Tennessee
Titans LB Shines in Career Day vs. Chargers
The Tennessee Titans left Week 10’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium with a familiar sour taste in their mouth but there were still some notable bright spots.
In the 27-17 loss, Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens had arguably the best performance of his NFL career, finishing with a game- and career-high 15 total tackles (10 solo). This included a solid hit on thrid down early in the game.
#FFIDP Jack Gibbens drops the hit stick on the first play of the game…. pic.twitter.com/3tykaben1G
— Mike Woellert (@Mike_Woellert) November 10, 2024
Considering the praise he’s received recently from head coach Brian Callahan, Titans fans shouldn’t be too surprised to see Gibbens playing at such a high level.
“He’s where he’s supposed to be. He knows what to do. He knows how to do it, and he finds ways to continue to perform,” Callahan said via AtoZ Sports reporter Sam Phalen. “They’re the guys that you look at on paper and a lot of times you think that we can find bigger, faster, stronger, better, etc. But I mean, you don’t take into account that they’re just incredibly smart football players and they know what to do and they’re consistent and they’re reliable, and those things oftentimes are much more important than your height, your weight and your speed. They keep showing up.”
Gibbens, a product of Smithson Valley High School in Spring Branch, TX, played his first four collegiate seasons at Abilene Christian before transferring to Minnesota. He used that one season with the Golden Gophers to catapult himself toward an NFL opportunity, which he is now taking full advantage of despite going undrafted.
Entering Week 10, Gibbens had appeared in 27 games while making 18 starts for the Titans. Prior to his performance against the Chargers, he had tallied 29 total tackles this season.
Gibbens and the Titans will look to pick up their third win of the season in Week 11’s meeting with the Minnesota Vikings.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
When Tennessee baseball players arrived at the clubhouse at Lindsey Nelson Stadium early on April 24, they weren’t thinking about the upcoming grind of a doubleheader against No. 15 Alabama.
They weren’t fixated on the 12-8 loss to the Tide in the first game of the series a day earlier. They weren’t stressed about what a series loss could mean for their postseason future.
The Vols were too busy “jamming” to rapper NBA YoungBoy, according to starting pitcher Tegan Kuhns.
That loose mentality translated into a cascading offensive downpour and stringent defensive outing as Tennessee (29-15, 10-11 SEC) cruised to big wins over the Tide (29-29-16, 10-11) on both ends of the doubleheader.
Tennessee run-ruled Alabama in eight innings, 10-0, charged by another exceptional performance from Kuhns. Hours later, the Vols posted their second double-digit scoring performance with an 11-4 win.
Tennessee coach Josh Elander believes his young team is learning from facing adversity.
“We’ve been in that spot because we haven’t won on Friday night,” he said. “We need to be better on Fridays, but we’ve been in these scenarios where your back is against the wall and you’ve got to figure out what you’ve got. You can play tight and tense and try hard, or you can just cut it loose and play baseball.”
Tennessee hosts West Georgia at home on April 28 (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) before continuing SEC play at Kentucky from May 1-3.
Here’s what we learned about Tennessee baseball after its Alabama series victory.
Offense responded to Josh Elander’s challenge
After Tennessee’s first two losses in its last series against Ole Miss, Elander challenged the team to reflect on the offensive woes. The Vols scored four runs in the first game, yet barely escaped a shutout with a single run in Game 2.
Tennessee closed the series with a 13-5 win on April 19. The success carried over into the Alabama series with a total of 29 runs. Even in Game 1, the Vols logged eight runs.
“Better swings, nothing crazy,” Elander said about what’s changed with the offense. “It’s not like we’re taking batting practice differently or doing our scouting reports differently … I think our guys, as they continue to see more SEC high level stuff, they just slow down and are able to navigate at-bats a little better or the moment a little bit better when the crowd gets going.
“I think they’re just settling in. That’s what we need down the stretch. I know we’re past the three quarter way in the year. I’ve always felt confident in this offense, I know they’re capable and they need to continue to be consistent.”
Designated hitter Trent Grindlinger certainly settled in against Alabama. The Tide had no answer for the freshman, who had a combined five hits and two home runs in the doubleheader.
Elander called Grindlinger’s performance “rare.” Outfielder Blaine Brown is getting used to it.
“Trent, he works hard,” Brown said. “Nothing he did today surprised me at all. That’s just what I know he can do.”
Brown also had a big performance with two home runs in Game 3.
“We like that Blaine,” Elander said. “We’d like to see some more of him.”
Tegan Kuhns continues to showcase MLB talent
Kuhns claimed he wasn’t upset about the eight inning run-rule cutting off his path to a full game shutout. Regardless of how he felt, Alabama hitters were definitely frustrated trying to score against the sophomore pitcher.
In eight pitched innings, he struck out nine, allowed only three hits and a walk with no earned runs.
“I was just ready to set the tone,” Kuhns said. “I feel like the guys needed it. They needed a better start out of a starter, and I just did that for them.”
Starting pitching is good, for the most part
Left-hander Evan Blanco continued to be a “pro” for the Vols in Game 3. He gave up five hits and three earned runs, but countered with a season-high nine strikeouts.
