2018 college football TV schedule for Vols fans: Week 2

Friday

Friday, September 7, 2018
Away Home Time TV How Why
No. 16 TCU SMU 8:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN Channel Hop Top 25 Team

 

Friday, it’s just about being able to watch some football. On a side note, there’s a new Corns Up t-shirt for the SB Nation Iowa State fan community Wide Right Natty Lite. They’re getting an early start for the Cyclones’ showdown with TCU in a few weeks.

 

Gameday

Saturday, September 8, 2018
Away Home Time TV How Why
NOON SLATE
Nevada Vanderbilt 12:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
No. 18 Mississippi State Kansas State 12:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN Channel Hop New coach
UCLA No. 6 Oklahoma 1:00 PM FOX Channel Hop New coach
AFTERNOON SLATE
No. 3 Georgia No. 24 South Carolina 3:30 PM CBS Live (until 4:00) Top 25 Matchup
Arkansas State No. 1 Alabama 3:30 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN DVR Future Opponent
East Tennessee State Tennessee 4:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN Live Go Vols!
Youngstown State No. 14 West Virginia 6:00 PM Check the score Past Opponent
EVENING SLATE
Wyoming Missouri 7:00 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
No. 2 Clemson Texas A&M 7:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN Channel Hop New coach
Alabama State No. 7 Auburn 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
Kentucky No. 25 Florida 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN Channel Hop - Priority Future Opponents
No. 17 USC No. 10 Stanford 8:30 PM FOX Channel Hop Top 25 Matchup

The noon slot this upcoming Gameday is made for channel-hopping. Switch back and forth between an early look at future Vols opponent Vanderbilt and two games featuring a couple of other new coaches this season in UCLA’s Chip Kelly and Mississippi State’s Joe Moorhead.

The best game of the afternoon slot is a Top 25 matchup between two future Vols opponents in Georgia and South Carolina on CBS. With Tennessee playing FCS foe ETSU this weekend on the SEC Network at 4:00, no one will blame you for checking in on the Bulldogs-Gamecocks. You could also DVR the Alabama game that’s on at the same time, and be sure to check the score of the West Virginia game to see what they do against Youngstown State.

