Here’s a look at my Week 11 SEC football game predictions.
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2022 Week 10 Straight-Up Record: 4-3 (57%) 2022 Week 10 Spread Record: 4-3 (57%) 2022 Season Straight-Up Record: 66-16 (80%) 2022 Season Spread Record: 48-34 (59%) 2021 Season Straight-Up Record: 92-34 (73%) 2021 Season Spread Record: 63-63 (50%)
Vanderbilt (3-6, 0-5 SEC) at Kentucky (6-3, 3-3 SEC) Series: UK leads, 48-42-4 Noon ET • SEC Network Last: UK, 34-17 (2021 at Nashville) Lexington, Ky. • Kroger Field (61,000) SiriusXM: 108/204 – 133/192 Line: Kentucky -17.5 Pick vs. Spread: Kentucky -17.5 Score Prediction: Kentucky 35 Vanderbilt 16
Missouri (4-5, 2-4 SEC) at No. 5 Tennessee (8-1, 4-1 SEC) Series: Tied, 5-5 Noon ET • CBS Last: UT, 62-24 (2021 at Columbia) Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (101,915) SiriusXM: 121/203 – 138/191 Line: Tennessee -20.5 Pick vs. Spread: Tennessee -20.5 Score Prediction: Tennessee 42 Missouri 20
No. 9 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC) at No. 11 Ole Miss (8-1, 4-1 SEC) Series: UA leads, 53-10-2 3:30 p.m. ET • CBS Last: UA, 42-21 (2021 at Tuscaloosa) Oxford, Miss. • Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038) SiriusXM: 138/191 – 137/190 Line: Alabama -11.5 Pick vs. Spread: Ole Miss +11.5 Score Prediction: Alabama 45 Ole Miss 38
South Carolina (6-3, 3-3 SEC) at Florida (5-4, 2-4 SEC) Series: UF leads, 29-10-3 4 p.m. ET • SEC Network Last: SC, 40-17 (2021 at Columbia) Gainesville, Fla. • Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548) SiriusXM: 108/204 – 133/192 Line: Florida -8.5 Pick vs. Spread: South Carolina +8.5 Score Prediction: Florida 30 South Carolina 24
No. 1 Georgia (9-0, 6-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (6-3, 3-3 SEC) Series: UGA leads, 19-6 7 p.m. ET • ESPN Last: UGA, 31-24 (2020 at Athens) Starkville, Miss. • Davis-Wade Stadium (60,311) SiriusXM: 138/191 – 113/201 Line: Georgia -16.5 Pick vs. Spread: Georgia -16.5 Score Prediction: Georgia 31 Miss State 14
Texas A&M (3-6, 1-5 SEC) at Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC) Series: TAMU leads, 7-5 7:30 p.m. ET • SEC Network Last: TAMU, 20-3 (2021 at College Station) Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) SiriusXM: 133/192 – 137/190 Line: Auburn -1.5 Pick vs. Spread: Auburn -1.5 Score Prediction: Auburn 20 Texas A&M 17
ATHENS, GA – November 05, 2022 – Defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
The 11th-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team heads to the mid-state this weekend, taking on Colorado in Nashville on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET inside Bridgestone Arena.
Fans can catch Sunday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action. The broadcast is also available on channel 135 or 190 on SiriusXM and channel 961 on the SiriusXM app.
Tennessee (1-0) opened its season in Knoxville Monday, defeating Tennessee Tech, 75-43. Making his Tennessee debut, graduate transfer Tyreke Key scored a game-high 17 points with four made 3-pointers, while sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and five assists.
Sunday’s matchup marks the final meeting of a three-game series between the Vols and Buffs. Tennessee defeated Colorado in the 2020-21 season opener in Knoxville and also won the return trip in Boulder last season. Sunday also marks the Vols’ first of three trips to the state’s capital this season—Tennessee is scheduled to played at Vanderbilt on Feb. 8 and return a third time for the SEC Tournament in March.
Up next, the Vols return home to take on Florida Gulf Coast in one final home game before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis. The home contest against the Eagles is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. and set for an SEC Network+ broadcast.
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads its all-time series with Colorado, 4-0, dating to 1980. • Sunday’s game completes the current three-game contract in this series. The Vols won in Knoxville to open the 2020-21 campaign and also knocked off the Buffs last season in Boulder. See Page 4 for a full recap of last year’s meeting. • The Volunteers are 22-12 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference, while Rick Barnes is 34-23 as a head coach vs. Pac-12 opposition. • During the Barnes era, the Vols are 4-2 vs. Pac-12 teams. • Colorado head coach Tad Boyle was Tennessee’s administrative assistant/director of basketball operations under head coach Jerry Green during the 1997-98 season. That team finished 20-9 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. • Colorado assistant coach Rick Ray was the head coach at Mississippi State from 2012-15.
SCOUTING REPORT • Sunday marks Tennessee’s first of two regular-season games away from Knoxville against Pac-12 opponents. The Vols play at Arizona on Dec. 17. • The Volunteers are 10-9 all-time at Bridgestone Arena. • Tennessee returns to Bridgestone Arena March 8-12 for the SEC Tournament. • The Vols were 13-1 last season when making 10 or more 3-pointers. They made 14 Monday vs. Tennessee Tech. • The Volunteers tied a Barnes-era high with 17 steals Monday vs. Tennessee Tech. Nine different Vols had a steal in the win, with Tyreke Key, Santiago Vescovi and Jahmai Mashack each recording three. • The Vols are healthy entering Sunday’s showdown after Josiah-Jordan James returned to the lineup for Monday’s opener. • Tennessee has solid depth, with nine players logging at least 10 minutes vs. the Golden Eagles.
LAYUP LINES • Tennessee tested itself prior to tipping off the regular season with a pair of exhibition matchups against perennial powerhouses Michigan State and Gonzaga. • The Volunteers used a dominant second half to down No. 2 Gonzaga on Oct. 28 in Frisco, Texas, 99-80. See Page 3 for more. • Senior Santiago Vescovi and sophomore Zakai Zeigler were named to the preseason All-SEC first team by the league’s head coaches. The coaches also selected senior Josiah-Jordan James as a second-team selection. All three Vols also landed on the media’s preseason All-SEC teams. • Vescovi and Zeigler also both made the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s 50-man Naismith Trophy watch list. • After facing Colorado Sunday, UT returns home to host Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The Vols then depart for the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Monday, Nov. 21.
ABOUT COLORADO • Colorado defeated UC Riverside at home in its season opener on Monday, 82-66. The Buffaloes are set to play one more game—at Grambling State on Friday—before taking on Tennessee in Nashville on Sunday. • CU also defeated Nebraska in a charity exhibition on Oct. 30 at home, 72-61. • The Buffaloes finished 21-12 (12-8 Pac-12) overall last season and qualified for the NIT. • Colorado head coach Tad Boyle is in his 13th season as the Buffaloes head coach. During the 1997-98 season, Boyle served as an assistant at Tennessee on the staff of former Vols’ coach Jerry Green. • Boyle has compiled a 255-155 record as Colorado’s head coach. The Buffaloes have logged 23 wins over ranked opponents during his tenure. • Also on Colorado’s staff is former Mississippi State and Southeast Missouri State head coach Rick Ray. Tennessee compiled a 4-1 record against Ray during his time at Mississippi State. • Two Colorado players earned preseason All-Pac-12 recognition—junior forward Tristan da Silva (second team) and sophomore guard KJ Simpson (honorable mention). • During last season’s game against Tennessee, da Silva started and had 11 points in 34 minutes, while Simpson played 25 minutes off the bench and scored seven points. • da Silva and junior guard Nique Clifford are Colorado’s only returning starters from last season. Jabari Walker (NBA Draft), Evan Battey (graduation) and Keeshawn Barthelemy (transfer to Oregon) all departed the program following last season.
