Chris Young joined forces with Gavin DeGraw at The Factory in Franklin, Tenn., on Nov. 26 to tape a new episode of CMT Crossroads that will air on Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. CT.
The cross-genre stars collaborated on each other’s hits, share stories and more. While Chris, 34, has scored 10 No. 1 hits on the country charts since dropping his self-titled debut album in 2006, Gavin, 42, has found success on the pop charts with hits like “I Don’t Want to Be,” “Not Over You” and more.
The one-hour special features the artists collaborating on Gavin’s “I Don’t Want to Be,” “Not Over You,” “Soldier,” and “Sweeter,” along with Chris’ “Drowning,” “I’m Comin’ Over,” “Raised on Country,” and “Hangin’ On.” The two also cover Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
“I met Chris at a barroom in Nashville a couple years back and we hit it off right away,” says Gavin. “He’s a bar guy, like me. We all love country music, and the best thing about country is the feeling of community around it. Chris embodies that sense of community, not only in his music, but in real life as well. That’s why I’m excited to be part of Crossroads with him.”
“I’ve been a fan of Gavin’s songwriting and music for a lot of years and we’ve become friends since he’s moved to Nashville so teaming up for Crossroads was pretty much a no-brainer,” says Chris. “We had a lot of fun on stage together collaborating on each other’s hits and stretching beyond what people might expect to hear from us.”
Watch Gavin and Chris perform “I Don’t Want to Be” below.
When blood clots were discovered in the lungs of Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith in the spring of 2018, there was no assurance he’d ever play football again.
He did, starting the first seven games of last season.
Then the blood clots resurfaced, and Smith was sidelined again.
From that point, Tennessee tried to find a remedy that would allow Smith to practice without running the risk of bleeding, then play in games on Saturdays.
It worked – spectacularly.
After a slow start to this season, Smith came on like gangbusters, recording pancake block after pancake block, earning SEC offensive linemen of the week honors twice and, likely, first-team All-SEC recognition.
It’s been reported that since August, Smith has had just two full contact practices.
Did Smith doubt he’d be able to play under those circumstances?
“Yeah, absolutely,’’ said the junior from Jackson, Tenn. “You always have a doubt in your mind. And it’s weird to say, but just believing in God, I just didn’t make that much of a big deal about it. I just went to work every day and whenever the game came rolling around, it just kept getting easier and easier.
“It has been a lot more comfortable.’’
No joke. Smith has been dominant the second half of the season, so dominant that the SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic, a former offensive lineman at Auburn, thinks Smith is an elite talent.
Cubelic said it’s been “amazing to watch’’ Smith perform considering at a high level he doesn’t have contact in practice.
Smith has been nominated for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which goes to a student-athlete who has done well on and off the field.
Cubelic said if Smith decides to turn pro early and visits with NFL officials “they’re not going to get around a more impressive kid. That’s the part I think people will fall in love with.’’
The NFL might also fall in love with Smith’s play.
Cubelic said NFL guys he’s talked to would like to see Smith return for his senior year at Tennessee and “hopefully get things under wraps’’ and “have an idea of what the future is going to look like.’’
Cubelic said Smith is “a legitimate first-round NFL talent.’’
Cubelic isn’t sure how high Smith would go in the draft.
Cubelic: “It only takes one team that has a doctor that has handled a similar situation somewhere that can go to the front office and say, `It’s not a big deal. We’ve handled it. We’ve got it. I’ve dealt with it with this guy and this guy and this guy. And this is what we do and we’ll be fine and we manage it moving forward.’
“That kind of confidence only needs to come from one team that’s drafting in the first round. And boom, he’s off the board.
“If he came out, he’s the best guard in the draft talent wise. I don’t even think it’s close. I think easily a first-round talent, if not a first-half of the first-round talent.
“But there will be some serious unknowns. I don’t think we’ve had a medical situation like this that’s been dealt with at the combine. … But it would be interesting to see. I don’t know how scared they (NFL teams) would be. I don’t know how confident some of the medical staffs would be.’’