Full sortable and searchable college football TV schedule

Date Away Home Time TV
Fri Sep 7 No. 16 TCU SMU 8:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Nevada Vanderbilt 12:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 New Mexico No. 5 Wisconsin 12:00 PM BTN
Sat Sep 8 No. 18 Mississippi State Kansas State 12:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Western Michigan No. 21 Michigan 12:00 PM FS1
Sat Sep 8 Arizona Houston 12:00 PM ABC, ESPN2
Sat Sep 8 Duke Northwestern 12:00 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Eastern Michigan Purdue 12:00 PM BTN
Sat Sep 8 Georgia Tech South Florida 12:00 PM ABC, ESPN2
Sat Sep 8 Liberty Army 12:00 PM CBSSN
Sat Sep 8 Towson Wake Forest 12:00 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Georgia State NC State 12:30 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 UCLA No. 6 Oklahoma 1:00 PM FOX
Sat Sep 8 Holy Cross Boston College 1:00 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Portland State No. 23 Oregon 2:00 PM PAC12
Sat Sep 8 William & Mary No. 12 Virginia Tech 2:00 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Air Force Florida Atlantic 2:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Kansas Central Michigan 3:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 No. 3 Georgia No. 24 South Carolina 3:30 PM CBS
Sat Sep 8 Arkansas State No. 1 Alabama 3:30 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Ball State No. 8 Notre Dame 3:30 PM NBC
Sat Sep 8 Rutgers No. 4 Ohio State 3:30 PM BTN
Sat Sep 8 Buffalo Temple 3:30 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 Colorado Nebraska 3:30 PM ABC, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Howard Kent State 3:30 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Memphis Navy 3:30 PM CBSSN
Sat Sep 8 Morgan State Akron 3:30 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 North Carolina East Carolina 3:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Wagner Syracuse 3:30 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 East Tennessee State Tennessee 4:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Lamar Texas Tech 4:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Southern Illinois Ole Miss 4:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 North Dakota No. 9 Washington 5:00 PM PAC12
Sat Sep 8 Iowa State Iowa 5:00 PM FOX
Sat Sep 8 Appalachian State Charlotte 6:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Savannah State No. 22 Miami 6:00 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 South Carolina State No. 19 UCF 6:00 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 Youngstown State No. 14 West Virginia 6:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Maryland Bowling Green 6:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 UMass Georgia Southern 6:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Eastern Kentucky Marshall 6:30 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Wyoming Missouri 7:00 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 No. 2 Clemson Texas A&M 7:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Southeastern Louisiana No. 11 LSU 7:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Baylor UTSA 7:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Florida A&M Troy 7:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Indiana State Louisville 7:00 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Southern Louisiana Tech 7:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Texas Southern Texas State 7:00 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 UAB Coastal Carolina 7:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 UL Monroe Southern Mississippi 7:00 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 UT Martin Middle Tennessee 7:00 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Samford Florida State 7:20 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Alabama State No. 7 Auburn 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Kentucky No. 25 Florida 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Arkansas Colorado State 7:30 PM CBSSN
Sat Sep 8 Florida Intl Old Dominion 7:30 PM
Sat Sep 8 Fresno State Minnesota 7:30 PM FS1
Sat Sep 8 Incarnate Word North Texas 7:30 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Maine Western Kentucky 7:30 PM ESPN+
Sat Sep 8 Utah Northern Illinois 7:30 PM ESPNN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 Virginia Indiana 7:30 PM BTN
Sat Sep 8 Western Illinois Illinois 7:30 PM BTN
Sat Sep 8 No. 13 Penn State Pittsburgh 8:00 PM ABC, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 South Alabama No. 48 Oklahoma State 8:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Cincinnati Miami (OH) 8:00 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 New Mexico State Utah State 8:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Nicholls Tulane 8:00 PM ESPN3
Sat Sep 8 Southern Utah Oregon State 8:00 PM PAC12
Sat Sep 8 Tulsa Texas 8:00 PM LHN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 No. 17 USC No. 10 Stanford 8:30 PM FOX
Sat Sep 8 UTEP UNLV 9:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 Sacramento State San Diego State 9:00 PM
Sat Sep 8 UConn No. 20 Boise State 10:15 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 California BYU 10:15 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 No. 15 Michigan State Arizona State 10:45 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
Sat Sep 8 San Jose State Washington State 11:00 PM PAC12
Sat Sep 8 Rice Hawai'i 11:59 PM

Tennessee loses starting center Brandon Kennedy to season-ending knee injury

The Tennessee Volunteers got their first bit of really bad injury news this afternoon when they learned that starting center Brandon Kennedy suffered what is expected to be a season-ending knee injury in yesterday’s practice, as reported by VolQuest.

First of all, best wishes for a speedy recovery to Kennedy. This is his second season-ending injury, the first a broken leg in 2017 while playing for Alabama before transferring to Tennessee.

But this is a blow to the team as well. When we looked at the offensive players for whom it was most important to stay injury-free back in early August, we identified Kennedy and the other offensive linemen not named Trey Smith as third-most important, behind Jajuan Jennings and Smith.

Just as Pruitt was stressing the importance of continuity along the offensive line, Kennedy’s injury will likely result in Ryan Johnson moving to center. That will leave open a spot at guard that could be filled by Chance Hall, Jerome Carvin, or K’Rojhn Calbert.

Gameday on Rocky Top Podcast, Episode 148: The West Virginia criticism sandwich

 Listen on Google Play Music

Robo-Transcript below. Pardon the errors, as the bot understands neither southern accents nor football.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:00:13] This is the Gameday on Rocky Top Podcast Episode One forty eight. Joel Hollingsworth and I’m with Brad Shepherd tonight. Brad say hi.

Brad Shepard: [00:00:25] How are

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:00:25] No

Brad Shepard: [00:00:25] You.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:00:28] I was going to say you know all you’re saying is hey you know you’ve heard all your words spent over the game I guess probably we’ll get to that in a second. First I got an off topic question for you like last week and I’m asking this because I actually know the answer and I want you to to admit it. Like a Man on the air. So what is the last concert you attended.

