The debut album from Kidd G, Down Home Boy, is available now!
Kidd G thinks this collection of songs will allow fans to get to know him a little better, “This album is an opportunity to show people who I am…I’m still the same down-home guy who’s all about family, friends, my hometown and making music and I think that comes across in my music.”
Kidd G’s influence is on every track as he co-wrote each song on Down Home Boy – including his current single at country radio, “Summer In A Small Town.”
Down Home Boy track list:
“Down Home Boy”
“Paper Hearts (F-150)”
“What It’s Like”
“If Heaven Had A Phone”
“2000 & IDK”
“Break Up Song”
“Whiskey & Wine”
“I Think I Love Her”
“Summer In A Small Town”
“Ordinary Girl”
“Unknown Numbers”
“You Could Use Me”
“Folks Back Home”
“Last Call”
Fans will be be able to see Kidd G sing the music off of his new album live and in person very soon as he’s launching the Down Home Boy tour on October 15th in Houston, Texas.
The 7-stop tour is Kidd G’s first headlining experience, and will wrapped up at New York City’s Gramercy Theater on November 19th.
Down Home Boy tour schedule: 10/15 Houston, TX House of Blues Bronze Peacock 10/16 Dallas, TX House of Blues Cambridge 10/28 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line 10/30 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge 11/5 Charlotte, NC Amos’ Southend 11/6 Atlanta, GA Terminal West 11/7 Atlanta, GA Terminal West 11/19 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre
Week 3 Straight-Up Record: 11-1 (92%) Week 3 vs. Spread Record: 7-5 (58%) 2021 Season Straight-Up Record: 32-7 (82%) 2021 Season Straight-Up Record: 21-18 (54%) 2020 SEC Season Prediction Record Straight-Up: 66-12 (85%)
KNOXVILLE, TN – September 18, 2021 – Quarterback Hendon Hooker #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 LSU (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC) Series: LSU leads, 75-36-3 Noon ET • ESPN Last: MSU, 44-34 (2020 at Baton Rouge) Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (61,337) Sirius: 99/136• XM: 192/191 Point Spread: LSU -1.5 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: LSU -1.5 Score Prediction: LSU 31 Miss State 13
Missouri (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at Boston College (3-0) Series: First Meeting Noon ET • ESPN2 Chestnut Hill, Mass. • Alumni Stadium (44,500) Sirius: 133 • XM: 207 Point Spread: Boston College -1 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Missouri +1 Score Prediction: Missouri 34 Boston College 31
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-0 SEC) Series: UGA leads, 58-20-2 Noon ET • SEC Network Last: UGA, 30-6 (2019 in Nashville) Nashville, Tenn. • Vanderbilt Stadium (40,350) Sirius: 81/135 • XM: 81/190 Point Spread: Georgia -37 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Georgia -37 Score Prediction: Georgia 45 Vanderbilt 0
Texas A&M (3-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (3-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: ARK leads, 41-33-3 3:30 p.m. ET • CBS Last: TAMU, 42-31 (2020 at College Station) Arlington, Texas • AT&T Stadium (86,798) Sirius: 136/135 • XM: 191/190 Point Spread: Texas A&M -4.5 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Texas A&M -4.5 Score Prediction: Texas A&M 27 Arkansas 21
Georgia State (2-2) at Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC) Series: First Meeting 4 p.m. ET • SEC Network Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) Sirius: 81 • XM: 81 Point Spread: Auburn -27 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Auburn -27 Score Prediction: Auburn 49 Georgia State 10
Tennessee (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at Florida (2-1, 0-1 SEC) Series: UF leads, 30-20 7 p.m. ET • ESPN Last: UF, 31-19 (2020 at Knoxville) Gainesville, Fla. • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Spurrier-Florida Field (88,548) Sirius: 99/84 • XM: 192/84 Point Spread: Florida -19 Vince’s View: On defense, Star DB Theo Jackson, LEO Byron Young and LEO Tyler Baron on UT’s edges at the line of scrimmage are going to be important if the Vols are going to have a chance in this game. They have to sure tacklers, aggressive getting vertical and know what they are seeing with Florida’s effective rushing attack. Florida’s offensive line has been one of the big surprises for the Gators. QB Emory Jones, despite the 2 TDs and 5 INTs, has still played better than many expected. Getting Anthony Richardson back as a second QB will add to the difficult task for Tennessee’s defense. UT’s rush stats have been great against the run this season, but that’s versus bad running teams. This game will prove a lot in that area and for where the program is overall in Heupel’s first year.