Cubelic also questioned how many teams would be OK with a player not practicing, then playing, like Smith has done at Tennessee.
“They might be fine with it. They might not like it at all. There are so many uncertainties about it,’’ Cubelic said.
As for Smith, he’s non-committal.
“I’m not really focused on that,’’ Smith said of the NFL. “I’m just focused on the next bowl game, making sure our team is successful while I wear the Orange and White.’’
Knoxville, Tenn. – Tennessee’s defensive lineman Matthew Butler has been named to the SEC’s Community Service Team for football, announced the conference on Wednesday.
A player was selected from each one of the conference’s 14 institutions to highlight a student-athlete who gives back to his community through superior service efforts.
Butler was recognized for his continued commitment to both local and international communities.
The junior logged over 65 hours of community service over the last semester, including a two-week sports-based service trip to Rwanda as part of the VOLeaders Academy.
He was one of three football student-athletes selected for the VOLeaders Academy, which is a program that aims to cultivate positive student-athlete leaders through sport to create positive social change. Student-athletes admitted into the VOLeaders Academy learn how to be a positive force for their team, campus, and local and global communities.
Classmate Trey Smith was selected to the Community Service Team last year for the Vols.
Lady Antebellum took the stage at the CMA Country Christmas TV special that aired on Dec. 3 to perform “White Christmas.”
The holiday standard, which was penned by Irving Berlin, has been recorded by a bevy of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Garth Brooks, Michael Bolton, Bette Midler and more.
In addition to Lady A, a number of stars took the stage to sing their favorite yuletide tunes during the show, including Trisha, Dierks Bentley, Runaway June, Kristin Chenoweth, for King & Country, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans, Chris Young and Brett Young.
Chris Young stopped by the CMA Country Christmas TV special that aired on Dec. 3 to perform “Holly Jolly Christmas.” The holiday standard, which was penned by Johnny Marks, has been recorded by a number of artists, including Burl Ives, Michael Bublé, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum and more. Chris recorded the tune for his 2016 holiday album, It Must Be Christmas.
In addition to Chris, a number of stars took the stage to sing their favorite yuletide tunes during the show, including Trisha, Dierks Bentley, Runaway June, Kristin Chenoweth, for King & Country, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans and Brett Young.
Watch Chris perform “Holly Jolly Christmas” below.
With two Grammy Awards and five GMA Dove Awards to their credit, duo For King & Country—comprised of Australian-born brothers Joel, 35, and Luke Smallbone, 33—is well known in the Christian pop community. Country music fans were likely introduced to the duo during the recent remix of their hit song, “God Only Knows,” which featured Dolly Parton. The duo’s original version of the song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart in 2019. Joel and Luke also teamed with Dolly for the first live performance of “God Only Knows” at the CMA Awards on Nov. 13.
The brothers delivered a rousing performance of “Little Drummer Boy” during the CMA Country Christmas TV special that aired on Dec. 3. Over the years, the popular Christmas tune has been covered by a who’s who of artists, including Johnny Cash, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Neil Diamond and more.
In addition to For King & Country, a number of stars took the stage to sing their favorite yuletide tunes during the show, including Trisha, Dierks Bentley, Runaway June, Kristin Chenoweth, , Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans, Chris Young and Brett Young.
Watch For King & Country perform “Little Drummer Boy” below.
Following announced stops in Detroit (Feb. 22) and Charlotte, N.C., (May 2), Garth Brooks revealed his 2020 Stadium Tour will visit Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium on May 16.
This will be Garth’s first time playing at Paul Brown Stadium and the only Ohio date on The Stadium Tour. Tickets for the new show in Cincinnati will go on sale on December 13 at 10 a.m. ET for $94.95.
Garth’s Stadium Tour visited 10 cities in 2019: St. Louis, Glendale, Gainesville, Minneapolis (x2), Pittsburgh, Denver, Eugene, Boise (x2), Regina (x2) and Knoxville.
In Week 13 of the NFL season, multiple VFLs had big outings in their Thanksgiving Day contests.