Brad Shepard: [00:00:53] Oh no you’re a genuinely bad person. That would be Taylor Swift and Camilla Cabella. You know Nissan Stadium

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:01:07] All right.

Brad Shepard: [00:01:07] What have I done to serve this. Joel.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:01:09] This is this is because you’re a huge Taylor Swift fan or you have like a teenage daughter that you’re taking to the thing or what.

Brad Shepard: [00:01:16] Neither my. So my little boy has grown up loving Taylor Swift and my wife loves Taylor Swift and secretly I know a lot of Taylor Swift’s songs because I kind of have become a bit of a closet fan by osmosis is a sweetie if you will is what my wife

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:01:38] Swiftie

Brad Shepard: [00:01:38] Is yelling in the background. So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:01:40] Nice.

Brad Shepard: [00:01:41] It was it was a good show. It’s one that if my wife has anything to say about it and she normally does in every aspect and facet of my life we will probably be acting again at some time. So it was

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:01:55] All right.

Brad Shepard: [00:01:56] It really was a good show though we had a good time and you know I have to have my genre of music that I listen to which is our Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson and Son Volt and that kind of stuff. But

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:10] You

Brad Shepard: [00:02:10] Hey

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:10] Know

Brad Shepard: [00:02:11] You

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:11] Those people

Brad Shepard: [00:02:11] Know

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:11] Are

Brad Shepard: [00:02:12] Me it is what it is it’s it’s I had fun with it. It was it was a good time and it made for some pretty funny social media. So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:21] All right very nice. I’ll have to say my last concert I had to think about it was actually Switchfoot it was many years ago seeing my youngest or my oldest daughter. She was maybe 15 16 I took her to Asheville and I think is it the orange peel or something like that.

Brad Shepard: [00:02:39] I think so. This sounds more

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:40] Yeah. So I saw them there and those guys are just awesome. Love those guys.

Brad Shepard: [00:02:44] They really are good. I don’t love Christian rock but I mean me I’m a Christian and I don’t love Christian rock. I mean that they are. They’re very talented.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:02:54] Yeah. And you know it’s almost like they there’s I don’t know. You know they have such a deep philosophical insight without any pushiness or preachiness or anything so. And they’re just they’re just cool to you know. So anyway.

Brad Shepard: [00:03:09] Yeah. Much cooler than Taylor Swift.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:12] Very much cooler than Taylor Swift. Yeah I’d take them in a fight any time. Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:03:17] Yes yes

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:18] All right. So anyway back to the vault. The vault is opened the Jeremy

Brad Shepard: [00:03:22] We

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:22] Pruitt

Brad Shepard: [00:03:22] Have.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:23] Yeah we can keep talking about Taylor Swift if you would

Brad Shepard: [00:03:26] Let’s

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:26] Yes. Sounds

Brad Shepard: [00:03:27] Make

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:27] Like

Brad Shepard: [00:03:27] This the

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:27] You

Brad Shepard: [00:03:27] Taylor

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:27] Got more

Brad Shepard: [00:03:28] Swift

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:28] In

Brad Shepard: [00:03:28] Our guests.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:28] Here.

Brad Shepard: [00:03:30] I’ll feel a little bit more happy talking about Taylor Swift. She’s not she’s not bad to look at either. So but I guess we probably should talk about the ball since that’s it. That’s what they pay for. So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:03:42] All right so the Jeremy Pruitt area era kicked off with sort of a tough outing against the West Virginia Mountaineers they lost 40 to 14. Will Greer his and his excellent wide receiving corps they they just played havoc with Tennessee’s largely inexperienced secondary and I think I wrote something like this earlier it’s kind of like not knowing the Pythagorean theorem on the AC T. And so you miss the Pythagorean theorem question 12 times. You know they did one thing really badly but they did it over and over and over again. And there were some other issues too. But let’s let’s do this. First let me get just your general impression and then after that I’m going to ask you to do sort of a praise critique sandwich so we’re going to have one thing that was good about the game. One thing that was really disappointing about the game and then followed it up with another thing that might be good if you can find two things. So

Brad Shepard: [00:04:51] Yeah I can find actually three things really stood out to me. That was good. But we’ll talk we’ll get to that later.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:04:56] You can make it a triple decker sandwich if you want so. But first just general impressions. How do you feel after that after the game.

