Tennessee linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this week’s game vs. Kentucky.
Video: Darrin Kirkland Jr. breaks down Kentucky’s offense and team traits
Video: Nigel Warrior talks about freshmen DBs and getting Kelly back
Tennessee safety Nigel Warrior spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this week’s game vs. Kentucky.
Vols in NFL Recap: Kamara, Dobbs and Patterson Lead UT Alums in the NFL in Week 9
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara scored three touchdowns in the first half and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Joshua Dobbs completed his first pass in an NFL regular season game to lead the 32 former Tennessee players in action on Sunday and Monday during Week 9 of NFL action.
VFL brothers, Britton Colquitt and Dustin Colquitt went head-to-head as the punters in the Browns versus Chiefs game, as well, and Cordarrelle Patterson scored his first rushing touchdown of the season for the Patriots while Ramon Foster made his 123rd career start on the offensive line for the Steelers.
Catch up with all of Tennessee’s former players below. Updates will be posted each week on UTSports.com.
Derek Barnett – DE, Philadelphia Eagles
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 6/6, Tackles: 11 UA, 5 A, 16 Total, Other: 2.5 Sacks
Barnett suffered a season ending injury to his shoulder.
Eric Berry – DB, Kansas City Chiefs
2018 Regular Season: No Stats Recorded
Berry has yet to see action this season for the Chiefs, who are 8-1 after a blowout victory over Cleveland on Sunday. The five-time Pro Bowler has been rehabbing an Achilles injury he suffered in last year’s season opener.
Tyler Bray – QB, Chicago Bears (Practice Squad)
Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/1, Comp-Att-Int: 60-97-1, 652 Yds, 1 TD
Bray played in four preseason games for the Chicago Bears in 2018, completing 60-of-97 passes for 652 yards and one touchdown. The California native was named to the Bears’ practice squad to start the 2018 season.
Justin Coleman – DB, Seattle Seahawks
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/1, Tackles: 21 UA, 4 A, 25 Total, Other: 0 Sacks, 1 Int., 0 FF, 7 PD
Coleman had three tackles and two passes defended for the Seahawks, who fell to the Chargers, 25-17.
Britton Colquitt – P, Cleveland Browns
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/0, 60 Punts, 2,696 Yds, 79 Lg, 44.9 Avg., 26 I-20, 4 TB, 12 FC
Colquitt had only one punt for 39 yards in a 37-21 loss to the Chiefs in a battle with his brother, Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt.
Britton Colquitt leads the NFL in punts (60), punting yards (2,690) and longest punt (79).
Dustin Colquitt – P, Kansas City Chiefs
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/0, 23 Punts, 1,037 Yds, 67 Lg, 45.1 Avg., 11 I-20, 3 TB, 5 FC
Colquitt had two punts for 63 yards (31.5 average), pinning the Browns inside their own 20 on both in a 37-21 victory for the Chiefs. Dustin Colquitt picked up the win over his brother, Browns punter Britton Colquitt.
At 8-1, the Chiefs have the best record in the AFC And are tied with the Rams for the best record in football.
Morgan Cox – LS, Baltimore Ravens
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/0
Cox serves as the Ravens’ primary long snapper and has played in all nine of the team’s games this season.
Jason Croom – TE, Buffalo Bills
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/0, Rec-Yds: 13-131, 10.1 Avg., 26 Lg, 1 TD
Croom had the most productive day of his career, totaling a career-best three receptions for 36 yards as the Bills fell to the Bears, 41-9.
Trevor Daniel – P, Houston Texans
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/0, 43 Punts, 1,710 Yds, 61 Lg, 44.5 Avg., 22 I-20, 4 TB, 11 FC
Daniel was outstanding for the red-hot Texans, averaging 51.2 on six punts and putting four inside the 20 as Houston defeated Denver, 19-17. The Texans have won six straight and lead the AFC South by two games with a 6-3 record.
Joshua Dobbs – QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 3/0, Passing Comp-Att-Int: 1-1-0, 20 Yds, 0 TD Rushing Att-Yds: 2-(-4), 0 TD
Preseason: Games/Starts: 3/1, Passing Comp-Att-Int: 29-43-2, 434 Yds, 4 TD Rushing Att-Yds: 10-64, 1 TD
Dobbs completed his first career pass for 20 yards to help the Steelers defeate the Ravens, 23-16. Dobbs was ready and stepped in to deliver the strike when Ben Roethlisberger went out briefly with an injury.
