KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee takes on SEC East foe South Carolina on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The game will feature a noon ET kickoff on ESPN.
Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Tommy Tuberville (analyst) will be in the booth and Paul Carcaterra will report from the sidelines. Vol Network radio affiliates will have a live audio broadcast with Bob Kesling, Tim Priest and Brent Hubbs. Sirius Channel 137 and XM Channel 190 will also carry a live audio broadcast.
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2 SEC) is coming off a bye week. Before the bye, the Vols suffered a 41-0 home loss to Georgia on Sept. 30. UT went 4-2 after its bye week in 2016.
South Carolina (4-2, 2-2 SEC) is coming off a 48-22 home win over Arkansas on Oct. 7. Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley completed 16 of 31 passes for 199 yards and three scores in the win.
South Carolina received three votes in the Week 7 Amway Coaches Poll.
Tennessee-South Carolina Rivalry
The Tennessee-Georgia rivalry has been one of the SEC’s most exciting matchups in each of the last five seasons. Each of the last five games has been decided by three points or less.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 25-8-2. UT is 16-2 against South Carolina when facing the Gamecocks in Knoxville. The only two losses came in 2005 and 2011.
The last time the teams faced each other at Neyland Stadium was on Nov. 7, 2015. Aaron Medley hit a 27-yard field goal with 9:14 remaining in the fourth quarter to give UT a 27-24 win.
In 2016, the Vols committed three costly turnovers at Williams-Brice Stadium and UT’s late comeback attempt fell short. Joshua Dobbs completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings to bring the Vols to within 24-21 with 7:03remaining. Tennessee had the ball with 35 seconds left and drove to the SC 40, but Medley’s 58-yard field goal attempt with time expiring fell short.
Vols At Home
Tennessee is 462-125-17 (.779) all-time at Neyland Stadium (since 1921) and 13-4 at home since the start of the 2015 season.
The Vols are 2-1 at home so far this season and 21-10 (.677) in Neyland Stadium under Butch Jones.
Check The Stats
Junior running back John Kelly leads the Vols in rushing (494) and receptions (22). He is one of only three Power 5 running backs to lead his team in both categories, joining Penn State’s Saquon Barkley (649 rush yards, 29 catches) and UNC’s Jordon Brown (297 rush yards, 20 catches).
Kelly leads the SEC in all-purpose yards and yards from scrimmage (144.6), while ranking No. 9 overall nationally and No. 5 in the Power 5 in yards from scrimmage. He ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (98.8).
The Vols lead the SEC and rank ninth in the nation in kickoff return average (28.3). Freshman Ty Chandler had a KR TD vs. Indiana St.
Marquez Callaway leads the SEC in punt return average (13.6).
Trevor Daniel ranks second in the nation and second nationally in punting average (47.3). He has put 13 inside the 20 and 13 50+ in 29 punts.
VFL Reunion This Weekend
Tennessee will host its fourth annual VFL Reunion, welcoming former players back to Rocky Top and Neyland Stadium.
Butch Jones and the Vols will welcome back over 200 former players as part of the program’s VFL Reunion game. The VFLs will have the opportunity to take part in the Vol Walk and will also join Team 121 in the greatest Tennessee traditional of all, running through the T as UT takes the field.
Eight Former Vols Set to Be Inducted into Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame
Tennessee Athletics announced its eight-person 2017 induction class for the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame back in August. The star-studded class includes Monica Abbott (softball), the late Ray Bussard (coach; men’s swimming), Phillip Fulmer (coach; football), Justin Gatlin (men’s track), Todd Helton (baseball), Jeremy Linn (men’s swimming), the late Gen. Robert Neyland (coach; football) and Delisa Walton Myricks (women’s track).
The Class of 2017 will be celebrated this weekend with events and activities surrounding the Vols’ game against South Carolina. The Hall of Fame activities will include a private induction ceremony on the evening of Friday, Oct. 13. The inductees also will be recognized on the field at Neyland Stadium at the end of the first quarter.
During the second timeout of the second quarter, Gatlin and fellow VFL Christian Coleman will be recognized on the field for their outstanding performances at the 2017 IAAF World Championships. In the men’s 100m final, Gatlin won gold and Coleman took silver. The UT duo teamed up in the men’s 4×100 to earn silver as well.
-UT Athletics