Tennessee has had more life in the offense with Hooker at quarterback. I think Hendon Hooker will start with previous starter Joe Milton III not seemingly full-go at practice. Hooker is a more willing runner than Milton and has seemed to be more decisive. The problem is, despite the experience and the positives, Hooker has been more prone to turn the ball over. If that continues, and Milton is available/ready to play, I think you may see a short leash back to Milton, especially if UT is behind.
UT has got to find a way to get the non-QB run game going again. In addition, the Vols have to make plays in the passing game against an improved, but not dominant, Florida defense.
Here’s how rare big passing days by Tennessee quarterbacks have been in recent years, courtesy of ESPN, SEC Network and 99.1 The Sports Animal statistician, Jeff Muir.
UT had 6 300-yard passing games in 2012 (12 games), all by Tyler Bray. It has 10 from 2013-20 (8 years & 3 games in 9th year, 101 games) and five in the last 51 games.
There have been 8 individual 300-yard passing games in that span (5-Joshua Dobbs, 3-Jarrett Guarantano) along with two combined 300-yard passing games:
The bottom line is, Tennessee absolutely must play better than it has at any point in the first three games and sustain that play. Anything less than a Florida disinterested effort or a gators in-game meltdown, it will take the best version of the Vols, that we haven’t seen yet, for the Vols to pull the upset. With so much health, QB and handling road environment uncertainty with Tennessee, I think Florida wins by a couple of scores. I do expect UT to fight and playing hard.
Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Tennessee +19 Score Prediction: Florida 35 Tennessee 17
Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC) Series: SC leads, 18-13-1 7 p.m. ET • ESPN2 Last: UK, 41-18 (2020 at Kentucky) Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) Sirius: 136/135 • XM: 191/190 Point Spread: Kentucky -4.5 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Kentucky -4.5 Score Prediction: Kentucky 23 South Carolina 13
Southern Miss (1-2) at Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC) Series: UA leads, 35-6-2 7:30 p.m. ET • SEC Network Tuscaloosa Ala. • Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821) Sirius: 81 • XM: 81 Point Spread: Alabama -45 Vince’s Pick vs. the line: Alabama -45 Score Prediction: Alabama 56 Southern Miss 3
The life and legacy of country music legend Kenny Rogers is going to be honored tonight in the star-studded concert special, Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler, airing on the CBS TV.
Filmed in Nashville before Kenny’s passing in March of 2020, the concert features on-stage tributes, artists’ anecdotes and inspiring songs performed in front of the music icon himself, as he bid farewell to performing and announced his retirement.
Some of the artists included in the special are, Chris Stapleton…
Lady A…
Little Big Town…
Reba McEntire…
and of course Dolly Parton…who was joined on stage by Kenny himself…
Dolly shared, “I am so thrilled to honor the memory of one of my favorite people, Kenny Rogers.”
Reba also shared the story of Kenny offering her a job that she says saved her sanity after the awful accident in 1991 that claimed the lives of her band, “I worked with Kenny in 1991. It was right after the plane crash, and Kenny’s manager called Narvel (Reba husband at the time) and asked, ‘Would Reba be interested in doing Gambler 5?’ And Narvel said, ‘I don’t know.’ I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ It probably saved my sanity to get out of Nashville and go to California and work and be absorbed in dialogue and work and get up early, work hard and by the time you’re ready to go to bed, you went to sleep, which wasn’t happening. And so, I went out there, and that’s the first time I met Rex Linn (Reba’s current boyfriend). We worked together on the movie, on The Gambler movie with Kenny Rogers.”
Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler, airs tonight, Thursday, Sept. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS TV
Photo Credit: Jay Fletcher, Courtesy of The Estate of Kenny Rogers
Congrats to Ashley McBryde on her 3 CMA Award nominations for this year.
Ashley received nods in the categories of Song and Single Of The Year for her “One Night Standards.”
She also captured a nomination for Female Vocalist Of The Year.
Ashley has won awards before, but she still thinks that having something prepared to say is bad luck. So, for her…winging it is Ashley’s style. “I think it’s bad luck to prepare and so I don’t. I prefer to wing it and I do know that my publicist prefers that I at least think it through because when I winged…I’ve said before that I’m a really nervous…like, spouter…so whatever is in my brain is something makes me nervous, I’m just going to spout that off. I would be like pumpkins…pineapples – I might say the wrong thing.”
Well, have to wait until November 10th to see if Ashley wings it – that’s when the 55th Annual CMA Awards will be handed out in Nashville, and you can catch it live on ABC.
Of course, you don’t have to wait at all to hear Ashley’s new song with Carly Pearce.
