Vols lose at home to LSU 30-10 to fall to 4-7, 0-7 SEC with bowl hopes washed away

Vols lose at home to LSU 30-10 to fall to 4-7, 0-7 SEC with bowl hopes washed away

Vols QB Jarrett Guarantano / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee out-gained 20th-ranked LSU, 287-281, but a pair of Vol turnovers and the Tigers’ strong rushing attack proved to be the difference in a 30-10 win for LSU on a damp Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

With an announced crowd of 96,888 on hand despite gusting winds and heavy rain in the forecast, UT redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano shrugged off the elements to finish 13 of 23 for 239 yards and a touchdown. UT’s defense also showed some bright spots, limiting LSU to zero first downs in the opening quarter and seven by halftime as the Vols entered the break trailing 17-10.

The game’s first score was set up when Tennessee’s Marquez Callaway muffed a punt and the Tigers’ Russell Gage pounced on it at the UT 15. Unable to move the ball against a stingy Vol defense, LSU settled for a 30-yard field goal by Connor Culp to go on top, 3-0, with 6:38 to go in the opening period.

The Big Orange tied the game on its next possession. Aaron Medley put the finishing touches on a 14-play, 53-yard drive that took seven minutes and 35 seconds spanning the first and second quarters, drilling a 45-yard field goal through the teeth of a strong south wind with 13:59 remaining in the second quarter.

On the very next series, LSU was the beneficiary of another UT special teams miscue, as Michael Divinity Jr. recovered Callaway’s fumbled punt to set the Tigers up at the Vol 19. Three plays later, Darrel Williams carried it in from 10 yards out. Culp’s PAT made the score 10-3, LSU, with 11:31 remaining in the second period.

The Tigers, who had recorded only one first down in the game until this point, generated three on successive plays to extend their lead to 17-3 with 2:08 left before the half. Quarterback Danny Etling’s 16-yard keeper capped the quick 61-yard drive. Culp added the extra point.

The resilient Vols bounced right back with a four-play, 75-yard drive of their own. Guarantano found Callaway for a 46-yard touchdown pass with 1:23 to go in the half, and Medley added the PAT to pull UT within seven, 17-10.

A brief, but intense, rain and wind storm hit Neyland Stadium just as halftime was ending, and UT had the misfortune of fielding a kickoff and running its first series in that monsoon. After forcing the Vols to punt, LSU took over at the 50 and needed nine plays to tack another score on the board. This time it was running back Derrius Guice carrying it in from three yards out. Culp’s PAT was no good, leaving the score 23-10, LSU, with 7:26 left in the third quarter.

Williams added a six-yard TD run, and Culp tacked on the PAT with 2:06 to go in the third to account for the game’s final score.

The Vols return to action next Saturday afternoon, as they welcome Vanderbilt to Neyland Stadium. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on the SEC Network.

-UT Athletics

 

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wichita St Mon night

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Wichita St Mon night

Rennia Davis – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 13/18 Tennessee (2-0) closes out a three-game home stand when it hosts Wichita State (0-3) Monday at 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena.

UT enters undefeated after rolling past East Tennessee State, 87-49, and James Madison, 89-60, at Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 12 and 15, respectively.

Wichita State comes to Rocky Top with an 0-3 record. The Shockers opened with a pair of road losses at Creighton (66-61) and Oklahoma State (91-67) and then dropped the home opener to South Dakota, 62-48, on Saturday in Wichita.

Incidentally, Tennessee will play Oklahoma State and South Dakota, respectively, on Friday and Saturday in the Cancun Challenge in Mexico.

BROADCAST INFO.
• Mick Gillispie (PxP), Andraya Carter (Analyst) and Maddy Glab (Reporter) will describe the action for the Tennessee-Wichita State online broadcast on the SEC Network+ (SECN+) and WatchESPN.
• Mickey Dearstone will handle the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 19th season.

