Memphis exposed some of Tennessee’s shortcomings Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena, fighting off a 12-point first-half deficit to snap the Vols 31-game home court win streak with a 51-47 slug-it-out victory.
Horrific shooting by Tennessee – especially from two senior guards — proved to be the undoing. Lamonte Turner (1 for 11) and Jordan Bowden (2 for 10) were a combined 3 for 21, and 1 for 11 from 3-point range.
And when they failed to get hot, Tennessee didn’t have enough answers from the supporting cast.
End result: Tennessee shot a frigid 22.2 percent from the field (15 of 60) and 4 of 26 from 3-point range Vols not named Josiah-Jordan James were a combined 1 for 20.
Tennessee (7-2) did get a brief offensive sparks from Drew Pember and Yves Pons and John Fulkerson. But it wasn’t enough against a younger, talented Memphis team that was minus two key starters and played with more poise down the stretch than UT.
“It means a lot,’’ said Hardaway, whose team was ranked higher than Tennessee but a 7-point underdog at tipoff. “We weren’t picked to win. To get a win against a team like this on their court is big for this team, big for the city of Memphis.’’
Hardaway’s focus was on containing Turner and Bowden, who combined to average 27.7 points.
“We wanted to make them uncomfortable and make the ball find someone else,’’ Hardaway said.
The strategy worked, but it wasn’t all Memphis defense. Turner missed several open looks, as did Bowden. It was an uncharacteristic game for two shooters who have made big shots in big games in the past.
“I don’t think they’ll ever shoot like this the rest of their career,’’ Hardaway said.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes was at a loss to explain his team’s inept shooting. He noted that his three best shooters were a combined 6 for 30.
“On the offensive end it’s tough,’’ Barnes said, “because when you’re open, it’s tough not to take open shots. We also have to figure out the flow of the game.’’
The game never had a flow. It was impacted by solid defense, poor shooting and, at times, sloppy play. Memphis had 17 turnovers to five assists while UT had 11 assists to nine turnovers.
Asked how he can get more consistent production from Turner and Bowden, Barnes said: “I don’t know the answer to that. I trust them. They’ve moved into new roles and they’ve got to figure it out.’’
Tennessee jumped out to a 17-5 lead 11 minutes into the game. But Memphis stormed back to take the lead at the break 25-24 on Tyler Harris’ coast-to-coast layup. That had to be a bit deflating to a UT team that had lead throughout the half.
The game was tight throughout the second half, but in the end, Memphis made the key plays – and shots — and UT didn’t.
With Memphis up 49-47, Pons went to the foul line for a one-and-one that could have tied the game with 20 seconds left. He missed the first shot.
Memphis rebounded, and Alex Lomax was fouled with 7.9 seconds left. He made both ends of a one-and-one. Game. Set. Match.
James led UT with 14 points – he had 11 in the first 11 minutes but scored just three after missing a dunk.
Fulkerson had a work-man-like nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks, two steals and one huge compliment from Hardaway.
“What can you say about John Fulkerson?’’ Hardaway said. “He might be the hardest working man in the country.’’
After the fireworks that evolved from last year’s Tennessee win at Memphis, Hardaway, who took several verbal shots at Barnes last December, was escorted by police onto the court under a chorus of boos.
Did Hardaway ask for a police escort?
“No sir,’’ he said, “but I appreciated it.’’
Hardaway said his post-game comments last year were “misunderstood’’ and “not a good look’’ and “that’ll never happen again.’’
He added: “I take credit for my part.’’
For his part, Hardaway said he would like to see the UT-Memphis series continue beyond next year’s game in Nashville: “I’d love to keep it going.’’
Barnes was less committal: “`I’m not saying we will or we won’t.’’
As a proud Hardaway left his press conference, he said: “Go Tigers.’’
The Tennessee Volunteers opened up their bowl practices on Friday ahead of the January 2, 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville vs. Indiana. Here’s some video from Practice 1 in Knoxville.
UT QB Jarrett Guarantano / Credit: 99.1 TheSportsAnimal
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee football team began bowl game preparation on Friday on the indoor fields at the Anderson Training Center.
Inclement weather kept the Vols inside, but the team was still chomping at the bit to put the pads on following a nearly two-week layoff for finals. Tennessee will take a five-game win streak into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, where they will face an Indiana Hoosiers squad, coming off an 8-4 campaign, on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ TIAA Bank Field.
