Scotty McCreery is trying to score his fourth consecutive No. 1 single with the release of “You Time” on Sept. 23. The new track is the lead single to Scotty’s upcoming fifth studio album, which will be announced soon.
Penned by Scotty, Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis, “You Time” serves as a love letter to Scotty’s wife, Gabi. The uptempo tune finds Scotty crooning: “I need a little you time, you time / Red wine sippin’ in moonlight / Your touch, your skin / Your lips kissin’ on me all night / I ain’t tryin’ to monopolize / Your 24/7, 365 / But sometimes I need / Just a little bit of me and / You time, you time, you time.”
“I am so excited about releasing new music, especially a song that makes me think of Gabi and puts me in a joyful mood,” says Scotty. “I think we can all use a smile right now.”
“You Time” follows three consecutive No. 1 singles—“Five More Minutes,” “This Is It,” and “In Between”—from Scotty’s fourth studio album, Seasons Change, which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Country Album chart in 2018.
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 – Linebacker Henry To’o To’o #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Henry To’o To’o, So., LB
On who the toughest ball carrier on the team is…
“All of our backs, in my opinion. We’ve got the best backs in the country. I’ve got so much confidence in them, that they’re going to do what they need to do to get us a win on Saturday.”
On how the younger linebackers have stood out to him and how much they have come to him for insight…
“Our entire freshman group has done a tremendous job and guys like Morven Joseph and Tyler Baron on the defensive side have been doing a (great) job of getting the playbook down. They try to come to me, try to ask me for advice, asking me how I adapted and how did I do things when I got here. I just told them to work hard. Those guys, every single person on the offensive side and defensive side is doing a great job of coming in, putting in the work, focusing on the playbook and trying to hone in on knowing what we are going to do this week. Those guys are going to contribute big this week.”
On if he ever had doubts that a season would be played…
“First off, when we got quarantined, it was kind of hard to see a football season happening. It was kind of hard, but as we came back and as we transitioned to coming back after quarantine, we took the necessary steps to be able to have a season. It’s truly a blessing to be here, to have such a great medical staff, a great coaching staff, to be able to lead us the right way and know our safety protocols.”
On if he believes that this year’s team is equipped to get off to a better start than last season…
“Yes, we know, as an entire team, we know what to expect and how good we can be. When we play to our full potential, we can do great things on the field. Things will change and it’s up to us. The coaches lay out a game plan for us to execute and it’s up to us now.”
On what advice has he given the freshmen on their first road game and what type of experience he expects there to be on Saturday…
“You just try to tell every single freshman to come in, put their head down and work. That’s probably the best advice that you can give a freshman. It’s not high school anymore. Every single freshman that we have on this team is going to do a tremendous job executing for us, contributing to the team and going into any environment. South Carolina is South Carolina. It doesn’t matter how many fans they have in there, but we’re there to play ball. The environment that we expect to play in is strictly football. We’re ready for any challenge that comes upon us and it’s going to be fun this Saturday.”
On how his transformed body is translating to the field…
“My body, where it was from last year to this year has been crazy. It’s a true testament to the people back home, to my dad, to my parents for training me hard and dedicating myself to be able to come out and be the player that I want to be. I can feel myself moving faster, moving quicker. I feel stronger and it’s just a testament to everyone that has put the work into me.”
On keys to a strong defense after departures of a couple key starters…
“The relationship we created, to tell you the truth. We created a relationship, a bond, not only on the field, but off the field. We can confront each other when we do something wrong. We can confront each other when we’re doing something bad off the field. That relationship can carry on so long, not only on the field, but off the field, and far down the road past football. That’s something that we realize as a linebacking corps and as a defense, that if we build a relationship together and if I know you as a person and you know me as a person and why I do thing and why I react to things, then we’ll be able to excel in anything we do. That was kind of the approach that we took losing a lot of leaders on the defense. We have to come together as one.”
On how his relationship with Jeremy Banks and Quavaris Crouch have strengthened the defense…
“We have a close, tight-knit relationship. Those are my brothers right there, those two. It’s not only just those two, but it’s guys like Aaron Beasley, Solon Page (III), Martavius French, we’ve all done a great job of coming together as one. We held barbecues. We had our mask on and everything, but we had a barbecue. Every Sunday we had it and we shared Scripture verses and talking about the Heavenly Father’s plan for us. That relationship is going to take us a long way. I feel that we’re tight. We’re close. As long as we’re one, we’ll be able to excel on the field.”
