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Tennessee football will beat Oklahoma by at least 20 points and other overreactions

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Tennessee football will beat Oklahoma by at least 20 points and other overreactions


Tennessee football set offensive records in a rout against Kent State on Saturday, setting up a major showdown in its SEC opener.

The No. 9 Vols (3-0) beat winless Kent State 71-0 at Neyland Stadium, scoring the most points in a game in the modern era among many records.

Here are overreactions from the win:

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The Vols will beat Oklahoma by at least 20

Tennessee might not score 50 points for the fourth straight game. But it will still beat Oklahoma by at least 20 when it goes to Norman, Oklahoma, for the SEC opener.

No. 14 Oklahoma is 3-0 but has not been inspiring. The Sooners beat Tulane 34-19 on Saturday after struggling against Houston a week earlier in a 16-12 win.

UT’s offense is crushing teams, while its defense has yet to allow a touchdown through three games. That is a wicked combination that’ll lead to a rout at Oklahoma.

Mike Matthews is going to start for Tennessee this season

Mike Matthews made his Tennessee debut and he was sensational. The five-star freshman wide receiver reeled in a leaping touchdown catch in the second quarter for his first career score.

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He had two catches for 35 yards, including the 18-yard touchdown. Matthews battled an injury early in preseason practices, which limited his start to the season. But coach Josh Heupel made a telling comment about Matthews when he said the Vols were able to roll out an offensive set with four wide receivers now that Matthews was healthy. That bodes well for his playing time.

Tennessee has a deep wide receiver group, which has been talking about plenty throughout the past two months. Matthews could break into it in a major way as the season unfolds, especially in the slot where Tennessee isn’t as deep as it is on the outside.

Tennessee football will break program record for points in a season

Tennessee set a long list of offensive records against Kent State (0-3). It put another one in its sights: the single-season scoring record.

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The Vols have scored 191 points through three games. The season record for scoring is 599, which it set in 2022.

If Tennessee plays 10 more games this season, it would need to average 40.8 points per game through the remainder of the regular season and a postseason game to set the record. UT is averaging 63.7.

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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Alex Golesh hires former Tennessee analyst as Auburn’s coordinator

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Alex Golesh hires former Tennessee analyst as Auburn’s coordinator


Alex Golesh was introduced as Auburn’s head coach on Dec. 1. He served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2021-22.

Golesh announced the hiring of Jacob Bronowski as Auburn’s special teams coordinator. He served as the Vols’ special teams analyst in 2021 under head coach Josh Heupel. Bronowski was also under Heupel at UCF in 2020 as special teams quality control.

“His track record is outstanding,” Golesh said of Bronowski. “He developed multiple national award contenders, including a Lou Groza Award winner, and has led some of the top special teams units in the country.

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“I saw up close when we worked together before that coach Bronowski understands that special teams can be a championship difference-maker, and he’s proven he can develop elite specialists. He brings exactly the attention to detail and relentless work ethic we need in our program.”

Auburn will play at Tennessee on Oct. 3, 2026.

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Tennessee football’s 2026 schedule complete with opponents, dates

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Tennessee football’s 2026 schedule complete with opponents, dates


Tennessee football will host Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh and possibly Arch Manning at Neyland Stadium in the 2026 season.

UT’s opponents for the next four seasons were previously announced. On Dec. 11, the SEC released the dates of every conference game, providing the full picture of the 2026 schedule.

Game times and television designations will be announced later.

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Texas will make its first trip ever to Tennessee on Sept. 26. Manning, the Longhorns quarterback, is expected to return for the 2026 season rather than enter the NFL draft. If so, he’ll face the Vols on the home turf of his uncle, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.

Golesh, the former UT offensive coordinator, is Auburn’s new coach. He will return to Knoxville for an Oct. 3 game.

Alabama will play at Tennessee on Oct. 17, continuing their Third Saturday in October rivalry game.

Kiffin, the polarizing former UT coach, is now coaching LSU after bolting Ole Miss after the regular season ended. He will return to Knoxville for a Nov. 21 game. Three of the five SEC teams visiting Neyland Stadium will have a first-year coach, including Kentucky’s Will Stein on Nov. 7.

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Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as annual SEC opponents in the league’s new nine-game conference schedule. Its other six opponents will rotate each season. That means each school will play every SEC opponent home and away every four years.

Tennessee will have one open week on Oct. 31 and thus won’t play on Halloween.

Here is Tennessee’s week-to-week schedule for the 2026 season.

Tennessee football 2026 schedule

  • Sept. 5: Furman
  • Sept. 12: At Georgia Tech
  • Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
  • Sept. 26: Texas*
  • Oct. 3: Auburn*
  • Oct. 10: At Arkansas*
  • Oct. 17: Alabama*
  • Oct. 24: At South Carolina*
  • Oct. 31: Open
  • Nov. 7: Kentucky*
  • Nov. 14: At Texas A&M*
  • Nov. 21: LSU*
  • Nov. 28: At Vanderbilt*

*SEC game

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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Dragos Cazacu signs with Tennessee

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Dragos Cazacu signs with Tennessee


Tennessee announced the signing of graduate student Dragos Cazacu on Wednesday. He is from Constanta, Romania.

“Dragos is someone we believe can translate all of his professional experience and success seamlessly to high level college tennis,” Tennessee associate head coach Matt Lucas said. “He’s a very mature young man who has finished university in Romania, so we know the type of student athlete we are getting. Winning ITF Pro Circuit titles, all while doing his degree back home shows he will transition nicely to Tennessee in January.”

Cazacu competed on the ATP Tour prior to Tennessee. His highest ranking was No. 763 in singles and No. 495 in doubles.

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Tennessee will begin its spring men’s tennis season versus ETSU on Jan. 9, 2026 at Goodfriend Tennis Center. SEC competition will begin Feb. 21, 2026 at Kentucky.

The Vols’ home opener in SEC play is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2026 versus Auburn at Goodfriend Tennis Center.

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