The two powerhouse female vocalists have joined forces on “Never Wanted To Be That Girl.” Check out the lyric video here…
Photo Credit: Daniel Meigs
Additional Photos Courtesy of Big Machine Records/Warner Music Nashville
Cole Swindell is following up his number-one hit “Single Saturday Night” with his new track, “Some Habits”
Talking about the track, Cole says, “I think a lot of people can relate to a song like ‘Some Habits’ – it’s a love song about being rough around edges but meeting someone that changes you for the better.”
Like a lot of artists, in the aftermath of the quarantine and shutdown due to COVID, Cole has a new outlook on what he does for a living, and he shares, “I feel like I have a deeper appreciation for getting to make music these days, especially with this opportunity to be back out on the road performing and sharing this music face-to-face with the fans.”
Cole adds, “Since I moved to Nashville, I have always had such deep respect for Scooter Carusoe and his body of work. Getting to record this song he co-wrote with two of the newest go-to songwriters, Josh Miller and Chris LaCorte is really special. I can’t wait for my fans to hear the song and see this video!”
You can see and hear it right here – “Some Habits” from Cole Swindell…
Neyland Stadium – Knoxville / Credit: UT Athletics
Close to 50 percent of existing season-ticket holders will experience a total cost reduction
Tennessee Athletics has finalized plans to implement a more simplified and modernized football ticket purchasing process beginning with the 2022 season.
The impending changes stem from several months of thoughtful analysis and consideration of fan feedback, including requests to create a more equitable and affordable pricing model throughout Neyland Stadium. Similar fan input led to the development of multiple new and exciting fan experience amenities/renovations set to debut next football season.
Many season-ticket holders, beginning in the fall of 2022, will experience a price reduction. Access to season tickets also will be expanded to more of the Tennessee fanbase, as some areas within Neyland Stadium will not require an annual donation. These no-donation areas create a pathway for a new generation of Tennessee fans to experience the unmatched pageantry of gameday on Rocky Top.
Under this new and more equitable model, ticket holders seated in the same section of Neyland Stadium all will be paying the same, fair amount.
Affected account holders will receive an email on Wednesday, Sept. 22, with details specific to their seats. And throughout the coming weeks, Tennessee Athletics staff will proactively reach out to affected account holders to talk through these changes and discuss options.
Multiple new premium areas are scheduled for construction as outlined during this summer’s launch of the My All Campaign. Sections impacted by new planned premium areas include the lower west (sections R-W, rows 1-22) and the upper north (sections YY7-YY9). Current season-ticket holders in these sections will have the right of first refusal for seats in this revamped space. There will be increases to the per-seat gift requirements coinciding with the enhanced amenities.
Fan experience upgrades accompanying this phase of renovations include two new videoboards on the north and south ends of the stadium, a lower-west premium club, enhanced chairback seating in multiple lower-west sections and a party deck social gathering space on the stadium’s upper north end.
“From what I’ve heard thus far, I believe our fans are excited about the upgrades taking place at Neyland Stadium and the new areas we’re introducing next season,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. “With the lay of the land changing in several sections, it’s important to me that we communicate with our ticket holders throughout this process. They’ll have the rest of this season to assess which seating options work best for them.”
Under the new simplified pricing model, fans will select from one of six general bowl zones or five premium zones throughout the stadium, with each zone carrying a specific donation amount required to purchase season tickets. The aforementioned no-donation/family sections also will be offered for fans seeking an alternative to seats carrying a gift requirement.
Implementation of this new model aligns Tennessee with several of its peers throughout the country and also enables Tennessee Athletics to maximize Neyland Stadium’s unique ability to generate championship resources that impact each of UT’s 20 varsity sport programs.
“Just like our fans, we expect all of our teams to contend for championships,” White said. “In full transparency, our athletic department has no driver of revenue more powerful than Neyland Stadium. In order for us to elevate our budget—catching up to many of our peers—and meet our lofty goals across all sports, we need to effectively capitalize on the power of that stadium and the strength and passion of our fanbase. It all works together to propel our teams to new heights.”
ATHLETICS ALSO INTRODUCING NEW TENNESSEE FUND PRIORITY SEATING MODEL
In keeping with efforts to modernize operations, cultivate a new generation of fans and resource Tennessee’s athletic programs at a championship level, the Tennessee Fund also is making adjustments to priority-seating benefits tied to football donations.
Currently, donations required to purchase Tennessee football tickets permit donors access to premium benefits at events for other UT teams, such as basketball, baseball and softball. In other words, a football-specific donation has afforded “umbrella” privileges extending to multiple sports.