On how ready is to be able to hit another opponent other than his teammates in practice…
“I’m ready. I’m ready. I’m not going to lie. I’m ready to hit somebody that’s not wearing orange. It’s going to be fun.”
KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – Running back Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
Eric Gray, So., RB
On getting acclimated to college football last season and starting faster this season…
“I would say last season, for me it was just getting to learn how to be a college back. It took me a couple games (to learn) how to be a college back, get a feel for the offense, get a feel for playing in the SEC. I feel like I had to get a feel for that at first. Now that I feel like I have that experience, I definitely feel like I’m going to start fast.”
On if it feels surreal that they are actually about to play football given everything that has happened over the past six months…
“It’s definitely surreal being out there. So glad to be out there. Everybody is pumped up for the game. Just can’t wait for Saturday, for sure.”
On at what point he felt the most uncertainty in regard to there being a season this year…
“There were so many unknowns back in March when everyone had to go home and no spring and all of that. There were so many unknowns. We knew nothing about being at home for so long, but by the time we came back, and all the medical experts had all the information, we were pretty prepared and ready to go.”
On some of the things he had to learn to be a successful college running back…
“You just learn that playing in the SEC, those holes close so much quicker than they do in high school. So, you got to hit your track, you got to be aligned right, you got to make sure you’re doing everything right, so when your time comes you can hit it full speed. You got to make sure you know what you’re doing in the offense so you’re not tiptoeing. You can play with confidence and play fast.”
On having himself and Ty Chandler on the field together and what he’s seen out of freshman Dee Beckwith as a running back…
“First, with me and Ty being on the field, that’s just like a dynamic duo out there. You got to account for both of us because we’re two different types of backs and we can really affect the game. About Dee Beckwith, Dee has really shown a lot. You know he’s a taller guy, so him just learning how to use his pads and use his size to become a running back, I think he has a great place back there.”
On what he’s seen from the offensive line and how excited he is to run behind them…
“That group has really shown me a lot throughout camp. They are a great group. They learn fast and we have so much depth in that group. Those guys are really playing hard at practice. You can see at practice everyone is going hard and everyone’s ready, and I’m excited to get to run behind them on Saturday.”
On his reaction to Henry To’o To’o saying that they have the best running backs in the country…
“Definitely feel the same way. We’ve got the best defense in the country and I’m sure they’re going to do everything to get us the ball back.”
On his thoughts going into the season opener…
“I think it’s going to be very interesting. It’s going to be the first game of the season, so you know you have some unknowns there, but I think everything goes well, everyone plays great and it’s going to be a great game.”
On being prepared for the opener…
“When we came back in July, we did a lot of practicing doing player-led activities and all that. I feel like I got to practice a lot and just as much as the other guys. Come Saturday, I think everybody on the team has practiced a lot and is ready to go.”
On the excitement for Saturday’s game…
“With all the unknowns and everything is so different now, it kind of feels normal again. It kind of feels normal that this Saturday is going to be game day and everyone is feeling like football is back. It is kind of normal. You can feel the excitement on the practice field, you can feel the excitement in the locker room, around campus. Everyone is ready to go and play South Carolina.”
On if he feels the team has been able to hit enough in practice and his comfort after getting hit in a game…
“I think Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt has done a great job simulating that game atmosphere trying to get us ready to take hits, take licks early. You see those early games on TV and there have been a lot of turnovers because people haven’t taken hits. They haven’t been hitting. I think we’ve done a great job of simulating that in practice, playing with full pads on in practice. And yeah, I’m definitely that kind of guy. Once you get in the game and take that first hit, I’m like, ‘I’m ready to go, let’s get it, give it to me again.’”
On the hardest hitter on the defense…
“Man, I’m telling you, that whole defense is (full of) hard hitters. When you run that ball and have 11 people coming at your head, all of them feel the same. That whole defense is going to be some hard hitters this season.”
On who gives the best pregame speech aside from Coach Pruitt…
“Just from being in practice, Coach (Jay) Graham is going to give a heck of a pregame speech. Just all the juice that he brings to practice and the juice that he brings just being in the meeting room looking over film. I’m interested to hear his pregame speech on Saturday.”
On the chemistry with the offensive line and what he expects from them this season…
“I think we’ve been really good at building chemistry. It has allowed us to get different guys at different positions this year, so I think it’s been great. Our expectations going in to the first game is we want to be physical up front, and make a name for ourselves with our physicality, so that’s what we pride ourselves on with the offensive line.”