Alvin Kamara totaled 84 yards of offense in the Saints’ Thursday night game against the Falcons. On the defensive side of the ball, Shy Tuttle had one tackle to go along with an interception that he returned for 19 yards to help seal a 26-18 New Orleans’ win.
Tennessee was represented on both sides of the field in the Chicago-Detroit matchup. For the Lions, Justin Coleman had five tackles, while Jalen Reeves-Maybin recovered an onside kick. On the Bears side, Cordarrelle Patterson returned two kickoffs for 90 yards as the Bears won 24-20 and Patterson kept his first-place spot in return yards with 711.
Jason Witten caught six passes for 42 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 15-26 loss versus the Bills.
On Sunday, two former Vols showed up in a big way on defense. Derek Barnett collected six tackles with two TFLs and 1.0 sack in the Eagles’ 31-37 loss to the Dolphins. Alexander Johnson racked up nine tackles with two TFLs in the Broncos’ 23-20 win over the Chargers.
Tyler Bray – QB, Chicago Bears
Practice Squad
Next game: Dec. 5th vs. Cowboys
Derek Barnett – DE, Philadelphia Eagles
Totaled six tackles with two TFLs and one sack in 31-37 loss vs. Dolphins
Next game: Dec. 9th vs. Giants
Justin Coleman – DB, Detroit Lions
Had five tackles in 20-24 loss vs. Bears
Next game: Dec. 8th at Vikings
Britton Colquitt – P, Minnesota Vikings
Four punts for 170 yards, one inside the 20 in 30-37 loss vs. Seahawks
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Lions
Dustin Colquitt – P, Kansas City Chiefs
Two punts for 83 yards in 40-9 win vs. Raiders
Next game: Dec. 8th at Patriots
Morgan Cox – LS, Baltimore Ravens
Snapped six times in 20-17 win vs. 49ers
Next game: Dec. 8th at Bills
Jason Croom – TE, Buffalo Bills
Injured Reserve
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Ravens
Joshua Dobbs – QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Not active in 11-28 loss vs. Buccaneers
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Chargers
Ramon Foster G, Pittsburgh Steelers
Started at left guard in 20-13 win vs. Browns
Next game: Dec. 8th at Cardinals
Zach Fulton – G, Houston Texans
Started at right guard in 28-22 win vs. Patriots
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Broncos
Malik Jackson – DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Injured Reserve
Next game: Dec. 9th vs. Giants
Ja’Wuan James – T, Denver Broncos
Not active in 23-20 win vs. Chargers
Next game: Dec. 8th at Texans
Alexander Johnson – LB, Denver Broncos
Racked up nine total tackles with two TFLs in 23-20 win vs. Chargers
Next game: Dec. 8th at Texans
Jakob Johnson – FB, New England Patriots
Injured Reserve
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Chiefs
Colton Jumper – LB, New Orleans Saints
Injured Reserve
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. 49ers
Alvin Kamara – RB, New Orleans Saints
Had 84 total yards of offense in 26-18 win vs. Falcons
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. 49ers
Daniel McCullers – DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
Played but did not record any stats in 20-13 win vs. Browns
Next game: Dec. 8th at Cardinals
Khalil Mckenzie – G, Seattle Seahawks
Practice Squad
Next game: Dec. 8th at Rams
Emmanuel Moseley – DB, San Francisco 49ers
Played but did not record any stats in 17-20 loss vs. Ravens
Next game: Dec. 8th at Saints
Michael Palardy – P, Carolina Panthers
Eight punts for 338 yards, one inside the 20 in 21-29 loss vs. Redskins
Next game: Dec. 8th at Falcons
Cordarrelle Patterson – WR, Chicago Bears
Returned two kicks for 90 yards in 24-20 win vs. Lions
Next game: Dec. 5th vs. Cowboys
Kyle Phillips – DE, New York Jets
Played but did not record any stats in 6-22 loss vs. Bengals
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Dolphins
Jalen Reeves-Maybin – LB, Detroit Lions
Recovered an onside kick in 20-24 loss vs. Bears
Next game: Dec. 8th at Vikings
Matt Sims – QB, Atlanta Falcons
Injured reserve
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Panthers
Luke Stocker – TE, Atlanta Falcons
Not active in 18-26 loss vs. Saints
Next game: Dec. 8th vs. Panthers
Cameron Sutton – DB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Picked up a sack in 20-13 win vs. Browns
Next game: Dec. 8th at Cardinals
Shy Tuttle – DL, New Orleans Saints
Had one tackle and one interception in 26-18 win vs. Falcons
Next game: Dec. 8th vs 49ers
