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)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s freshman trio of offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright and linebacker Henry To’o To’o were recognized on the Freshman All-SEC list, the conference announced Thursday.
Morris started 11 of 12 games for the Vols at left tackle this season and became the first Tennessee true freshman to start on the o-line in a season opener since Trey Smith did so in 2017. They are the only two Vol freshmen to start at left tackle in the last 30 years.
Wright was an anchor on the right side of the o-line for the Vols making seven starts and appearing in 10 games at right tackle. Morris and Wright were key in several notable performances by the Vols offensive line group, including Tennessee’s season-high 526 yards of total offense against Missouri, which entered the game with one of the nation’s top defensive lines and ranked 10th in the nation in total defense and had the SEC’s top pass defense.
Defensively, To’o To’o made an immediate impact for the Vols after tying for a team-high seven tackles in the season opener, becoming the first Vol freshman since 1996 to lead the team in tackles in a season opener. The Sacramento, Calif., native went on to start 11 of 12 games for the Orange and White and finished the 2019 regular season with 64 tackles, the third most on the team. He also added 5.0 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and fumble recovery.
The trio’s selection marks the most freshmen honorees for the Vols since 2014 when they also had three representatives on the list.
The Tennessee football team finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC during the 2019 regular season, tying for its best mark in conference play since 2007. Led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a 13-member senior class, the Vols rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six of their final seven games and will take a five-game win streak into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 against Indiana. Tennessee is undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the nation and collected nine SEC weekly honors during the season, the most since 2004. In addition to the Freshmen All-SEC honors, To’o To’o and Morris were named True Freshman All-Americans by 247Sports, while fellow first-year standouts running back Eric Gray and safety Jaylen McCollough collected National All-Freshmen honorable mention accolades from PFF College.
Knoxville, Tenn. – Freshman linebacker Henry To’o To’o was named to The Athletic’s Freshman All-America team on Thursday.
To’o To’o was a day-one starter at linebacker for the Big Orange and finished third on the team with 64 tackles. He also added five tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and a half a sack.
The Sacramento, Calif., native was named to the 247 True Freshman All-America list on Monday and earned Freshman All-SEC honors on Thursday. To’o To’o was also on the FWAA Freshman All-America Midseason Watch List and The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-America Team. He was named to the PFF College National Team of the Week and PFF College SEC Team of the Week for his performance in a 30-7 win over UAB on Nov. 2.
In his collegiate debut, To’o To’o led the Vols with seven tackles to become the first UT freshman since 1996 to lead the team in tackles in a season opener. He played in all 12 games while making 11 starts and became the first Tennessee true freshman since 2011 to start at linebacker in a season opener.
The Tennessee football team finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC during the 2019 regular season, tying for its best mark in conference play since 2007. Led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a 13-member senior class, the Vols rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six of their final seven games and will take a five-game win streak into the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 against Indiana. Tennessee is undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the nation and collected nine SEC weekly honors during the season, the most since 2004.
Vols newcomer Wanya Morris was also named to the 247 Sports True Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC teams, while fellow first-year lineman Darnell Wright was also named to the conference freshman list. Additionally, freshman standouts running back Eric Gray and safety Jaylen McCollough collected National All-Freshmen honorable mention accolades from PFF College.
Luke Combs dropped a new 360-degree video for “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” The new clip, which was created by MelodyVR, was filmed during Luke’s recent tour stop in Tacoma, Wash.
Luke co-penned “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” which topped the charts in August, with Jonathan Singleton and Randy Montana while on the road for his Don’t Tempt Me With a Good Time Tour.
“We wrote ‘Beer Never Broke My Heart’ on the tour bus, actually, on my first headlining tour—the Don’t Tempt Me with a Good Time Tour,” says Luke. “I had my buddies Jonathan Singleton and Randy Montana out on the bus with me, and I had had this title on my phone for a long time and really wanted to save it for some guys that I thought would kind of understand and grasp what I was looking for out of the song. I went to soundcheck and I got back, and they had kind of been hammering away on this thing . . . we buttoned it up, and it’s just been a fan-favorite ever since then.”
Dustin Lynch created a buzz during CMA Awards week in November as he attended industry events with his new girlfriend, Kelli Seymour.
Dustin recently sat down with the titular host of The Blair Garner Show to reveal a handful of details about his one-year relationship with Kelli, including how they met, their first date, going public with the relationship and more.
Southern Girl
“She models for a living [in California]. She’s from Mississippi. She’s a south Mississippi girl. I can’t wait to get back down there. She’s from the Biloxi [area], around the big city there.”
Instagram Connection
“I hit her up in the DMs on Instagram. I slid in. We had great chemistry just going back and forth, texting and FaceTime, like, ‘Man, we’ve got to meet,’ but I was on tour with Cole [Swindell] and Lauren Alaina [in 2018], and I just couldn’t find the time to fly out to meet her, you know?”