In order to expand access and opportunities at events for sports other than football to more fans, the aforementioned umbrella coverage will be discontinued beginning with the 2022 renewal period for each sport.
Fans interested in accessing certain seating sections or premium areas at Tennessee women’s basketball games, for example, will soon be required to make the specific donation designated for that access at Thompson-Boling Arena. A separate donation will be required to acquire that same level of access at men’s basketball games. The same process will apply for UT baseball and softball.
Many of Tennessee’s peer institutions have been operating under a similar non-umbrella model for years, enabling them to unlock sport- and venue-specific revenue opportunities that Tennessee is not currently capitalizing on. Thus, several of those peers have developed operating budgets that outpace Tennessee’s.
“Since very early in my tenure here, I’ve been attuned to our need to offer increased fan access and also modernize and maximize the revenue opportunities at our athletic venues,” White said. “For sports like softball, baseball and basketball, we’ve been selling ourselves short. Those teams have performed at a level that has prompted demand, but opportunities for new ticket holders to join in has been too limited for too many of our fans.”
Coinciding with these changes are comprehensive repricing plans for Tennessee football and basketball, which result in donation and ticket-price decreases across significant sections of those venues. Specific basketball repricing information will be finalized in the months to come, and the upcoming 2021-22 basketball season will not be impacted.
Tennessee Athletics staff members are available to discuss these changes over the phone (865-656-1200) or via the live chat function on Tennessee.Fund.org during business hours.
Tennessee has already played 14 defensive linemen in three games.
Whether that’s a testament to the Vols’ depth or strictly a fresh-body philosophy is debatable.
Perhaps it’s both.
But one thing is clear: Defensive line coach Rodney Garner believes big men need a break during a game, because if the battery runs low, there is no re-charging.
“The one thing about big men,’’ Garner said, “if you let them get out of gas, there is no refueling them in the game. I mean, it’s over, you better get ready for the next week. So, our plan is to try and keep those guys from running out of gas so we can play the fourth quarter like we played the first quarter.
“We’ve got to keep fuel in the tank, there’s no refueling. If we let them gas out, it’s over, so just trying to develop that quality depth.’’
Tennessee’s run defense has been extraordinary this season, allowing just 54.3 yards per game and 1.7 yards per rush.
But that was against three teams not exactly adept at running the ball.
The Gators are a different animal. They rank second in the nation in rush offense (335.7) and churned out 245 yards against a stout Alabama defense.
What makes Florida’s run game so problematic are the quarterbacks. Backup Anthony Richardson is averaging 25 yards per carry in two games (11 for 275) with two runs of over 70 yards.
Starter Emory Jones has 231 yards on 42 carries, 5.5 per attempt.
The leader among running backs is Malik Davis at 212 yards.
“They’re a two-headed monster,’’ Garner said. “They’re both very good. They’re both dynamic runners. Actually 15 (Richardson), may be more dynamic, as far as pure elite speed. But Emory is a seasoned veteran, he’s got three years in that system, so he totally understands what (coach Dan) Mullen is trying to do. They do a great job with power, the counter reads, and they don’t put them in situations for them to beat them.
“They give them situations that are conducive to them being successful, via the RPO’s off the run. Then you throw in the quarterback run, which now they’ve got an extra guy we can’t account for with hats. So, it makes us have to make sure that we’re being really dialed in and detailed to doing all of the little things correctly.”
You would think Garner would be elated with UT’s run defense and tackles for loss (29). Not so.
“When you sit there and look at the film, you see a lot of plays that you leave out there every game, missed tackles, missed sack opportunities,’’ Garner said.
“We’ve got to keep straining. We’ve got to strain harder and we’ve got to be able to finish plays. There are many missed sack opportunities where we could have had sacks. There are many more TFL opportunities where we should have made the tackle, instead of having missed tackles. … I think when you look at the film there is a lot of stuff every week that we can do to get better.’’
Garner wants maximum effort whether UT is playing a contender or a pretender.
He was fuming at times during Tennessee’s 56-0 rout of Tennessee Tech last Saturday.
“I was spasming out on the sideline in that game,’’ he said, “but I just didn’t think they played with an edge, weren’t razor sharp. I don’t want to just go through the motions, you know what I mean? We’re trying to sharpen our blade every time we go out there. Our reputation is on the line, that’s what I try to tell them. We walk on that field, our reputation is on the line.”
While there is plenty of room for improvement, defensive end Ja’Quain Blakely believes the Vols are immensely better along the front four than a year ago.
“There’s a tremendous difference in the d-line this year than it was last year,’’ Blakely said. “I think it’s just because we’re all buying into the program. Coach Garner is a guy that expects the best out of you and is going to get the best out of you no matter how you feel.”
