Vols Defeat UMass, 17-13 in “unacceptable” performance by UT

Vols Defeat UMass, 17-13 in “unacceptable” performance by UT

Posted on September 23, 2017
Daniel Bituli – Vols LB / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – John Kelly rushed for 101 yards and Quinten Dormady threw for 187 yards as Tennessee held on to defeat UMass 17-13 in front of a crowd of 95,324 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) got off to a slow start in the opening quarter, but turned things up in the second quarter by scoring two touchdowns to take a 14-6 lead into the half.

“We needed to get win number three, and we got win number three,” said head coach Butch Jones. “At the end of the day it’s all about getting the victory, but the performance was just flat out unacceptable and we’ll get back to work tonight and we will work to correct it.”

The Vols got on the board first when Kelly scored his sixth touchdown of the season with a 12-yard run, which was set up by a 66-yard pass—Tennessee’s longest play from scrimmage this season—from Dormady to Brandon Johnson. Kelly’s score gave the Vols a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

UMass (0-5) followed up the Vols’ opening score with one of its own, as quarterback Ross Comis ran it in from five yards out to cap a five-play, 75-yard drive. The Minutemen missed the ensuing PAT to keep the Vols on top, 7-6.

Dormady got the Vols on the board again before the end of the half, when he hit Tyler Byrd for a touchdown in the back corner of the end zone to give Tennessee a 14-6 lead at the half.

Kelly rushed for 80 yards in the first half, while Dormady threw for 154 yards with one touchdown. Tennessee also was 5-for-9 on third downs and had 261 yards of total offense at the break.

The Big Orange defense held the Minutemen to just 161 yards of total offense in the first half and sacked quarterback Andrew Ford twice. UMass converted just two third downs in the first half.

“I did think our defense really stepped up with we needed it,” said Jones. “We forced 10 punts and had seven sacks and thought they changed the line of scrimmage toward the end of the game.”

Tennessee’s Aaron Medley got the scoring going in the second half when he kicked a season-long 40-yard field goal to cap a six-play, 18-yard drive as Tennessee extended the lead to 17-6.

The Minutemen countered, as they took their second drive of the half 75 yards in 4:41 before a 13-yard touchdown pass from Ford to Sadiq Palmer cut UT’s lead to 17-13.

Tennessee’s defense buckled down and held on to preserve the Vols’ perfect home record, holding the Minutemen to just 281 yards of total offense. UMass finished 3-for-14 on third-down conversion attempts and failed to convert on fourth-down.

Tennessee also had seven sacks, 12 TFLs and broke up six passes. The Vols’ seven sacks were their most since recording seven against Vanderbilt on Nov. 22, 2008. UT’s top tackler on the day was Quart’e Sapp, who recorded nine stops. Linebacker Colton Jumper logged 3.5 TFLs, including 2.5 sacks.

The Tennessee offense, led by Dormady and Kelly, finished the day with 319 total yards—with 184 of those coming in the air. Johnson finished with career-highs for receptions (seven) and receiving yards (123).

Kelly’s 101 yards on the ground marked his second 100-yard rushing game this season.

Tennessee punter Trevor Daniel finished the game with and averaged 48.9 yards on eight punts.

The Big Orange host Georgia next Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.

-UT Athletics

 

Reba McEntire Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Opry Debut With Surprise Appearances by Dolly Parton & Carrie Underwood

Reba McEntire Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Opry Debut With Surprise Appearances by Dolly Parton & Carrie Underwood

Posted on September 23, 2017

Reba McEntire celebrated the 40th anniversary of her Grand Ole Opry debut with two shows last night (Sept. 22)—and two surprise guests: Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood.

If was a full circle moment for Reba, as she was upstaged by Dolly during her Opry debut on Sept. 17, 1977.

“First time I ever sang on the Grand Ole Opry was September 17, 1977,” said Reba earlier this year, “and I was supposed to sing two songs, but they came to me when I got there and said, ‘We’re gonna have to cut you down to one song because Dolly Parton just pulled up into the driveway, and she’s gonna take one of your songs.’ I said, ‘Okay, she can take both of them. Can I meet her?’”