“Today was our first day out at practice, so kind of back to the basics, the fundamentals,” Pruitt said. “It’s a great opportunity for everybody to kind of go back and start from ground zero, and that’s something that we started with today. We’ll continue to do that over the course of the next three or four days before we start working on Indiana.”
Similar to fall camp, the Vols will work a five-day install that focuses on fundamentals before beginning to work on the Gator Bowl game plan.
“We won’t get started working on our opponent until the sixth practice, the first five days we’ve really got to focus on us,” Pruitt said.
The Vols have proven to do a great job of focusing not only on football, but also academics under Pruitt. An impressive 12 Vols graduated on Thursday or Friday, including center Brandon Kennedy and long-snapper Riley Lovingood, who received their master’s degrees in sport psychology and motor behavior and communication studies, respectively.
Additional graduates included senior wide receiver Marquez Callaway, redshirt senior wide receiver Jauan Jennings, redshirt senior Darrell Taylor and redshirt junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (who walked at graduation this summer).
“Today is a really, really exciting day for a lot of guys in our program,” Pruitt said. “We had 12 guys that received degrees today…I’m proud of them. It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do when you go to college. You are a student first, and these guys do a fantastic job doing that. A lot of credit goes to them. Most of the credit goes to them, but I also would like to thank (Senior Associate Athletics Director / Assistant Provost) Joe Scogin in the Thornton Center. He and his staff have done a fantastic job in the short period of time that I’ve been here and it’s a great day for these kids and their families.”
Recruiting Staff the Backbone as Early Signing Day Nears
The Tennessee football office stays busy this time of year with bowl preparation, but also preparing for the Early Signing Day on Dec. 18. With the coaches on the road recruiting the last two weeks, Tennessee’s on-campus recruiting staff, led by director of on-campus recruiting Bethany Gunn, has worked tirelessly to make sure official visits for recruits and their families go smoothly.
“Bethany does a fantastic job,” Pruitt said. “She handles all of our on-campus recruiting. She and (assistant director of on-campus recruiting) Rachel Bell do a great job organizing, have great ideas that are fresh and always new. They do a great job communicating and we are very blessed to have everybody in our recruiting department, but especially those two. There are others and if I start talking about everybody that touches our recruits, there is more to it than just our coaching staff. Our recruiting staff, everybody in our program is involved when our recruits come on campus.”
Kennedy Prognosis for Bowl Game Undecided
Pruitt said Kennedy, the Vols’ starting center, had a knee procedure following the Vanderbilt game that will likely keep him from practicing for the next 10 days – after which, he will be evaluated to see if he will be available to practice heading into the final game of the season.
“We’ll look at him and see if (the doctor) thinks he’s ready to play or ready to practice, we’ll see where he’s at,” Pruitt said. “If he’s not, he won’t play, so it’ll be a couple of weeks before we know anything.”
Vols Sending Five to Post-Season All-Star Game So Far
Tennessee has already had five seniors accept invitations to post-season all-star games led by Taylor and Jennings heading to the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala.
Callaway and senior linebacker Daniel Bituli are slated to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 18 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Additionally, senior tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 18 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference | Dec. 13, 2019
Opening statement:
“Today is a really, really exciting day for a lot of guys in our program. We had 12 guys that received degrees today. I’m going to say their names because I’m proud of them: Matt Ballard, Marquez Callaway, Andrew Craig, Carlin Fils-aime, Jarrett Guarantano, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Johnson, Brandon Kennedy, Landon Knoll, Riley Lovingood, Darrell Taylor and Marcus Tatum. We had two guys who got their master’s degree in Brandon Kennedy and Riley Lovingood. So, it’s an exciting time for them and their families. It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do when you go to college. Student first, and these guys do a fantastic job doing that. A lot of credit goes to them. Most of the credit goes to them, but I also would like to thank Joe Scogin in the Thornton Center. Him and his staff have done a fantastic job in the short period of time that I’ve been here and it’s a great day for these kids and their families.
“It’s the end of the year, today’s the first day back out on the field. We had some guys that received some postseason awards. It’s always an exciting time for that. We had some guys that were invited to some all-star games, so really lots of positives going on. Today was our first day out at practice, so kind of back to the basics, the fundamentals. It’s a great opportunity for everybody to kind of go back and start from ground zero, and that’s something that we started with today. We’ll continue to do that over the course of the next three or four days before we start working on Indiana.”
On if anyone has decided to skip the bowl game in preparation for the NFL Draft:
“No.”
