KNOXVILLE – After a hard-fought battle in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Vols held the top-ranked Crimson Tide to its lowest point total of the season in a 35-13 loss, Tennessee is looking forward to returning to Neyland Stadium to host a late afternoon matchup with South Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET).
“Neyland Stadium has been really an electric atmosphere this whole season,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “I know it will be again Saturday and it will be a huge advantage for us. We are excited about the opportunity to come back and play at home in front of a great crowd.”
The game will be televised on the SEC Network with Taylor Zarzour (PxP), Matt Stinchcomb (Analyst) and Alyssa Lang (Sideline) on the call.
UT enters the weekend prepared to face a stout Gamecocks’ defense, but Pruitt has been pleased with the progress and command of his offensive line who he believes is prepared to meet the challenge.
“Now we’re getting into the end of the year here so some of the plays, we’ve gotten a lot of repetition doing them over and over again, so we continue to improve that,” Pruitt said during his Monday press conference. “I thought our offensive line had an opportunity on Saturday, especially in the second half, to take the game over. We’d gone a long drive there in the fourth quarter, and we don’t stick one in there on the one-inch line, but, in that drive our offensive line took the game over, and that was good to see.
“You can count on coach (Will) Muschamps’ defense to be tough and be sound,” he added. “The defensive line might be the best defensive line we have played all year.
Quarterback Preparations
Freshman quarterback Brian Maurer’s availability will be assessed throughout the week by the Tennessee medical staff after he was forced out of Saturday’s game due to injury.
The Vols plan to prep for both Jarrett Guarantano and JT Shrout as possible starters and Pruitt remains confident in both.
“We’ll get the other guys ready to play,” Pruitt said. “It’s no different than pretty much what we’ve done every week, whoever is going to be the starter takes the majority of the reps so we’ll get those other guys ready to go and we’ll know in the next couple of days about Brian.
“We trust all of our players. That’s one thing we work hard to build.”
Guarantano, a redshirt junior, started the first four games of the season for the Vols and throw for 911 yards and eight touchdowns.
Shrout, a redshirt freshman, has appeared in two games this season.
KNOXVILLE – The contributions of Tennessee’s freshman trio of Henry To’o To’o, Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris have not gone unnoticed, and with that the first-year Vols have each been named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Team Midseason Watch List, as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Wednesday.
Morris and Wright have been staples for the Vols burgeoning offensive line, with Morris earning six starts at left tackle and Wright starting the last five games – two at right guard and three at right tackle. Their efforts have paved the way for the Vols’ backfield to gain impressive yardage, including a 242-yard game on the ground against BYU and a standout moment at No. 1 Alabama when the O-line pushed the pile on a run from junior Tim Jordan to gain the first down.
Defensively, To’o To’o has made an immediate impact as a linebacker with 35 tackles so far, the second most on the team. He led the Vols in the season opener against Georgia State with seven tackles. The Sacramento, Calif., native has also recorded 2.5 tackles-for-loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and fumble recovery. He’s recorded a career-best eight tackles on two occasions, versus BYU and at then No. 9 Florida.
Newcomers have seen a lot of action for the Orange and White this season with 21 true freshmen taking the field through UT’s first seven games.
The Vols are back in action on Saturday at 4 p.m. (ET), hosting South Carolina at Neyland Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Luke Bryan will try to score the 24th No. 1 single of his career with the release of “What She Wants Tonight” on Oct. 24.
Co-penned by Luke, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey and Jon Nite—and produced by Jeff and Jody Stevens—“What She Wants Tonight” is the second single from Luke’s upcoming seventh studio album, following lead single, “Knockin’ Boots,” which topped the charts in September.
“I have wanted to get together with this group of writers for a long time,” said Luke. “We came up with some really infectious hooks for this song and I think women listeners are going to like that the girl in the song controls the dynamic of the situation. I’ve been wanting to get a big, rocking tempo out for some time and this is certainly it.”