First Date
“We met at [one of my] shows in November of 2018. For a month or two we’d been talking, and then I was like, ‘Man, what if you come to a show?’ So it was a pretty easy playing field for me—I’m going to be onstage rocking out, hopefully impressing her. So it tricked her. It won her over. We ended up hitting it off. We had a great time. It was a great test for me too because I was really busy that night with different industry things and she had to be on her own and kind of just fend for herself amongst the band and the crew and different radio people that were there and she did great. I’m like, ‘Man, this girl’s got it going on.’”
Going Public
“Like you said, I’ve always been super private. I’m just to a point where I’m very comfortable with Kelli, and it’s like, ‘How do we roll this out [during CMA Awards week].’ I don’t know, it was just bizarre that it’s in the public eye. So yeah, we had to be as a team, just figure out what the best way to do that was, personally for me, as well as professionally.”
Special Girl
“Gosh, I mean, instantly for me it was like, ‘Wow, this is a special girl.’ I mean it was kind of just from day one.”
Dustin will release his upcoming fourth studio album, Tullahoma, on Jan. 17. The new project takes its name from Dustin’s Tennessee hometown, which is about 80 miles southeast of Nashville. The 11-song set will feature seven brand-new songs, including a collaboration with Lauren Alaina on “Thinking ’Bout You.” The new album also features three tunes—“Ridin’ Roads,” “Little Town Livin’” and “Red Dirt, Blue Eyes”—from his 2019 EP, Ridin’ Roads, and his 2018 standalone single, “Good Girl.”
Longtime friend and frequent co-writer Zach Crowell co-produced the album with Dustin. Songwriters include Rhett Akins, Matt Ramsey, Dallas Davidson, Luke Laird, busbee and more. Dustin co-wrote six songs on the new album.
Since dropping his debut studio album in 1990, Alan Jackson has been keeping it country—selling nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranking as one of the 10 best-selling country artists of all-time. As you probably imagined, Alan will be keeping it country in 2020 during his 30th year in the biz with a new tour.
Kicking off on Jan. 10 in Cincinnati, the tour will make additional stops in Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, Detroit and more.
Alan announced that Tenille Townes will be joining him at more than a dozen shows next year, as well as Carolina Pine, Steel Blossoms and Cory Farley on select dates.
Alan Jackson 2020 Tour
Jan.10 | Cincinnati, OH | Heritage Bank Center ++
Jan. 11 | Columbia, SC | Colonial Life Arena ++
Feb. 14 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena ^^
Feb.15 | New Orleans, LA | Smoothie King Center ^^
Feb. 21 | El Paso, TX | UTEP Don Haskins Center **
Feb. 22 | Fort Worth, TX | Dickies Arena **
March 26 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center **
March 27 | Springfield, MO | JQH Arena **
April 25 | Glendale, AZ | Gila River Arena ##^^
April 26 | Indio, CA | Stagecoach Festival <>
July 9 | Ft. Loramie, OH | Country Concert <>
Aug. 7 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 14 | Cleveland, OH | Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse ##^^
Aug. 15 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena ##^^
Sept. 11 | Des Moines, IA | Wells Fargo Arena ##**
Sept. 12 | Milwaukee, WI | Fiserv Forum ##**
Oct. 2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Vivint Smart Home Arena ##++
Oct. 3 | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center ##++
Tenille Townes on all dates except April 25, Sept. 11 and Sept. 12
## Tickets on sale Dec. 13
++ featuring Steel Blossoms
^^ featuring Carolina Pine
** featuring Cory Farley
<>Festival event
Thomas Rhett will be staying busy this spring and summer on his headlining Center Point Road Tour, which takes its name from TR’s 2019 album.
The 26-date tour will kick off with back-to-back shows in Gilford, N.H., on May 29 and 30, making additional stops in Cincinnati, Boise, St. Louis, Philadelphia and more. Cole Swindell and Hardy will serve as support.
Tickets go on sale on Jan. 24 for select cities.
Center Point Road Tour
May 29 | Bank of NH Pavilion | Gilford, NH*
May 30 | Bank of NH Pavilion | Gilford, NH*
June 5 | Ruoff Music Center | Indianapolis, IN
June 6 | Blossom Music Center | Cuyahoga Falls, OH
June 7 | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH
June 11 | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview | Syracuse, NY
June 12 | KeyBank Pavilion | Burgettstown, PA
June 19 | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre | Tampa, FL
June 20 | Coral Sky Amphitheater | West Palm Beach, FL
July 9 | PNC Music Pavilion | Charlotte, NC
July 10 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park @ Walnut Creek | Raleigh, NC
July 11 | PNC Bank Arts Center | Holmdel, NJ
July 16 | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Birmingham, AL
July 17 | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre | St. Louis, MO
July 23 | USANA Amphitheater | Salt Lake City, UT
July 24 | Idaho Center Amphitheater | Boise, ID
July 30 | Toyota Amphitheatre | Sacramento, CA
July 31 |Shoreline Amphitheatre | Mtn. View, CA
Aug. 7 | Ak|Chin Pavilion | Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 8 | Isleta Amphitheater | Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 21 | Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion | Bangor, ME
Aug. 22 | Xfinity Theatre | Hartford, CT
Aug. 23 | CMAC | Canandaigua, NY
Aug. 27 | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater | Wantagh, NY
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On behalf of the Tennessee football program, Vice Chancellor and Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer attended the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl coaches meeting to receive the Vols official invitation to play Indiana on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET, from bowl committee members and city representatives, Wednesday evening.
