee had more points in the paint at the break than Louisville had points total.

That lack of point guard issue: U of L had 9 FGs at intermission. Tennessee had that many assists on 15 buckets.

Louisville’s strength is depth. At least usually.

During the first 20 Tuesday, the Cards had zero points off the pine. Vols 22. (For the game, the disparity was 34-3. Khani Rooths hit a FT. Wild Man Zougris a garbage time slam.)

Another opening stanza reality that might have you feeling the need to clean your glasses.

Only three guys scored. Adrian Wooley with 12, Ryan Conwell with 11, and Sananda Fru with 4.

Louisville’s second half performance is not worth the bandwidth, my time to write about, nor your time to read.

The final, in a lopsided disappointing loss: 83-62.

There is no sugar frosting this. Against teams with major size and inside presence, Louisville has and will continue to struggle.

When your most talented player doesn’t suit up, it makes it more impossible to overcome.

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Tennessee

A look at new laws proposed in Tennessee

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

A look at new laws proposed in Tennessee

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