Jon Pardi and Summer Duncan got married at Saddle Woods Farm in Murfreesboro, Tenn., (35 miles southeast of Nashville) on Nov. 21, according to People.
The couple had planned to tie the knot in Montana in May, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to alter their plans. Jon and Summer got engaged at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in October 2019.
Congrats to the happy couple.
photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Carrie Underwood released her first-ever Christmas album, My Gift, on Sept. 25. The 11-song album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, features a combination of beloved traditional favorites, such as “Silent Night” and “Away in the Manger,” as well as original material, including “Sweet Baby Jesus” and “Let There Be Peace.”
There are also two special guests on the new album. Carrie’s son, Isaiah, is featured on “Little Drummer Boy,” while John Legend lends his vocal talents to “Hallelujah,” a song he co-penned with Toby Gad.
Carrie and John teamed up for a new video for “Hallelujah.” The new clip was directed by Randee St. Nicholas, who has shot multiple videos for Carrie, including “Cry Pretty,” “Drinking Alone,” “Blown Away” and “Smoke Break.”
Watch Carrie and John Legend’s new video for “Hallelujah” below.
photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com
AUBURN, Ala. – Despite holding a two-possession lead in the second quarter and another stellar performance by sophomore running back Eric Gray, Tennessee was unable to deliver the upset at No. 23/21 Auburn, falling 30-17 to the Tigers on Saturday night.
Gray recorded a season-high 173 rushing yards on 22 attempts, marking the second consecutive outing that the Memphis, Tennessee, native surpassed the century mark and the fourth time this season. Gray added a touchdown on a 1-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter, but it would not be enough to turn the tide. The Vols outgained the Tigers 464-385 in total yards, but despite the offensive production the Vols missed scoring opportunities proved costly.
The Vols close out their 2020 road slate next Saturday at Vanderbilt with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed on the SEC Network alternate channel.
UT (2-5) struck first on its second offensive drive of the night with Guarantano capping a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a 9-yard rush – the longest rushing TD of his career. Gray exploded on a 33-yard rush on third-and-15 to set up the Vols first scoring drive and then caught a 16-yard pass to move Tennessee into Tigers territory. Freshman Jimmy Calloway caught a six-yard toss to keep the momentum going before classmate Jalin Hyatt hauled in a 15-yarder to move the chains for the third time during the series. Gray, who finished the opening frame with 88 total offensive yards, gained another six on the ground, before Guarantano found pay dirt.
Following UT’s scoring drive, junior defensive back Bryce Thompson picked off a pass in the end zone to stall an Auburn drive. It marked the second time that Thompson intercepted a pass against the Tigers in his career. Brent Cimaglia extended the Vols lead to 10-0 with 13:42 remaining in the half with a 47-yard field goal. Unfortunately, the senior struggled most of the night going 1-for-3, missing a 50-yard and 37-yard attempt.
The Tigers responded quickly in the second quarter, finding the end zone on a four-play drive as quarterback Bo Nix connected with receiver Anthony Schwartz, who slipped by UT’s secondary for a wide-open 54-yard touchdown catch. Auburn’s defense then forced a three-and-out and knotted things at 10-10 with a successful 25-yard field goal attempt from junior kicker Anders Carlson with 5:36 left in the half.
Tennessee was plagued by a third quarter shutout for the second consecutive outing as Auburn tacked on 10 unanswered points to lead by 10 heading into the final quarter. The Vols limited the Tigers to a field goal on their opening offensive possession in the second half that lasted 7:35 and gave Auburn its first lead of the night, 13-10.
The Tigers remained ahead for the remainder of the contest. Auburn extended its lead to 20-10 on a 100-yard pick six from Smoke Monday after the Vols had journeyed into the red zone. UT reached the Tigers 12-yard line and looked poised for another score before Monday picked off Guarantano’s pass intended for Josh Palmer.
The Tigers (5-2) added another TD on a nine-yard rush by sophomore D.J. Williams with 7:14 left in the game to put things out of reach for the Vols. Carlson connected on a 50-yard field goal with just under 1:30 to go to provide the final scoring margin.