LAST SEASON VS. COLORADO • Vols true freshman Kennedy Chandler scored a career-high 27 points as No. 13 Tennessee defeated Colorado on the road on Dec. 4, 2021, 69-54. • The Volunteers snapped Colorado’s nine-game home win streak at CU Events Center. The Buffaloes also saw their six-game home win streak against top-25 foes halted. • Chandler shot 13-for-20 from the field in 36 minutes of action, leading the Vols in both scoring and minutes played. • In comparison to Chandler’s 13-for-20 shooting performance, Colorado’s five starters were a combined 13-for-40 from the field. • Santiago Vescovi was Tennessee’s second-leading scorer, totaling 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. John Fulkerson joined Chandler and Vescovi in double figures with 10 points, also adding six rebounds. • In his first game back after missing three games due to injury, Josiah-Jordan James logged a team-high +22 in his 26 minutes of action. James scored five points and had team-highs in both rebounds (9) and blocks (4). • After going into halftime trailing by 10, Colorado cut Tennessee’s lead to five on four separate occasions in the second half but was never able to draw closer. • When the Buffaloes cut the Vols’ lead to five for the final time at 50-45 with 8:34 remaining, James answered with a deep 3-pointer from the left wing that kickstarted a 10-2 Tennessee run. From that point, Colorado never cut its deficit to fewer than nine points. • In the first half, Tennessee shot 48 percent from the field—aided by 16 points from Chandler—and took a 34-24 lead into halftime. • Colorado was hot out of the gates, racing out to an 8-0 lead in the opening two minutes. Tennessee, however, quickly answered with an 11-2 run to take an 11-10 lead. • The Vols and Buffs went back and forth until a Chandler driving layup spurred a 14-5 Tennessee run to end the half. Chandler scored 12 of Tennessee’s points during the run. He finished the first half with 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting. • Tennessee held Colorado to 19-for-55 (.345) shooting—the Buffaloes’ lowest field-goal percentage at home since Dec. 12, 2017.
DYNAMIC QUARTET SIGNS WITH TENNESSEE • The Vols signed four dynamic prospects Wednesday, giving Tennessee a signing class ranked No. 8 nationally according to 247Sports and Rivals. • Those signees, set to enroll this summer, are guard Cameron Carr (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), point guard Freddie Dilione (Fayetteville, North Carolina), forward J.P. Estrella (Scarborough, Maine) and forward Cade Phillips (Jacksonville, Alabama).
COMPREHENSIVE EXCELLENCE • Tennessee’s men’s hoops squad isn’t the only team enjoying routine success on Rocky Top. • During the 2021-22 academic year, Tennessee won the SEC Men’s All-Sports Trophy and finished second in the SEC Women’s All-Sports standings. The Vols and Lady Vols captured five SEC team championships in 2021-22. • Tennessee teams currently ranked in their respective national top 25 polls include football (No. 5), women’s basketball (No. 5), men’s golf (No. 7), women’s swimming & diving (No. 7), men’s basketball (No. 11), men’s swimming & diving (No. 13), men’s cross country (No. 20) and women’s soccer (No. 22).
The 11th-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team heads to the mid-state this weekend, taking on Colorado in Nashville on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET inside Bridgestone Arena.
Fans can catch Sunday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action. The broadcast is also available on channel 135 or 190 on SiriusXM and channel 961 on the SiriusXM app.
Tennessee (1-0) opened its season in Knoxville Monday, defeating Tennessee Tech, 75-43. Making his Tennessee debut, graduate transfer Tyreke Key scored a game-high 17 points with four made 3-pointers, while sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and five assists.
Sunday’s matchup marks the final meeting of a three-game series between the Vols and Buffs. Tennessee defeated Colorado in the 2020-21 season opener in Knoxville and also won the return trip in Boulder last season. Sunday also marks the Vols’ first of three trips to the state’s capital this season—Tennessee is scheduled to played at Vanderbilt on Feb. 8 and return a third time for the SEC Tournament in March.
Up next, the Vols return home to take on Florida Gulf Coast in one final home game before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis. The home contest against the Eagles is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. and set for an SEC Network+ broadcast.
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads its all-time series with Colorado, 4-0, dating to 1980. • Sunday’s game completes the current three-game contract in this series. The Vols won in Knoxville to open the 2020-21 campaign and also knocked off the Buffs last season in Boulder. See Page 4 for a full recap of last year’s meeting. • The Volunteers are 22-12 all-time against current members of the Pac-12 Conference, while Rick Barnes is 34-23 as a head coach vs. Pac-12 opposition. • During the Barnes era, the Vols are 4-2 vs. Pac-12 teams. • Colorado head coach Tad Boyle was Tennessee’s administrative assistant/director of basketball operations under head coach Jerry Green during the 1997-98 season. That team finished 20-9 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. • Colorado assistant coach Rick Ray was the head coach at Mississippi State from 2012-15.
SCOUTING REPORT • Sunday marks Tennessee’s first of two regular-season games away from Knoxville against Pac-12 opponents. The Vols play at Arizona on Dec. 17. • The Volunteers are 10-9 all-time at Bridgestone Arena. • Tennessee returns to Bridgestone Arena March 8-12 for the SEC Tournament. • The Vols were 13-1 last season when making 10 or more 3-pointers. They made 14 Monday vs. Tennessee Tech. • The Volunteers tied a Barnes-era high with 17 steals Monday vs. Tennessee Tech. Nine different Vols had a steal in the win, with Tyreke Key, Santiago Vescovi and Jahmai Mashack each recording three. • The Vols are healthy entering Sunday’s showdown after Josiah-Jordan James returned to the lineup for Monday’s opener. • Tennessee has solid depth, with nine players logging at least 10 minutes vs. the Golden Eagles.
LAYUP LINES • Tennessee tested itself prior to tipping off the regular season with a pair of exhibition matchups against perennial powerhouses Michigan State and Gonzaga. • The Volunteers used a dominant second half to down No. 2 Gonzaga on Oct. 28 in Frisco, Texas, 99-80. See Page 3 for more. • Senior Santiago Vescovi and sophomore Zakai Zeigler were named to the preseason All-SEC first team by the league’s head coaches. The coaches also selected senior Josiah-Jordan James as a second-team selection. All three Vols also landed on the media’s preseason All-SEC teams. • Vescovi and Zeigler also both made the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s 50-man Naismith Trophy watch list. • After facing Colorado Sunday, UT returns home to host Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The Vols then depart for the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Monday, Nov. 21.