To open the ceremony Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry gifted each team with a key to the city before Indiana head coach Tom Allen gave media an opening statement, followed by Fulmer. Tennessee was designated the home team for the bowl game, which will mark the 75th anniversary of the Gator Bowl.
“We’re very excited to have this opportunity and play here in the Gator Bowl and all of the committee have historically done a great job of making this one of the best destinations of all the bowl games,” Fulmer said before congratulating Coach Allen, who Fulmer knew from his recruiting days. “Being a part of this historical event in its 75th year is something we’ll take great pride in, having had a history here a number of times.”
The Tennessee football team finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the SEC during the 2019 regular season, tying for its best mark in conference play since 2007. Led by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a 13-member senior class, the Vols rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six of their final seven games and will take a five-game win streak into the bowl game. Tennessee is undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the nation and collected nine SEC weekly honors during the season, the most since 2004.
The Vols have also tabbed five Coaches All-SEC honors, two AP All-SEC first team and 247Sports True Freshman All-America selections.
UT’s surge in the second half of the season was largely due to a strong showing from its upperclassmen. The Vols became bowl eligible after a historical performance in Columbia, Mo., against the Missouri Tigers where three different receivers – Marquez Callaway (110), Jauan Jennings (115) and Josh Palmer (124) – surpassed the century mark, to become the first trio in Tennessee history to do so. Callaway recently picked up All-SEC honors as voted on by coaches as a consistent threat on special teams. Callaway also leads the league in yards per catch (21.24), which ranks fourth nationally. Jennings leads the Vols wideouts with 57 receptions, 942 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Touted offensive lineman Trey Smith has picked up first team honors on both the AP and Coaches All-SEC Teams and a pair of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week nods during the regular season as the starting left guard for the Vols. He led the team with 46 knockdowns.
Seniors Daniel Bituli, Nigel Warrior and Darrell Taylor have spearheaded an astounding turnaround by the UT defense. Bituli led the team for the third straight season in tackles (82) putting him in the top 50 in the nation. Taylor added 7.0 sacks and ranks third in the SEC among active players with 18 career sacks, while Warrior co-led the conference with four interceptions in the regular season and picked up AP and Coaches All-SEC honors as well.
Newcomers Henry To’o To’o and Wanya Morris had impressive starts in their freshman campaigns both starting 11 games for the Vols, picking up All-America nods from 247Sports.
Indiana, coached by Tom Allen, finished 8-4 overall in the regular season and 5-3 in the Big Ten. Led by quarterback Peyton Ramsey (2,227 yards and 13 touchdowns) and wide receiver Whop Philyor (69 receptions for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns), Indiana averaged 32.6 points per game and had the nation’s 13th-ranked passing offense (308.7 yards per game).
The high-powered Indiana passing attack will match up against a Vols’ pass defense that ranks No. 16 in the nation (191.3 pass yards allowed per game) and has been even better over the last month, allowing only 137.3 passing yards per game in November – the third-best mark in the nation over that span.
Running back Stevie Scott finished fifth in the Big Ten in rushing (845 yards) and third in touchdowns (11), while Philyor finished fourth in the conference in receiving yards and second in receptions per game (6.3).
The 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will mark the 53rd bowl appearance all-time for the Vols, which ranks tied for fifth in the nation. The Vols will play in the Gator Bowl for the seventh-time, tying with the Sugar Bowl for the most appearances in a bowl for Tennessee.
Fulmer will actually be a part of his fourth TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, becoming one of the only people to play, coach and be an administrator in the tradition-rich bowl game. Fulmer played on the 1969 SEC Championship team that fell to Florida, 14-13, in Doug Dickey’s last game as the Vols’ head coach and was a student coach in 1973 in a loss to Texas Tech. As head coach, he guided Tennessee to a 45-23 win over Virginia Tech in a Gator Bowl that was moved to Gainesville due to stadium renovations. The 1994 victory served as Peyton Manning’s first bowl game and a featured an MVP performance from running back James Stewart, who rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns and also tossed a touchdown pass.
“I remember my first experience as a sophomore in high school,” Fulmer said. “I was watching the Syracuse-Tennessee game. Since I was a kid this bowl game has meant a lot to me and we’re glad to bring our team here. Obviously a very passionate fanbase will be here to support Coach Pruitt and his Volunteers. As we look toward the future, this is one of the next opportunities to show our wares and our team is taking that approach.
“We’re thrilled to be here. Each time that I’ve been here as a player, as an assistant coach and head coach and now as an athletics director, its been one of the best experiences we’ve had.”