Ramon Foster – G, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/8
Foster got his 123nd career start on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the 23-16 win over the Ravens. Foster is a leader for the Steelers, who hold a 5-2-1 record are first in the AFC North division.
Zach Fulton – G, Houston Texans
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 7/7
Fulton started his seventh game of the season and 53rd of his career in the 19-17 win over the Broncos.
Rashaan Gaulden – DB, Carolina Panthers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 7/0, Tackles: 8 UA, 3 A, 11 Total
Gaulden had two tackles in the 42-28 win over the Buccaneers.
Justin Hunter – WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 4/0, Rec-Yds: 3-21, 7.0 Avg., 12 Lg, 0 TD
Hunter did not play in the Steelers’ 23-16 win over the Ravens.
Malik Jackson – DT, Jacksonville Jaguars
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/8, Tackles: 15 UA, 4 A, 19 Total, Other: 1 Sack, 1 PD
This weekend was the bye week for Jackson and the Jaguars.
Ja’Wuan James – T, Miami Dolphins
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/9
James made his 56th career start in a 13-6 win over the Jets. James is a leader on the offensive line for the 5-4 Dolphins.
Alexander Johnson – LB, Denver Broncos
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 1/0, Tackles: 0 UA, 0 A, 0 Total
Johnson made his NFL debut on Sunday as the Broncos fell to the Texans, 19-17.
Alvin Kamara – RB, New Orleans Saints
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/7, Rushing Att-Yds: 111-490, 4.4 Avg., 49 Lg, 9 TD
Rec-Yds: 51-427, 8.4 Avg., 35 Lg, 3 TD
Kamara rushed 19 times for 82 yards and had four receptions for 34 yards in a 45-35 win over the Rams. He scored three total touchdowns in the first half for the Saints, who lead the NFC South with a 7-1 record.
Kamara is tied for first in total touchdowns scored this season (12).
John Kelly – RB, Los Angeles Rams
Preseason: Games/Starts: 3/0, Rushing Att-Yds: 46-197, 4.3 Avg., 40 Lg, 3 TD
Rec-Yds: 6-18, 3.0 Avg., 12 Lg, 0 TD
Kelly rushed 46 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns through three preseason games Los Angeles. The rookie running back has not seen action in any regular-season contests for the Rams.
LaTroy Lewis – LB, Tennessee Titans (Practice Squad)
Lewis was signed to the Titans’ practice squad in October.
Josh Malone – WR, Cincinnati Bengals
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 7/0, Rec-Yds: 1-12, 12.0 Avg., 0 TD
Malone and the Bengals were on a bye week.
Daniel McCullers – DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/0, Tackles: 2 UA, 1 A, 3 Total, Other: 1 Sacks
McCullers didn’t record any stats in the Steelers’ 23-16 victory over the Ravens.
Kahlil McKenzie – G, Kansas City Chiefs
Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/0
McKenzie made four appearances in the preseason for the Chiefs and helped pave the way for 397 yards of total offense in the final preseason game against the Packers. McKenzie has not played in any of the Chiefs eight regular season games so far this year.
Emmanuel Moseley – DB, San Francisco 49ers (Practice Squad)
Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/1, Tackles: 6 UA, 0 A, 6 Total, Other: 0 Sacks, 1 PD, 1-6 Int-Yds, 0 FF, 0 FR
Moseley played in four games for the 49ers in the preseason, making six solo tackles and one interception. The rookie was signed to San Francisco’s practice squad prior to Week 1 of the regular season.
Michael Palardy – P, Carolina Panthers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/0, 32 Punts, 1,475 Yds, 59 Lg, 46.1 Avg., 16 I-20, 3 TB, 10 FC
Palardy had a 50.0 average on four punts as the Panthers took down the Bucaneers, 42-28, to move to 6-2 on the season.
Cordarrelle Patterson – WR, New England Patriots
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 9/3, Rec-Yds: 12-121, 10.1 Avg., 55 Lg, 2 TD
Rushing Att-Yds: 28-135, 4.8 Avg., 22 Lg, 1 TD
KR-Yds: 14-451, 32.2 Avg., 1 TD, 95 Lg
Patterson had 61 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries and made one reception in the Patriots’ 31-17 win over the Packers. Patterson returned two kicks for 64 yards. He ranks fourth in the NFL in kick return average (32.2).
Jalen Reeves-Maybin – LB, Detroit Lions
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 7/0, Tackles: 7 UA, 4 A, 11 Total
Reeves-Maybin did not play on Sunday.