On Brandon Kennedy’s outlook for the bowl game:
“He had a little procedure done after the Vanderbilt game. He didn’t practice today, and he won’t practice for the next probably 10 days. In 10 more days, we’ll look at him and see if doc thinks he’s ready to play or ready to practice, we’ll see where he’s at. If he’s not, he won’t play, so it’ll be a couple of weeks before we know anything.”
On if Jerome Carvin is the only other option at center, besides Brandon Kennedy:
“No, Riley Locklear has played center. Ollie Lane has played center. We snap five and six guys every day. Now, when it comes to game prep, some of the guys haven’t taken some snaps in quite some time, but we started today, and they’ll have plenty of time to be ready to play.”
On if the team’s focus in practice today was where he wanted it to be:
“We had a few guys, based off the way the graduation went that missed today’s practice, just a handful, but it’s a great thing. It’s opportunity for some of the other guys and we had a good-spirited practice and we’ve got to continue to do that. Today’s the first day back, everybody’s excited to kind of get going. We’ll rely on our leadership over the next couple of days. We’ve got to really focus on Tennessee and improving fundamentally. That’s what we’re going to focus on for the next three or four days.”
On how tough he believes it is to be a student-athlete, in terms of time management:
“Obviously, there’s a 20-hour rule. They’re going to spend 20 more hours over here and I’m sure a lot of these guys, when you talk about treatment and lots of these guys do extra. They come to college for two things: get a degree and improve and be the best football player they can possibly be. They pour a lot of time into that and I think it’s a credit to all these guys who have performed on the field and off the field.”
On the balance during bowl prep between fundamentals and preparing for the opponent:
“We’ll spend the first five days just focusing on us. We’ll go back to camp practice or spring practice and go through our initial five-day install and get back to basics and give everybody lots of opportunities. We won’t get started working on our opponent until the sixth practice, the first five days we’ve really got to focus on us.”
On players using bowl practice to get extra reps
“Every practice is important. Nobody is guaranteed anything but that day. Football is such a developmental game, nobody can afford to take a day off. If you took the average of when everybody’s career ends, it is probably 22, maybe even less than that. If you get an opportunity to play beyond that, which there will be some that do, it is a short period, so you better take advantage of every opportunity that you have.”
On the role Director of On-Campus Recruiting Bethany Gunn plays in recruiting:
“Bethany does a fantastic job. She handles all of our on-campus recruiting. Her and Rachel Bell do a great job organizing, have great ideas that are fresh and always new. They do a great job communicating and we are very blessed to have everybody in our recruiting department, but especially those two. There are others and if I start talking about everybody that touches our recruits, there is more to it than just our coaching staff. Our recruiting staff, everybody in our program is involved when our recruits come on campus.
New Orleans, LA – September 9, 2019 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome: Alvin Kamara (41) of the New Orleans Saints during a regular season Monday Night Football game (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)
Here’s the schedule for Week 15 of the 2019 NFL season.
My predicted winners are in bold.
Below that you’ll find a link to the latest list of University of Tennessee players, one-time Vols and other local players in the NFL listed.
You will also find a ton of great notes on this week’s games via the NFL’s Communications Department.
2018 Season Prediction Record: 167-100 (63%) 2019 Week 14 Prediction Record: 10-6 (63%) 2019 Season Prediction Record: 134-75 (64%)
NFL SCHEDULE, DECEMBER 12, 15-16 (All times Eastern)
Thursday
New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens – 8:20 PM (FOX/NFLN)
Sunday Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins – 1:00 PM (FOX) Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers – 1:00 PM (FOX) New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 PM (CBS) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions – 1:00 PM (FOX)
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – 1:00 PM (FOX)
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – 1:00 PM (CBS)
Miami Dolphins at New York Giants – 1:00 PM (CBS)
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – 1:00 PM (CBS) Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals – 4:05 PM (CBS) Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers – 4:05 PM (CBS)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders – 4:05 PM (CBS) Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys – 4:25 PM (FOX)
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – 4:25 PM (FOX) Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers – 8:20 PM (NBC)
Monday
Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints – 8:15 PM (ESPN)
AFC SOUTH BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS WEEK 15 SLATE
To help celebrate the NFL’s 100th season, each week will feature an NFL 100 Game of the Week. Each game is a nod to a momentous game played, a fierce rivalry that spans decades, a matchup of original teams and/or a game in which history was made. The NFL has designated the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS-NEW ORLEANS SAINTS matchup as the NFL100Game of the Week because the contest features the teams from Super Bowl XLIV. On Feb. 7, 2010, in Miami, Fla., the Saints dedicated their 31-17 victory to the New Orleans community, ravaged four years earlier by Hurricane Katrina. Trailing 10-6, Saints head coach SEAN PAYTON surprised everyone by calling for an onside kick to open the second half, and the Saints recovered to set up a go-ahead, 16-yard touchdown pass from DREW BREES to PIERRE THOMAS. The Colts went back on top, 17-13, with a 4-yard touchdown run by JOSEPH ADDAI, but the Saints shut out Indy’s high-powered offense over the game’s final 21 minutes. Brees guided New Orleans on a nine-play touchdown drive to take a fourth-quarter lead, hitting JEREMY SHOCKEY from 2 yards out, and TRACY PORTER returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown, the final points in the Saints’ first world championship.