Blakely said UT’s run defense is playing “vertical’’ with “relentless pursuit, just playing strong up front is the key.’’
Even Garner admits his unit has made strides since the spring.
“I think we’re moving the needle in the right direction,’’ Garner said. “But every week, it’s a new challenge. And the challenge is, are we going to be better this week than we were last week? That’s what we said when we started on this journey, that we want to be better each day of practice. Each game, we want to see improvement and making strides to get where we want to be.
“It’s like climbing Mount Everest, we’re not going to be there overnight. We know it’s a process, but we’ve got to embrace the process.’’
What’s been the key to UT’s run defense so far?
“I think we got the kids playing hard,’’ Garner said. “They’re playing for one another. We’re playing vertically for the most part. We’re trying to create knockbacks. When you’re getting 10 and 11 hats to the ball, you have an opportunity to be successful.
“Just playing with more of an edge, even improving our fundamentals with our hat placement, hand placement and our pad level. Just disengaging and tearing off our blocks, just doing all the little things that it is going to take when you get in conference play.’’
Tennessee is now in conference play.
And it will take a Sampson-like effort to slay the Gators.
And they’re at it, they better not run out of gas.
Having played in the SEC, Kodi Burns knows the difference in intensity between playing Bowling Green and a bowl-bound team from the SEC.
And this Saturday, it doesn’t get any more intense than playing at Gainesville.
“Obviously, you come to Tennessee to play in games like Florida, right?’’ said Burns, Tennessee’s first-year wide receivers coach.
No. 11 Florida, which has won 15 of the last 16 meetings in this series, is favored by between 16 and 22 points.
“Florida is a really good opponent, a really good team,’’ Burns told the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday.
“It’s our job to go out there and really compete, and not only compete, but try to … win the game and shock the world, because outside of this room, not a lot of people give us a chance. But as long as we believe within our team and our coaches, we’ve got a chance to go shock the world.’’
Burns said he likes his receiver room, but his unit can get better as he cited several drops.
He said Velus Jones Jr. is “a really good player with the ball in his hands’’ as evidence by his kick and punt returns against Tennessee Tech and 45-yard scoring reception.
He said Jimmy Callaway is “really special’’ with the ball in his hands and “with his ability to make people miss out in space.’’
He said Jalin Hyatt, knocked out of the Pitt game due to a concussion, has great speed but must “grow and develop’’ to become a “wholistic receiver.’’
Burns said his receivers read a lot when running routes. While some schools have pre-called go routes or slants or fades, UT react s to the defense.
“In this system, just about every single play, they have the option on what route they run based on the defensive look,’’ Burns said. “That chemistry (between quarterback and receiver) is still not there. That’s why I think you’ll see us get better every single week because the timing and chemistry will come along.’’
Burns said having pass-catching tight ends “100 percent’’ helps the receivers. “It takes a lot of stress off the receivers when you do have a tight end as a threat to catch the ball. That will really help out the passing game.’’
Burns said UT does ask receivers to block, but not very often since so many plays are run-pass options.
One person in the audience tried to trip Burns up by asking which quarterback the receivers prefer.
Head coach Josh Heupel has been coy about announcing a starter for each game.
Burns chuckled, then said: “I tell my guys, `I do not care who is playing quarterback. We’ve got to make sure we’re right, we’ve got to make sure what we do is crisp and clean … to take stress off that guy’’’
Tennessee has misfired on a number of long balls, whether it’s an overthrow by the quarterback or a drop by the receivers. Burns thinks the Vols will get that corrected.
“We’re going to get there,’’ Burns vowed. “If we can connect on a few of those balls … it’s a different season already.
“Eventually they’re going to hit. We plan on that being this week.’’
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Home matchups against Florida and Alabama and rare road trips to Pittsburgh and LSU highlight the 2022 Tennessee football schedule as the Southeastern Conference unveiled the full slate of games on Tuesday evening.
The Volunteers will host seven home games in Neyland Stadium beginning with the season-opener and first-ever meeting against Ball State on Sept. 3. The following week, Tennessee faces Pitt in the Johnny Majors Classic on Sept. 10 at Heinz Field. It will represent the Vols’ first game in the state of Pennsylvania.
A Sept. 17 non-conference game versus Akron precedes the start of SEC play when Florida visits Neyland Stadium on Sept. 24. Following an Oct. 1 open date, the Vols will face back-to-back SEC West foes. UT travels to Baton Rouge for the first time since 2010 to take on LSU on Oct. 8 in Tiger Stadium before welcoming Alabama to Neyland Stadium on the third Saturday in October (Oct. 15).
