Tom Allen, Peyton Ramsey, Coy Cronk, Nick Westbrook, Simon Stepaniak & Reakwon Jones for Indiana. 1-1-20. Bowl coverage presented by Kings of Real Estate.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On New Year’s Day, Tennessee opened a new decade with the official TaxSlayer Gator Bowl team press conference at TIAA Bank Field in the Jaguars team meeting room, before spending some time with special members of the Jacksonville community.

Despite the new year beginning, the Vols are waiting to shift their focus, remaining zoned in on completing the 2019 season on a positive note.

“We kind of worry about where our feet are at,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said at the presser on Wednesday. “And right now, I’m worried about this football team and finishing this season off the right way. When the game is over tomorrow night, we’ll kind of turn the page and move on to the next year.

“Right now, we owe it to the men that are sitting up here, everybody that’s associated with this program to put all of our attention, all of our effort and focus on Indiana.”

Pruitt credited the leadership of team captains and seniors Daniel Bituli, Marquez Callaway, Jauan Jennings, Darrell Taylor and Nigel Warrior, who attended the press conference, for spurring Tennessee’s turnaround this season. After a 1-4 start, the Vols went on to win six of their last seven games to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.

“Winning our last five games, six out of our last seven, can be attributed to the men that are up here,” Pruitt said. “You see the talent they have as football players, but one thing I’m thankful to be a part of is the character that these guys have. The toughness and the maturity that they have, the leadership, all the intangibles it takes to have success on the football field, away from the football field, these guys are going to be successful in life.

“These captains were voted on by their teammates and normally you have four. Well, the voting was so high, these are the five guys that got all the votes. I think these guys are phenomenal leaders. They are great men and they have really kind of laid the foundation for years to come here.”

Vols Bring Smiles to Dreamers

Pruitt and the Tennessee captains spent the late morning with several children from the Dreams Come True of Jacksonville organization, which is dedicated to bringing hope and joy to children battling a life-threatening illness, by fulfilling dreams.

Joined by UT’s cheerleading squad, Smokey the mascot and Smokey X, the Vols players signed autographs, passed out Tennessee gear, and took photos with the eager children.

Each participant received a Tennessee t-shirt with UT’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl logo, and also gifted the Vol players with small cards that shared the children’s interest.

Before the team departed to prepare for their final bowl practice, they took a group photo with the Dreamers to commemorate the special moment.

-UT Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tennessee will look to cap the 2019 season with its sixth straight win as the Volunteers take on Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

The Big Orange are playing in their first bowl game since the 2016 Music City Bowl. A win over the Hoosiers would be their fourth consecutive bowl victory and third straight in the Gator Bowl.

Broadcast Info
Thursday’s game will be televised by ESPN with Dave O’Brien (PxP), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst) and Katie George (sideline) on the call. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at TIAA Bank Field, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fans can also listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (WIVK-FM 107.7) and satellite radio (Sirius Ch. 84, XM Ch. 374, Internet Ch. 374). Bob Kesling (PxP), Tim Priest (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action.

Need to Know
Tennessee in the Gator Bowl
Thursday will mark Tennessee’s seventh time playing in the Gator Bowl. The Vols are 4-2 in their previous six appearances with wins over Texas A&M (1957), Syracuse (1966), Virginia Tech (1994) and Iowa (2015).

In UT’s most recent Gator Bowl appearance against Iowa, the Vols raced out to a 28-0 lead before going on to win 45-28 over the Hawkeyes. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs was named MVP after passing for 129 yards, rushing for 76 yards and accounting for three touchdowns.

A win on Thursday would be Tennessee’s fourth consecutive bowl victory and third straight in the Gator Bowl.

Bowl Appearance No. 53 for Vols
Thursday will mark UT’s 53rd bowl appearance in program history, which is tied for fourth among all college football programs. The Vols hold a 28-24 record in their previous 52 bowl games.

Tennessee’s last four bowl wins have all come against Big Ten opponents:

• 2016 Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska (W, 38-24)
• 2016 Outback Bowl vs. Northwestern (W, 45-6)
• 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Iowa (W, 45-28)
• 2008 Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin (W, 21-17)

Vols Rack Up All-SEC Honors
The Vols were well represented on the SEC’s postseason teams with five players earning All-SEC honors and three others garnering All-Freshman honors. UT’s five players named to the All-SEC teams by the league’s coaches were its most since also having five in 2012.