ABOUT COLORADO • Colorado defeated UC Riverside at home in its season opener on Monday, 82-66. The Buffaloes are set to play one more game—at Grambling State on Friday—before taking on Tennessee in Nashville on Sunday. • CU also defeated Nebraska in a charity exhibition on Oct. 30 at home, 72-61. • The Buffaloes finished 21-12 (12-8 Pac-12) overall last season and qualified for the NIT. • Colorado head coach Tad Boyle is in his 13th season as the Buffaloes head coach. During the 1997-98 season, Boyle served as an assistant at Tennessee on the staff of former Vols’ coach Jerry Green. • Boyle has compiled a 255-155 record as Colorado’s head coach. The Buffaloes have logged 23 wins over ranked opponents during his tenure. • Also on Colorado’s staff is former Mississippi State and Southeast Missouri State head coach Rick Ray. Tennessee compiled a 4-1 record against Ray during his time at Mississippi State. • Two Colorado players earned preseason All-Pac-12 recognition—junior forward Tristan da Silva (second team) and sophomore guard KJ Simpson (honorable mention). • During last season’s game against Tennessee, da Silva started and had 11 points in 34 minutes, while Simpson played 25 minutes off the bench and scored seven points. • da Silva and junior guard Nique Clifford are Colorado’s only returning starters from last season. Jabari Walker (NBA Draft), Evan Battey (graduation) and Keeshawn Barthelemy (transfer to Oregon) all departed the program following last season.
LAST SEASON VS. COLORADO • Vols true freshman Kennedy Chandler scored a career-high 27 points as No. 13 Tennessee defeated Colorado on the road on Dec. 4, 2021, 69-54. • The Volunteers snapped Colorado’s nine-game home win streak at CU Events Center. The Buffaloes also saw their six-game home win streak against top-25 foes halted. • Chandler shot 13-for-20 from the field in 36 minutes of action, leading the Vols in both scoring and minutes played. • In comparison to Chandler’s 13-for-20 shooting performance, Colorado’s five starters were a combined 13-for-40 from the field. • Santiago Vescovi was Tennessee’s second-leading scorer, totaling 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. John Fulkerson joined Chandler and Vescovi in double figures with 10 points, also adding six rebounds. • In his first game back after missing three games due to injury, Josiah-Jordan James logged a team-high +22 in his 26 minutes of action. James scored five points and had team-highs in both rebounds (9) and blocks (4). • After going into halftime trailing by 10, Colorado cut Tennessee’s lead to five on four separate occasions in the second half but was never able to draw closer. • When the Buffaloes cut the Vols’ lead to five for the final time at 50-45 with 8:34 remaining, James answered with a deep 3-pointer from the left wing that kickstarted a 10-2 Tennessee run. From that point, Colorado never cut its deficit to fewer than nine points. • In the first half, Tennessee shot 48 percent from the field—aided by 16 points from Chandler—and took a 34-24 lead into halftime. • Colorado was hot out of the gates, racing out to an 8-0 lead in the opening two minutes. Tennessee, however, quickly answered with an 11-2 run to take an 11-10 lead. • The Vols and Buffs went back and forth until a Chandler driving layup spurred a 14-5 Tennessee run to end the half. Chandler scored 12 of Tennessee’s points during the run. He finished the first half with 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting. • Tennessee held Colorado to 19-for-55 (.345) shooting—the Buffaloes’ lowest field-goal percentage at home since Dec. 12, 2017.
DYNAMIC QUARTET SIGNS WITH TENNESSEE • The Vols signed four dynamic prospects Wednesday, giving Tennessee a signing class ranked No. 8 nationally according to 247Sports and Rivals. • Those signees, set to enroll this summer, are guard Cameron Carr (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), point guard Freddie Dilione (Fayetteville, North Carolina), forward J.P. Estrella (Scarborough, Maine) and forward Cade Phillips (Jacksonville, Alabama).
COMPREHENSIVE EXCELLENCE • Tennessee’s men’s hoops squad isn’t the only team enjoying routine success on Rocky Top. • During the 2021-22 academic year, Tennessee won the SEC Men’s All-Sports Trophy and finished second in the SEC Women’s All-Sports standings. The Vols and Lady Vols captured five SEC team championships in 2021-22. • Tennessee teams currently ranked in their respective national top 25 polls include football (No. 5), women’s basketball (No. 5), men’s golf (No. 7), women’s swimming & diving (No. 7), men’s basketball (No. 11), men’s swimming & diving (No. 13), men’s cross country (No. 20) and women’s soccer (No. 22).
No. 5/4 Tennessee (0-1) will try to even its season record as it makes its home debut on Thursday at 6:32 p.m. ET vs. UMass (1-0) at Thompson-Boling Arena.
This will mark the first-ever meeting between the Lady Volunteers and Minutewomen. UT has, however, played 24 games vs. schools currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference and has eluded defeat.
Tennessee is in the midst of a six-game campaign-opening gauntlet over a two-week period, featuring three contests in the initial seven days of the schedule. The Big Orange began that spree with an 87-75 loss at No. 14/15 Ohio State on Tuesday night and will welcome A-10 favorite UMass Thursday and then No. 11/11 Indiana at 6 p.m. ET on Monday to complete the first trio of match-ups.
UMass, meanwhile, opened its 2022-23 campaign with a 72-57 victory over Central Connecticut State in Amherst, Mass. on Monday evening. After facing the Lady Vols, UM will head home to take on Maine at 7 p.m. ET on Monday.
Salute To Service/Weekday Family 4 Pack
The UT-UMass clash will be women’s basketball’s UT Athletics “Salute To Service” game.
Current military members and veterans who present their Military ID or DD 214 at the gates upon entry receive complimentary admission for themselves & immediate family members.
A “Weekday Family 4 Pack” ticket package also is available on Thursday night, featuring four tickets and four $10 concessions vouchers starting at $48 (plus tax/fees).
Broadcast Information
Michael Wottreng (play-by-play) and LVFL Kamera Harris (analyst) will be on the broadcast for SECN+.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice in his first season behind the mic. He will be joined by studio host Andy Brock.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
Home Sweet Home
This is the 36th season that the Tennessee women’s and men’s basketball teams have called Thompson-Boling Arena their home, and the Lady Vols own a remarkable 492-52 record (.904) in the mammoth venue.
The Lady Vols have built a combined 645-76 (.895) home mark in contests played at Thompson-Boling Arena, Stokely Athletics Center and Alumni Gym.
Kellie Harper is 40-7 overall, 21-3 vs. non-conference foes and 19-4 in SEC play in games played on The Summitt through the 2022 NCAA match-up with Belmont.
Tennessee ranked No. 8 nationally in average home attendance through 18 contests a year ago at 7,477.
Lady Vols In Openers
Tennessee enters the UMass game carrying a 45-3 all-time record in its first home contest of the year.
The Lady Vols have won 22-straight times in their first appearance at Thompson-Boling Arena and in 39 of their past 40 campaigns.
After falling at No. 14/15 Ohio State on Nov. 8, the Lady Vols are now 44-5 in season openers over the past 49 years, including 28-3 at home, 8-2 on the road and 8-0 at neutral sites.
UT had won its last nine season openers and 21 of its last 22 until the setback at Ohio State.
With that outcome in Columbus, the Big Orange women now are 40-9 in their first road game of the season.
The match-up vs. the No. 14/15 Buckeyes was Tennessee’s first-ever in a true road game season-opener against a ranked foe.
Last Year’s Home Opener
In a defensive battle, No. 15/12 Tennessee took down Southern Illinois, 59-49, in last year’s season opener on Nov. 21, 2021, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Lady Vols rode a late run to victory, outscoring the Salukis 17-2 in the last five minutes of play.
