NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2020 telecast will feature performances by a handful of country crooners—Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Brett Eldredge—as well as X Ambassadors, Julianne Hough, NE-YO, Leslie Odom Jr., Gwen Stefani and The Struts.
The show, which will air live from Times Square in NYC, will be hosted by Carson Daly and Julianne Hough.
NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2020 will air on Dec. 31 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, followed by a break for local news and return for the final countdown from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET.
Keith Urban will join the telecast with a live performance from the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville event.
NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey.
“I follow Abby Anderson,” says Matthew. “Man, when she sits down and plays the piano and sings, she’s really talented. I’m excited to watch her career.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Offensive struggles troubled Tennessee, as Wisconsin’s hot shooting led the Badgers to a 68-48 win Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Juniors John Fulkerson and Jalen Johnson led the Vols with nine points apiece. Johnson’s nine points set a career-high, while his six rebounds tied his career-best. Making his first start, freshman wing Davonte Gaines scored six points and grabbed four rebounds.
Wisconsin, fueled by a combined 38 points from D’Mitrik Trice (21) and Brevin Pritzl (17), made 11 3-pointers Saturday, including seven in the first half.
After taking a 14-point lead into halftime, Wisconsin (7-5) began the second half on a 9-0 run to extend its lead to 23. The Badgers held Tennessee (8-4) scoreless for the first 6:24 of the second period.
The Badgers led by as many as 28 points, while the Vols did not get closer than 17 for the remainder of the game.
Wisconsin took a 14-point halftime lead at 38-24, its largest lead of the game at that point. The Badgers got off to a hot start offensively, building a 15-4 lead after making six of their first eight field goals. After Wisconsin’s initial surge, Tennessee cut the lead to six points on two occasions but never drew any closer.
During the first half, Wisconsin made seven of 12 three-pointers. Pritzl led UW with 12 points, powered by three made threes.
Fulkerson had six first-half points, while Yves Pons and Jordan Bowden each had five in the opening frame for Tennessee.
YVES’ STREAK CONTINUES:Yves Pons has now blocked at least one shot in 12 consecutive games, marking the longest such streak by a Vol since Wayne Chism authored a 14-game streak in 2009-10.
SOLD OUT TBA: Saturday’s attendance was 21,678, marking the second sellout of the season at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Saturday’s crowd brought Tennessee’s average home attendance this season to 18,987, which ranks third in the nation.
UP NEXT: After a seven-day break between games, Tennessee begins SEC play against LSU next Saturday, Jan. 4 at noon ET inside Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be televised on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kellie Harper met with the media on Saturday morning at Pratt Pavilion, as her team continued preparations for its final contest of the 2019 portion of the schedule.
The No. 22/24 Lady Vols (9-2) will play host to Howard (8-4) on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena in a contest slated to tip off at 2:02 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at AllVols.com, and the game can be viewed on the SECN+ live stream or heard via Lady Vol Radio Network stations or the audio stream on UTSports.com.
Tennessee is coming off a two-game West Coast swing from Dec. 16 to Dec. 21 that saw the Big Orange come away with a split. The Lady Vols suffered a 78-51 defeat at (then) No. 1/1 Stanford on Dec. 18 and closed the trip in Oregon on Dec. 21 with an 88-61 victory at Portland State.
Howard, meanwhile, comes to town riding a four-game winning streak and with victories in seven of its last nine contests. The Bison closed out the pre-holiday slate with an 86-75 victory over George Mason in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fairfax, Va., on Dec. 21.
The match-up with the Bison, the first-ever between the programs, will be UT’s final tune-up before Southeastern Conference play begins on Thursday. Coach Harper reflected on her squad’s play during the pre-holiday schedule as well as what her players learned during the road trip just before the winter break. She also responded to questions about the Lady Vols’ readiness as they get set to head into the grueling SEC schedule.
On what she learned about her team at the Stanford game:
“I think we knew it was going to be a challenge for our basketball team to score against Stanford. We knew that going in. I think we saw that scoring was at a premium. I think our team bounced back from that alright. We did some good things against Portland State. It was good to see that we didn’t check out early. I know that sounds funny, but as a coach, that’s a big deal. You’re going home to break and everyone is excited about it, and you want to make sure that you’re staying engaged. We had some good practices over there, so that was a good sign.”