Luke also released a new video for “What She Wants Tonight,” which you can watch below.
Pittsburgh, PA – September 30, 2019 – Heinz Field: Cameron Sutton (20) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a regular season Monday Night Football game (Photo by Allen Kee / ESPN Images)
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players in the National Football League entering Week 8 of the season and all the moves in the last week or so, as well as the VFL in the NFL Player of the Week as named by me.
I’ve included some notes, jersey numbers, unofficial depth chart positions, breakdowns by position and much more.
You will also see all of the players that are inactive in the league, either on injured reserve or on practice squads. Plus, you’ll find the list of players that were at UT at one time before transferring and others that have local ties to the Knoxville area that did not attend the University of Tennessee.
I update this list throughout the season here on my blog “Vince’s View.” Bookmark my blog page and check back often.
Moves In The Last Week – U. of Tennessee/One-Time Vols/Local Players in the NFL
-None
Notes and Numbers – Vols in the NFL
*Currently 23 U. of Tennessee players are on NFL 53-player rosters
*UT had 25 entering Week 1
*9 UT players are in the league, but inactive (6 on IR & 3 on practice squads)
*2 VFL rookies are in the NFL, both made teams as undrafted free agents
*Pittsburgh has the most active UT players with 3
*DB & DL are the largest positions of VFLs in the league right now with 4 active
*17 of the 32 teams have a UT player on active rosters
*There are 2 players on active rosters that were once at U. of Tennessee but then transferred
*There are 3 players on active rosters that didn’t attend UT, but have Knoxville/East TN ties
*5 of the 23 Vols on active rosters started their most recent game (not counting special teams or missed games due to injury)
Vinny’s VFL Player of the Week Kyle Phillips – New York Jets DL The undrafted free agent’s strong play earned him the start vs. New England Patriots. The Jets were shutout by the Patriots 33-0, but Phillips did his part. He recorded 7 tackles from his defensive line position. He continues to play well this season as a rookie. He joins Saints DL Shy Tuttle as starters from last year’s University of Tennessee’s defensive line that have started games for their teams as rookie undrafted free agents.
Tennessee Volunteers On Active NFL Rosters as of 10/24/19 (23) x = rookie
Atlanta Falcons Luke Stocker (80) TE (2nd team TE)
Baltimore Ravens Morgan Cox (46) LS (starting LS)
Carolina Panthers Michael Palardy (5) P (starting P/H) Rashaan Gaulden (28) DB (3rd team SS)
Chicago Bears Cordarrelle Patterson (84) WR/KR (2nd team WR & starting KR)
Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten (82) TE (starting TE)
Denver Broncos Alexander “AJ” Johnson (45) LB (starting ILB) Ja’Wuan James (70) OT (injured – starting RT)
Detroit Lions Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) LB (2nd team OLB) Justin Coleman (27) DB (2nd team CB)
Houston Texans Zach Fulton (73) OL (starting RG)
Jacksonville Jaguars Joshua Dobbs (1) QB (2nd team QB)
Kansas City Chiefs Dustin Colquitt (2) P (starting P/H)
Los Angeles Rams John Kelly (42) RB (3rd team RB)
Minnesota Vikings Britton Colquitt (4) P (starting P/H)
New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara (41) RB (injured – starting RB/2nd team KR) Shy Tuttle (74) DT (2nd team DT)
New York Jets Kyle Phillips (98) DE (starting DE)-x
Philadelphia Eagles Derek Barnett (96) DE (starting DE)
Pittsburgh Steelers Ramon Foster (73) OG (starting LG) Daniel McCullers (93) NT (2nd team NT) Cameron Sutton (20) DB (2nd team NCB)
San Francisco 49ers Emmanuel Moseley (41) CB (starting RCB)
One-Time Vols That Transferred On Active Rosters (2) x = rookie
Buffalo Bills Lee Smith TE (85) *Powell HS/Tennessee/Marshall (2nd team TE)
Miami Dolphins Preston Williams (82) WR *Tennessee/Colorado St (starting WR)-x
Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play At U. of Tennessee On Active Rosters (3) x = rookie