Tennessee overcame the absence of its top three returners, as Jordan Horston did not play due to injury. Rae Burrell went down with an injury in the second quarter and was unable to return. Tamari Key accumulated fouls early and was held out of significant action until the fourth quarter.
Alexus Dye made her presence felt in her first game as a Lady Volunteer. The graduate transfer tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds for her 33rd career double-double. Graduate Jordan Walker led UT in scoring with 14 points, while Burrell tossed in 12 on 6-of-9 shooting before departing.
Looking Back At The OSU Game
No. 5/4 Tennessee dropped its season opener against No. 14/15 Ohio State, 87-75, on the road in Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday night.
The Lady Vols (0-1) struggled with the pressure from the Buckeye defense, turning the ball over 29 times which led to 37 points for Ohio State (1-0). Offensively, Tennessee shot 47 percent from the field and scored 44 points in the paint. UT held the advantage on the boards, out-rebounding OSU 40-30.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Jordan Horston logged her 14th career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds to go along with four assists and a steal. This also marked the 10th time in her career in which she eclipsed the 20-point margin.
Making her Tennessee debut, senior guard Jasmine Powell finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and four assists. Also playing in her first career game with the Lady Vols, Rickea Jackson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. Tess Darby also added nine points behind three 3-pointers.
Powell’s Debut Turns Heads
Jasmine Powell’s 19-point debut vs. Ohio State was the highest first-game point total by a Lady Vol since Te’a Cooper had 22 vs. Central Ark. on 11/15/15.
That effort also was the third-best recorded by a transfer in her first game as a Lady Vol, ranking behind Trish Roberts’ 51 vs. Kentucky in 1976 and Cindy Brogdon’s 20 vs. Miami (Ohio) in 1977.
Powell’s effort was her second-best scoring effort vs. Ohio State in six career games, having played five of them while at Minnesota the past three seasons.
She had entered the game averaging 11.8 vs. the Buckeyes and had posted 17 in her previous contest on Jan. 15, 2022. Her high of 21 vs. OSU came on Feb. 13, 2020.
Horston A Hit In Homecoming
Jordan Horston put on for her hometown of Columbus when the Lady Vols faced Ohio State on Nov. 8, leading Tennessee with 20 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
It marked the 14th career double-double for the senior.
Her effort on a big stage vs. the No. 14/15 Buckeyes came after she averaged 20.7 ppg., 10.7 rpg. and 4.0 apg. a year ago in games vs. ranked opponents.
Darby Picks Up Where She Left Off
Tess Darby picked up where she left off last season, firing in a trio of three-pointers in five attempts vs. Ohio State on Tuesday night.
The junior led Tennessee with 49 treys a year ago, the most since Meme Jackson hit 54 in 2018-19.
Darby shot an astounding 48.1 percent on threes (26-54) in 15 SEC contests in 2021-22.
The Greenfield, Tenn., native entered the 2022-23 season ranked No. 9 on UT’s career three-point field goal percentage list at .376.
A Look At UMass
The 2021-22 season shattered glass ceilings, as UMass garnered its first Atlantic 10 Championship to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
With all five starters and nine total letterwinners returning, the Minutewomen are the A-10 preseason favorites.
Graduate Sam Breen and senior Sydney Taylor are on the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team, while graduate Destiney Philoxy landed on the A-10 Second Team and the All-Defensive Team.
Breen received A-10 Player of the Year honors last year and collected the A-10 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as well as A-10 First Team and All-Academic Team accolades.
Taylor and Philoxy both garnered All A-10 Second Team, while Breen and Taylor were placed on the conference’s all-tourney team last season.
Center Piath Gabriel is a transfer from UConn, while Breen made her way to UMass after spending the 2017-18 season at Penn State.
About The Head Coach
Tory Verdi is in his seventh season leading the program at UMass, possessing a 102-79 résumé.
Verdi is 177-47 overall in his 12th year as a head coach, with that mark including four years as the leader at Eastern Michigan and service during the 2004-05 campaign as interim head coach at Columbia.
He guided UMass to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and the WNIT in 2021.
UT/UMass Notes
This marks the first meeting between these schools in women’s basketball.
Tennessee is 24-0 all-time vs. schools currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Lady Vols’ last contest vs. a school from the A-10 came on March 18, 2017, in Louisville, Ky., as Tennessee held off Dayton, 66-57, in the NCAA First Round at the KFC Yum! Center.
UMass junior forward Piath Gabriel actually played against Tennessee last season when the Lady Vols played UConn in Hartford.
Gabriel saw 1:17 of duty in that game on Feb. 3, 2022, and registered a foul and a turnover.
The 6-foot-5 native of Manchester, N.H., was a freshman on the Huskies’ roster in 2020-21, but she did not see action when UConn visited Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 21, 2021.
Last Game Recap For The Minutewomen
Graduate student Sam Breen matched her career high of 31 points to propel the University of Massachusetts women’s basketball team to a 72-57 victory over Central Connecticut State on Monday evening at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.
The teams were tied at 19 after one and at 28 at the half before UMass outscored CCSU 23-13 in the third quarter and 21-16 over the final frame.
Destiney Philoxy also reached double figures with 15 points, while Sydney Taylor notched nine.
Breen and Makennah White led the Minutewomen in rebounds with eight apiece, followed by Taylor and Ber’Nyah Mayo with five each. Taylor registered a team-high seven assists, tying her career best.
UMass shot 47.6 percent from the field but only 12.5 percent (2-16) from the three-point arc.
The Vols’ signing class is currently rated eighth-best nationally
Tennessee welcomed four dynamic players to its men’s basketball signing class Wednesday, Vols’ head coach Rick Barnes announced.
Made up of guards Cameron Carr and Freddie Dilione and forwards J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips, Tennessee’s currently has the No. 8 recruiting class in the nation according to both 247Sports and Rivals.
Cameron Carr | Guard | Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Currently enrolled at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, and rated a four-star prospect and the No. 87 player in the class of 2023 by 247 Sports, Carr is set to join the Vols next summer.
At Link Academy, Carr is teammates with forward Cade Phillips—one of his fellow Tennessee signees in the class of 2023. Link Academy is also the same program that produced current Vol Julian Phillips.
“Cam has that ‘pedigree’ we talk about a lot as a staff,” Barnes said. “His dad had a lengthy NBA career. His sister plays basketball in the SEC. He’s been around high-level basketball his entire life. He recently had a six-inch growth spurt, so his ceiling continues to rise.
“It’s exciting to think about his potential impact on our program. He’s already an elite shot maker who’s game off-the-bounce is evolving. We really like his IQ and feel for the game, and we’re confident his work ethic will lead to him getting better and better.”
A native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the 6-4 guard played at Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kansas, prior to transferring to Link Academy.
On the Nike EYBL circuit, Carr helped lead Mokan Elite to the 2022 Peach Jam title—posting a 5.7:1 assist to turnover ratio and shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. Mokan Elite, one of the top programs on the Nike EYBL circuit, also produced former Vol and current Memphis Grizzlies guard Kennedy Chandler.
Carr is the son of Chris Carr, who played six seasons in the NBA (1995-03) after starring collegiately at Southern Illinois (1992-95).