Blanco wasn’t as close to a flawless performance like Kuhns. However, he provided six solid innings and prevented Tennessee from reaching into its bullpen early.
That’s exactly what happened in Game 1. Starting right-hander Landon Mack was off his game at the beginning, and it lingered through his 2 1/3 innings pitched. After he pelted an Alabama hitter in the helmet with a fastball, Elander took him out.
“On Friday night, you need length from your starter,” Elander said on April 23. “You’ve got to be careful with the bullpen, especially with the weather that we’re looking at coming in. When he hit that guy in the head − I hope that guy’s OK − that was a clear indicator that we needed to get him out of the game.”
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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Tennessee basketball has fortified its defense with a commitment from Kennesaw State forward Braedan Lue.
Lue announced his decision on Instagram on April 24, writing “Still Me Different City.”
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Lue with two years of eligibility remaining. He spent his first two seasons at Kennesaw State and was an immediate starter, starting in 66 of 68 games for the Owls.
Last season, he averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals. He shot 45.% from the field and 26.7% from 3 on 2.5 attemtps.
Lue was the third-leading scorer and one of the top defenders for a Kennesaw State team that won the CUSA championship and made the Men’s NCAA Tournament. The Owls lost to Gonzaga in the first round, 73-64.
The sophomore provides much-needed depth to the Tennessee front court. The Vols only had freshman forward DeWayne Brown II and Loyola (Chicago) transfer center Miles Rubin in the rotation. Lue also adds some defense in an otherwise offense-heavy portal class that included Belmont guard Tyler Lundblade, Cal guard Dai Dai Ames, Notre Dame forward Jalen Haralson and VCU guard Terrence Hill.
Lue was an unranked prospect out of Alexander High School in Douglasville, Georgia, but he received power conference offers from California and Penn State before committing to Kennesaw State.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: knoxnews.com/subscribe
Alabama did not play a great game of baseball on Thursday night in Knoxville. The Crimson Tide stranded 12 runners, committed a costly error, and gave up eight runs against the Volunteers. None of it mattered, as Tennessee played even sloppier, giving up 16 free passes as Alabama ran away with a 12-8 win.
“Really proud of just the way they fought, the way they competed,” head coach Rob Vaughn said. “There were some really tough at-bats. I know they walked us, it seemed like 20 times, but, man, there were some very hard-fought walks.”
Bryce Fowler had a massive day for the Crimson Tide, breaking out of a recent slump by hitting three doubles and driving in three runs. He was moved out of the leadoff spot for just the second time this season, and batted cleanup instead. His first RBI came in the top of the first, driving in Justin Lebron, who had walked to lead off the game.
Alabama ended up loading the bases in the opening frame, but failed to put up a crooked number as Jason Torres struck out to strand the three runners. Tennessee responded in the bottom of the inning, as a leadoff home run from Garrett Wright set the tone for what would be a back-and-forth game through the early innings.
Blake Grimmer drove in a second run to put the Volunteers ahead in the first, but the Crimson Tide tied it back up in the second on, of all things, a balk.
Wright then hit a second home run in the second to tie the game. Tyler Fay did not have his best game on the mound, giving up four runs over five innings while striking out six. He still earned the win, as the Crimson Tide added three runs in the third off a bases-clearing Peyton Steele double to pull ahead.
Wright drove in his third and final run of the day in the fifth inning, before Eric Hines demolished a baseball in the sixth, hitting a three-run homer 427 feet and out of the park. Tennessee continued to stay in striking distance, as Henry Ford responded with a two-run blast in the next frame, cutting Alabama’s lead to 9-6.
Tennessee’s bullpen imploded in the seventh. After Andrew Purdy flied out to start the inning, Peyton Steele drew a walk and then three straight Alabama batters were plunked. The third, Brady Neal, brought home Steele for the 10th run. Fowler then drew an insane 13-pitch walk that summed up the day for both sides — Tennessee’s control issues and Alabama’s plate discipline.
Hines was then hit with the bases loaded, meaning that all three of Alabama’s seventh-inning runs came on free passes. The Crimson Tide ended the game with 16 free passes and six batters hit, both the second most of the season for the team. Tennessee added two runs in the bottom of the inning, putting the game at its final score of 12-8.
The near-four-hour game was not Alabama’s prettiest performance. Lebron had a defensive error that contributed to one of Tennessee’s runs, and now sits at 16 on the season, doubling his 2025 total. Runners stranded also continue to be an issue for an Alabama team that left runners in scoring position in five innings. The biggest concern at the moment is the status of Justin Osterhouse, who appeared to injure his leg while stretching in the on-deck circle.
“I didn’t know if he slipped, I didn’t know what happened,” Vaughn said. “I thought maybe he was cramping, but that he was just stretching like he always does, and just something in his lower half, I don’t know if it’s hamstring, hip, I’ll get a better read from Stryker after this.”
Alabama and Tennessee will play a double-header on Friday, as inclement weather is expected in Knoxville on Saturday. The first game is set for a 1:30 p.m. CT first pitch, with game two beginning 30 minutes after its conclusion.
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