Luke Stocker – TE, Tennessee Titans
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/6, Rec-Yds: 8-79, 9.9 Avg., 31 Lg, 1 TD
Stocker had one reception for five yards as the Titans cruised past the Cowboys, 28-14, on Monday Night Football to improve to 4-4.
James Stone – C, Chicago Bears (Practice Squad)
Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/1
Stone made four appearances, including one start, in the preseason for the Oakland Raiders before being signed to the Chicago Bears’ practice squad.
Cameron Sutton – DB, Pittsburgh Steelers
2018 Regular Season: Games/Starts: 8/1, Tackles: 18 UA, 0 A, 18 Total, Other: 3 PD, 1-0 Int-Yds, 1 FF
Sutton didn’t record any stats but did see action in the Steelers’ 23-16 victory over the Ravens.
Jordan Williams – LB, New York Giants (IR)
Preseason: Games/Starts: 4/0, Tackles: 3 UA, 0 A, 3 Total
Williams played in all four preseason games for the Giants, making three tackles. He is currently on injured reserve for New York.
Ethan Wolf – TE, Green Bay Packers
Wolf was signed to the practice squad by the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 30. He spent the preseason with the Tennessee Titans after signing as an undrafted free agent.
-UT Athletics
Doyle Named to the Final Candidate List for the Ray Guy Award
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee redshirt freshman punter Joe Doyle has been name to the final candidate list for the 2018 Ray Guy Award announced by the Augusta Sports Council.
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding punter as judged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders.
The Knoxville native has placed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line, which is second in the SEC while also registering 10 punts of 50 yards or more. In the game at Georgia on Sept. 29, Doyle booted a career-long 71-yarder, which was the longest by a Volunteer since Trevor Daniel produced a 72-yard punt against South Carolina on Oct. 14, 2017. That punt ranks as the 10th-longest in the country and the second-longest in the SEC this season.
Nominees are evaluated on their overall statistics and contributions to the team. Particular emphasis is placed on the following statistics: net average, percentage of total punts inside the 20-yard line, and percentage of punts not returned.
Doyle, in nine games has had 44 punts for 1,843 yards for an average of 41.9 yards. He has five touchbacks, 17 fair catches, 20 inside the 20 yard line, 11 for 50+ yards and three punts of 60 yards or more this season.
The Ray Guy Award winner is selected by a voting body for FBS sports information directors, national media and former Ray Guy Award winners.
Tennessee will host No. 9 ranked Kentucky on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.
-UT Athletics
Coaches Tab Two Vols as Preseason All-SEC First-Teamers
Tennessee basketball standouts Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams added to their extensive preseason honors haul Tuesday when the Southeastern Conference unveiled its 15th annual men’s basketball coaches preseason All-SEC Teams.
Schofield and Williams each were among the eight players named to the All-SEC first team. On Monday, both upperclassmen were named to the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s watch list for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Award.
Tuesday’s coaches’ preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad, voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches. No ties were broken (39 different players received votes, and 10 players made the second team), coaches were prohibited from voting for their own players and no predicted order of finish was made. Tennessee and Kentucky were the only teams to place multiple players on the first team.
The 2018-19 season officially tips off Tuesday night. Tennessee is one of nine SEC teams in action on the first day of competition, as the sixth-ranked Volunteers host Lenoir-Rhyne at 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network, and tickets are available at AllVols.com.
After leading the Vols to a 26-9 record and the SEC Championship a season ago, Williams was selected by the league’s coaches as the 2018 SEC Player of the Year. Schofield was a second-team All-SEC selection.
A complete listing of the 2019 SEC men’s basketball coaches preseason All-SEC teams follows:
First-Team All-SEC
Daniel Gafford – Arkansas
Reid Travis – Kentucky
PJ Washington – Kentucky
Tremont Waters – LSU
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi State
Chris Silva – South Carolina
Admiral Schofield – Tennessee
Grant Williams – Tennessee
Second-Team All-SEC
Donta Hall – Alabama
Herbert Jones – Alabama
Bryce Brown – Auburn
Jared Harper – Auburn
KeVaughn Allen – Florida
Jalen Hudson – Florida
Terence Davis – Ole Miss
Aric Holman – Mississippi State
TJ Starks – Texas A&M
Darius Garland – Vanderbilt
-UT Athletics
Chris Young Has Been Hanging On to Hit Single, “Hangin’ On,” for More Than 3 Years
Chris Young’s current single, “Hangin’ On,” has been hanging on to the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the last two weeks as Luke Combs’ “She Got the Best of Me” continues its three-week run atop the chart.