On if the Stanford game allowed her to see how her team stacks up:
“I think it was important to play that game. I think we were competitive for a large portion of the game. It got a little bit out of hand late, but I thought we were competitive, we just weren’t efficient offensively. I think sometimes we can talk to our players about where we need to improve, but when you have the facts and the stats from a game like that, it makes your message a little bit clearer.”
On areas the team is working to improve:
“I think we need to be more consistent defensively and more consistent with our rebounding. Offensively, efficiency just has to improve. It’s a work in progress, and it takes time. You don’t just push a magic button or run a certain play. You have to continue to work on it. You have to continue to watch film. You have to continue to practice and realize where you can be a little bit better.”
On the difference in play between the Stanford game and Portland State:
“I thought we had some improvement. I thought we moved the ball around. The defense was very different. We saw a man verses Stanford, we saw a zone verses Portland State. Obviously, against Portland State you don’t have the size that you do going up against when you have Stanford. I think Stanford does such a good job. I think they’re very underrated defensively. They’re very smart; they’re very disciplined. They have a game plan and they stick to it. I thought at Portland State we had really good tempo, especially in the second half. In the third quarter we really played downhill. We were aggressive and that was good for us.”
On if there are areas where she’s pleasantly surprised about where her team is at headed into conference play:
“I don’t know that any coach is pleasantly surprised at Christmas break. I think we’re always knit picking and trying to find ways to get better. Whether that’s how you come to practice every single day or how you approach film. Just every little thing, we’re always pushing them to find ways to get better.”
On if she’s continuing to add plays:
“We’ll put a couple more tweaks in. I’m one who likes to add throughout the season. I think it keeps your team engaged. I think once you see how your team is trending throughout the season, then you can make adjustments. You might be able to add something in January that you just didn’t know was going to make sense until you were in those games. I think throughout the season, probably weekly, we’ll find some things. I think it’s good for our team to do that.”
On Howard coming in having won four-straight games:
“Well, their guards can score. They are one-on-one scorers, so you’ve got to be able to guard and contest some players that can knock down shots. Defensively, they’re going to get after it. They can change up their defenses, keep you off balance a little. They don’t have the size to guard the interior, but they’ve got the quickness and speed to disrupt your offensive on the perimeter or even full court in the press.”
On Rae Burrell’s career high at Portland State and her growth this season:
“I think she was really aggressive. And that’s how she plays, but I thought she really played downhill and found ways to get to the basket. And I thought she took good shots and was very aggressive doing it. That helps us. We don’t have a lot of that on the team where we just have people making a beeline to the basket. That’s good for us. We need to develop that with some of our other players. As we continue to work with Rae, I think one of her biggest hurdles is decision making with the basketball and obviously, for her, being aggressive and going and getting layups at the basket is a great decision.”
On if it’s good to be back playing at home after the holidays:
“It’s good to be back here and to hopefully get in front of a big crowd against Howard. It’s vacation time and holiday break, so we’re hoping people come out and watch the game. And we want to play with a lot of energy. This is an important game to get back in the groove of how we need to be playing and get ourselves prepared for SEC play.”
On if she plans to continue playing a large number of people:
“I love playing a lot of people if it works. And that’s going to be important to try to find that. Obviously, for me and what I like to do, we’re low in our guard numbers. With only five guards, that’s a low number, so we’re going to have great rotation there. We have high numbers in the post play for those positions. So, I would like to continue to play a lot of kids, but if we get in the game and we’ve got something that’s working, then I’m ok with shortening that bench if we need to.”
On if players being more aggressive getting to the basket is a priority:
“We have been talking about that from day one. I understand that that needs to be an area of growth for us. It’s not natural for many of our guards, and that’s where I see it most is in our guard play. So, we’ve got to continue to help them. We drill it constantly to get them more comfortable getting to the basket, and I think when we do that, we’ll be a better basketball team.”