The Alabama contest ignites a three-game homestand for the Vols, who host UT Martin on Oct. 22 before continuing SEC play against Kentucky on Oct. 29 in Knoxville.
Tennessee travels to Georgia on Nov. 5 for just the ninth meeting between the two teams in the month of November. The Vols host the Bulldogs on Nov. 13 this season, and it will be the latest meeting on the calendar in Athens between the two since a 0-0 tie on Nov. 21, 1906.
The final home game of 2022 brings Missouri to town on Nov. 12.
Tennessee closes the regular season with consecutive road games at South Carolina (Nov. 19) and at Vanderbilt (Nov. 26).
Fans interested in season tickets for the 2022 season can fill out this interest form and a member of the Tennessee Athletics ticket staff will contact you.
2022 Tennessee Football Schedule
Date, Opponent, Location
Sept. 3, Ball State, Knoxville
Sept. 10, at Pitt, Pittsburgh
Sept. 17, Akron, Knoxville
Sept. 24, Florida, Knoxville
Oct. 8, at LSU, Baton Rouge
Oct. 15, Alabama, Knoxville
Oct. 22, UT Martin, Knoxville
Oct. 29, Kentucky, Knoxville
Nov. 5, at Georgia, Athens
Nov. 12, Missouri, Knoxville
Nov. 19, at South Carolina, Columbia
Nov. 26, at Vanderbilt, Nashville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football will face its first road test of the 2021 campaign on Saturday, traveling to The Swamp to open Southeastern Conference play at No. 11 Florida under the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Defensive line coach Rodney Garner and select Volunteer players met with media Tuesday to discuss preparations for the Gators and the team’s mindset going into a hostile SEC environment against an Eastern Division rival.
“This is what you came to Tennessee for, for moments like this,” Garner said. “You want to play on this stage, that is the beauty of this conference. There is nothing like it until you get to the NFL. There’s the SEC, you get to play the best of the best.
“We talk about moving the needle, I think we are going to find out how much the needle has moved when you’re going against elite competition … We’ve got to make sure we play a clean game, we play with relentless effort, we play with one another, and we play for that T on the side of our helmet. It’s about pride, you know.”
Sixth-year senior defensive lineman Ja’Quain Blakely will be making his third visit to The Swamp on Saturday and plans to lean on that experience leading up to the rivalry matchup. He has also shared advice with younger players making their first trip to Gainesville this weekend.
“I’m telling my teammates that haven’t been, this is going to be a hostile game,” Blakely said. “There’s going to be a lot of noise, there’s going to be a lot of crowd, a lot of talking. Just keep your cool and composure. That’s the best thing you can do, play your game because the crowd is going to be into it as they always are. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be very intense, but it’s going to be a great game as long as we keep our mind straight and keep going.”
Junior defensive lineman Byron Young and freshman receiver Walker Merrill will get their first taste of SEC action this weekend, and both players expressed eagerness to begin conference play on the road in their comments Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m really excited, first SEC game, on the road,” Young said. “This is why I came to Tennessee, to compete. I feel like it’s going to be a pretty good atmosphere so I’m ready for it, honestly.”
“I’m blessed enough to be able to go in there as a freshman,” Merrill added. “I’m very excited. We haven’t been away yet, (so) I haven’t had people in my ear, screaming at me, all that stuff. I’m really excited to be in that atmosphere, because I knew I wanted to experience it. I think it’s going to be really cool.”
The full transcript of Coach Garner’s media availability can be viewed below, along with select quotes from Tennessee players.
On his message to his unit after watching Florida’s film…
“Obviously, you have two really good football teams playing. It’s going to be a major challenge. Obviously, this is the best offensive line that we’ve faced, best group of running backs, best group of receivers, quarterback – it’s the complete package. We’ve got to elevate our level of play. We’re in conference now, it’s going to be much more intense. It’s going to require more strain. I mean, everyone has to strain harder, everyone has to do little extra things that it takes in preparation, in film study, getting extra rest, putting the right things in their bodies and all the little things it takes to play at a high level.”
On what has made their run defense so effective so far this season…
“I think we got the kids playing hard. They’re playing for one another. We’re playing vertically for the most part. We’re trying to create knockbacks. When you’re getting 10 and 11 hats to the ball, you have an opportunity to be successful. We have so much room for improvement when you sit there and look at the film. Just playing with more of an edge, even improving our fundamentals with our hat placement, hand placement and our pad level. Just disengaging and tearing off our blocks, just doing all the little things that it is going to take when you get in conference play. Obviously, you are not going to be better than anybody you line up against, so you have to make sure you’re fundamentally sound, so you have a chance to compete.”