TENNESSEE RESET
• Tennessee has averaged 88.0 points per contest and won by an average margin of 33.5 points in its first two games this season.
• Despite losing four players from last year’s team, UT is averaging five more points per game this year through two games than it did in 2016-17.
• The Lady Vols have shot a sizzling 50.4 percent from the field while limiting their opponents to 30.3 percent shooting and only 54.5 points per game.
• Seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell, who were named to the John R. Wooden Award Watch List last week, have led the way offensively this season, with Russell hitting for 20 points vs. ETSU and Nared tossing in 25 vs. JMU.
• Nared leads the team at 19.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, shooting 50 percent from the field. She also is averaging four assists per contest and is second on the team in three-pointers made with four.
• Russell, meanwhile, is posting 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest while firing at an incredible 83.3 percent success rate (15 of 18) from the floor.
• A pair of freshman round out UT’s double figures scorers, with Anastasia Hayes coming off the bench to score 12.0 points and average 5.5 assists, while Rennia Davis contributes 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals as a starting forward.
• Senior Kortney Dunbar has come out strong from beyond the arc. She has knocked down three of five three-point attempts for 60.0 percent. Junior wing Meme Jackson is hitting 50.0 percent (5 of 10).
• After redshirting last season, junior forward Cheridene Green is off to a solid start. She is fifth in scoring (8.5 ppg.), fourth in rebounding (5.5 rpg.) and hits field goals at a 63.6 percent clip (7 of 11).

UT LAST TIME OUT (UT 89, JMU 60)
• No. 13/18-ranked Tennessee rolled to an 89-60 victory over James Madison at Thompson-Boling last Wednesday night, with senior forward Jaime Nared posting 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the way for the Lady Vols.
• UT shot 55 percent from the field, 53.3 percent from behind the arc and had four players in double figures. Freshman forward Rennia Davisfollowed Nared as UT’s second-leading scorer with 17 points, while center Mercedes Russell and forward Cheridene Green tallied 14 and 10, respectively.
• Nared and fellow senior Russell set the tone early, combining for the Lady Vols’ first 11 points and fueling an 11-2 UT run to start the game.  Tennessee opened up a 23-12 lead to close out the first quarter and never trailed in the contest.

NOTABLES FROM THE LAST GAME
• Mercedes Russell added eight rebounds on the night, bringing her career total to 800 and making her just the 18th Lady Vol to reach that mark.
• Tennessee scored 30 of its 89 points off fast breaks and tallied 24 points off JMU turnovers.
• Seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell have combined for 72 points in Tennessee’s first two games and, as a pair, are averaging 63 percent percent shooting.
• Russell connected on seven of eight shots from the field vs. JMU.
• Freshmen Anastasia Hayes and Evina Westbrook have led UT in assists the first two games. Hayes had eight vs. JMU, while Westbrook dished out six last Sunday vs. ETSU.

MILESTONES & RECORDS
• Jaime Nared needs one rebound to reach 500 for her career and stands 52 points away from becoming the 45th Lady Vol to reach the 1,000-plateau.
• Nared entered the season fifth in career free throw shooting at .831.
• Russell has 31 career double-doubles, tying Isabelle Harrison for sixth all-time at UT. Tamika Catchings is next up the ladder with 32.
• Russell became the 18th Lady Vol to reach 800 career rebounds vs. JMU. Only 12 Lady Vols have pulled down 900 and just five have grabbed 1,000.
• Russell has 153 career blocks and needs eight to equal Nicky Anosike in sixth place with 161
• Entering the season, Russell stood fifth at UT in career field goal percentage (.564).
• Russell stands 34th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,127 points. Lea Henry (1,128, 33rd) and Lisa Harrison (1,135, 32nd) are just above her.

COMING UP FOR UT
• On Tuesday afternoon, Tennessee will wing its way to Mexico for the Thanksgiving holiday, taking part in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Puerto Aventuras.
• UT will face #16/19 Marquette on Nov. 23 (6:30 p.m.), Oklahoma State on Nov. 24(4 p.m.) and South Dakota on Nov. 25 (4 p.m.). CBS Sports Digital will handle the online broadcast.
• The Lady Vols are back at home on Nov. 30, as Central Arkansas comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest.

WICHITA STATE RESET
• Wichita State is paced by 6-1 redshirt senior forward Rangie Bessard, who averages 17.0 ppg. and 8.3 rpg.
• Bessard has gotten to the free throw line 14 times in three games, hitting 11 for 78.6 percent.
• Angiee Tompkins, a 6-2 senior forward is WSU’s second-leading scorer and rebounder at 10.3 ppg. and 4.7 rpg.
• Wichita State returned four starters, nine total letterwinners and 79.9 percent of its points from a year ago.
• Eight of WSU’s players are seniors.
• WSU is hitting only 38.0 percent from the field (23.5 on threes) and averages 58.7 ppg. while allowing 73.0 ppg.
• The Shockers are led by head coach Keitha Adams, who is in her first season in Wichita but owns a 411-249 record in her 22nd year as a head coach.