On if the players need to be tougher mentally to endure contact getting to the basket:
“Our players are big and strong enough to take some contact. I think it’s more of a mindset to get themselves in there and be ok with it. And once they do it a little bit, it will become easier. It’s just not natural for a lot of players. It wasn’t natural for me as a player, but my teammate Semeka Randall had a great knack for getting to the basket. So, some people do and some people don’t, but I think we can continue to work on it and develop it in some of our players.”
On the court at her elementary school in Sparta being named “Kellie’s Court” in her honor:
“They had an open house to showcase the new school. It’s still Findlay Elementary, and they brought me in and had a presentation and dedication of the court which is Kellie’s Court. First of all, it’s a beautiful school and that elementary school has six goals. I think that’s amazing – six baskets at an elementary school! To go and have my name there, I’m humbled and really honored. To have that is really special. I love my hometown. High school, middle school, elementary school – I loved all of that. Like I said, I’m just humbled and honored.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 22/24 Tennessee (9-2) will open a two-game home stand and simultaneously close out the 2019 portion of its schedule on Sunday, as the Lady Vols welcome Howard (8-4) to Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:02 p.m. ET. This will mark the first time these programs have met on the hardwood.
Tennessee is coming off a two-game West Coast swing from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22 that saw the Big Orange come away with a split. The Lady Vols suffered a 78-51 defeat at (then) No. 1/1 Stanford on Dec. 18 and closed the trip in Oregon on Dec. 21 with an 88-61 victory at Portland State. During the trip, the Tennessee players and staff enjoyed a couple of cool educational experiences, visiting the world headquarters of Facebook/Instagram/Oculus in Menlo Park, Calif., and the world headquarters of Nike in Beaverton, Ore.
Howard, meanwhile, comes to town with a four-game winning streak and with victories in seven of its last nine contests. The Bison closed out the pre-holiday slate with an 86-75 victory over George Mason in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fairfax, Va., on Dec. 21.
Tennessee will open its Southeastern Conference schedule on Jan. 2, as Missouri comes to town for a 5 p.m. ET contest whose tip time was moved earlier to avoid a direct conflict with the Vol football team’s 7 p.m. ET appearance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Howard begins Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play on Jan. 4, as the Bison travel to Princess Anne, Md., to face Maryland Eastern Shore.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday afternoon’s game will be streamed live by SECN+ with Michael Wottreng (PxP) and Steve Hamer (Analyst) handling the call.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone calling the action for the 21st season.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
SECN+ games are online broadcasts and are available only on WatchESPN via computers, smartphones and tablets.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
ESPN2 SELECTS UT AT UK GAME
ESPN and the SEC announced that Tennessee’s game at Kentucky on Jan. 5 in Memorial Coliseum will be televised by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET
PROMOS
Gates open at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Tickets start at just $5. Purchase yours today at AllVols.com.
There is free parking & shuttle service available from UT’s Ag Campus. Shuttles begin two hours prior to tipoff.
Enjoy the pregame Kids’ Corner at Gate F. It opens one hour prior to tipoff. Fun includes free face painting, the Big Orange prize wheel, visits from Smokey and cheerleaders, crafts and more at the Kids’ Corner.
Want to be the Jr.Vol of the Game? Sign up for the Jr.Vol Club today and get the chance to see yourself on the videoboard. Members also receive free Jr.Vol swag, tickets to games for all sports and exclusive Jr.Vol events.
There will be postgame lay-ups on Sunday. Kids 12 and younger can shoot a lay-up on the court after the game.
Come High-Five the Lady Vols. Kids 12 & younger can pick up a wristband at the Fan HQ table on the concourse to participate in the pregame High-Five Tunnel. Wristbands are limited. To purchase discounted group tickets and reserve wristbands for your team, call 865-946-7000.
You can be a part of the Lady Vols’ electric introductions. Make sure to download our light show app courtesy of Coca Cola. The “Hoops Hype” app is available free of charge from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.
RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME
The No. 23/24 Lady Vols shot a scorching 51.4 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from behind the arc on Dec. 21, defeating Portland State in Viking Pavilion, 88-61.
Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (9-2) in scoring, narrowly missing a double-double with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jordan Horston was close behind, also setting a career high with 20 points.