Jason Witten – TE, Dallas Cowboys
Had six receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown in 15-26 loss vs. Bills
Next Game: Dec. 5th at Bears
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – 21st-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball returns to action when it takes on Florida A&M on Wednesday night inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Wednesday’s contest can be seen on SEC Network, online through WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Viewers can log on to WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (color) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling (play-by-play) and Bert Bertelkamp (color) describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols used a Lamonte Turner game-winning buzzer-beating 3-point bomb to lift the Vols past VCU, 72-69 on Saturday afternoon at the Emerald Coast Classic. Junior John Fulkerson poured in a career-high 17 points, while bringing seven boards. With less than a minute to play Fulkerson blocked VCU’s De’Riante Jenkins layup attempt, brought down the rebound and got fouled. He nailed both of the ensuing free throws to put the Vols up 69-66 just before Jenkins came back down to tie things up at 69 apiece. The victory helped the Vols avoid their first losing streak since Dec. 30, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018 when the Vols lost back-to-back games against Arkansas and Auburn.
This will be the first contest between Tennessee and Florida A&M, with the Vols holding a perfect 3-0 record against current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. A win would be the 31st straight victory for the Vols inside Thompson-Boling Arena and will move Rick Barnes one win shy of reaching 700 career coaching victories.
Up next, Tennessee will take a ten-day hiatus, before taking on Memphis on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. ET and the matchup can be seen on ESPN.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee has never previously met Florida A&M on the collegiate hardwood.
• Tennessee is 3-0 all-time against current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• Rick Barnes also has never previously faced Florida A&M, but he is 7-0 in his career against current members of the MEAC.
A WIN WOULD…
• Leave Rick Barnes‘ one win away from recording his 700th career head coaching victory.
• Give the Volunteers their 31st consecutive home win; it is the longest active home win streak in Division I.
• Give Tennessee a 54-15 record as a ranked team (AP rankings) during the Barnes era.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee has won its last four home games against opponents from the state of Florida and has not lost in Thompson-Boling Arena to a team from the Sunshine State since the 2013-14 campaign.
• Including the Rattlers, two of Tennessee’s last three opponents are based in Tallahassee, Florida. The Vols played Florida State last Friday.
• The Vols have won 14 consecutive non-conference home games dating to a loss to North Carolina on Dec. 17, 2017.
• The Big Orange are riding an 11-game win streak on the SEC Network.
• Tennessee has never lost a game for which Roy Philpott (4-0) or Mark Wise (4-0) were on the call.
• As the Vols move into the month of December, Rick Barnes‘ career record in the 12th month of the year stands at 169-48 (.779).
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee is ranked No. 21 in this week’s AP poll and No. 20 in the current coaches poll.
• After this game, the Vols have nine days until their next outing, a home game against in-state foe Memphis on Dec. 14.
• Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks ninth in the country with 6.3 blocks per game.
• Yves Pons has 18 total blocks through six games this season. His 2.6 bpg leads the SEC.
• Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols and ranks 12th in the SEC with 7.1 rebounds per game. He is the top-rebounding freshman in the league.
• John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .725 from the field (29 of 40) while averaging a career-best 10.9 points per game. He leads the SEC with a “true shooting percentage” of .726.
• Jordan Bowden is a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line over the last two games.
ABOUT FLORIDA A&M
• Florida A&M is a Historically Black University located in Tallahassee, Florida. It opened in 1887.