Cameron Carr’s older sister, Chrissy, is a redshirt senior guard at Arkansas.
Freddie Dilione | Point Guard | Fayetteville, North Carolina
A consensus top-60 prospect nationally, the Fayetteville, North Carolina, native Dilione (pronounced: dill-ee-ON) is rated as high as No. 24 overall in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports—as well as the top prospect in the state of North Carolina by the 247Sports composite.
“Freddie is another guy we’re thrilled about adding—he is the definition of a ‘Tennessee guard,'” Barnes said. “He comes from an amazing and supportive family. Our recruitment of Freddie began when he attended our Elite Camp in the summer of 2021. And as his recruitment continued, it became clear that he fit our culture extremely well.
“We love Freddie’s versatility on both sides of the floor. As a playmaker, he does a great job of making his teammates better, and he can score in so many different ways. He’s going to be a lot of fun to coach.”
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Dilione broke the Overtime Elite league single-game scoring record with a 36-point performance against the OSL Falcons.
A point guard, Dilione stands 6-5. As a junior during his breakout 2021-22 season at Word of God Christian Academy, he averaged 25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.
Dilione’s stock rose significantly over the summer, as he stood out on Adidas’ 3SSB Circuit as a member of Team Loaded (N.C.)—averaging 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in five games.
Prior to competing at Word of God Christian Academy, where he is coached by Byron Williams, Dilione played the previous three years at Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian, where he averaged 21.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
He becomes the third men’s basketball player from Fayetteville to sign with the Vols, joining grad transfer John Fields (2010-11) and Kwe Parker (2016-17).
J.P. Estrella | Forward | Scarborough, Maine
A native of Scarborough, Maine, Estrella (pronounced: uh-STRELL-uh) has signed and submitted a National Letter of Intent and plans to enroll as a freshman next summer. He would be the program’s first-ever player from the state of Maine.
“J.P. is a guy we initially fell in love with due to his versatility,” Barnes said. “We love his entire family, really.
“On the court, his ability to handle, pass and shoot the basketball at his size made him a priority for us in this recruiting class. He was 6-2 as a high school freshman, and that guard skill-set—now that he’s grown to 6-11—has remained intact despite his massive growth spurt. He’s still just scratching the surface of realizing the player he will become, but his rise from being an under-the-radar prospect to one of the best big men in the country has been fun to watch. We believe J.P. can develop into a force for us in the SEC.”
Currently a senior at prep powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, the 6-11 forward is rated by On3.com as the 36th-best overall prospect in the Class of 2023. He is a consensus top-50 prospect by all major recruiting services.
Prior to this fall, Estrella attended South Portland High School near his hometown for two years. He powered the Red Riots to the Maine Class AA state title as a junior, averaging 20.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game while earning Varsity Maine All-State honors.
Estrella played his AAU ball with the Middlesex (Mass.) Magic of the Boys Under Armour Association, coached by Mike Crotty Jr., after previously competing with XL Thunder, coached by Abi Davids.
He is coached at Brewster Academy by Jason Smith.
His mother, 6-4 Allie (Booth) Estrella, played basketball at Boston College from 1995-99 after earning “Miss Maine Basketball” honors in 1995.
Interestingly, Allie (Booth) Estrella finished her collegiate career in Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena, as she was a senior on the No. 8-seeded Boston College team that fell to the No. 1-seeded Lady Vols in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 15, 1999.
Cade Phillips | Forward | Jacksonville, Alabama
Phillips is currently a senior at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, where his squad is ranked No. 4 nationally in Sports Illustrated’s Preseason Power 25. The 6-9 forward previously attended Jacksonville High School in his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama.
ESPN and On3.com both rate Phillips as the No. 1 overall prospect out of the state of Alabama in the Class of 2023.
“We’re all very excited to welcome Cade and his family into our Tennessee basketball family,” Barnes said. “He’s been blessed with a terrific support system surrounding him, and he’s an impressive athlete who fits really well into the style of basketball we want to play.
“Cade has great hands and quick feet around the rim. We also love his toughness. We believe, in time, he will grow into a player who provides tremendous upside and versatility on both ends of the floor.”
As a junior last season at Jacksonville High—coached by Shane Morrow—the four-star prospect averaged 13.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 57 percent. In 24 games, he totaled 109 blocked shots.
He took his rim protection to a different level during 2022 postseason play, swatting 25 shots in a four-game span—including an incredible 11-block performance in the regional final—en route to Class 4A All-State honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
On the Nike AAU circuit, Phillips played for The Skills Factory. Prior to shifting his focus to basketball, he played outside linebacker, safety and defensive end as a football player.
Phillips boasts a rich athletic bloodline, as both of his parents competed as student-athletes in the SEC. His father, John David Phillips, was a football quarterback at Alabama. His mother, Reagan Croyle Phillips, played basketball—and also was selected Homecoming Queen—at Alabama. Phillips also has a grandfather, John Croyle, and an uncle, Brodie Croyle, who were football standouts for the Crimson Tide.
Cade Phillips also becomes the second Tennessee basketball signee in as many years from Link Academy, as current freshman Julian Phillips (no relation) attended Link in 2021-22 and helped lead the Lions to the championship game of the 2022 GEICO National Championships. Link is coached this season by Bill Armstrong, and the Lions’ roster also features fellow UT signee Cameron Carr.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 5/4 Tennessee dropped its season opener against No. 14/15 Ohio State, 87-75, on the road in Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center on Tuesday night.
The Lady Vols (0-1) struggled with the pressure from the Buckeye defense, turning the ball over 29 times which led to 37 points for Ohio State (1-0). Offensively, Tennessee shot 47 percent from the field and scored 44 points in the paint. UT held the advantage on the boards, out-rebounding OSU 40-30.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Jordan Horston logged her 14th career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds to go along with four assists and a steal. This also marked the 10th time in her career in which she eclipsed the 20-point margin.
Making her Tennessee debut, senior guard Jasmine Powell finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and four assists. Also playing in her first career game with the Lady Vols, Rickea Jackson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. Tess Darby also added nine points behind three 3-pointers.
The Lady Vols gained the early advantage in the first quarter thanks to an 8-0 run and 50-percent shooting from the field. Horston and Jackson scored five points each as Tennessee pulled ahead 22-16.
In the second stanza, both teams went back and forth throughout the period. Powell sparked the Big Orange offense, dropping eight points and two assists in the quarter. Horston chipped in six points and five boards to help UT take a 41-33 lead into halftime.
For the half, Horston and Powell each accounted for 11 points. Horston also added nine rebounds. Tennessee shot 45 percent from the floor in the first half and held the Buckeyes to 10-percent shooting from beyond the arc. UT struggled with turnovers, giving the ball up 12 times and leading to 14 points for Ohio State.
The third period was all OSU, as the Buckeyes were firing on all cylinders on both ends of the floor. Ohio State shot 67 percent from the field and forced 11 turnovers that led to 16 points. OSU outscored the Lady Vols 30-13 in the quarter to take a 63-54 advantage into the final frame.
Ending the third stanza on a 12-0 run, Ohio State scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to pull ahead by 15 points with 8:47 remaining in the game. Tennessee used an 8-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to eight points, but the Buckeyes held off the Lady Vols’ late comeback efforts.