Tennessee’s SEC postseason honorees were: Trey Smith (first team AP & coaches), Nigel Warrior (first team AP, second team coaches), Daniel Bituli (second team coaches), Marquez Callaway (second team coaches), Brent Cimaglia (second team coaches), Wanya Morris (all-freshman team), Henry To’o To’o (all-freshman team) and Darnell Wright (all-freshman team).

Vols on a Roll
The Big Orange enter Thursday’s game as one of the hottest teams in college football after winning their final five games of the regular season and six of their last seven.

During the five-game win streak, the Vols improved drastically on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Tennessee scored nearly seven more points per game and gained nearly 70 more total yards per game. Defensively, UT cut their points allowed from 27.0 in the first seven games to just 14.2 over the final five games.

Series History: Indiana
Vols lead series, 1-0
Tennessee and Indiana have met just once, a 27-22 Vols win in the 1988 Peach Bowl. Quarterback Jeff Francis was 20-of-26 passing for 225 yards and two touchdowns while running back Reggie Cobb carried the ball 21 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns to earn MVP honors.

About Indiana
The Hoosiers went 8-4 this season with a 5-4 record in the Big Ten. It was the programs first eight-win season since 1993. Indiana is led by third-year head coach Tom Allen, who was promoted from his defensive coordinator position after the 2016 season.

Offensively, IU is led by quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who has thrown for 2,227 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games this season. Whop Philyor is Ramsey’s top target with 69 receptions for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns. Stevie Scott III was the Hoosiers’ top rusher with 845 yards and 10 touchdowns on 178 carries.

Defensively, linebacker Micah McFadden led the team with 56 tackles and nine tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Allen Stallings IV leads the Hoosiers with five sacks.

-UT Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Tennessee football team hit the field for the first of four practices in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida.

“We had nine really good days before we came down, really before the Christmas break,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “We got a lot of work in, a lot of physical work in, so it was good for our guys.

“We kind of kept the practices short and had a lot of competition with the ones, twos and threes. The guys responded the right way. We really spent the last two days working on Indiana. We’ve had good work there too.”

The Vols arrived in Jacksonville on Saturday night and are scheduled to practice the next three days to conclude their prep for the 75th Gator Bowl against Indiana, which will be played at TIAA Bank Field on Thursday, Jan. 2. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Vols Looking to Build Off Strong Finish to Regular Season
The Big Orange finished the regular season as one of the hottest teams in college football after winning their final five games and six of their last seven. They will look to carry that momentum into Thursday’s tilt with the Hoosiers.

“The last five games we have played really well,” Pruitt said. “Before that, we kind of started moving in the right direction. We want to finish. We are going to remember this game for a long time, and we have some seniors on our team that have really worked hard to turn this program in the positive direction, and we want to send these guys off the right way.”

O-Line Update
Pruitt said before practice that starting center Brandon Kennedy will be a game-time decision for Thursday’s contest against Indiana.

The Alabama native had a minor procedure on his knee following UT’s regular-season finale against Vanderbilt. Kennedy is the only player on Tennessee’s offensive line to start every game this season.

Pruitt also mentioned that redshirt freshman Kingston Harris has moved from the defensive line to the offensive line to help with depth after the departures of Ryan Johnson and Marcus Tatum.

“It was good for us to give him an opportunity and look there,” Pruitt said. “We did it a fall ago. He’s actually looked really good there. It’s something we might continue to look at. It’s something we’ve talked about, when this game is over with, we’ll go back and reassess with him and see what he thinks.”

Vols Looking for Gator Bowl Win No. 5
Thursday will mark Tennessee’s seventh time playing in the Gator Bowl. The Vols are 4-2 in their previous six appearances with wins over Texas A&M (1957), Syracuse (1966), Virginia Tech (1994) and Iowa (2015).

In UT’s most recent Gator Bowl appearance against Iowa, the Vols raced out to a 28-0 lead before going on to win 45-28 over the Hawkeyes. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs was named MVP after passing for 129 yards, rushing for 76 yards and accounting for three touchdowns.

A win on Thursday would be Tennessee’s fourth consecutive bowl victory, tying the longest streak in program history.

Jeremy Pruitt Transcript (Dec. 29)

On the bowl practices:
“We had nine really good days before we came down, really before the Christmas break. We got a lot of work in, a lot of physical work in, so it was good for our guys. We kind of kept the practices short and had a lot of competition with the ones, twos, and threes. The guys responded the right way. We really spent the last two days working on Indiana. We’ve had good work there too.”