Junior Rennia Davis recorded her tenth rebound of the game just over two minutes into the second half to solidify the 24th double-double of her career. She went on to collect a season-high 13 rebounds while scoring 18 points.
Portland State (6-4) was led in scoring by Kylie Jimenez and Desirae Hansen, who finished with 15 and 10, respectively.
NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME
Big On The Boards: UT out-rebounded PSU, 56-26, recording its second-highest rebounding margin of the season. Tennessee now has won the rebounding battle in eight of 11 games and is averaging 51.6 rpg. while holding opponents to 35.5 rpg.
Burrell Heating Up: Sophomore Rae Burrell scored a career-high 21 points at Portland State. She now has scored in double figures in five of the last eight games, increasing her career high in three of those contests.
Jaz Dishing: Sophomore Jazmine Massengill doled out a career-high 10 assists, moving her season average to 4.5 apg. If the season ended today, she would tie with Ariel Massengale for fifth all-time among Lady Vol sophomores.
Hot Hand Horston: Freshman Jordan Horston recorded a career-high 20 points against PSU. Nine of those came during a four-and-a-half-minute flurry at the outset of the fourth quarter.
Balanced Attack: Ten of UT’s 11 active players scored at least two points against the Vikings, while four found their way into double figures (Burrell – 21, Horston – 20, Davis – 18, Key – 11).
Big Time Runs: Tennessee posted two 14-0 runs against Portland State, marking its third-longest run of the season and moving its total of 10+ runs to nine on the year.
TENNESSEE TOPICS
The Lady Vols hit their most field goals this season in the win over Portland (38 of 74, .514).
Tennessee has outworked nine of 11 foes on the glass this season and has a +16.2 rebound margin that ranks No. 1 nationally through the game vs. Portland State.
UT is pulling down 51.6 rebounds per contest while allowing 35.5. The Lady Vols’ per game total ranks No. 2 in the nation.
The Lady Vols average 16.8 second chance points per game and have won that category in every contest but one (Central Arkansas).
The Lady Vols’ bench has been a strength this season, with the Big Orange holding a 28.2 to 16.1 advantage in points from reserves.
UT has been at its best offensively in the third and first quarters this season, averaging 20.0 and 18.9, respectively, during those periods. On the defensive end, the Lady Vols are their stingiest in the second frame, allowing only 11.5 points over that 10-minute stretch.
Tennessee has shot for a higher percentage from the field in every game except for the Texas and Stanford match-ups, in which the Longhorns knocked down 36.2 to UT’s 30.6 percent and the Cardinal prevailed, 42.6 to 27.8. UT shoots 43.0 from the field for the season.
The Lady Vols are allowing opponents only 30.1 percent shooting from the field and have allowed only No. 1/1 Stanford (42.6) to shoot better than 36% this season.
The Lady Vols have limited foes to only 24.8 percent shooting from the three-point arc after Stanford (11-30, .367) and Portland State 12-30, .400) had the best long-range shooting games of the year vs. UT.
Tennessee has recorded 16 or more assists in every game but one this season (Stanford, 7). Its season-best mark for dimes is 25 vs. UAPB, followed by 23 vs. Portland State.
The Big Orange women have won the opening tip in all 11 games.
COMFORTS OF HOME
Tennessee is 6-1 at home this season and is out-rebounding foes 50.1 to 35.0.
UT is outscoring foes at home by a 74.4-48.1 score.
The Lady Vols are shooting .462 from the floor to the .272 put up by opponents on Rocky Top.
Rennia Davis is hitting .476 of her shots at Thompson-Boling Arena to lead Tennessee at 14.9 ppg. and 8.3 rpg.
ABOUT HOWARD
Howard University is located in Washington, D.C., and has an enrollment of 9,689 students.
Howard was picked to finish third in the MEAC this season after placing fifth a year ago with a 10-6 league mark and an 18-13 overall record.
Top returnees include All-MEAC Second Team guard Sarah Edmond, third-team picks in guards Jayla Thornton and Ayonna Williams and MEAC All-Rookie Team forward Krislyn Marsh.