On the excitement and expectations for Saturday’s game at South Carolina and if he has talked to his peers about it…
“Going into this season, I’m very excited. It’s my last season and I’ve worked very hard to get to this point, so I am just excited and ready to get out there. As far as talking to people on the outside about playing, my mom she’s very excited for me. She’s been with me through this whole process and just seeing me get this far. All my friends have been talking to me about it and they’re all excited and ready to see some football on Saturday.”
On why he thinks this group of offensive line has such a good chemistry…
“I think we have better chemistry now because throughout this whole fall camp we’ve relied on some guys that may not usually get certain opportunities. They’ve been able to learn and grow and also some of the young guys have been able to get more opportunities. This whole pandemic has allowed them to come along, and we feel great going in to the first game at who we will have out there.”
On what his relationship has been like this past year with Jarrett Guarantano on and off the field…
“Me and Jarrett have a great relationship. We watch a lot of film and we talk about things other than football, so I think we have a great relationship that boosted over the offseason. We’re always trying to watch film and see how each of us thinks. I think that will be good and very helpful for us going into the season.”
On what he thinks of the South Carolina team they’ll be facing Saturday night…
“I think Will Muschamp has a good defense – their pretty good up front. They have some younger guys that will be stepping in to a newer role. On the back end they are pretty good, and have a solid secondary, and I also think the linebackers are good as well.”
On if they have had discussion on how to start the season better than last year…
“One of the things we have harped on is the team with the fewest mistakes will win, so that’s what we’ve been harping on this whole time is trying to play clean football and be penalty free and things like that. I think if we do that we put ourselves in good position to be successful on Saturday.”
On what he has seen from the defensive line in camp…
“The defensive line has done a pretty good job. Some of the guys I go against I got to give credit to such as Elijah Simmons and Kurott Garland. I think those guys have done a great job and they are very explosive and they have grown over the offseason as far as the knowledge of the defense. I feel they are two pretty big guys on the defensive line at the nose position.”
On what the offensive line’s internal expectations are…
“Our offensive line coach always tells us that we want to set the tone, so I think if we set the tone for the team, we can be very successful. We want to be able to win our box, (our) five guys, we have a job every play. That’s kind of the goal we set going into a game – we want to win every play and dominate our box. Those are two things that we focus on as an offensive line.”
On if he has seen an improved Trey Smith due to his return to practice…
“I think he’s grown to be more comfortable with the amount of time that he’s able to practice. Also, when he isn’t able to practice, we have other guys that are able to come along and some of the younger guys, or maybe older guys get a chance. Yes, I think he’s more comfortable and he’s grown into a very good player.”
On if he ever had doubts of a season being played this fall…
“Being honest, sitting back in April, we didn’t know what would happen. As a team, and also me as a person, we were just kind of concerned and there was a lot of uncertainty. Now that we’ve been able to go through the summer and have gotten to deal with COVID-19 and know what to expect, the medical professionals have given us advice on how to attack this. I think we’ve done a great job and I’m kind of excited now that we’ve gotten to this point.”
On if he felt hesitant when a group of players were quarantined due to COVID-19 precautions…
“It was kind of tough at first, but like I said earlier, people were able to grow. If someone was out, we were able to have someone else step up and I think that allowed guys to grow and become more comfortable with playing, learning the plays and fundamentals.”
On the progression he has seen from J.T. Shrout this fall camp…
“I think he’s making good strides as a quarterback and as far as his mental process. I think that kind of rolls over into the offseason. All of the quarterbacks have been able to get with Coach (Chris) Weinke and they’ve grown.”
On what it has been like to represent his hometown of Wetumpka, Alabama, throughout his collegiate career…
“I’m blessed to have this opportunity. Anytime I get to talk to people back at home, I always give them advice on anything that they may need. I always try to give back and I feel like that’s one of the things for me, being an older guy. As far as giving back to my hometown and giving back to some of the younger guys on the team, being able to bring them along, I think that’s my role as a senior here and I’m very excited to do it.”