AFC SOUTH FIGURES TO GO DOWN TO WIRE: The TENNESSEE TITANS (8-5), who’ve vaulted into the heart of the AFC playoff race with four straight wins, host the HOUSTON TEXANS (8-5) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). The two organizations that sit knotted atop the AFC South not only share roots in the city of Houston, they also meet twice in the season’s final three weeks, including a Week 17 rematch at NRG Stadium. And don’t count out the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-7), who are still in the hunt thanks to a 3-2 division record.
Tennessee quarterback RYAN TANNEHILL last week completed 21 of 27 passes (77.8 percent) for 391 yards and three touchdowns with one interception for a 140.4 passer rating in the Titans’ 42-21 win at Oakland. Tannehill joined AARON RODGERS (three games in 2011) as the only players to complete at least 75 percent of their passes with a passer rating of 130 or higher (minimum 10 attempts) in three consecutive games in a single season in NFL history. Tannehill also joined RUSSELL WILSON (five games in 2015) as the only players with four consecutive games with at least two passing touchdowns and a passer rating of 125 or higher in NFL history.
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: Through the first 14 weeks of the 2019 season, five teams – the BUFFALO BILLS (9-4), GREEN BAY PACKERS (10-3), MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9-4), PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-5) and SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-2) – are in playoff position after missing the postseason a year ago. From 1990-2018 – a streak of 29 consecutive years – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before. In 2018, seven of the 12 playoff teams missed the postseason the year before.
DIVISION-WINNING REBOUNDS: The NFL in 2002 expanded to 32 teams and realigned into eight divisions. Since that time, in 15 of the past 16 years, at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs. Heading into Week 15, two teams – GREEN BAY in the NFC North and SAN FRANCISCO in the NFC West – lead their respective divisions after missing the postseason in 2018.
BREES, BRADY IN RACE FOR MANNING’S RECORD: In Week 15, New England quarterback TOM BRADY (536) will get the first shot at the NFL’s career passing touchdowns record, held by PEYTON MANNING (539), when the Patriots travel to Cincinnati Sunday (1:00 PM, CBS). Saints quarterback DREW BREES (537) will follow on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN) when New Orleans hosts the Colts. Since 1950, eight players have held the career mark, one of the game’s most hallowed records.
The players that have held the NFL’s career passing touchdowns record, since 1950:
PLAYER
TOUCHDOWN PASSES,
END OF CAREER
SEASONS HELD
RECORD OUTRIGHT
Sammy BaughHOF
187
1950-61
Bobby LayneHOF
196
1962-63
Y.A. TittleHOF
212
1963-66
Johnny UnitasHOF
290
1966-75
Fran TarkentonHOF
342
1975-95
Dan MarinoHOF
420
1995-2007
Brett FavreHOF
508
2007-14
Peyton Manning
539
2014-
NOTE – With 187 touchdown passes, Baugh and Layne were tied at the end of the 1961 season
Brees last week threw five touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown against San Francisco. Brees has 11 career games with at least five touchdown passes, the most such games in NFL history. He also became the fourth player in the Super Bowl era with five passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a single game, joining MARK MALONE (Week 1, 1985), AARON RODGERS (Week 7, 2019) and MARK RYPIEN (Week 11, 1991).
FOOTBALL IS FAMILY: The BUFFALO BILLS (9-4) and PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-5) meet on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) in a game with significant AFC playoff implications. The game is also significant to the Edmunds family and in NFL history. Pittsburgh running back TREY EDMUNDS, 24, and safety TERRELL EDMUNDS, 22, will square off against their brother, Bills linebacker TREMAINE EDMUNDS, 21.