Defensively, the Vols efforts were highlighted by linebacker Kivon Bennett, who set a new career high with three tackles for loss and also recorded 2.0 sacks to tie a season high, which he set in UT’s previous outing at Arkansas. Thompson, Deandre Johnson and Matthew Butler led the Vols with six tackles each, with Johnson adding 1.5 tackles for loss.
Freshman quarterback Harrison Bailey led Tennessee’s final two drives of the game and led his first-career scoring drive, orchestrating a nine-play, 75-yard drive that was punctuated by Gray’s lone touchdown of the night. Bailey finished the game 7-of-10 passing for 86 yards, both career bests.
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML) | Postgame Notes | Download Photos
-UT Athletics
Tennessee offensive guard Trey Smith spoke to the media after UT’s loss at the Auburn Tigers 30-17.
Tennessee defensive end Matthew Butler spoke to the media after UT’s loss at the Auburn Tigers 30-17.
By Jimmy Hyams
Jarrett Guarantano did so many things so well for so long.
The much maligned Tennessee senior quarterback scored on a 9-yard run to put the Vols up 7-0.
He helped convert third downs.
He engineered scoring drives to give the Vols a 10-0 lead and led another drive that resulted in a missed field goal.
He checked to the right running plays.
He was doing so many things well.
And then, disaster struck with a capital D.
After Auburn took a 13-10 lead on the first possession of the second half, Tennessee drove to the Auburn 12, within striking range of re-taking the lead.
Guarantano took the snap from the shotgun, stared down his receiver, fired into coverage, then watched Auburn’s Smoke Monday snatch the ball 1-yard deep in the end zone, then streak up the sideline 101 yards for a momentum-swinging, gut-wrenching, are-you-kidding-me touchdown that pretty much sealed the deal.
There was still more than 17 minutes to be played, but the Vols (2-5) were never able to wrestle the momentum away from No. 23 Auburn (5-2) as the Tigers prevailed 30-17.
Guarantano has now thrown a nation’s worst four pick sixes since the start of the 2019 season.
And the bad news keeps coming for this once-proud program.
Tennessee has lost five in a row for the first time since 1988.
And it has lost five in a row by double digits for the first time in program history.
“Just frustrating,’’ said Tennessee senior offensive lineman Trey Smith. “No one goes out and does all that work just to lose. We fought hard tonight. It comes down to executing at clutch time in the game.’’
Tennessee has not been able to do that, especially in the second half.
During this record-breaking five-game losing skid, the Vols have been outscored 71-7 in the third quarter and 108-14 in the second half.
Ouch!
How does Smith explain the second-half slide?
“Quite frankly,’’ he said, “I don’t even know what to tell you. Just got to get better at it.’’
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt pretty much echoed Smith’s sentiments.
“It’s frustrating for our players,’’ Pruitt said. “It’s frustrating for our fans. It’s frustrating for everybody.
“We played hard. We played together. But we didn’t finish some drives and we left some points on the board.’’
There were some bright spots.
The Vols led 10-0 and had sustained drives of nine, nine and eight plays to start the game.
The Vols also ran the ball effectively, rolling up 222 yards as Eric Gray rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He also had 49 yards on three receptions.
And UT was efficient – finally – on third downs, converting 9 of 15.
But two missed field goals and the pick six thwarted any chance the Vols had of pulling an upset against an 11-point favorite.
“If we keep making mistakes,’’ Smith said, “these are the results we’re getting.’’
Pruitt bemoaned the wasted opportunities.
“I was proud of way the guys played hard,’’ he said. “We’ve got to play cleaner football to win in this league.’’
Defensive tackle Matthew Butler, who had six tackles, took the defeat hard.
“It’s not a case of not wanting to do it or not preparing,’’ Butler said. “It’s a mistake here, lack of execution there.’’
He felt UT had a “fantastic’’ defensive scheme against Auburn and put the Tigers’ offensive line “on its heels.’’
But “we didn’t execute well enough to win. … I don’t think we’ve been outplayed by an offense this year. We’ve beat ourselves.’’
Butler must not remember the Alabama game. Or the second half against Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky.
Now, a Tennessee team that was riding an eight-game winning streak in early October has fallen out of favor with an impatient fan base that expects more.
