Tennessee safety Jaylen McCollough spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this Saturday’s SEC road game at LSU at Noon ET.
Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this Saturday’s SEC road game at LSU at Noon ET.
Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this Saturday’s SEC road game at LSU at Noon ET.
Tennessee quarterback coach Joey Halzle spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of this Saturday’s SEC road game at LSU at Noon ET.
The world of country music mourns the passing of a legend – Loretta Lynn.
The country superstar passed peacefully, at the age of 90, in her sleep early this morning, Tuesday, October 4, at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.
Over the course of her 60-year career, the famous native of Butcher Hollow, Ky. amassed a staggering 51 Top 10 hits, garnered every accolade available in music from GRAMMY awards to induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and broke down barriers for women everywhere with songs like “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “Fist City” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Thanks to the Oscar-winning 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter starring Sissy Spacek, Lynn’s story and songs were brought to an even wider audience, amplifying her impact on several generations of songwriters and artists in various genres including Jack White, with whom Lynn made the GRAMMY-winning 2004 album Van Lear Rose.
Throughout her 80s, Loretta continued to write new songs and, in 2016, returned to the charts with the GRAMMY-nominated Full Circle, the first in a series of critically acclaimed albums produced by her daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell, and John Carter Cash at Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tenn. She followed up with the seasonal classic White Christmas Blue (2016) and 2018’s GRAMMY-nominated Wouldn’t It Be Great, a combination of newly written songs and fresh interpretations of her catalog.
In 2021, the American music icon released Still Woman Enough, a celebration of women in country music; her 50th studio album (not including her ten studio duet collaborations with Conway Twitty), Still Woman Enough featured a title track co-written with Patsy Lynn Russell and a deeply emotional “Coal Miner’s Daughter Recitation,” commemorating the 50th anniversary of the release of Lynn’s signature song (October 5, 1970) and album (January 4, 1971).
Lynn’s music and achievements were repeatedly recognized by all of the major awards bodies. She joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1962, won four GRAMMY awards, seven American Music Awards and eight Country Music Association awards. She was the first woman to win the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards for Entertainer of the Year. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008, and was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. She sold over 45 million albums worldwide.
Lynn was pre-deceased by her husband of 48 years Oliver Vanetta “Doolittle” Lynn, her daughter Betty Sue Lynn and son Jack Benny Lynn. She is survived by her daughters Patsy Lynn Russell, Peggy Lynn, Clara (Cissie) Marie Lynn and her son Ernest Ray Lynn as well as grandchildren Lori Lynn Smith, Ethan Lyell, Elizabeth Braun, Tayla Lynn, Jack Lynn, Ernest Ray Lynn Jr., Katherine Condya, Alexandria Lynn, Jasyntha Connelly, Megan Horkins, Anthony Brutto, Jason Lynn, Wesley Lynn, Levi Lynn, Emmy Rose Russell, David Russell, Lucca Marchetti and step grandchildren David Greer, Jennafer Russell, Melody Russell and Natalie Rapp, and her great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to the Loretta Lynn Foundation. Information about a memorial service/celebration of life will be made available at a later date.
The family has asked for privacy during this time, as they grieve. An announcement regarding a memorial will be forthcoming in a public announcement.
For more information, visit LorettaLynn.com.
Tennessee offensive guard Jerome Carvin spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s game at LSU.
Tennessee running back Jabari Small spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s game at LSU.
Tennessee running back Jabari Small spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s game at LSU.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel held his weekly Monday game week press conference ahead of Saturday’s game at LSU.
By Jimmy Hyams
A highly successful SEC defensive coordinator once told me he did not want to coach at a school that ran an uptempo0 offense.
Why?
The defensive numbers would be skewed.
A high-octane offense would put the defense in harm’s way with a quick score or a quick punt or two to four additional possessions per game.
That could lead to a tired defense and more yards and points allowed.
That has been the case in some of Tennessee’s games under second-year coach Josh Heupel.
It was NOT the case in the Vols’ 38-33 victory over Florida.
Tennessee had only one quick possession, that was early in the second quarter, when the defense should not have been tired.
Otherwise, Tennessee had drives of 7, 10, 8 and 12 plays in the first half, allowing ample rest for the defense. The Vols had drives of 9, 5, 10 and 7 plays in the second half. UT also scored on six of those nine possessions, allowing more time for a defense to catch its breath. And UT’s nine possessions were the fewest in a game under Heupel.
Florida had 10 possessions, stealing one when it recovered an onside kick in the final seconds.
So you can’t blame Tennessee’s defensive deficiencies against Florida on a hurry-up offense.
You can blame it on poor defense, in particular in the secondary.
In the first half, Florida had drives of 11, 9, 8, 8 and 6 plays.
In the second half, Florida had drives of 12, 13, 10, 7 then 4 plays, when Anthony Richardson threw an interception on the last play of the game.
Richardson, who did not throw a touchdown pass in any of the first three games of the season, torched Tennessee for a career-high 453 yards and two scores. He might not have another 453-yard game in his career. He completed 24 of 44 passes. He also ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
Tennessee made Richardson look like Cam Newton.
Historically, Heupel’s offenses have been prolific and the defenses rather dismal.
This season, UT’s offense is No. 1 in the nation in total yards but the defense ranks 96th.
Last year, UT was ninth in offense, 99th in defense.
In Heupel’s three years at Central Florida, the Knights were second, second and fifth in total offense, but 123, 32 and 95 in total defense.
In Heupel’s two years as Missouri’s offensive coordinators (2016-17), the Tigers were eighth and 13th in total offense but 83 and 118 in total defense.
Those averages: fifth in total offense, 92 in total defense.
Those numbers paint a problematic picture, but there are exceptions.
And the Florida game was an exception.
UT’s defense play against Florida brought to light two major concerns:
The inability to cover receivers doesn’t appear to be a scheme problem or coaching problem. It appears to be a talent problem. And that is a huge concern heading into Saturday’s noon ET kickoff at LSU.
Can you name a UT defensive back that you feel is a lock-down defender, someone who could guard a Cedric Tillman or Jalin Hyatt man-to-man?
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels isn’t the most accurate passer in the SEC (he was 8 of 20 against Auburn), but if given time and open receivers, he could put up big numbers in the passing game.
Daniels is also mobile, which puts more pressure on the secondary to determine when to leave a receiver to chase after Daniels.
Daniels was injured against Auburn and didn’t finish the game, appearing to have some type knee or ankle problem.
If his mobility is limited, that works in UT’s favor.
If backup Doug Nussmeier gets the call, UT won’t have to worry about a running quarterback.
But it will still have to worry about covering receivers.
That was a major failure against Florida — and it had nothing to do with UT’s up-tempo attack.
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