Sunday’s contest is expected to be the first known NFL game in 92 years with three brothers on the same field. The last time it is believed to have occurred was the end of the 1927 season when JOE, COBB and BILL ROONEY played for the DULUTH ESKIMOS.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, Tremaine (No. 16, Buffalo) and Terrell (No. 28, Pittsburgh) became the first pair of brothers to be selected in the first round of the same draft. The Edmunds’ father, FERRELL EDMUNDS, was a two-time Pro Bowl selection at tight end during his seven-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.
BEARS-PACKERS REACHES 200: The CHICAGO BEARS and GREEN BAY PACKERS renew one of the richest rivalries in sports history on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX). Sunday’s contest is the 200th meeting in the series, including postseason.
Bears quarterback MITCHELL TRUBISKY has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his past two games, wins over the Lions and Cowboys, respectively. Meanwhile, in his past eight games at Lambeau Field against Chicago, Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS has 23 passing touchdowns and two interceptions for a passer rating of 116.0.
The career leaders in the Bears-Packers series, including postseason, in notable categories:
PLAYER
CATEGORY
MARK
Aaron Rodgers
Passer rating (min. 100 att.)
105.2
Brett Favre
Passing touchdowns
53
Brett Favre
Passing yards
7,660
Walter Payton
Rushing yards
2,484
Donald Driver
Receptions
88
Don Hutson
Receiving yards
1,461
Walter Payton
Scrimmage yards
2,922
Mason Crosby
Points scored
185
LAST-SECOND WIN IN STARTING DEBUT: The DENVER BRONCOS and rookie quarterback DREW LOCK, who has won his first two starts, head to Kansas City to meet the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). On December 1, Lock led the Broncos to a dramatic walk-off win over the Chargers, 23-20, in his first NFL start. The last quarterback to do that prior to Lock was his opponent Sunday, Chiefs quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES, who made his first NFL start at the end of his 2017 rookie season on the same field in Denver. Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the Broncos, 27-24, as time expired on December 31, 2017,
Lock, making his first-career road start last week, passed for 309 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 136.0 passer rating in the Broncos’ 38-24 win at Houston. He became the first rookie in the Super Bowl era to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in his first career road start.
Denver running back PHILLIP LINDSAY had 55 scrimmage yards (51 rushing, 4 receiving) and a rushing touchdown on Sunday. Lindsay, who had 1,278 scrimmage yards as a rookie in 2018, has 1,004 scrimmage yards this season and is the third undrafted player with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two seasons in the common-draft era.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Lady Vols’ SEC-opening basketball game vs. Missouri in Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 2 will now tip at 5 p.m. ET, the UT Athletics Department announced on Friday.
The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, but to avoid a head-to-head conflict with the Tennessee football team’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl contest at that same time, UT administrators inquired about shifting the tip-off for the women’s basketball game two hours earlier. The coaching staff and administration at Mizzou were agreeable to that change, as were officials at the league office and SEC Network.
The UT-MU game can be seen live and in its entirety on SECN+ at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 2. 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.
Luke Combs headlined the first of his back-to-back shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 12.
Luke treated fans to a 20-plus-song set that featured his string of seven consecutive No. 1 hits, including “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away,” “She Got the Best of Me” and more.
In addition to surprising fans by teaming with Thomas Rhett on “Lovin’ on You,” the North Carolina native closed the show by performing his first No. 1 hit, “Hurricane,” featuring special guest Keith Urban.
Watch Luke and Keith sing “Hurricane” below.
photos by Curtis Hilbun, AFF-USA.com; video by NCD/Lauren Smith
Blake Shelton dropped his new album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country, on Dec. 13.
The 12-song offering features five new tunes—including “God’s Country” and current single, “Hell Right”—with seven previously recorded hits, including “Came Here to Forget” and “I Lived It.” The upcoming album aligns titularly with past compilations, Loaded (2010) and Reloaded (2015).
One of the album’s new tracks, “Nobody But You,” is a duet with girlfriend Gwen Stefani. The new tune was penned by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James.