On the difficulty of Florida’s run game with two mobile quarterbacks…
“They’re a two-headed monster, with Emory (Jones) and the Richardson kid (Anthony Richardson). They’re both very good. They’re both dynamic runners. Actually 15 (Richardson), may be more dynamic, as far as pure elite speed. But Emory is a seasoned veteran, he’s got three years in that system, so he totally understands what Mullens is trying to do. They do a great job with power, the counter reads, and they don’t put them in situations for them to beat them. They give them situations that are conducive in them being successful, via the RPO’s off the run. Then you throw in the quarterback run, which now they’ve got an extra guy we can’t account for with hats. So, it makes us have to make sure that we’re being really dialed in and detailed to doing all of the little things correctly.”
On what he thought of Byron Young’s first game as a Vol…
“Obviously, he’s very rusty. Byron, he’s an old guy but he’s a young football player. So, I think it hurt him not having those two games to really sharpen his skills and work on technique. But you know, you can tell he has a presence, and you can feel him in the game. Now, he’s got to get out there and work on minor details and things it’s going to take for him to play at a high level in this conference.”
On what he has seen from Matthew Butler this season…
“Matt is a guy that comes to work every day. He holds on to every word that you say. He wants to be good. He tries to take the coaching and the teaching and apply it to his game. He doesn’t take it personal. So many times these days, so many guys take things personal when all you’re trying to do is work on things to make them better players. He’s taken those things and gone out there and applied it. Obviously, he’s still got a lot of room to improve, we all do, me as a coach included. So, we all have to continue to elevate ourselves and be willing to look in the mirror and take that self-evaluation, group evaluation from others, and then work on trying to get better. And that’s the name of the game. For us to get better and for us to win.”
On how much his group has improved since he arrived…
“I think we’re moving the needle in the right direction. But every week, it’s a new challenge. And the challenge is, are we going to be better this week than we were last week? That’s what we said when we started on this journey, that we want to be better each day of practice. Each game, we want to see improvement and making strides to get where we want to be. It’s like climbing Mount Everest, we’re not going to be there overnight. We know it’s a process, but we’ve got to embrace the process. Unfortunately, now we’re in conference play, we’ve got to accelerate the process. So, we’ve got to get better in a hurry.”
On the rotation going into SEC play…
“I think, if you look at my career, I’m not playing more guys or any less guys than I (normally) play. Obviously, to play at a high level in this league, you’ve got to have depth. The one thing about big men, if you let them get out of gas, there is no refueling them in the game. I mean, it’s over, you better get ready for the next week. So, our plan is to try and keep those guys from running out of gas so we can play the fourth quarter like we played the first quarter. Obviously, we need to play the first quarter better so we can play better in the fourth. We’ve got to keep fuel in the tank, there’s no refueling. If we let them gas out, it’s over, so just trying to develop that quality depth. The only way they’re going to get better is out there in game prep. Practice is great but they’ve got to be able to go out there and sharpen the blade in that competitive feel.”
On Aubrey Solomon…
“Like I shared with Aubrey, he has hung in there, he’s making strides, I’m proud of him for staying the course. Obviously, he has a long ways to go. When we got here, there were a lot of things he needed to work on, but he persevered. We put him on scout team, he worked his way through, kept a good attitude, and he’s just showing that he wants to be a part of the program. That’s all we want from all of them. We want all of them to be good men, we want them to be successful in the game of football, we want them to be successful in the game of life, that’s what we’re trying to prepare them for. I was proud of him, the way he went out there and got his opportunity on Saturday. He went out there, he showed up, and he performed. He did a good job for us. Hopefully he will be consistent, and he’ll do the things that it takes to be able to gain and earn more playing time. That’s something that is earned, not given. That’s my message to them every day, they earn it. It’s not a right. Just because you came to Tennessee is no guarantee you’re going to play. You got to go out there every day, you’ve got to work hard, and you’ve got to earn that right.”
On the different challenge of the SEC…
“I would probably say I’m different. This is what you came to Tennessee for, for moments like this. You want to play on this stage, that is the beauty of this conference. There is nothing like it until you get to the NFL. There’s the SEC, you get to play the best of the best. You think you’re good? You’re going to get an opportunity to go out there and show (it) and be revealed. Unfortunately, on Saturday you’re going to be a contender or pretender. We are going to be able to find out, how close are we? We talk about moving the needle, I think we are going to find out how much the needle has moved when you’re going against elite competition. Obviously, Florida is elite, they’ve got elite players, they’ve got elite coaches, they got elite schemes. They do an outstanding job and it’s going to take our best. We can’t go out there and self-inflict wounds and have an opportunity to be competitive and compete with guys like that. We’ve got to make sure we play a clean game, we play with relentless effort, we play with one another, and we play for that T on the side of our helmet. It’s about pride, you know.”