The Bison are coached by fifth-year leader Ty Grace, who is 68-76 at the school.
Also back is senior forward Imani Bryant, who was a four-time winner of MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors last season.
ABOUT HU’S SEASON
Howard is 8-4 as it heads to Knoxville, winning its last four contests.
The Bison started the season 1-2 and have been 7-2 since then.
UT will mark Howard’s second ranked opponent this season. HU fell at No. 25 South Florida, 82-53, on Nov. 12.
The Bison played Power 5 school Washington in the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico on Nov. 29, falling, 75-58.
Howard also fell to Bucknell in that tourney, 70-60.
RECAPPING THE BISON’S LAST GAME
Howard grabbed a big road win at George Mason, winning 86-75 at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va., on Dec. 21. With the victory, HU extended its winning streak to a season-high four games.
Guards Ayonna Williams (Washington) and Jayla Thornton (Newark, N.J.) led the Bison attack, scoring over 20 points apiece. Williams produced a season-best 28 points, including 21 points after intermission, while the New Jersey native was nearly perfect from the floor, tallying 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-6 from long range.
Senior forward Imani Bryant (Berkeley, Calif.) filled the stat sheet, registering a season-high 12 points, seven boards, three steals and three blocks, while classmate Sarah Edmond (Freeport, N.Y.) added 11 points and five dimes in the win.
Overall, the Bison shot over 51-percent (31-of-60) from the field.
Below are my predictions for SEC bowl games here on my blog, “Vince’s View.”
There are 9 bowl games, including the playoffs, involving an SEC team. There is a chance for a 10th in the national championship game.
These are straight-up picks. The point spreads are just for some context of who the favorites are.
2018 Game Prediction Record: 93-32 (74%) 2019 SEC Championship Prediction Record: 1-0 (100%) 2019 Game Prediction Record: 96-17 (85%)
SEC BOWLS
Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (Houston) Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 27 – 6:45 pm ET / 5:45 pm CT – ESPN
Line: Texas A&M – 4 ½
Vince’s View: If Oklahoma State was at full strength, I’d likely go the Cowboys way. Texas A&M should be plenty motivated to show that they are better than what they showed vs. LSU.
Score Prediction: Texas A&M 35 Oklahoma State 21
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta) LSU vs. Oklahoma
Dec. 28 – 4 ET / 3 CT – ESPN
Line: LSU -11
Vince’s View: I had no confidence Oklahoma could guard LSU’s passing attack initially. Now with the suspensions for OU, it could get even uglier.
Score Prediction: LSU 48 Oklahoma 24
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (Nashville) Mississippi State vs. Louisville
Dec. 30 – 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT – ESPN
Line: Mississippi State -4
Vince’s View: The Bulldogs rushing attack, even with shaky QB play, should be too much for the pourous Louisville defense to handle.
Score Prediction: Miss State 31 Louisville 20
Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami) Florida vs. Virginia
Dec. 30 – 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT – ESPN
Line: Florida -14 ½
Vince’s View: The is a mismatch on paper and will be on the field. Virginia does not have the athletes, even with no CJ Henderson for UF, to hang with the Gators.
Score Prediction: Florida 34 Virginia 7
Belk Bowl (Charlotte) Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech
Dec. 31 – Noon ET / 11 am CT – ESPN
Line: Virginia Tech -2 ½
Vince’s View: The Hokies should be fired-up in Bud Foster’s final game on the sideline as DC. However, UK’s rushing attack has been incredible with Lynn Bowden at QB.
Score Prediction: Kentucky 28 Virginia Tech 27
Outback Bowl (Tampa) Auburn vs. Minnesota
Jan. 1 – 1 pm ET / Noon CT – ESPN
Line: Auburn -7
Vince’s View: Minnesota should fall under the “happy to be there” category. Auburn has had plenty of time to come down from it’s Iron Bowl victory. The D-line should be the difference unless Auburn is just not interested. The Tigers were interested last season when Gus Malzahn called plays and they looked like they were going to score 100 on Purdue in Nashville.