The Lady Vols return to Thompson-Boling Arena for their home opener on Thursday, Nov. 10, against UMass. The contest begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be live streamed on SEC Network+ and audio streamed on the Lady Vol Network.
HORSTON HOMECOMING:Jordan Horston, a Columbus native, tallied 20 points and 13 rebounds in front of her hometown crowd, recording the 14th career double-double of her Lady Vol career. It was also the 10th time in her career in which she eclipsed the 20-point margin.
POWELL SOLID AGAINST FORMER FOE:Jasmine Powell, a transfer from Minnesota, notched 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Powell faced Ohio State in the Big Ten for three seasons. This marked the fourth time she scored double digits against the Buckeyes.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Boasting three wins over teams currently ranked, Tennessee sits at No. 5 in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff selection committee rankings released on Tuesday night.
The Volunteers (8-1, 4-1 SEC) come in behind top-ranked Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU. They join the Bulldogs, No. 7 LSU, No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 24 Kentucky as the six SEC teams in the top 25, representing the most of any conference.
Tennessee and Georgia are the only two programs with multiple victories over current CFP top 10 teams. The Vols are also the only team in the nation with six wins vs. FBS opponents that currently have a winning record.
UT beat current No. 7 LSU, 40-13, on the road in Baton Rouge for its largest win in the series since 1940. The Vols also hold a dramatic 52-49 triumph over current No. 10 Alabama, in which star quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt connected for five touchdowns. The 52 points were the most allowed by Alabama since 1907.
Hooker combined for 736 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns in those two victories over current top 10 teams.
Tennessee then throttled current No. 24 Kentucky, 44-6, two weeks ago. That was the Vols’ largest margin of victory over a ranked SEC opponent since 1990.
Tennessee is off to an 8-1 start for the first time since 2001 with three conference games remaining. They seek an undefeated record in Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2007 as Missouri comes to town for the home finale at noon ET Saturday on CBS.
Limited tickets for Saturday’s Senior Day game remain on sale at AllVols.com.
College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 8) 1. Georgia (9-0) 2. Ohio State (9-0) 3. Michigan (9-0) 4. TCU (9-0) 5. Tennessee (8-1) 6. Oregon (8-1) 7. LSU (7-2) 8. USC (8-1) 9. Alabama (7-2) 10. Clemson (8-1) 11. Ole Miss (8-1) 12. UCLA (8-1) 13. Utah (7-2) 14. Penn State (7-2) 15. North Carolina (8-1) 16. NC State (7-2) 17. Tulane (8-1) 18. Texas (6-3) 19. Kansas State (6-3) 20. Notre Dame (6-3) 21. Illinois (7-2) 22. UCF (7-2) 23. Florida State (6-3) 24. Kentucky (6-3) 25. Washington (7-2)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With Saturday’s contest against Missouri slated to be the final home game of the season, No. 5 Tennessee is focused on making it a memorable at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols will look to remain unbeaten at home this year and cap their first perfect record at Neyland Stadium since 2007 with a win on Saturday afternoon.
While the Tigers enter the game with a 4-5 record, UT knows the task will be anything but easy. Four of Missouri’s five losses have come by seven points or less, including a narrow four-point defeat to No. 1 Georgia back on Oct. 1 in a game that the Tigers led until late in the fourth quarter.
“They have good skill, good young skill,” defensive coordinator Tim Banks said of Mizzou. “Their quarterback has done a really good job. I think he’s underrated. I think he’s more athletic than what a lot of people give him credit for. He’s made some plays. He played Georgia extremely well, and they were winning in the fourth quarter.
“We know those guys are going to come in here ready to play. At the end of the day, we just have to make sure that we’re ready to play. We are worried about Tennessee and making sure they get our best version.”
Tennessee’s offense is determined to bounce back from a disappointing performance down in Athens last weekend and will have to do so against a stingy Tigers’ defense that ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring (21.4 ppg) and total defense (304.1 ypg) while ranking third in the league in yards per play allowed (4.83).
Missouri is especially adept at pressuring opposing quarterbacks and creating negative plays, leading the conference with 68.0 tackles for loss while ranking fourth in the SEC with 22.0 sacks this season.
Senior offensive lineman Jerome Carvin said that the Tigers’ defensive performance against Georgia definitely got the team’s attention.
“Yeah, we definitely watched the tape,” Carvin said. “Man, they got after them. It was a physical bunch. They played really hard, and they executed up front. Especially, when you got into third and longs, in that game they got home, so they were able to affect the quarterback.
“I’m looking forward to this game. We have to be able to run the football, get out and stay out of third and longs and when we are in third longs, we have to protect. That’s the game plan.”
The Vols have looked to their senior leaders like Carvin and quarterback Hendon Hooker as they look to return to form this Saturday.
“The seniors here right now are leading in such incredible way,” offensive coordinator Alex Golesh said. “We just got done with a Tuesday practice after our first loss and it’s constant energy and positivity. Guys like Hendon Hooker and Jerome Carvin are the reason this program – at least for us offensively – has been able to flip. They fed off of coach Heupel’s message, fed off of our message, demanded greatness through the offseason and practice, and continue to demand that our process every single day is right. Those guys have been incredible. They have remained positive and remained the same way throughout the process – very much lead by Hendon and what his approach has been. I can’t give those guys enough credit.”
On top of Senior Day, Saturday will also be UT’s annual “Salute to Service” game, as current and former members of the military will be honored throughout the afternoon. Kickoff against the Tigers is slated for noon on CBS. Limited tickets are still available at AllVols.com.
Transcripts and player quotes from Tuesday’s media availabilities can be found below.
On team’s defensive performance against Georgia and how they can improve moving forward… “I think the first thing was the big plays. They came out, hit us on a couple of plays. When you’re playing a good team that is as talented as the team we faced, you know there’s going to be some give and some take. We thought we were in pretty good position. Guys made plays. You look at the technique, the fundamentals, look at the call, you evaluate everything to make sure you’re putting them in the best possible situation to be successful. Obviously, there are some things we want to do better. The kids owned it, coaches owned it. Overall, we thought we gave ourselves a chance once we settled down, but you can’t start that slow. That has not been our calling card.”
On Missouri… “They have good skill, good young skill. Their quarterback has done a really good job. I think he’s underrated. I think he’s more athletic than what a lot of people give him credit for. He’s made some plays. He played Georgia extremely well, and they were winning in the fourth quarter. We know those guys are going to come in here ready to play. At the end of the day, we just have to make sure that we’re ready to play. We are worried about Tennessee and making sure they get our best version.”
On teaching moments from the Georgia game… “When you’re on the road playing a talented team, you want to start off fast. You want to make sure that the communication is where it needs to be, alignments, all of the small details that always come back and bite you if you don’t adhere to them. I think our kids understand that. We have some resilient kids. We have a mature bunch. We looked at those things, we looked at the alignments, assignments and the communication part. We addressed it, and now we are moving on.”
On the secondary lineup with Brandon Turnage and Doneiko Slaughter at corner… “We are still working through it. I think we are always going to try to put the guys out there that are going to give us the best opportunities to be successful on Saturdays. Those guys have been healthy the last couple of weeks. They obviously played well the first week, and to a degree this last week. Getting Christian Charles back and getting him healthy, he’ll factor in. We feel good about those two guys, but nothing is ever settled. It’s a game-by-game kind of deal back there, no different than what it is at all the positions. Number one, you have to be healthy, and obviously you have to be playing at a high level. We thought those guys did that the last couple of weeks.”