“I just wanted to give it back to you tonight,” said Dolly from the Opry stage, “and say hello and congratulations and how much I love you.”

Carrie surprised the audience with an unannounced performance of three songs before Reba joined her to duet on “Does He Love You.”

“It’s always an honor to be on this stage, especially tonight,” said Carrie. “You are an inspiration to us all.”

Vince Gill, who hosted Reba’s 40th anniversary celebration, also shared some sweet sentiments from the stage.

“She’s an old, sweet, dear friend of mine. There’s not many people you can guarantee they’ve got your back. And this is one of my best friends in the world.”

Onstage, Reba reflected on her debut 40 years earlier, saying, “It was a lot of fun. It was nerve-wracking. It was scary. This means the world to me. It’s been a wonderful 40 years. I couldn’t have done it without you, and I wouldn’t have wanted to.

Check out some photos courtesy of Rachael Black/Grand Ole Opry.

all photos by Rachael Black/Grand Ole Opry

Jimmy’s blog: Imagine seeing huge man carrying sledgehammer around campus

Posted on September 22, 2017

By Jimmy Hyams

Tennessee’s massive offensive lineman Trey Smith paraded around campus with a sledgehammer like Paul Bunyan carrying an axe.

It was the week after the Tennessee-Georgia Tech game.

Smith had won the offensive lineman award for best blocker against the Yellow Jackets.

“Man, I got some looks, I’m not going to lie,’’ said Smith.

Smith took it into buildings on campus. He took it to class.

“I wanted to carry it in a non-threatening way,’’ Smith said, “because I started evaluating, I do sort of have a weapon.’’

That begs this question: But how does a 6-foot-6, 315-pound man carry a sledgehammer in a non-threatening way?

Smith was asked why he carried it around campus.

“To start that legend,’’ he said.

Smith consulted with senior Evan Berry about carrying the sledgehammer.

“I asked him, should I carry it to class,’’ Smith said. “And he was like, `You know what, as a freshman, you look back on that when you’re a senior and it’s like, yeah, I did that that.’

“I really want to leave my mark on Tennessee, but have some fun while I’m doing it.’’

Tennessee running back John Kelly, who leads the SEC in rushing after three weeks, was asked if he’s ever walked around campus with a sledgehammer.

“No, but I think I deserve it,’’ Kelly said with a smile.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones said the sledgehammer has been a ritual for offensive linemen for a while, given for a week to those who meet certain criteria.

But Jones added this about Smith: “He needs to go back and earn that sledgehammer.’’

That’s a not-so-subtle hint that while Smith has done some special things as a true freshman, he hasn’t arrived.

“There is a lot of stuff I need to improve on,’’ Smith said. “Obviously, just being an offensive lineman, you’re never going to have perfection.

“A lot of people play in the league (NFL) for like 16 years or so that aren’t perfect. So I think there is always something to work on. But I think I’m doing OK right now.’’

As is typical with most true freshman offensive linemen, Smith feels he’s better at run blocking compared to pass protection.

“Right now I feel like my specialty is run blocking,’’ Smith said. “I enjoy the physicality of it. I guess the way to put it is to get into somebody’s chest and just run them over. That is the fun part about football for me.’’

In pass protection, Smith says at times he gets overaggressive with his hands.

Have the first three games been a greater challenge than Smith anticipated?

“The transition, man, has been hard,’’ Smith said. “Any time you start as a freshman, the challenge of adapting to something that is different is hard.

“But it’s especially hard being an offensive lineman at times with all the different techniques and different assignments I have.’’

Smith said his teammates like the energy he has brought to the offensive line room.

“My high school coaches and mentors always told me to be the most physical guy out there,’’ Smith said, “so a lot of time, I want to bring good physicality … We just sort of want to destroy people.’’

And carry sledgehammers around campus.

Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all

Dylan Scott Announces Holiday EP, “Merry Christmas”

Dylan Scott Announces Holiday EP, “Merry Christmas”

Posted on September 22, 2017

After releasing his self-titled debut album and scoring a No. 1 hit with his breakout single, “My Girl,” Dylan Scott had a lot of reasons to celebrate this summer. He’s keeping the celebration going this fall with the release of his new holiday EP, Merry Christmas, which is slated to drop on Oct. 13.

The five-song offering features holiday classics such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “The Christmas Song,” “White Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”

“Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and I am really excited about the release of my first Christmas EP,” says Dylan. “I grew up listening to the holiday classics and to be able to record and perform some of these songs is a dream come true.”

Dylan will also be featured as a supporting act on Justin Moore’s Hell on a Highway Tour, which kicks off on Oct. 13 and runs through May 2018.

photo by Cameron Powell

Eric Church Releases Another 30 Live Recordings for “61 Days In Church” Project [Full Track List]

Eric Church Releases Another 30 Live Recordings for “61 Days In Church” Project [Full Track List]

Posted on September 22, 2017

Eric Church is releasing more than 100 live recordings from his recent 61-date Holdin’ My Own Tour in a project he’s calling 61 Days in Church.

Eric has partnered with Apple Music to share 122 live recordings. The first 30 songs were made available on Friday, Sept. 1. An additional set of 30 songs were released today (Sept. 22), bringing the total to 60 songs.

The first 30 tracks from the project were made available on other streaming services on Sept. 15.

“I had so much fun learning songs that were unique to whatever city we found ourselves in,” said Eric. “I learned a lot about each place, and it was special to see the crowd react to the songs that were only for them. I’m glad we recorded it and can relive it forever.”

Tour posters from each tour stop will serve as the artwork for each track.

Check out the first 60 songs available below.

30 Tracks Released Sept. 22, 2017

  1. “Better Man” Live at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA / March 18, 2017
  2. “Lightning” (Acoustic) Live at Tacoma Dome, WA / March 18, 2017
  3. “Jolene” Live at Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA / March 17, 2017
  4. “Can’t Take It With You” Live at Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA / March 17, 2017
  5. “Portland” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Moda Center, Portland, OR / March 16, 2017
  6. “I’m Gettin’ Stoned” Live at Moda Center, Portland, OR / March 16, 2017
  7. “It Makes No Difference” Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC / March 14, 2017
  8. “Drink In My Hand” Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC / March 14, 2017
  9. “Alberta” Live at Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB / March 11, 2017
  10. “Smoke a Little Smoke” (Acoustic) Live at Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB / March 11, 2017
  11. “Sundown” Live at Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB / March 10, 2017
  12. “Chattanooga Lucy” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB / March 10, 2017
  13. “Get Up Jake” Live at SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, SK / March 9, 2017
  14. “Mr. Misunderstood” Live at SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, SK / March 9, 2017
  15. “The Shape I’m In” Live at MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB / March 7, 2017
  16. “Hell On the Heart” Live at MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB / March 7, 2017
  17. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” Live at Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa, ON / March 3, 2017
  18. “Young and Wild” Live at Canadian Tire Center, Ottawa, ON / March 3, 2017
  19. “Don’t Do It” Live at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON / March 2, 2017
  20. “Like Jesus Does” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON / March 2, 2017
  21. “Up On Cripple Creek” Live at Budweiser Gardens, London, ON / Feb. 28, 2017
  22. “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag” Live at Budweiser Gardens, London, ON / Feb. 28, 2017
  23. “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI / Feb. 25, 2017
  24. “Creepin’” Live at The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI / Feb. 25, 2017
  25. “My Town” Live at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH / Feb. 24, 2017
  26. “Livin’ Part of Life” Live at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH / Feb. 24, 2017
  27. “Ophelia” Live at Bakers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN / Feb. 23, 2017
  28. “The Hard Way” Live at Bakers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN / Feb. 23, 2017
  29. “Memphis Medley” (How I Got to Memphis/Walking in Memphis) Live at Landers Center, Southaven, MS / Feb. 18, 2017
  30. “Kill a Word” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Landers Center, Southaven, MS / Feb. 18, 2017