Score Prediction: Auburn 31 Minnesota 13
VRBO Citrus Bowl (Orlando) Alabama vs. Michigan
Jan. 1 – 1 pm ET / Noon CT – ABC
Line: Alabama -7
Vince’s View: I know Alabama is a prime candidate to have a letdown because it’s the first time the Tide isn’t in the college football playoff and Bama’s been disinterested in bowls before (OU & Utah Sugar Bowls.) However, those were live and capable underdogs. I don’t think Michigan is that.
Score Prediction: Alabama 42 Michigan 14
Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans) Georgia vs. Baylor
Jan. 1 – 8:45 pm ET / 7:45 pm CT – ESPN
Line: Georgia -6
Vince’s View: Both teams are great defensively. Georgia should roll on talent alone. But, Baylor’s likely high motivation, Georgia potential low motivation (again) and the Bears quality coaching staff should make up the difference.
Score Prediction: Baylor 20 Georgia 17
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Jacksonville) Tennessee vs. Indiana
Jan. 2 – 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT – ESPN
Line: Tennessee -1 ½
Vince’s View: I expect Tennesee to be sharp in this ball game. I don’t think the Jauan Jennings first half suspension will be a major factor, even though Indiana typically starts fast. The Vols should have some new wrinkles on offense that will lead to more points. Plus, Indiana is dealing with more injury questions than Tennessee is.
Score Prediction: Tennessee 38 Indiana 24
Rock legend Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame will join headliner Keith Urban onstage at Nashville’s annual Music City Midnight performance on New Year’s Eve.
The free event will take place at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (approximately one mile from the heart of downtown). This will be the fourth year in a row that Keith headlines the show.
Additional performers include Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, The Struts, Amanda Shires, Bren Joy, Kalie Shorr, DJ Dave Aude and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 31, followed by the raising of the Music Note (Nashville’s equivalent to NYC’s ball drop) to kick off the live music. The event will include the traditional Music Note Drop and accompanying fireworks display to ring in the New Year against the backdrop of the iconic State Capitol building and unique view of the Nashville skyline.
Portions of the concert will be featured in the holiday coverage on both CNN and NBC.
NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Lindsay Ell.
“I want to give a shout-out to Adam Hambrick,” says Lindsay. “He is such a rock star. He is one of my favorite songwriters in town. He’s a good buddy of mine. He is so talented on songs like ‘Forever Ain’t Long Enough.’ The world needs to discover him.”
Listen to Adam’s “Forever Ain’t Long Enough” below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football legends Reggie White and Peyton Manning were named to ESPN’s All-Time All-America first team and second team, respectively, the network revealed on Thursday.
As part of the yearlong ESPN College Football 150 storytelling initiative, the prestigious honor is comprised of a First Team and a Second Team, with 11 players on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, a punter and an all-purpose player on both teams.
White, who was a standout defensive lineman for the Vols from 1980-83, holds the program’s single-season record with 15 sacks and is tied for second in single-game sacks (four). White jumped into a starting role by the end of his freshman campaign and had an illustrious senior season where he became a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year and a Lombardi Award finalist after registering 100 tackles, 15 sacks, nine tackles for loss and an interception.
While with the Vols, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native recorded 293 tackles, 32 sacks (the second most in program history), 19 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries. White went on to become one of the most decorated players in NFL history as well. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1984 Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles after spending two seasons in the United States Football League, and was the NFL’s all-time sacks leader with 198 at the time of his retirement. White was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, two years before his passing in 2004, and was posthumously elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2006.
Manning quarterbacked the Vols from 1994-97 and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy his senior season after leading Tennessee to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Orange Bowl. Manning finished the year with 3,819 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes, both single-season program records.
For his career, Manning amassed 11,201 passing yards, 863 completions and 89 touchdown passes, all program bests that still stand. In total, Manning started 45 games, winning 39 and finishing in the top eight in Heisman voting during each of his final three seasons with Tennessee before being selected the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He was also a consensus All-American in 1997, and earned the Maxwell Award and Campbell Trophy. Manning was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2017 class.