WSU LAST TIME OUT (USD 62, WSU 48)
• After opening with a 13-11 lead after the first quarter, Wichita State was outscored the rest of the way by South Dakota, 51-35, en route to a 62-48 homecourt loss to the Coyotes.
• Rangie Bessard paced WSU in scoring with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. She made it a double-double with 11 rebounds on the afternoon.
• The Shockers shot only 35.6 percent for the game, including 11.1 percent (2-18) from the three-point arc.
• WSU forced USD into 20 turnovers, though.

THE SERIES VS. WICHITA STATE
• Tennessee leads 2-0 in the series vs. Wichita State, defeating the Shockers in Knoxville on Dec. 16, 2014, 54-51, and in Wichita on Dec. 11, 2016, 58-51.
• In 2015, Wichita State put up a great fight in Knoxville during Lady Vol homecomings for (then) head coach Jody Adams and (then) assistant coach Bridgette Gordon, who is now at Tennessee.
• n that game, Cierra Burdick posted a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, and Isabelle Harrison scored 14 points as the No. 11/13 Lady Vols held on for the win.
• The game ended with a thrilling final minute, as Harrison made a layup with 38 seconds left to push the Lady Vols’ lead to 52-48. Kelsey Jacobs answered at the other end of the floor with a three-pointer from the corner to pull Wichita State to within one point with 24 seconds remaining. Ariel Massengale made two big free throws with 5.1 seconds on the clock to put Tennessee’s lead back to three for the final tally, 54-51.
• In 2016, Tennessee went six-of-six at the free throw line over the final 1:20 to ice a 58-51 road victory and improve to 7-2 on the season.
• The Lady Vols are 9-0 vs. teams from the state of Kansas, including 4-0 vs. the University of Kansas, 3-0 vs. Kansas State and 2-0 vs. Wichita State.
• UT is 42-17 vs. teams from the American Athletic Conference.

LAST MEETING BETWEEN UT-WSU
• Bashaara Graves and Andraya Carter both scored 12 second-half points to lead No. 16/15 Tennessee to a hard-fought 58-51 win over Wichita State on Dec. 11, 2015, at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
• The game marked the first road contest of the season for the Lady Vols after opening the year with eight consecutive home games.
• Graves posted her fourth double-double of the season and led all players with 18 points and 13 rebounds on the night. Carter also provided a major boost offensively, scoring 12 of her season-high 14 points in the second half while going 5-of-7 from the floor on the night.
• The Lady Vols outscored the Shockers, 18-12, in the fourth quarter and iced the game at the free-throw line, going 6-6 in the final 1:20
• Diamond Lockhart and TaQuandra Mike led the Shockers with 11 points each.

-UT Athletics

 

Sugarland Reunites and Announces Plans for a New Album

Sugarland Reunites and Announces Plans for a New Album

Sugarland is back.

After taking a break from the duo in 2012 to pursue solo projects and raise families, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush announced today (Nov. 17) that new music is coming.

“We’ve been writing and in the studio together and have some new music coming your way,” said Jennifer, in part, during a Facebook Live video.

The duo, which has not released an album since 2010’s The Incredible Machine, created a buzz at the CMA Awards on Nov. 8 when they appeared onstage to present Vocal Duo of the Year.

Watch Kristian and Jennifer make their announcement below.

photo by Jason Simanek

Listen to “Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind” From Chris Stapleton’s New Album, “From A Room: Vol 2”

Listen to “Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind” From Chris Stapleton’s New Album, “From A Room: Vol 2”

Following the release of From A Room: Volume 1 in May 2017, Chris Stapleton announced that Volume 2 will be released on Dec. 1.

Taking its name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A—where it was recorded in 2016 with producer Dave Cobb—Volume 2 will feature nine songs. Seven of the nine songs were co-penned by Chris, including “Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind,” which was released today (listen below).

From A Room: Volume 1 debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. It remains the best-selling country album of 2017 and recently won the CMA Award for Album of the Year.

