Little Big Town took part in the star-studded Stand Up to Cancer telecast on Sept. 7 that was broadcast across more than 70 TV networks.
The live one-hour fundraiser, which was Stand Up to Cancer’s sixth event since 2008, featured a number of stars, including Jason Bateman, Kathy Bates, Josh Brolin, Katie Couric, Kaley Cuoco, Jennifer Garner, Jon Hamm, Matthew McConaughey, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Sofia Vergara, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper and more.
This year’s event raised more that $123 million in pledges, bringing SU2C’s total to more than $603 million over 10 years.
Little Big Town performed “With a Little Help From My Friends,” a tune that the Beatles originally recorded in 1967 and Joe Cocker covered in 1968.
Watch Little Big Town’s performance below, which begins at the 5:20 mark.
Dustin Lynch dropped a new video for his current single, “Good Girl,” which is No. 30 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after 18 weeks.
Directed by Mason Dixon and filmed throughout the Mojave Desert, the new clip features Dustin and his partner in crime running—and driving—from the law.
With the release of “Good Girl” in May, Dustin took a hiatus from his 2017 album, Current Mood, which spawned No. 1 hits “Seein’ Red” and “Small Town Boy.” Co-written by Dustin, Justin Ebach and Andy Albert, “Good Girl” is a song that Dustin felt was timely for the summer season and he wanted to get it on airwaves before the release of his next album.
Carrie Underwood kicked off Sunday Night Football on Sept. 9 with a brand-new theme song, “Game On.”
Carrie opened the SNF broadcast for the sixth year as she teamed with a bevy of NFL players for the video opening, including Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, Saquon Barkley, Carson Wentz, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Fletcher Cox, Antonio Brown and Russell Wilson.
In previous years, Carrie performed versions of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” which was based on Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” as well as “Oh, Sunday Night,” which was based on her 2014 duet with Miranda Lambert, “Somethin’ Bad.”
Carrie co-wrote this season’s theme song with the help of Chris DeStefano and Brett James.
Jeremy Pruitt’s first win at Tennessee was rather lop-sided, but it wasn’t fool’s gold for the Vols’ first-year head coach.
Pruitt understands Tennessee has a lot of room for improvement despite a 59-3 victory Saturday over hapless East Tennessee State University at Neyland Stadium in front of an actual-attendance crowd of less than 85,000.
And he knows the Bucs don’t compare to Alabama or Georgia or even Florida – the Vols’ opponent in two weeks.
So Pruitt wasn’t in the mood to celebrate by tearing down a goal post, hoisting it on his shoulders and running naked down Cumberland Avenue.
No, Pruitt expects more from his team – despite the 56-point victory.
Want an example?
Tennessee didn’t have a turnover for the second game in a row and committed just three penalties. But when UT’s play-by-play announcer Bob Kesling asked Pruitt post-game about his team playing a clean game, Pruitt wouldn’t acknowledge it.
“I’ll have to see the film,’’ he said.
The film will show a number of positive things – like the Vols completing three passes of at least 50 yards. It will show efficiency from quarterbacks Jarrett Guarantano and Keller Chryst, who combined to complete 11 of 16 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown. It will show a blocked punt for a touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown and an interception return to the ETSU 3-yard line to set up another touchdown.
It will show hard running by freshman Jeremy Banks, who gained 62 yards on 13 carries and bulled his way into the end zone from 1 and 3 yards out.
“Jeremy Banks is another guy that likes to practice,’’ Pruitt said. “He practices the right way, competes hard. … I’d rather be saying whoa than go (to a player). You have to say whoa with him.’’
Another player who performed well was junior college defensive tackle Emmit Gooden, who had a team-high eight tackles.
“I don’t know how much he shined today,’’ Pruitt said. “But the guy’s got ability. He’s still learning how to work, still learning the defense. And when he wants to, he can be a pretty good football player. But he’s got to do it all the time. That’s not just him, that’s a lot of guys in our program.’’
Receiver Marquez Callaway, who led the team again with five catches for 78 yards, also has ability. Callaway has 11 catches in two games – he had 24 all of last year. He obviously has built a bond with Guarantano. Don’t be surprised if Callaway has a 60 catch season.
Another positive for UT was the play of freshman cornerback Bryce Thompson, who had an interception return to the 3-yard line, setting up a touchdown for a 24-0 lead. It was part of a 28-point second quarter barrage by the Vols.
“Bryce would be the first to tell you he didn’t play well last week (against West Virginia),’’ Pruitt said. “…The one thing he did, he came back on Monday and competed and he played with an edge. He practiced with an edge. If he continues to do that, he’s going to get better every week. That was drastically different than some of the other guys.’’
Therein tells you what Pruitt is looking for – players willing to compete daily.
It’s one thing to get beat. It’s another to respond like a whipped pup.