• Florida A&M is off to a rough start in 2019-20, losing its first six games to open the year—all but one by double digits.
• The Rattlers are coming off a 2018-19 campaign that saw leaps and bounds of improvement, as FAMU finished 9-7 in MEAC play. It was the first time it had finished above .500 in conference action since 2007-08, an 11-year run that spanned the tenure of four different head coaches.
• FAMU looks to continue to hang its hat on its play on the defensive side of the court, where they saw more than a 16-point decrease in points allowed per game in MEAC play, from 2017-18 (79.1 ppg) to 2018-19 (62.5 ppg).
• The Rattlers look to lean on junior D.J. Jones for scoring in the paint, while freshman Jamir Williams’ potent athleticism should help provide an immediate impact in jumpstarting FAMU’s offense.
• Junior Bryce Moragne returns to Tallahassee this winter after primarily coming off the bench in 2018-19. While he continues to contribute off the bench this season, the 6-5 small forward can play four positions on the court and could be a huge asset for the Rattlers given his flexibility.
• The school’s Rattler mascot is one based in folklore. When the school relocated to Hollywood Plantation in 1891, the rural landscape had an abundance of snakes, especially rattle snakes. This is how the mascot name, “The Rattlers” was chosen.
• Notable alumni include former professional tennis player Althea Gibson, who was the first African American woman to win the Wimbledon women’s singles crown, when she did so in 1957.
NATION’S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAK
• Tennessee is riding a 30-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 two wins shy of logging his 700th career victory as a college head coach.
• With 698 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 six victories away from recording his 100th win at Tennessee.
LEADING THE SEC
• Lamontè Turner leads the SEC in assists per game with 7.9 apg. The next closest SEC player is Vanderbilt’s Saben Lee, with 6.7 apg.
• Turner’s 324 career assists lead all active SEC players.
• Yves Pons leads the SEC with 2.6 blocks per game. He ranks 24th among all Division I players.
• As a team, Tennessee leads the SEC in blocks per game (6.3 bpg). That ranks ninth nationally.
TENACIOUS D
• Even when the Vols have struggled to produce offense, their smothering defense has kept them afloat.
• Tennessee has yet to allow an opponent to score 70 points this season, and the Vols rank among the top 20 nationally in both scoring defense (15th, 57.7 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (20th, .366).
• The Vols also rank ninth nationally—and first in the SEC—with 6.3 blocks per game.
PONS RIDING BLOCK STREAK
• Yves Pons, the SEC’s leading shot-blocker, has blocked at least one shot in every game this season.
• His streak of seven straight games with at least one block is the longest by a Vol since VFL Grant Williams (2016-19) logged a block in each of the last eight games of 2018-19.
• Pons has blocked three or more shots in five games this season. His season-high is four blocks in the Nov. 12 win over Murray State.
YVES’ OFFENSIVE EVOLUTION
• Yves Pons totaled 94 points while appearing in 59 games during his first two seasons as a Vol.
• Through seven games as a junior, he has already scored 87 points.
• He is shooting .533 from the field and has scored 10 or more points in five games this year.
George Strait hit the stage at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, in November 2016 to perform a nearly two-hour set in celebration of his then-new album, Strait Out of the Box: Part II.
During the concert, George treated attendees to a number of his most beloved hits, including “Troubadour,” “Wrapped” and “Amarillo by Morning,” which he said is his “most favorite song.”
“My most favorite song that I’ve ever recorded, and it was big in the dancehalls,” said George from the stage in Gruene Hall. “People always requested this. It’s called ‘Amarillo by Morning,’ and I love singing it.”
Part of what makes “Amarillo by Morning” the definitive cowboy ode is the plaintive joy it evokes, even in the midst of broken bones and endless miles of travel. As the third verse sums up, I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine / I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free. Surprisingly, this never hit the top spot for George—peaking at No. 4 in 1983—even though some consider it his signature song.
Watch George’s performance below, which was recently released on his YouTube page.