Much of the angst is aimed at Pruitt.
But Smith defended his coach.
“I think it’s an easy thing to look down and say we’ve lost four or five in a row now and we’re not playing well,’’ Smith said.
“It’s a culture change and it’s not going to be immediate. The mentality has to shift. You have to give him time.
“Coach Pruitt is a great man. It’s something to be around a guy like that, an honest guy. … He’s not going to sugar coat things. He has our best interest at heart. You don’t find a lot of that in this industry.’’
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
Tennessee running back Eric Gray spoke to the media after UT’s loss at the Auburn Tigers 30-17.
Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt held his postgame press conference after UT’s loss at the Auburn Tigers 30-17.
Despite unique and challenging circumstances related to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Vols and Lady Vols have continued to achieve in the classroom and on the field. Tennessee Athletics celebrates its nearly 30 fall graduates who have completed their degree requirements.
The university will host 10 in-person commencement ceremonies Nov. 19-22 at Thompson-Boling Arena for spring, summer and fall 2020 graduates. The socially-distanced ceremonies will have additional health and safety protocols in place so graduates and their families can safely gather to celebrate their momentous accomplishments. More information on the dates and times of all ceremonies and the university’s safety measures are available at www.commencement.utk.edu.
In total, 28 student-athletes will graduate during the fall 2020 ceremonies, which includes a pair earning master’s degrees.
“Throughout the recruiting process, we talk to prospects and their families about the meaning of graduation day,” Associate Provost & Senior Associate Athletic Director Joe Scogin said. “We focus on the significance of a Tennessee education and anchor ourselves in a specific mindset – the question isn’t if you will graduate from Tennessee, the question is when and how many degrees you want to earn when your time at Tennessee is over.
“Walking across the stage this week completes the most important commitment they make as a student-athlete. I am especially proud of the resilience shown by this group during a challenging and difficult time in higher education. It is a joy to see so many student-athletes on this list graduate with eligibility remaining – bringing those initial conversations during the recruiting process full circle.”
Also among this newest collection of graduates is former swimming & diving student manager Jackie Bussard-Bertucci (1988-89), who re-enrolled in the SouthEast Bank Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC) Program to complete her bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Studies and Community Outreach. Bussard-Bertucci is the daughter of University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame men’s swimming & diving head coach Ray Bussard (1968-88), who guided the Vols to the 1978 national championship and eight SEC titles.
The list of degree programs earned by student-athletes this semester is diverse, with Vols and Lady Vols earning diplomas in Advertising, Business Analytics, Chemical Engineering, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Finance, Forestry, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology and many other fields of study.
Football (14)
Jordan Allen — Sociology
Baylen Buchanan — Communication Studies
LaTrell Bumphus — Communication Studies
Matthew Butler — Political Science
Ty Chandler — Recreation & Sport Management
Eric Crosby — Recreation & Sport Management
Kenneth George Jr. — Communication Studies
Brandon Johnson — Communication Studies
Deandre Johnson — Communication Studies
Jahmir Johnson — Communication Studies
Brandon Kennedy — Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications*
Austin Pope — Communication Studies
Trey Smith — Recreation & Sport Management
Dawson Stephens — Sociology
Men’s Golf (2)
Brayden Garrison — Business Analytics
Jake Meenhorst — Finance
Rowing (1)
Eleanor Loving — Psychology
Soccer (1)
Salera Jordan — Environmental & Soil Sciences
Softball (1)
Treasuary Poindexter — Recreation & Sport Management
Swimming & Diving (6)
Jackie Bussard-Bertucci — Child & Family Studies, Community Outreach (RAC)
Alec Connolly — Forestry
Marc Hinawi — Chemical Engineering
Gleb Ionichev — Sociology
Meghan Small— Sociology & Psychology
Braga Verhage — Psychology
Track & Field (4)
Adam Johnston — Mechanical Engineering
Alaina Riordan — College Scholars Program
Domonique Turner — Communication Studies
Steele Wasik — Advertising*
* denotes master’s degree program
-UT Athletics
Tennessee men’s basketball associate head coach Michael Schwartz spoke to the media recently video Zoom video call to discuss the team and the upcoming season opener.