That’s not how Thompson responded after the Vols lost 40-14 to West Virginia.
Pruitt wants competitors, he wants players with mental toughness, players who don’t accept defeat.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –Jeremy Pruitt earned his first win as a collegiate head coach in dominant fashion as the Tennessee Volunteers defeated in-state foe ETSU 59-3 Saturday evening at Neyland Stadium.
“To me, I don’t see this any different than any game I’ve ever coached in,” Pruitt said. “I’m happy we won, and you’ll find out (about me) the more games we win, I’m a little more ticked. There’s a standard we want to play to. Everything wasn’t perfect this week. Everything wasn’t perfect in the last couple of days, and we were trying to get things right. We’re learning from it, and I think it’ll make us a better football team, and it’s going to make us a better football program.”
Six Vols recorded the first touchdowns of their respective Tennessee careers in the win, led by running backs Jeremy Banks and Madre London with two rushing scores apiece. Josh Palmer entered the checkerboards on a 20-yard end-around rush, and Jordan Murphyhauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass to round out UT’s offensive touchdowns.
Junior defensive back Marquill Osborne found the end zone for the first time on a blocked punt return, while redshirt-junior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. added a defensive touchdown with his first-career pick-six.
Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jarrett Guarantano led the passing attack for the Big Orange, connecting on 8-of-13 passes for 154 yards. Grad transfer QB Keller Chryst saw action for the second-straight week and completed all three of his passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore RB Tim Jordan led all players in rushing with 65 yards in 15 attempts on the ground, while Marquez Callaway logged a game-high five catches and 78 yards through the air.
Sophomore placekicker Brent Cimaglia opened the scoring for UT on a 26-yard field goal with 9:32 remaining in the first quarter. The Vols first entered the red zone on a 51-yard pass from Guarantano to Palmer – the longest play for UT this season.
Tennessee (1-1) scored its first touchdown at Neyland Stadium in 2018 on a blocked punt return by Osborne. Recovering his own block at the eight-yard line, the junior DB high-stepped into the endzone to put the Vols ahead 10-0 with 2:49 left in the opening frame.
The game entered a weather delay at the 12:01 mark of the second quarter as the clock read 4:52 p.m. Play resumed at 5:40 p.m. for a total delay of 48 minutes.
Following the delay, UT put together a quick six-play, 82-yard drive over 2:34 that was capped off by a one-yard Banks rushing TD. The touchdown was set up by a 51-yard bomb, caught by Callaway despite pass interference from ETSU defensive back Jeremy Lewis.
On the first play of the ensuing Buccaneer drive, freshman DB Bryce Thompson nabbed his first-career interception and returned it 21 yards before stepping out-of-bounds at the three-yard line. Banks went into the checkerboards on the very next play to give the Vols a 24-0 edge with 9:12 remaining in the half.
Kirkland Jr. made it a 31-0 lead for the Vols with his first-career pick-six on the next ETSU drive. The Indianapolis, Ind. native intercepted a pass at the 33-yard line, broke a tackle and sprinted into the endzone for UT’s second non-offensive touchdown of the day.
Chryst entered the game with 6:04 left in the second quarter, leading the Vols on a seven-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that spanned 3:04 of game time. Chryst completed his first pass attempt as a Vol for 12 yards to tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson before the drive was finished off on a 20-yard end-around rush by Palmer. Following Cimaglia’s fifth successful PAT, the Vols went up 38-0 and took that lead into the halftime locker room.
Guarantano led the opening drive of the second half as UT marched down the field for a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown series. London broke off a 34-yard rush before scoring his first TD as a Vol on a three-yard scamper, advancing Tennessee’s lead to 45-0. ETSU (1-1) broke up the shutout on a 39-yard field goal from JJ Jerman at the 4:57 mark of the third quarter, and neither team was able to score for the remainder of the period.
Chryst fired the first touchdown of his UT career early in the fourth quarter, finding a wide-open Murphy down the sideline for a 50-yard scoring connection with 13:34 left in the game. London notched the final TD of the night on a four-yard rush with 3:20 remaining. The last scoring drive started following Micah Abernathy’s fumble recovery on a muffed punt.
Junior newcomer Emmit Gooden led Tennessee with eight total tackles on the defensive line, including UT’s lone sack and a team-high three tackles for loss. In addition to his first-career interception, Thompson recorded two tackles for loss for the Volunteers. As a unit, the Vols held ETSU to 69 passing yards and limited the Buccaneers to 2-of-15 on third-down conversions.
Tennessee returns to action next Saturday as the UTEP Miners visit Neyland Stadium. The game is set for a noon kickoff and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Tennessee wide receiver Marquez Callaway and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle spoke to the media in the postgame press conference after UT defeated ETSU 59-3.