On Missouri’s offense… “They’re very talented at the receiver spot. Even though they’re young, they have really good talent there. They have a quarterback who is a lot more athletic than people give him credit for. You look at the moxie they showed playing the University of Georgia, I thought they did a great job schematically. They put them in a lot of tough situations. We know those guys will come in here ready to play. The key is making sure we are ready to play and doing the best job we can of preparing this week to get ready for a tough Missouri team.”
On what the seniors on defense have meant to the program… “It’s been great. For a lot of those guys, it will be their last home game. Those guys, they bought into what we were selling from Coach Heupel down to myself. We’ll be forever appreciative of the foundation that these guys have laid. I think they’re going to be extremely proud moving forward as they watch Tennessee grow and continue to ascend throughout the country, doing it through our play. It’s really because of the foundation that those guys have laid.”
On what makes a defense spy a mobile quarterback versus not spying him… “I think just like anything, you have to do some things and kind of mix it up. I don’t think you want to do anything the whole time. These guys are too smart, the coordinators are too smart. There will be opportunities obviously where you want to spy and mirror him, but there will be some opportunities where you have to push five or six guys to try to get him on the ground. I think the reality of it is, you just have to do a great job of trying to mix up the fronts, mix up the coverages to try to keep him guessing. If he knows exactly what he’s seeing, he’s liable to put the ball down and just take off running. Nobody wants to see that, let alone me.”
On Georgia’s big plays early in the game and how they have limited them this season… “I think number one, I think we’ve been really good against the big plays for the most part. We do a percentage each week, in terms of how many plays we play versus how many big plays we play. We’ve graded out pretty high most of the season. Going back to the Georgia game, to be quite honest with you, they made some plays. I felt like we were in a good spot coverage wise. I think we were where we needed to be for the most part. Guy just made a great contested catch on both plays, and then the other big play that we gave up, we weren’t where we needed to be. That was obviously frustrating. We know we’re playing talented teams. Just about every team in this conference that we’re seeing week in and week out is going to be talented. We just have to make more plays than we obviously give up.”
On importance of containing Missouri receivers… “Yeah, it’s really important. Those guys are talented. I stated earlier, they’re young but they’re extremely talented, athletic. They’ve played well in a lot of big moments for those guys in their young career. It’s important to know where those guys are, particularly (Luther Burden III). He’s fast enough to tear the top off the coverage, but he’s also athletic enough when the ball is in-hand to be able to make guys miss. He’s a good young prospect.”
On if defense talks about committing a penalty to avoid giving up a big play… “I don’t want to speak for everybody, but from my perspective, and I played defensive back—you probably can’t tell but back in the day—obviously, if you’re beat and you’re going to give up a touchdown, yeah, you’d rather grab the guy and obviously let them call the flag and give us a chance to play again. We probably talk a lot more about just having better technique, fundamentals and making sure we’re not in those situations. At the end of the day, the name of the game is to keep them out of the end zone at all costs. If you feel like you’re going to give up a score, you best do what you need to do to give us a chance to snap the ball again.”
On how closely he monitors snaps of different positions… “We monitor all of them. We want to make sure, as I said I think the very first press conference that we had, we realized that we have one of the best offenses in the country, and they’re going to score a lot of points and we’re going to play a lot of plays. It was of the utmost importance that we rotate these guys, particularly up front. Those guys are the guys that typically get tired the quickest. Then I would move on to the linebackers as well. We put a lot on those guys’ plate, and we want to make sure those guys are fresh coming down this back stretch in the fourth quarters. We’ve really been able to, not really by design, but because of so many injuries we’ve had on the back end, we’ve really put ourselves in a position where a lot of guys have earned some trust, and we’re able to rotate those guys a little bit more too based on the experience they’ve gotten earlier in the season. We want to rotate guys as much as possible to try to keep them fresh. The more we can do it, I think it’s great obviously for us to play fast at the end of games, but it’s also great for the morale. At the end of the day, they get what they earn. If guys are working hard, if guys are playing to the standard and they give themselves the chance to win in practice, we’re going to give them a chance to play on Saturdays.”
On what Juwan Mitchell has done differently in the last couple of weeks… “I think Juwan (Mitchell) is getting into a little bit of a rhythm. I like to think he’s starting to find his groove, so to speak. He’s healthy. He’s actually played pretty good the last couple of weeks. I think again, it’s the combination of him being healthy and the way teams have tried to attack us to a degree. It’s put him in some situations where he needed to make some plays, and he’s come through for us so far. I’m proud of the direction he’s headed. We feel like he has the chance to be a really good player in this program. I think these last couple of weeks are starting to show what he can really do.”
On working with Trevon Flowers… “It’s been awesome. Just like all the seniors I mentioned earlier, obviously Trevon (Flowers) is a senior, he’s played a lot of football for us. He’s been a warrior. He’s been banged up to a degree, but he hasn’t missed a rep. He’s always there, he’s always trying to get better. To be quite honest with you, he’s the type of kid that you’re looking for to represent your university. He’s a good kid, he’s a good student-athlete, and he’s obviously a really good football player. He’s definitely going to be missed, I feel like he’s playing good football. More importantly, I like the kid, I like what he brings to the table from a maturity perspective. He’s definitely leaving his mark, he’s playing his best ball his senior year, and I couldn’t be more happy for him.”
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Alex Golesh
On the offensive struggles against Georgia having to do with Georgia’s personnel… “What slowed us down on Saturday was us. Pre-snap penalties, not executing in critical times in the red zone. In terms of a blueprint, I think they have really good players. I think there’s a lot of teams in this league that have really good players. We’ve played really good players. They played better than us on Saturday. The environment was, at times, not handled well by us – both players and coaches. That’s on the coaches in terms of not being ready in that aspect. They lined up with 11 guys and covered our guys at times. Other times, they didn’t. We executed at times, and at times we didn’t. The key part of that was in critical situations and situational football, third down; as we got tighter in the red zone, we didn’t execute. It’s a game of execution, and we did not. They do have good athletes though.”
On the offensive seniors playing their final game in Neyland Stadium… “The seniors here right now are leading in such incredible way. We just got done with a Tuesday practice after our first loss and it’s constant energy, constant positivity. I think they fed off of Coach Heupel in that regard. Guys like Hendon Hooker, Jerome Carvin, Cedric Tillman, those guys are the reason this program –at least for us offensively– has been able to flip. They fed off of Coach Heupel’s message, they fed off of our message, they demanded greatness through the off-season, demanded greatness through practice. I think they continue to demand that our process every single day is right. Those guys have been incredible. They have remained positive and remained the same way throughout the process, very much led by Hendon and what his approach has been. I can’t give those guys enough credit.”