From A Room: Volume 2 Track List & Songwriters

  1. “Millionaire” (Kevin Welch)
  2. “Hard Livin’” (Chris Stapleton, Kendell Marvel)
  3. “Scarecrow in the Garden” (Chris Stapleton, Brice Long, Matt Fleener)
  4. “Nobody’s Lonely Tonight” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
  5. “Tryin’ to Untangle My Mind” (Chris Stapleton, Jaron Boyer, Kendell Marvel)
  6. “A Simple Song” (Chris Stapleton, Darrell Hayes)
  7. “Midnight Train to Memphis” (Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson)
  8. “Drunkard’s Prayer” (Chris Stapleton, Jameson Clark)
  9. “Friendship” (Homer Banks, Lester Snell)

photo by Jason Simanek

Zac Brown’s New Trio, Sir Rosevelt, Releases New Song, “The Bravest” [Listen]

Zac Brown’s New Trio, Sir Rosevelt, Releases New Song, “The Bravest” [Listen]

No, Zac Brown Band has not broken up. However, Zac Brown has teamed with songwriter Nico Moon and producer Ben Simonetti to form a new Southern pop trio, Sir Rosevelt, which will drop its self-titled debut album on Dec. 15.

The 11-track offering, which seeks to fuse the sounds of pop, dance, acoustic instrumentation and Southern stylings, features two tracks co-written by Pharell Williams and two tracks co-produced by Timbaland.

“Sir Rosevelt is a new chapter in addition to Zac Brown Band,” says Zac. “A new outlet for creativity, connection and art. Get ready.”

Zac and Nico have been working together for more than 10 years and have been co-writers on a number of tunes, including “Homegrown,” “Loving You Easy” and “Beautiful Drug.” Ben was the recording engineer on ZBB’s 2015 album, Jekyll + Hyde.

Watch the lyric video to Sir Rosevelt’s new track, “The Bravest,” below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqJFLSfkTbg

photo by Diego Pernia/Atlantic Records

Exclusive Photo Gallery: Go Inside Nashville’s Johnny Cash Museum

Exclusive Photo Gallery: Go Inside Nashville’s Johnny Cash Museum

The Johnny Cash Museum in downtown Nashville got a tip of the cowboy hat from TripAdvisor, as it was recently named a 2017 Top 25 Trending U.S. Attractions for Fall. The Johnny Cash Museum (#9 on the list), which opened in 2013, has become a destination for both tourists and locals. Other attractions that made TripAdvisor’s list include the Grand Canyon (#1), Ryman Auditorium (#2) and the Grand Ole Opry (#12), among others.

The Johnny Cash Museum is dedicated to the life and music career of Johnny and features a comprehensive collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the Man in Black, including stage costumes, instruments, personal letters, artwork and handwritten lyrics, as well as contributions from family members and notable friends.

Take a look at our exclusive photo gallery from the Johnny Cash Museum.

photos by Jason Simanek

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban & More Help “Ty, Kelly & Chuck” Send 100,000 Thank You Cards to the Troops

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban & More Help “Ty, Kelly & Chuck” Send 100,000 Thank You Cards to the Troops

When Nash morning show Ty, Kelly & Chuck decided to partner with the USO on Nov. 1 for an initiative to send 100,000 thank you cards to overseas troops, the co-hosts had no idea the outpouring of support they would receive from the country music community, including stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Cole Swindell, Lee Brice, Chase Rice and Old Dominion.

“Setting the goal of 100,000 was intimidating, but we felt like if we hadn’t pushed for so many, we’d only be lowering the ultimate result,” says co-host Ty Bentli. “The response has been incredible, and the stories from the soldiers have show how much these letters mean to them.”

Letters have come from as far away as North Pole, Alaska, and from organizations like the NFL’s New York Giants. In addition, thousands of letters have poured in from elementary schools across the country.

“I love seeing all the cards come in from elementary schools,” says co-host Chuck Wicks. “Nothing is better than seeing a card made by a kid. Those are the sweetest thank yous.”

The country music community has show its support as well—in a big way.

“Having so many country stars—Tim, Faith, Blake, Keith and many more—come to the show to drop off personalized cards has been amazing,” added co-host Kelly Ford. “It just goes to show the love and support our listeners and the country music community have for our troops.”

The morning show has collected more than 30,000 letters so far. To help them reach their goal of 100,000 before Dec. 5, you can send a thank you card to:

Ty, Kelly & Chuck’s 100,000 Thank Yous
506 2nd Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37210

Below, watch Tim McGraw and Faith Hill drop off their thank you cards.

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