On the pass rush and number of TFLs…
“When you sit there and look at the film, you see a lot of plays that you leave out there every game, missed tackles, missed sack opportunities, (pass) rushing better, getting to half of a man, working more of an edge. This week, it’s going to be extremely challenging, Florida has only given up two sacks. Obviously, the ball comes out really, really quick. But you’ve got the quarterback who is so elusive with his feet, he’s able to extend plays, so that’s going to be a lot of stress. We’ve got to keep straining. We’ve got to strain harder and we’ve got to be able to finish plays. There are many missed sack opportunities where we could have had sacks. There are many more TFL opportunities where we should have made the tackle, instead of having missed tackles. Everything that we need to do to cleanup, I think when you look at the film there is a lot of stuff every week that we can do to get better. That’s been the message I’ve tried to stress to the guys is, you know, I think they may have thought last week I was spasming out on the sideline in that game, but I just didn’t think they played with an edge, weren’t razor sharp. I don’t want to just go through the motions, you know what I mean? We’re trying to sharpen our blade every time we go out there. Our reputation is on the line, that’s what I try to tell them. We walk on that field, our reputation is on the line.”
On what they will need to do up front to try and contain Florida’s run game…
“Watching them up front, they have a strong o-line, so as a unit we need to play vertical, contain the quarterback, the running back (and) keep the running to a minimum. Just play hard and play vertical.”
On what the key to the successful run defense has been this season…
“I think the key to our run defense is basically just everybody is bonding together. We’re buying into what Coach (Rodney) Garner is telling us, playing vertical, relentless pursuit, just playing strong up front is the key. Everybody’s tied in, everybody’s ready to go.”
On how much better he feels this d-line is this year compared to last year…
“There’s a tremendous difference in the d-line this year than it was last year. I think it’s just because we’re all buying into the program. Coach Garner is a guy that expects the best out of you and is going to get the best out of you no matter how you feel or how you want it to come.”
On what he remembers from his previous trips to Gainesville and what advice he’s given his teammates that haven’t played there…
“I’m telling my teammates that haven’t been, this is going to be a hostile game. There’s going to be a lot of noise, there’s going to be a lot of crowd, a lot of talking. Just keep your cool and composure. That’s the best thing you can do, play your game because the crowd is going to be into it as they always are. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be very intense, but it’s going to be a great game as long as we keep our mind straight and keep going.”
On who he looks up to inside the wide receiver group…
“All of them, really. But slot specifically, I would say Jalin Hyatt and (Jimmy) Calloway are two dudes that I really look at to take stuff away from their play and add to mine. Obviously Hyatt’s super fast, so I don’t know if I can take much of that from his play. Calloway, he’s really just developed as a player. Even I can see it since I got here in the spring. Those are two great players that I try to take some stuff to utilize myself.”
On what about his play has made him contribute early as a freshman…
“That’s really a good question. I like to just go out there and do what I can do best, and that’s just play football. I try to keep the ball off the ground … I like to understand the offense, get extra work in with drawing on the board. I just don’t like messing up, so I’ve really got to know what’s going on.”
On going into Florida for his first career road game…
“I’m really excited for it, honestly, going into The Swamp. There’s a few guys that have been here (a couple years) that haven’t been to The Swamp, and I’m blessed enough to be able to go in there as a freshman. I’m very excited. We haven’t been away yet, (so) I haven’t had people in my ear, screaming at me, all that stuff. I’m really excited to be in that atmosphere, because I knew I wanted to experience it. I think it’s going to be really cool.”
On what he sees in the Florida offense…
“For me, really, containing the edge. Keeping the quarterback in the pocket. Those are probably the main two things. He’s a good runner, both (quarterbacks) are good runners. So, we’ve got to contain them, that’s probably the biggest issue.”
On playing his first SEC game on the road…
“I’m really excited, first SEC game, on the road. This is why I came to Tennessee, to compete. I feel like it’s going to be a pretty good atmosphere so I’m ready for it, honestly.”
On how he gets motivated and could motivate others…
“I feel like I’m kind of a role model. Where I’m from, not a lot of people make it. I’m the first one in the community to really go to college and do what I do, so I feel like, yeah, it’s a big help.”