Dallas Cowboys Randall Cobb (18) WR *Alcoa HS/Kentucky (starting WR) Chris Jones (6) P *Carson-Newman (starting P/H)
Minnesota Vikings Harrison Smith (22) S *Catholic HS/Notre Dame (starting SS)
Inactive Players From UT, One-Time Vols & Local Players In The NFL Injured Reserve
LB Colton Jumper – New Orleans Saints
QB Matt Simms – Atlanta Falcons
TE Jason Croom – Buffalo Bills
LB Jordan Williams – Tennessee Titans
DT Malik Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles
FB Jakob Johnson – New England Patriots
QB Nathan Peterman – Oakland Raiders (Pitt)
WR Jalen Hurd – San Francisco 49ers (Baylor)
Practice Squads
QB Tyler Bray – Chicago Bears
OG Kahlil McKenzie – Seattle Seahawks
WR Josh Malone – New York Jets
TE Daniel Helm – San Francisco 49ers (Duke)
DE Dewayne Hendrix – Miami Dolphins (Pitt)
Teams Without Any Players From UT On Active 53-Player Rosters (15)
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
UT Players In The NFL By Position (23)
QB – 1
RB – 2
WR – 1
TE – 2
FB – 0
OL – 3
DL – 4
LB – 2
DB – 4
P – 3
PK – 0
LS – 1
Brett Young and wife Taylor are the proud parents of a baby girl.
Presley Elizabeth Young was born on Oct. 21, according to People, weighing 8 lbs., 2 oz., and measuring 20.75 inches.
“We have wanted this for so long and never could we have dreamed of something so beautiful and life-changing,” said the couple to People. “She is perfect and we are forever better because she was given to us.”
After getting engaged in February 2018, Brett and Taylor married in Palm Springs, Calif., in November 2018. They have known each other for more than 10 years.
The nominations were announced for the 2019 American Music Awards.
Luke Combs (3), Dan + Shay (3), Lil Nas X (5), Billy Ray Cyrus (4), Carrie Underwood (2), Kane Brown (2) and more picked up multiple nominations.
The nominations are based on key fan interactions, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. The measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, reflecting the time period from Sept. 28, 2018, through Sept. 26, 2019. The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now open for all AMA categories.
The 2019 American Music Awards, the world’s largest fan-voted awards show, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Check out the country-centric nominations below.
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Kane Brown – Experiment
Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood – Cry Pretty
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Luke Combs – “Beautiful Crazy”
Dan + Shay – “Speechless”
Blake Shelton – “God’s Country”
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Ella Mai
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Marshmello & Bastille – “Happier”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Post Malone & Swae Lee – “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
Ariana Grande – “7 rings”
Halsey – “Without Me”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”
FAVORITE SONG – POP/ROCK
Halsey -“Without Me”
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes”
Post Malone & Swae Lee – “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)”
Little Big Town stopped by the Vevo performance studio in New York City for an intimate performance of their new single, “Over Drinking.” The twangy tune features LBT’s Karen Fairchild on lead vocals as Kimberly Schlapman harmonizes, while Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet provide guitar accompaniment.
Penned by Jesse Frasure, Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey, Ashley Gorley and Steph Jones, “Over Drinking” is the lead single to LBT’s upcoming ninth studio album, Nightfall, which drops on Jan 17. In addition, LBT will embark on the 34-date Nightfall Tour, which kicks off on Jan. 16 in New York and makes additional stops in Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Chicago, L.A., Denver and more.
The 2020 Country to Country (C2C) music festival—a multi-night music fest that takes place in the United Kingdom—will feature a number of A-list artists, including headliners Eric Church, Darius Rucker and Luke Combs.