“This was one of those songs where the more I heard it, the more I fell in love with it,” Blake says. “I also realized how important it is for me and where I am in my life, and I think that’s why Shane [McAnally] was trying to get it to me. It fits my story. I was about to go in and record when I decided that it needed Gwen on it—because it is our song. I think it’s magic.”
photo courtesy Warner Music Nashville
Fully Loaded: God’s Country Track List & Songwriters
1. God’s Country – Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, Devin Dawson
2. Hell Right (feat. Trace Adkins) – David Garcia, Brett Tyler, Michael Hardy
3. Nobody But You (Duet with Gwen Stefani) – Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Tommy Lee James
4. Came Here to Forget – Craig Wiseman, Deric Ruttan
5. She’s Got a Way with Words – Wyatt Earp, Andy Albert, Marc Beeson
6. A Guy With a Girl – Ashley Gorley, Bryan Simpson
7. Every Time I Hear That Song – Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Brad Warren, Brett Warren
8. I’ll Name the Dogs – Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip, Josh Thompson
9. I Lived It – Ashley Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman
10. Turnin’ Me On – Blake Shelton, Jessi Alexander, Josh Osborne
11. Jesus Got a Tight Grip – Blake Shelton, Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander, Rhett Akins
12. Tequila Sheila – Mac Davis, Shel Silverstein
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 19th-ranked Tennessee basketball team returns from its nine-day break to take on the 13th-ranked Memphis Tigers on Saturday afternoon inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPN and is viewable online via WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN app. Fans can log on to WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Bob Wischusen, Dick Vitale and Kris Budden have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Saturday’s contest is sold out, but tickets can still be purchased through Tennessee’s exclusive resale partner, Vivid Seats.
Last time out, the Vols took care of business in a 72-43 victory over Florida A&M last Wednesday night. Freshman Olivier Nkamhoua was key for UT, recording his first career double-double, tallying 11 points and and a game-high 13 rebounds, both of which were season-highs. Freshman Josiah-Jordan James was also impressive as he broke into double-digits for the first time this season, scoring 10 points while knocking down all four of his attempts from the foul line. Junior John Fulkerson also stood out, continuing his fantastic start to the year as he led the Vols in scoring with 15 points.
Saturday’s game against Memphis will be the 27th meeting between the programs and the second matchup in the series’ current three-game contract. The Vols hold a 15-11 edge in the series. This will be just the second matchup during which both schools will be ranked inside the AP top 25.
A Tennessee victory would give head coach Rick Barnes his 700th career coaching victory and would leave him just four wins shy of 100 victories during his tenure at UT. A Big Orange win would also extend the nation’s longest active home win streak to 32 games.
Up next, the Vols will travel north to Ohio to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats next Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Memphis 15-11, dating to 1969.
• The teams have met 11 times in Knoxville, with the Vols holding a 7-4 edge.
• The Vols are 45-39 all-time against current members of the American Athletic Conference.
• Rick Barnes owns a 3-1 record vs. Memphis and a 21-18 record against current members of the AAC.
A WIN WOULD…
• Be Rick Barnes‘ 700th career head coaching victory.
• Give the Volunteers their 32nd consecutive home win; it is the longest active home win streak in Division I.
• Give Tennessee a 3-0 record against ranked teams this season.
• Give Tennessee a 55-15 record as a ranked team (AP rankings) during the Barnes era.
• Extend UT’s win streak over in-state opponents to nine games.
STORYLINES
• 381 miles of Interstate 40 separate these in-state foes.
• This is just the second meeting in the series in which both teams are ranked in the AP top 25.
• More than 20 NBA scouts have been credentialed for Saturday’s game.
• Saturday’s game completes the home-and-home portion of this series’ current three-game contract. The Vols and Tigers are slated to meet next season in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.
• Tennessee’s 1979 SEC Tournament championship team will be honored during halftime Saturday.
• Tennessee is coming off a nine-day break between games, as fall semester final exams took place this week. Vols junior Jalen Johnson will take part in Friday’s commencement and receive his degree in Communication Studies.
• This is the first of back-to-back games against AAC opponents for the Vols. Tennessee plays at Cincinnati on Wednesday.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee is ranked No. 19 in this week’s AP poll and is tied with Memphis for No. 17 in the current coaches poll.
• In the Vols’ last game, Tennessee true freshmen accounted for 28 points and 24 rebounds.
• Tennessee leads the SEC in scoring defense (55.9 ppg) and blocks per game (6.0 bpg, 13th nationally).
• Per KenPom.com, the Vols are ranked 16th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
• Lamonté Turner leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the country with 7.6 assists per game.
• Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols and ranks 11th in the SEC with 6.8 rebounds per game. He is the top-rebounding freshman in the league.