But don’t count “Hangin’ On” out just yet. It’s been hanging on for a while.
“Hangin’ On” is the second single from Chris’ 2017 album, Losing Sleep, but it’s a song he’s had in his pocket since co-writing it with Josh Hoge and Corey Crowder more than three years ago. In fact, it was a song he contemplated putting on his 2015 album, I’m Comin’ Over, but it just didn’t make the cut “for whatever reason,” as Chris tells Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown.
“I wrote this song almost three and a half years ago, and it didn’t end up on the last project for whatever reason, and then we really wanted one more tempo for [Losing Sleep], and I was like, ‘Man, we really oughta go back and revisit “Hangin’ On” as an idea,’ so we got in the studio and liked the demo,” says Chris to Kix. “Sometimes you’ll have a case of you really like the demo going, and then you cut it, and it’s like, ‘Uh, it’s almost like something in the demo’s a little bit better,’ and this one was the opposite case. This was . . . when we tracked that day, we were like, ‘Oh, this is gonna sound awesome when we’re done.’ It’s just one that I’ve loved a long, long time, and I’m really excited to see it, you know, climbing and doing well.”
Tune in next week to see if “Hangin’ On” can climb one more spot to the top of the chart and become Chris’ 11th No. 1 single.
photo by Jason Simanek
Charles Esten, Chris Janson, Kellie Pickler & More Help Raise Funds for Leukemia Research
More than 5,000 patrons attended the sixth annual Light the Night Walk and Light the Late Night Concert in Nashville on Nov. 2 to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
After the two-mile walk at Nissan Stadium, Charles Esten hosted the Light the Late Night Concert that featured performances by Chris Janson, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Puskar and duo Reverie Lane. Held simultaneously in more than 200 cities across the country, the Light the Night Walk funds treatment and research for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“My wife Patty and I walk in honor of our daughter, Addie, who survived leukemia when she was two-and-a-half years old,” says Charles. “She has been healthy and cancer-free for over 16 beautiful years. This year, she is playing Division I soccer in college. That is why I am honored to serve once again as the 2018 Light the Night Honorary chair. We raise money for this amazing organization, so that others might have the chance at the cancer-free life that our Addie has been blessed with.”
Charles’ Fundraising Page raised more than $130,000 this year, bringing his six-year total to more than $1.1 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Check out the photo gallery below, courtesy of Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com.
Justin Moore Announces 2019 Tour Dates With Cody Johnson, Eric Paslay & Riley Green
Justin Moore announced a handful of new tour dates for 2019, including multiple stops in the Midwest.
Cody Johnson, Eric Paslay and Riley Green will serve as the openers during various stops. Tickets are on sale now.
Justin recently released the lead single, “The One’s That Didn’t Make it,” from his upcoming 2019 album.
Justin Moore Tour
Jan. 25 | Bos Center | Springfield, IL*
Jan. 26 | Baxter Arena | Omaha, NE^
Feb. 8 | Canton Civic Center | Canton, OH^
Feb. 9 | Wings Stadium | Kalamazoo, MI^
Feb. 14 | Moheagan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza | Wiles Barre, PA+
Feb. 15 | Huntington Center | Toledo, OH**
Feb. 16 | 1st Summit Arena @ CCWMA | Johnstown, PA**
May 31 | Del Mar Fairgrounds | DelMar, CA
*Riley Green
^Cody Johnson
+Eric Paslay
**Cody Johnson and Eric Paslay
photo by NCD
Luke Combs Gets Comfortable at No. 1 for the Third Straight Week
Luke Combs found a spot he likes: the top.
Luke’s current single, “She Got the Best of Me,” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the third consecutive week. Only two other songs have accomplished that feat in 2018: Brett Young’s “Like I Loved You” and Luke Bryan’s “Most People Are Good.”
“She Got the Best of Me” is Luke’s fourth consecutive No. 1 single on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, following previous No. 1 tunes “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours” and “One Number Away.”
The four No. 1 singles are featured on Luke’s 2017 debut album, This One’s For You, and the 2018 deluxe follow-up, This One’s For You Too.
Luke is now the only solo country artist in history to score four consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with his first four singles.