30 Tracks Released Sept. 1, 2017

  1. “The World Needs a Drink” Live At Legacy Arena At The BJCC, Birmingham, AL / Feb. 17, 2017
  2. “Talladega” Live at Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, AL / Feb. 17, 2017
  3. “Oh Atlanta” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth, GA / Feb. 16, 2017
  4. “Faster Than My Angels Can Fly” Live at Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth, GA / Feb. 16, 2017
  5. “Longer Gone” Live at Verizon Arena, Little Rock, AR / Feb. 4, 2017
  6. “Lightning” Live at Verizon Arena, Little Rock, AR / Feb. 4, 2017
  7. “Screw You, We’re from Texas” (feat. Ray Wylie Hubbard) Live at American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX / Feb. 3, 2017
  8. “Round Here Buzz” Live at American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX / Feb. 3, 2017
  9. “Where She Told Me to Go” Live at BOK Center, Tulsa, OK / Feb. 2, 2017
  10. “Country Music Jesus” Live at BOK Center, Tulsa, OK / Feb. 2, 2017
  11. “That’s Damn Rock & Roll” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO / Jan. 31, 2017
  12. “Jack Daniels” Live at TD Garden, Boston, MA / Jan. 28, 2017
  13. “How ‘Bout You” Live at TD Garden, Boston, MA / Jan. 28, 2017
  14. “Homeboy” Live At Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY / Jan. 27, 2017
  15. “Cold One” Live at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY / Jan. 27, 2017
  16. “Three Year Old” Live at Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA / Jan. 25, 2017
  17. “Dark Side” Live at Wells Fargo Arena, Philadelphia, PA / Jan. 25, 2017
  18. “The Weight” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Resch Center, Green Bay, WI / Jan. 21, 2017
  19. “Without You Here” Live at Resch Center, Green Bay, WI / Jan. 21, 2017
  20. “Before She Does” Live at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO / Jan. 31, 2017
  21. “Record Year” Live at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN / Jan. 20, 2017
  22. “Knives of New Orleans” Live at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN / Jan. 20, 2017
  23. “The Ballad of Curtis Loew” Live at Wells Fargo Center, Des Moines, IA / Jan. 19, 2017 – Single
  24. “Sinners Like Me” Live at Wells Fargo Center, Des Moines, IA / Jan. 19, 2017
  25. “Over When It’s Over” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, ND / Jan. 15, 2017
  26. “Ain’t Killed Me Yet” Live at Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, ND / Jan. 15, 2017
  27. “Mixed Drinks About Feelings” (feat. Joanna Cotten) Live at Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD / Jan. 14, 2017
  28. “Lotta Boot Left to Fill” Live at Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD / Jan. 14, 2017
  29. “Two Pink Lines” Live at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE / Jan. 13, 2017
  30. “Like a Wrecking Ball” Live at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE / Jan. 13, 2017
Watch Midland’s Boot-Scootin’ Video for New Single, “Make a Little”

Watch Midland’s Boot-Scootin’ Video for New Single, “Make a Little”

Posted on September 22, 2017

The boys from Midland—Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach—are celebrating today’s release of their debut album, On the Rocks, by dropping a video for the album’s new single, “Make a Little.”

Co-penned by the trio with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, “Make a Little” officially impacts country radio on Sept. 25.

“‘Make a Little’ is a song that we wrote about something that we think everyone could use a little bit more of in their lives—and that’s love—[I’m] talking about once the lights go off and maybe without your clothes,” says Mark. “It’s a bit of an homage back to the late ’80s, ’90s, honky-tonk, kinda rock ’n’ roll songs that made everybody get up and go dancing . . . and that’s usually how it all starts, right there on the dance floor, so get up there and dance to make a little.”

Watch Midland’s new video below.

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