On all the offensive interruptions against Georgia affecting tempo… “I think, in a lot of ways, when there is a clock stoppage it affects momentum one way or the other in any offense. I think when it’s self-inflicted, when there are five yards that come with it, it’s really hard. Instead of 3rd & 1, now you’re playing 3rd & 6. Instead of 3rd & 6, you’re playing 3rd & 11. I think those situations are hard. It also allows them to sub in some guys where you would rather not play against them in a situation when you have to throw the football. That’s where it hurts you more than the actual clock stopping. When it’s because of an injury, injuries happen. Sometimes injuries happen a little bit more against certain teams; so be it. When it’s self-inflicted with false starts, that’s where, if you’re losing sleep, that’s where I lose sleep. If a defensive guy gets hurt, man that’s unfortunate, hopefully he’s healthy. When it’s us self-inflicting that wound, that’s the part the we own as coaches and I own myself. Now we’re putting ourselves in a bad spot because the clock is stopping, they can sub fresh bodies out there. 3rd & 1, we’ve been highly effective against this year, 3rd & 6, 3rd & 11 and 3rd & 16 become really, really hard. Especially in a game where you’re trying to catch up, it makes it really hard.”
On looking ahead to recruiting and filling gaps for next year with transfers… “We have been having those conversations since Week 1, really since camp. We do have more than three games left, but I do know what you mean. You have to have a plan back in August of, ‘this is who we think we are going to lose.’ The COVID year kind of jacks it up a little bit, too, because you don’t really know exactly who is going to be back in terms of guys who have another year. But, the NFL Draft is in that same breath. You know right now, sitting here with at least who you are thinking will be back, where you have holes you got to fill. Those have been pinpointed since August and talked about every week. We talk about recruiting every day, but they have been talked about in-depth as a full staff several times a week, every week. You know this, it is the lifeblood of what we do, you got to have players. But we have pinpointed positions where we feel like we need an older guy, we need a younger guy with some years, can that be fixed with a high school guy that can take some time to develop? Or, no, we need immediate help there. You can look at the roster and say ‘they are really old there, they need some young help,’ or spots where we feel we have really good young players that will be able to step in and replace bodies.”
On Hendon Hooker’s performance against Georgia… “I thought Hendon, just like he has every week, has really done a phenomenal job of doing his job. I think the quarterback will own some of the sacks, the quarterback will own some of the missed throws. Not to sound cliche about it, but it really is everybody’s job to protect the quarterback. We talk about it every week, we talked about it again on Monday. It is all of our job to protect the quarterback. The receivers got to get open, tight ends got to get open. O-line, running backs, tight ends at times have got to protect, and the scheme has to help them get open, too, so it is just as much on us. In terms of him holding onto the ball too long, I don’t believe that to be the case. Where Hendon has been exceptional is his timing, his ball placement, his reads have been impeccable throughout the year. Now, you take the environment, you take the fact that you are playing a really good football team on the road, did we handle that the best way we could in terms of, in those situations where it is third down, a lot of those are clock stoppage, are we handling it the right way? That is where our process for us has to be right, in terms of how we prepare our guys. For all of those guys, in a lot of ways, it is not an excuse it is just reality, their first time in that situation as the No. 1 team in the country. So, in terms of him holding onto the ball too long, I would say no. It is all of our job to protect him. He could have played better, we could have played better, we could have coached better. We have learned, we have moved on and, not discounting what it was, we are onto Missouri. A really, really good defense again and we have to go and continue to prepare and continue to perfect our process. I think that is what is awesome about this game: you get one shot at 60 minutes to do it. We didn’t do it. It’s not Hendon’s fault and it would be really hard to pinpoint one guy here and there. We did not execute, we jumped offside, we did not execute in the redzone, and it was not good enough. I think everybody understands that, our players understand that. How they respond is everything in terms of us continuing to build this program where it has to go. As of three days into it, they have responded at a really, really good level.”
On how Georgia has defended them compared to other defenses this season… “I am not trying to discount the question. They have 11 guys, they can only do so many different things. If the question is, ‘did they out-scheme us and did we have no idea what was going on?’ Absolutely not. They had a really good scheme, they played really well. We have a really good scheme, we did not play well. Again, schematically, we were sound. We were behind the chains because of the pre-snap penalties the entire night. So, blueprint, yes, the blueprint for those guys, really good players, really good coaches. Awesome. We have really good players, really good coaches. On that day, in that 60 minutes, they were better than us. We screwed up a bunch with the pre-snap penalties.”
On Cedric Tillman’s performance since returning from injury… “I think Cedric has done a really good job, we were really careful bringing him back two weeks ago. He played the entire game against Georgia. Ramel Keyton spelled him there a little bit. I think he has done a really good job. He looks like his old self, maybe fresh legs a little bit, in some ways. He has continued to press to improve every single day. Really, really good to have him. You saw him on Saturday, he made some plays that were hard to make. The guy that was covering him is as good as one that we have seen all year, a lot of credit to that kid. I thought Ced won his share of battles in that one, I think he is going to continue to win his share of battles, I think he has knocked the rust off. Man, it’s really good to have him. I really think with him and Bru McCoy and Ramel being able to rotate and Squirrel White. I think we are continuing to build depth there. You hope to continue to be able to play more guys, but really proud of Ced.”
On learning from Missouri’s defensive performance against Georgia earlier this season… “Yeah, we definitely watched the tape. Man, they got after them. It was a physical bunch. They played really hard, and they executed up front. Especially, when you got into third and longs, in that game they got home, so they were able to affect the quarterback. I’m looking forward to this game. We have to be able to run the football, get out and stay out of third and longs and when we are in third longs, we have to protect. That’s the game plan.”
On his favorite SEC home and road wins and off field moments as a Vol … “Favorite road moment, I would say 2018 Auburn. That was my favorite road moment here. First SEC win, I think because the year before we didn’t win any SEC games, so that was my favorite road moment. Favorite home moment would probably be Alabama this year. Beating them for the first time, being able to smoke a cigar, that was special. It was special for our fan base, special for all of Vol Nation field, so love that for them. Favorite off the field moment as a Vol, that’s tough. I would say probably just hanging with the guys, hanging with my teammates. Going to the basketball games, supporting all the other sports here. Just going to the games and showing support would probably be one of my favorite.”
On feeling the belief that Josh Heupel has in the players coming off of the loss… “Oh no doubt. He has never lost any belief in us at all. He has high expectations for us, and he loves us, and we love him and we’re going a play so hard for him. It definitely hasn’t wavered at all from him. He’s definitely let us know that, his staff (has) as well. We’re not shying away from anything so, I’m just excited to play the rest of these games, especially looking forward to Missouri.”
On takeaways from Georgia game for him to correct… “Just communicating, everybody being on the same page. The details that we’ve been focused on all season – no matter what the outside noise is saying, no matter what’s going on outside of the building here – we got to be able to stay focused, stay locked in on the assignment ahead of us. Don’t get too emotional, whatever the case may be. Just kind of staying locked in, whether the breaks are going our way, going against our way, we got to be able to reset and keep pushing.”
On Tennessee’s impressive performances in noon games… “Maybe how we go about our everyday routine. We’re up early, practice early, getting in, that’s kind of how our body works. We’re just ready to go by 12 o’clock, just like a practice day, we’re ready to go. 12 o’clock, our practicing time is pretty much over. By that time, we’re warmed up, we’ve had a good meal, our brains are going, body’s right, that’s just what our body is used to. That’s probably the reason.”
On how they go about business without thinking about playoff positioning… “We just got to stay focused. Like I said, the outside noise, we can’t really let it get in our locker room, we can’t really let the disturbances affect how we practice or how we play, whether we were 3-7 or 8-1, no matter what we’ve got to come in every day ready to work, ready to go and give our best shot on Saturdays. Whatever happens, happens. All we can control is what we can control.”