While Luke is the first solo country artist to achieve the four-for-four feat, two duos have accomplished the coup: Florida Georgia Line and Brooks & Dunn.
photo by Jason Simanek
Freshmen Shine In Lady Vols’ Exhibition Victory
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 11/12-ranked Tennessee cruised past Carson-Newman, 128-59, in its season-opening exhibition game Monday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols, who now have beaten the Lady Eagles 15 years in a row in preseason affairs, had eight players register double-digit points in the win. The true freshman duo of Mimi Collins (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Zaay Green (28 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles, combining for 44 points and 20 rebounds in their college debuts.
Sophomore Rennia Davis (17 points, nine rebounds) and freshman Jazmine Massengill (12 points, nine rebounds) were each a rebound shy of double-doubles. Redshirt senior Cheridene Green (16 points), sophomore Kasiyahna Kushkituah(12 points), sophomore Evina Westbrook (11 points) and freshman Rae Burrell (11 points) rounded out the Big Orange players scoring 10 or more points.
The Lady Vols’ dominant first quarter began with a 21-2 run, as Tennessee held Carson-Newman without a field goal until the three-minute mark of the first quarter. All five Lady Vol starters scored within the first four minutes of the game, with eight total Tennessee players scoring by the end of the first quarter. Massengill led the Lady Vols with a team-high six points after ten minutes of play, and Tennessee held the Lady Eagles to 13-percent shooting in the first quarter on 2-of-16 shooting.
The Lady Vols’ scoring slowed to start the second quarter, but their dominance on the boards helped propel them to an 18-0 run. This time Tennessee held Carson-Newman for nearly five minutes without a point. Green and Collins each eclipsed the 10-point mark with three minutes remaining in the half. Overall, three Lady Vols tallied double-digit points in the first half, as Carson-Newman shot 8-for-33 from the floor. All ten active players on Tennessee’s roster put points on the board, as the Lady Vols took a 66-27 lead into the locker room at the half.
Six different Tennessee players scored in the first three minutes of the second half, as a bucket from Meme Jackson at the 5:46 mark put the Lady Vols up, 82-42. The Lady Vols shot over 60 percent from the field, and Green took over once again for a team-high eight third-quarter points. The Lady Eagles failed to score in the final 4:41 of the third quarter, as Tennessee held them to 22 percent shooting.
A Davis three-pointer kicked off the Lady Vols’ final quarter of play, as it put Tennessee over the 100-point mark early. Davis tallied nine of Tennessee’s 20 points halfway through the fourth quarter and notched 13 second-half points to round out the game. The Lady Vols finished out the contest on a 15-6 run and outscored Carson-Newman 27-7 in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee out-rebounded the Lady Eagles by a 72-31 margin and forced 25 turnovers on the night. The Lady Vols had an impressive 68 points come from the bench en route to head coach Holly Warlick‘s eighth career exhibition win at Tennessee.
The Lady Vols are back at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday, as they open the regular season with a 2 p.m. contest vs. Presbyterian. The game is part of the Salute to Service Weekend.
Fans can join in, as UT honors all who have served their country. Current military members and veterans may present their Military ID or DD 214 at Gate C, Gate E or the ticket tent located on Phillip Fulmer Way prior to entering Thompson-Boling Arena for complimentary admission for themselves and immediate
Balanced Attack
All five starters were on the score sheet less than four minutes into the game, and every Lady Vol logged at least one point before the end of the first half. Tennessee finished the night with eight of 10 active players in double figures.
Freshmen By The Numbers
In their rookie debuts, Tennessee’s freshmen combined for 67 points, 33 rebounds, eight steals and nine assists against Carson-Newman. All four freshmen logged at least two points by the 4:07 mark of the second quarter and went on to reach double figures by the end of the game. Zaay Green and Mimi Collins were the first Lady Vols in double digits, finishing as the game’s highest and third-highest scorers, respectively.
Fourth Most Points Scored In An Exhibition Win
Tennessee’s 128 points against Carson-Newman is the fourth-most points scored by any Lady Vol team in an exhibition game. The highest point total Tennessee has posted in an exhibition game was 144 against Dynamo Kiev on Nov. 5, 2000. The two other 130+ point efforts were 135-55 against Carson-Newman (Nov. 6, 2008) and 131-40 vs Dalhousie (Nov. 6, 2005).
Tennessee In Exhibition Games
The Lady Vols are 48-4 all-time in preseason exhibition games with the only losses coming to the Soviet National Team (1979), Athletes in Action (1992), and the USA National Team (1995, 2007). Tennessee is 8-0 in preseason exhibition games during the Holly Warlick era.
-UT Athletics
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