On the outcome of the game skewing his assessment of the season:
“Well, the last five games we have played really well. Before that, we kind of started moving in the right direction. We want to finish; we are going to remember this game for a long time and we have some seniors on our team that have really worked hard to turn this program in the positive direction and we want to send these guys off the right way.

On Brandon Kennedy:
“He’s practiced a little bit the last couple of days. We’ll see, it’ll really be a game-time decision.”

On Indiana’s offense:
“They’re very well coached. They give you a lot of different looks. I think they’re physical up front; they’re big. Their quarterback makes good decisions. They’ve got three good runners. Their tight ends are physical in the C-area, one of them is their second leading receiver. They have some play-makers on the outside. They’re a really nice job.”

On how the team has responded after the Christmas break:
“Good, our guys have been really excited about the opportunity. Like I said, we have had really good practices every day.”

On if anyone did not make the trip:
“No, everybody is here.”

On young guys using these practices to improve:
“I think it has been good for everybody, we have so many young guys in our program. A lot of guys have played a lot of snaps this fall, this is just a chance to go back to the ABC’s of installs and start over and it has been good for all of them.”

On giving younger players an opportunity to play in the bowl game:
“We’ve moved everybody up two spots. So, a guy like Chris Akporoghene is a guy that can play in his fourth game. He’s a guy that can possibly play.”

On Kingston Harris’ move to the offensive line:
“It was good for us to give him an opportunity and look there. We did it a fall ago. He’s actually looked really good there. It’s something we might continue to look at. It’s something we’ve talked about, when this game is over with, we’ll go back and reassess with him and see what he thinks.”

On Marcus Tatum and Ryan Johnson transferring:
“Those guys have done a good job for us – graduated and really good for our program. It was an opportunity for them. They didn’t get to play as much as they wanted to play. They want to play. We had guys that had performed better this year, that gave us a better opportunity to have success and they understood that it’s part of football.”

On receivers who could step up to replace Jauan Jennings in the first half:
“Ramel Keyton, Tyler Byrd, Cedric Tillman – those three guys.”

On Eric Gray:
“Eric’s worked hard all year. Obviously, the last game he played really well and kind of got the hot hand. So between Eric, Ty (Chandler) and Tim (Jordan), those guys have competed well during bowl practice.”

On staying focus during bowl prep:
“I don’t think it’s any different than when school is going on. When you come to practice, you get ready to practice. What are you doing the other 12 hours of the day? I think guys that have maturity and want to take advantage of the opportunity, they do that.”

On Trey Smith’s future:
“We have (talked about it). It’s something that we’ll sit down, when this game is over with and talk about again.”

On what it means for Tennessee to be back in a bowl game:
“The guys are excited about an opportunity to play. It’s a big deal for them. These guys like football, so it’s a chance to improve and get better every single day, so they’ve taken advantage of it.”

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 22/23 Tennessee (10-2, 0-0 SEC) opens Southeastern Conference action and plays its first game of 2020 on Thursday evening, hosting Missouri (3-10, 0-0 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is slated for 5:02 p.m. ET. This will mark the 13th meeting between these programs, with the Lady Vols leading the series, 9-3.

The Big Orange women opened the campaign 7-0, including a road win over (then) #15/14 Notre Dame, and are 3-2 since then with losses to Texas and (then) #1/1 Stanford providing the only blemishes. Tennessee closed out the 2019 portion of its schedule on Thursday night, dropping a 50-point blowout on Howard with an 88-38 final score. The contest was UT’s first since Dec. 21, when it took down Portland State, 88-61, before departing for winter break.

Missouri makes its way to Knoxville following a disappointing non-conference result. The Tigers stand 3-10 and are trying to snap a four-game losing skid. Mizzou is seeing its first action since dropping a 58-51 decision to Illinois in Columbia on Dec. 20 in the annual “Braggin’ Rights” game.

With Missouri’s blessing, Tennessee moved its tip to 5 p.m. ET to avoid a direct conflict with the Vol football team’s 7 p.m. ET appearance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Thursday evening’s game will be streamed live by SECN+ with Roger Hoover (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.

PROMOS

• Gates open at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. 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 tip-off.
• 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 video board. Members also receive free Jr.Vol swag, tickets to games for all sports and exclusive Jr.Vol events.
• 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.