Both White and Manning went on to become Super Bowl champions as well (White with the Green Bay Packers and Manning twice, once with the Indianapolis Colts and once with the Denver Broncos). Tennessee has retired White’s No. 92 and Manning’s No. 16 jerseys.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The last time the Tennessee football team played in Jacksonville, sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs was the star, accounting for three total touchdowns in a 45-28 victory over Iowa in the 2015 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Five years later, the Volunteers will return to TIAA Bank Field and face another Big Ten team, Indiana, in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2.
Dobbs will be back, too.
The Tennessee graduate (‘17) is in his third year in the NFL. He plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars following two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I’m not sure what I’m doing for New Year’s yet, but on January 2nd, I will be in Jacksonville to support the team and see them play,” Dobbs said. “I’m excited about it. I knew right when it got announced I’d make sure to be in Jacksonville.”
The Jaguars play their final game of the season on Dec. 29, and their home field, TIAA Bank Field, also hosts the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The 2015 Gator Bowl served as a jumping off point for Dobbs. After starting the 2014 season as the third-string quarterback, Dobbs won the starting job at the midway point of the season and finished 4-1 as a starter, including his MVP performance in Jacksonville.
Dobbs completed his first seven passes against Iowa, leading the Vols to touchdowns on their first four drives to jump out to a 28-0 lead on the Hawkeyes. He finished 16-of-21 for 129 yards and one passing touchdown to go along with 76 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
“To get the chance to go to Jacksonville, the bowl experience was amazing,” Dobbs said. “When I look back at it, it helped in my development as a young player to be able to get a chance to ball with my teammates, to get extra reps in the offense, and to continue to grow as a player and those extra opportunities to grow and grind and just be around the guys. Bowl season definitely helped me and my progression as a QB.”
Following his Gator Bowl, Dobbs would go onto to start the next 26 games, leading Tennessee to back-to-back nine-win seasons and two more bowl wins. He wrapped up his career second in UT history behind only Peyton Manning in total offense with 9,936 yards. He ranks fifth in school history in passing yards (7,138), touchdown passes (53) and wins by a starting quarterback (23). His 2,160 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground are the most-ever by a Vols’ signal-caller. Oh, and he managed to find the time to graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering, as well.
“It was an unreal four years of my life,” the Alpharetta, Ga., native said. “I miss it every day, but I’m thankful I had those four years and they really helped propel me for my life after college, my NFL life, and all my endeavors off the field.”
Dobbs was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and played in five games with the Steelers before he was traded to the Jaguars right before the 2019 season.
He has followed the Vols closely this season and likes the direction they are headed under head coach Jeremy Pruitt. He still talks to several former teammates and is excited to watch his buddies play in person again, including fellow quarterback, Jarrett Guarantano, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who was one of his favorite targets during the 2016 season. Dobbs and Jennings connected on one of the most memorable Tennessee plays of the last decade – a game-winning Hail Mary to beat Georgia in Athens in 2016.
“Obviously, I was tuned in all year,” he said. “Just to see the resolve of the team, the resiliency. We all know how this season started but to see them fight back and compete and play starting with guys like Jauan (Jennings) and Jarrett (Guartantano). Just to see that resolve of the team was amazing. I’m just excited they’re in a bowl game and excited they get a chance to play again, compete, and go out and show the nation what Tennessee is. It is going to be a fun weekend in Jacksonville.”
One of the top memories from the 2015 Gator Bowl for all of the Vols was the incredible amount of fan support. It was a virtual home game for Tennessee with tens of thousands of fans making the trek south to Jacksonville five years ago.
The Big Orange fans even created their own Vol Walk.
“We were driving up to the stadium, I don’t even think we had a Vol Walk planned then, but there were so many fans we had to get off the busses and walk to the stadium,” Dobbs said. “That’s how many people were there.”
He expects more of the same from Vol Nation on Jan. 2.
“I know it’s going to be another big turnout, it is going to be a sea of orange everywhere,” he predicted. “It was a blast to see all the fans. There’s a lot of pictures of the stadium just showing how packed it was with orange.
“Tennessee Volunteer fans are excited, the alumni are excited. I’m definitely excited. I’ve had so many friends, ex-teammates hitting me up saying ‘Hey you’re in Jacksonville can I stay with you?’ It’s going to be a really nice party in Jacksonville.”
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