• John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .692 from the field (36 of 52) while averaging a career-best 11.4 points per game. He ranks third in the SEC with a “true shooting percentage” of .697.
ABOUT MEMPHIS
• The 13th-ranked Tigers currently sit at 8-1 with their only loss coming to Oregon at a neutral site. Memphis is riding a six-game win streak and is off to its best nine-game start since it began the 2010-11 season with the same record.
• The Tigers have been led by freshmen forwards Precious Achiuwa and D.J. Jeffries who rank first and second for the Tigers in points, rebounds and blocks. The duo has been solid for Memphis during the absence of classmate James Wiseman.
• Achiuwa, Jeffries and Wiseman are three of the seven-man contingent of four- and five-star talents who have already made an impact for the Tigers in this young 2019-20 campaign.
• This group of freshmen looks to replace the impact of point guard Jeremiah Martin who led the AAC in scoring last season (19.3 ppg) while also leading the Tigers in assists (4.4 apg), steals (2.2 spg) and minutes (34.3 mpg).
• Guard Alex Lomax has also been key for the Tigers coming off the bench. In nine games as a reserve, Lomax is averaging 9.1 points, a team-leading 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game while also making his impact felt on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals per contest.
• Memphis’ blue and gray colors were chosen in an effort to show unity in a nation that was still recovering from the Civil War. The student body thought that by picking the colors of the North and the South, the school would show a togetherness among all students.
• Tom (Tigers of Memphis) III, Memphis’ mascot, is one of two live Tiger mascots among NCAA Division I schools. LSU’s Mike the Tiger is the other.
LAST TIME VS. MEMPHIS
• A double-double by Admiral Schofield fueled No. 3 Tennessee to a tough, 102-92 win over in-state rival Memphis on the road in FedEx Forum on Dec. 15, 2018.
• Schofield finished with 29 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds, while helping the Vols’ eclipse the 100-point margin for the first time since they scored 103 against Appalachian State on Nov. 15, 2016.
• Four other players chipped in double-digit scoring performances. Grant Williams had 19 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Jordan Bone dropped 17 points behind 11-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe. Jordan Bowden finished with 12 points, and Kyle Alexander just missed a double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
• It was a physical game from start to finish, with a total of 57 fouls called on both teams. The Vols were able to capitalize at the stripe, knocking down 39 of their 46 attempts. The last time UT made 30 free throws in a game was last season vs. Auburn (1/2/18), when the Big Orange made exactly 30. In the second half alone, Tennessee was 25-of-29 from the line.
• The second half was a high-scoring affair for both teams. The Vols scored 52 points, which is the most they’ve put up in a half this season. The Tigers, meanwhile, went off for 57 points.
• Despite Memphis refusing to go quietly, the game was never closer than seven points during the entire period. The Tigers’ Kyvon Davenport posted an impressive performance with 31 points and 11 rebounds. At one point in the second half, he scored 18 consecutive points for the Tigers to keep Memphis in the game.
UT’s HISTORY VS. PENNY
• During his two-year collegiate career at Memphis (then Memphis State), Penny Hardaway averaged 20.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
• He starred for the Tigers during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Memphis State faced Tennessee in each of those years, with the coach Wade Houston’s Volunteers defeating Penny’s Tigers both times.
• On Dec. 14, 1991, Tennessee edged the Tigers, 65-64, at the Great American Pyramid. Allan Houston scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half and sank two free throws with two seconds left to lift UT to victory. Hardaway finished with 21 point and 10 boards.
• On Dec. 6, 1992, Tennessee upset eighth-ranked Memphis State, 70-59, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Allan Houston led the Vols with 20 points and became UT’s second all-time leading scorer during the victory (he became No. 1 during the next game, vs. Syracuse). Hardaway led the way for the Tigers with 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
• Last season, with Hardaway in the role of Tigers head coach, Tennessee traveled to Memphis and posted a 102-92 victory at FedEx Forum.
RECENT VOLS-TIGERS CLASHES MEMORABLE
• Will Barton scored 17 first-half points to propel No. 8 Memphis to a 10-point halftime lead at the 2011 Maui Invitational, but Tennessee rode forward Jeronne Maymon in the second half to force overtime, and the Vols eventually fell in double overtime by a score 99-97 on Nov. 22, 2011. Maymon drew national attention with his gutsy 32-point, 20-rebound performance. He grabbed nine offensive rebounds, shot 8-of-15 from the floor and was 16-for-17 at the free-throw line.