IN SEC OPENERS

• Tennessee is 31-6 all-time in SEC openers, including 16-3 at home and 15-3 on the road.
• UT has won five straight SEC openers and has triumphed in its last two league lid-lifters that were played on The Summitt.
• This marks the third time UT and MU have met in an SEC opener, with the Lady Vols owning a 2-0 record.
• Tennessee won in Knoxville, 63-53, during the 2014-15 season and triumphed in Columbia during the 2015-16 campaign, 71-55.
• The Lady Vols are 33-4 all-time in the first SEC game that is played at home during a season and 28-8 in the first one on the road.
• These two teams met in Knoxville with that same scenario a year ago, with UT dropping a 66-64 decision to fall to 1-1 in league play.

RECAPPING OUR LAST GAME

• Sophomore Rae Burrell logged her second career double-double to lead UT to an 88-38 victory over Howard on Sunday afternoon in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• With a crowd of 9,269 looking on, Burrell led Tennessee (10-2) in scoring with 18 points while grabbing a career-high 12 boards.
• Freshman Jessie Rennie also had a career day, enjoying a 5-of-7 afternoon behind the arc for a career-best 16 points.
• Junior Rennia Davis and freshman Jordan Horston were also in double figures for the Big Orange with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
• Howard was led by junior Jayla Thornton who finished with nine points and two rebounds.

NOTES FROM THE LAST GAME

• Rennie Finding Her Groove: Freshman Jessie Rennie went 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half against Howard and finished 5-of-7 on the day to set a new career high of 16 points. After hitting just 3-of-15 in her first eight contests as a Lady Vol, she has hit 64.3 percent in the last four, going 9-of-14 from behind the arc.
• Balanced Attack: Tennessee had four players manage double-digit scoring against Howard (Burrell, Rennie, Horston, Davis) and 10 of UT’s 11 active players scored at least two points. UT has had four or more players score 10+ points in five different games this season.
• Big-Time Bench Points: The Lady Vols’ bench poured in 45 points, accounting for more than half of UT’s total and outscoring the entire Howard team by seven points.
• Burrell Bringing the Heat: Rae Burrell continues to come off the bench and contribute high numbers for the Lady Vols, leading the team in scoring for the second-straight game. In her 28 minutes against Howard she scored 18 points and set a career high with 12 rebounds to record her second career double-double. Through 12 games she has put up double figures in six contests and has led the team in scoring on five occasions.
• Turnovers = Points: Tennessee scored a season-high 27 points off turnovers vs. Howard, and UT yielded a season-low seven points off its own turnovers.

LVFL NEWS & NOTES

• On Dec. 23, the gymnasium at brand new Findlay Elementary School in Kellie Harper‘s hometown of Sparta, Tenn., was dedicated as “Kellie’s Court.” Harper was on hand for the ceremony at the school, which is directly across the street from the old Findlay Elementary School she attended as a child. See more on page 12.
• LVFL Cierra Burdick (2011-15) was announced on Dec. 28 as the Player of the Decade on the Charlotte Observer’s All-Decade Team.
• LVFL and current member of the Connecticut Sun Shekinna Stricklen (2008-12) had her jersey retired on Dec. 20 at Morrilton (Arkansas) High School.
• Amber Gray, who played at Tennessee from 2008-10, will be inducted into the Buddy LaRosa High School Hall of Fame in Cincinnati in June 2020.

TENNESSEE TOPICS

• UT ranks in the top 10 nationally in nine statistical categories, including No. 1 in defensive rebounds per game (35.1), rebound margin (16.3) and rebounds (627); No. 2 in field percentage defense (29.2) and rebounds per game (52.25); No. 3 in blocked shots (80) and blocked shots per game (6.7); No. 8 in offensive rebounds per game (17.2); and No. 10 in three-point field goal percentage defense (23.5).
• The Lady Vols are allowing opponents only 29.2 percent shooting from the field and have allowed only No. 1/1 Stanford (42.6) to shoot better than 36% this season. Seven opponents have failed to shoot 30 percent vs. Tennessee.
• Tennessee has outworked 10 of 12 foes on the glass this season and has a +16.3 rebound margin that ranks No. 1 nationally through the game vs. Howard.
• UT is pulling down 52.2 rebounds per contest while allowing 36.0. The Lady Vols’ per game total ranks No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC.
• Tennessee’s bench is averaging 29.6 points per game, which is tied for second in the league with Mississippi State. Alabama is first at 34.7, while Missouri is sixth at 23.4.
• 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 44.3 from the field for the season.
• Tennessee has recorded 16 or more assists in every game but one this season (Stanford, 7) and has tallied 20 or more in three of the last four contests.
• The Big Orange women have won the opening tip in all 12 games, with Lou Brown leading the Lady Vols with three game-opening buckets for her team.
• UT is 14 of 32 (43.8 percent) from the three-point arc over its last three games, knocking down a season-best 46.1 (6-13) vs. Portland State and connecting on eight of 19 (42.1) in the contest vs. Howard on Sunday.