The eighth annual C2C festival will take place in London, Glasgow and Dublin from March 13–15. Other artists slated to perform include Charles Esten, Tanya Tucker, Brett Young, Old Dominion, Tenille Townes, The Cadillac Three, Abby Anderson, Eric Paslay, Runaway June and Jordan Davis.
More artists will be announced. Tickets go on sale on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.
Country to Country Festival Lineup
March 13 in London, March 14 in Glasgow, March 15 in Dublin
Eric Church
The Cadillac Three
Charles Esten
Tenille Townes, Abby Anderson and Eric Paslay
March 13 in Dublin, March 14 in London, March 15 in Glasgow
Darius Rucker
Old Dominion
Runaway June
March 13 in Glasgow, March 14 in Dublin, March 15 in London
The much-anticipated 2019-2020 NBA season is here, and University of Tennessee fans have more reasons to be interested in the association than they have in a long time.
Here’s the list of Vols in the NBA entering the season.
VFLs In The NBA (6 in league/5 active)
Philadelphia 76ers Josh Richardson (0) G (4th season) 6’5, 200 Tobias Harris (12) F (8th season) 6’7 ½, 230
Washington Wizards Admiral Schofield (1) F (1st season) 6’5, 241 Jordan McRae (52) G (3rd season) 6’6, 179
Boston Celtics Grant Williams (12) F (1st season) 6’6, 236
Detroit Pistons Jordan Bone (18) G (18) (1st season) 6’3, 180 *G-League/Two-Way Contract
UT or Knoxville Area Coaches
Kara Lawson – Lady Vols (Assistant Coach) – Boston Celtics
Elston Turner – From Knoxville/Ole Miss (Assistant Coach) – Houston Rockets
Recent Moves – VFLs & One-Time Vols
Kyle Alexander – F/C (Released by Miami Heat) *Vols rookie
Tariq Owens – F (Released by Phoenix Suns) *One-time Vol/Texas Tech rookie
Two-Way Contract Explanation Via NBA G-League Office
Beginning in the 2017 offseason, NBA rosters expanded from 15 to 17 players with the addition of two spots for players under “Two-Way Contracts.” NBA teams may have up to two players under NBA Two-Way Contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-Way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players in their fourth NBA season or earlier are able to sign Two-Way Contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.
Vince’s View
Because of the parity in the league, depth of quality teams in the NBA that you can make a case for winning the championship and the influx of University of Tennessee rookies, I’m more excited about the start of this NBA season than any I can recall since my youth days many moons ago. The league is compelling, wide-open and not what those that criticize it think it is by reading a headline or stat line.
My NBA Championship Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers over Philadelphia 76ers
The Clippers’ addition of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to go with two of my favorite players to watch in the league, in elite defender Patrick Beverley and 3-time 6th man of the year, Lou Williams puts LAC ahead of the Lakers and the rest of the top-level teams like the Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets and others in the Western Conference. The Clippers’ bench is so deep and versatile. The coaching is strong and proven with Doc Rivers. The make-up of the team is about toughness, physicality and defensive. This is the most complete team in the league.
The Eastern Conference was a little tougher to predict, since the quality and depth is not on par with the Western Conference. I gave Philly the slight edge over the Milwaukee Bucks because of its starting five and because I think this Sixers team will have more toughness and chemistry than a year ago with Al Horford and Josh Richardson joining in. I think they will have a more positive effect on Joel Embiid than Butler and Redick did last season. I really like the Bucks as well. Milwaukee has winners on the bench and a better bench than the Sixers. Obviously, The Greek Freak is incredible, but the loss of Malcolm Brogdon could be costly in the playoffs for the Bucks.
I’ll continue to track the VFLs in the NBA all-season here on my blog.
![Luke Bryan Drops Video for Brand-New Single, “What She Wants Tonight” [Watch]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2019/10/24202537/Luke-Bryan-TA.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