On what has impressed him about freshman offensive lineman, Javontez Spraggins…
“As a freshman, he’s gotten a lot of reps with the offensive line. The one thing that I see out of him is that he’s very eager and aggressive. He plays hard. As an offensive line, that’s one of the things that really sticks out and people see. When you play hard, it shows up on film. That’s one of the things that I see from Javontez Spraggins”
On how Jeremy Banks and Quavaris Crouch have gotten better over the last couple of weeks…
“Those two guys are very physical. That’s the one thing I’ll say about them. They’re able to see formations, recognize things before they happen, those are the things that those two are growing in. I think they’ve gotten way better.”
White Sox LHO Garrett Crochet / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The shortened 2020 Major League Baseball season is drawing to a close. With only a few games remaining, a handful of teams have already clinched spots in the postseason, which is set to begin on Oct. 5.
The big news this week was the Major League debut of Garrett Crochet. The hard-throwing lefty turned heads in his first professional appearance, pitching a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts on Sept. 18 against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Ocean Springs, Mississippi, native was the first player from the 2020 MLB Draft to make his MLB debut and became the first pitcher to go straight to the big leagues in his draft year since 1978.
Scroll down to find out more about Crochet’s first few games and how other former Vols in the MLB are faring this season.
Check UTSports.com for updates throughout the season.
As stated above, Crochet had a memorable debut last Friday, retiring the side in order in his one inning of relief. Crochet struck out the first two batters of the inning with 100 and 101 mph fastballs, respectively. He made his second appearance of the year in Sunday’s loss to the Reds, allowing just one hit in a scoreless inning of relief.
The White Sox have already secured a playoff spot and would be the No. 2 seed in the American League if the season ended today.
Zack Godley — RHP, Boston Red Sox Season: 8 App, 7 GS, 0-4, 8.16 ERA, 28.2 IP, 42 H, 26 R, 26 ER, 14 BB, 28 K, 1.95 WHIP
Despite a decent start to the year, Godley has had a challenging season for a struggling Red Sox team that has one of the worst records in baseball. In his most recent outing, Godley have up four runs on five hits in three innings of work in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays (Sept. 4). He was placed on the 60-day injured list on Sept. 19.
Gomes has put together a solid season for the struggling Nationals. The veteran backstop was one of the team’s top hitters in August, when he slashed .314/.364/.549, scored eight runs, had seven extra-base hits and drove in seven runs. Gomes has cooled off a bit in September, but still has recorded eight hits, homered once and driven in four runs this month.
Senzel returned to the Reds’ lineup on Sept. 14 after spending a month on the injured list. The second-year outfielder has played in five games since returning, collecting just one hit in that time. Senzel and Crochet faced off on Sunday, with Crochet retiring Senzel on a long flyout to left field.
Cincinnati is currently in line for a playoff spot, entering today’s game against Milwaukee as the No. 7 seed in the National League.
After struggling in August, Stewart had a strong start to the month of September with hits in three straight games, including his third homer of the year in Detroit’s 12-1 win over Milwaukee on Sept. 1. However, Stewart did not record a hit in his next five games before being optioned to the Tigers Alternate Training Site on Sept. 9.
Detroit is 22-30 this season and will not advance to the postseason.
Here’s a photo gallery, courtesy of the UT Athletics, from Tennessee’s Monday practice ahead of the South Carolina season opener. Click on any image to see it full size with the ability to scroll through.
Vols SC Week Monday Practice
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Linebacker Henry To'o To'o #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Defensive back Warren Burrell #4 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Cade Mays #68 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Running back Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Jimmy Holiday #10 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Jackson Lampley #50 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Malachi Wideman #13 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Defensive back Alontae Taylor #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Wide receiver Ramel Keyton #80 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Trey Smith #73 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 - Offensive lineman Cade Mays #68 of the Tennessee Volunteers during practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart (streaming, sales and airplay-based) for the ninth week.
Penned by Gabby, Zachary Kale and Jon Nite, “I Hope” is featured on Gabby’s 2020 debut album, Goldmine.
After topping the Billboard Country Airplay chart in April, “I Hope” reached the top of the Hot Country Songs chart in its 64th week, which is the longest trek to No. 1 in the chart’s 76-year history. The tune unseated Maren Morris’ “The Bones,” which had enjoyed a 19-week reign at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Tennessee Volunteers sophomore running back Eric Gray spoke to the media via UT Athletics Zoom call on Tuesday to preview the season opener at South Carolina.
Tennessee Volunteers sophomore linebacker Henry To’o To’o spoke to the media via UT Athletics Zoom call on Tuesday to preview the season opener at South Carolina.