LADY VOLS TRENDING

• Junior Rennia Davis is averaging double figures in points (16.5 ppg.) for the third straight year. If she averages 10+ in 2019-20, she’d become the 24th Lady Vol to do so in three different seasons. It’s worth noting, only 12 players have averaged 10+ points four times while at UT.
• Rennia Davis (16.9), sophomore Rae Burrell (11.5) and freshman Jordan Horston (10.8) are averaging double figures in points during Tennessee’s 10 victories. In the Lady Vols’ two losses, only Davis is scoring in double figures, averaging 14.5 ppg. Burrell and Horston averaged 7.0 and 6.0 ppg. in the setbacks.
• Sophomore guard Jazmine Massengill is one of the nation’s best at taking care of the basketball, as confirmed by her assist-to-turnover ratio. She ranks No. 10 in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC at 2.89 to 1. She has tallied 52 assists vs. 18 turnovers, including a career-high 10 dimes vs. Portland State.
• Freshman Jordan Horston had six assists vs. Howard, bringing her season per game average to 4.7 and her total to 56 through 12 games. She is No. 8 nationally among freshmen in assist average.
• Horston has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, hitting 10 vs. Colorado State, nine vs. Stanford, 20 vs. Portland State and 14 vs. Howard.
• Rae Burrell has scored in double figures six times this season coming off the bench, including 21 and 18 in her last two outings. She added 12 rebounds to her 18 points vs. Howard for her second career double-double.
• UT’s freshmen are not shy about contributing. Jordan Horston leads the team in assists (56) and steals (20) and is second in three-pointers (15). Tamari Key is tops in blocks (23) and field goal percentage (.588) among starters, and Emily Saunders has the best field goal percentage (.684) among reserves.
• Tamari Key is averaging 1.9 blocks per game, which ranks 54th nationally and No. 6 in the SEC. She is No. 8 nationally among freshmen and No. 2 in the league behind South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston.

ABOUT MISSOURI

• Missouri was picked by the media and the SEC coaches to finish ninth in their preseason polls.
  The Tigers returned two starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished 24-11 overall and 10-6 in the SEC to tie for fourth place.
  Mizzou is led by Robin Pingeton, who is 174-129 in her 10th season at the school and 509-286 in her 25th year as a head coach.
  Senior guard Amber Smith (13.5 ppg.), freshman forward Hayley Frank (12.5 ppg.) and freshman guard Aijha Blackwell (11.6 ppg.) lead the attack.

RECAPPING MU’S LAST GAME

• Missouri (3-10, 0-0 SEC) was defeated by Illinois (9-2, 0-0 Big Ten), 58-51, in a Braggin’ Rights contest on Dec. 20 in Columbia. The loss marked the end of non-conference play for the Tigers.
• MU entered the final stanza down nine and was able to shave only two points off that deficit before falling by seven.
• Freshman guard Aijha Blackwell led Mizzou, matching a career best with 21 points by hitting 7-of-15 shots from the field.
• The Tigers had no other players scoring in double figures, as they shot 37.5 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
• Blackwell and Hannah Schuchts led MU with eight rebounds apiece.

THE LAST TIME WE MET MIZZOU

• Tennessee earned a hard-fought victory over Missouri on Feb. 17, 2019, coming from four points down in the final stanza to claim a 62-60 triumph in front of a crowd of 8,559 in Mizzou Arena.
• Sophomore forward Rennia Davis logged her 17th career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds for UT (17-8, 6-6 SEC).
• MU (19-8, 8-5 SEC) was led by Amber Smith with 14 points and five rebounds. Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter were close behind with 13 apiece.

-UT Athletics