• On Jan. 5, 2011, the Volunteers had their highest point total ever in the Memphis series when they defeated the 21st-ranked Tigers 104-84 (first time in the series either team exceeded 100 points). It was also the most points allowed by the Tigers in a regulation game since the 1987-88 season (112-104 loss to Virginia Tech on March 5, 1988).
• UT’s win over Memphis at the FedEx Forum on Dec. 31, 2009, snapped a 23-game home win streak for the Tigers.
• When the Tigers and Vols met in Memphis on Feb. 1, 2008, they were ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the national polls. In what was the most-watched college basketball game in ESPN history (5.28 million viewers), Tennessee toppled Memphis 66-62 to earn the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking.
VOLS SUCCESSFUL ON THE IN-STATE CIRCUIT
• Tennessee has won its last eight games against in-state opponents and is 15-4 vs. in-state foes under coach Rick Barnes.
• Those 15 wins include triumphs over Chattanooga, ETSU (twice), Lipscomb (twice), Memphis, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech (twice) and Vanderbilt (six times).
NATION’S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
• Tennessee is riding a 31-game home win streak that is the longest active streak among Division I teams.
• The streak dates to the 2017-18 season. The Vols won their final eight games at Thompson-Boling Arena that year before going 18-0 at home last season.
• Tennessee’s last loss in Knoxville was a 94-84 loss to Auburn on Jan. 2, 2018.
• The program record for consecutive home wins is 37 (2006-09). The current streak is the third-longest in UT history. The Vols have also authored a home win streaks of 33 games (1966-68).
BARNES CLOSING IN ON 700TH CAREER COACHING WIN
• Rick Barnes is one win shy of logging his 700th career victory as a college head coach.
• With 699 Division I wins to his credit, he ranks seventh among active head coaches. He would become the 22nd head coach ever to log 700 Division I wins.
• He is five victories away from recording his 100th win at Tennessee.
WINDICATORS
• Tennessee under Rick Barnes is 43-4 when holding its opponent below a .390 field-goal percentage.
• Tennessee under Rick Barnes is 42-3 when it takes a double-digit lead into halftime.
• The Vols are 15-1 during John Fulkerson’s career when he grabs five or more rebounds.
• Tennessee is 7-1 during Lamonté Turner’s career when he makes four or more 3-pointers.
• The Vols are 6-1 during Yves Pons’ career when he scores 10 or more points.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football will have 12 players graduate in the 2019 Fall Commencement ceremony at Thompson-Boling Arena including redshirt seniors Brandon Kennedy and Riley Lovingood, who are earning their master’s degrees on Thursday.
Friday’s ceremonies will celebrate Vols finishing their undergraduate studies and includes seniors Marquez Callaway, Carlin Fils-Aime, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Johnson and Darrell Taylor and redshirt juniors Matt Ballard, Andrew Craig, Jarrett Guarantano and Marcus Tatum.
Of the 12 players graduating this semester, seven are eligible to return next season. That list includes Kennedy and Guarantano.
Obtaining graduate degrees while playing large roles on the field for the Vols has been especially meaningful for Kennedy and Lovingood.
“Graduating early with a second degree is an accomplishment that means so much to me,” said Kennedy, who earned a bachelor’s while at Alabama, before he transferred to UT before the 2018 season. “I’m glad I’ve had the privilege to obtain a master’s degree while also playing football at such a prestigious university.”
Lovingood shared similar sentiments: “To be able to leave my time here at Tennessee with a master’s degree along with a bachelor’s is absolutely incredible,” he said. “I am thankful to be able to represent the Tennessee brand on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”
Lovingood was one of many graduates who expressed gratitude to the staff of the Thorton Center, which offers academic counseling services, career development programs and tutor programs among many features.
“It is always a team effort here,” Lovingood said. “Everyone is only wanting to help you accomplish your dreams between professors and counselors, to everyone in the athletics department and at the Thorton.”
Tennessee Football Fall Graduates (Major in Parenthesis):
LB Matt Ballard (Finance)
WR Marquez Callaway (Communication Studies)
TE Andrew Craig (Supply Chain Management)
RB Carlin Fils-aime (Communication Studies)
QB Jarrett Guarantano (Psychology)
WR Jauan Jennings (Communications Studies)
WR Brandon Johnson (Communications Studies)
OL Brandon Kennedy (Sports Psychology & Motor Behavior)