Brad Shepard: [00:05:05] You know I’m disappointed. And as I wrote you know I blame myself for being disappointed and I think I’ve had a lot of time to kind of think about it and digest it for whatever reason this game kind of hit me harder than a lot of them in recent history. And you know we were Tennessee fans were tough we’re used to losing by now. But I think you know this is this is what I think I think you know I believe that we’ve been we’ve been reading practice reports and listened to practice reports. But the bottom line is the media gets to see one or two sessions of practice so they can’t tell us anything about the team with any real knowledge of really you know kind of having a roadmap or a daily road map to say these guys. And and that’s a major problem because what then happens is they have to rely on what they hear and more than that. What Jeremy Perrot tells them now that that doesn’t. I’m not trying to be contrary into everything that we’ve talked about how you know we’re we’re used to Butch line to us. And now I’m saying that Pruett’s line to us. I don’t think that’s the case at all. But if you’re if if you’re Jeremy Pruitt and you’ve just come from Alabama and Georgia and Florida stay where they have a lot of talent and they have a lot of athletes and they know how to have years upon years a foundation of recruiting and you come here and you kind of know what you have you know.

Brad Shepard: [00:06:45] I don’t think that and I said last week that and so this is me contradicting myself last week I said last week that I didn’t think it was the top that would blow a bunch smoke. Now I believe that you know after seeing them that he didn’t want to just come out and rip these kids and butches blind. You know as we all know Butch never blamed himself and never blamed his staff. And he he he would call people out. And I think that at this juncture Pru knows that he can’t do that and expect anything this year from this team he can’t do it. And feel good about you know recruiting and those guys you know want to jump on the ship so I feel like maybe he kind of thought that he could cover up some of the talent deficiencies scheme which is why you’ve heard him talk so much about him and fundamentals being you know a state chromos loss in. But I just I’m more than that and that’s I think that’s the reason why he’s accentuated the positives coming out of that game is because I think he knows what we have which is the reason he’s told plenty of recruits and recruits have them you know repeated in stories.

Brad Shepard: [00:08:02] They created it to say that this is going to be the worst year of the Paroo. But just because we’re building a program and we don’t want to hear that as fans but you know what we saw him Saturday is not as bad as it is not as bad as it. It’s not that I think it’s it’s it’s not the way it’s going to be every single week. I think it could get better. But I also am not sure that’s the worst what’s going to be this year. So you know I mean Alabama and Georgia those teams not only can they put up points but there are a lot more physical than West Virginia. So you know it’s going to be. It’s going to be a long season and you just hope that somewhere in the midst of all of that you know getting blown out which we hate to get blown out but all the in kind of in the midst of it you can find six wins. I think that there are possibly six wins on the schedule. I am less enthused about getting to 6 than I was a week ago. So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:00] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:09:01] You know.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:02] You

Brad Shepard: [00:09:03] Yeah.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:03] Said last week that you were thinking that they were going to beat Florida. Has that changed.

Brad Shepard: [00:09:09] You know I’ve got to I got an opportunity to watch Florida for a play about the same level of competition Tennessee’s going to play in the next couple of weeks. Ford did not do anything to impress me whatsoever. But Tennessee

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:21] You didn’t like

Brad Shepard: [00:09:21] Father

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:21] Daniel as

Brad Shepard: [00:09:22] So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:22] Dance moves.

Brad Shepard: [00:09:23] I did not know that such a corn ball man. How I mean while he may kill it there. But man if he does it’s going to be in spite of himself. Oh no. But anyway.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:09:39] Yes all right

Brad Shepard: [00:09:41] I mean but you know I’m I’m curious I’m curious to see how Tennessee looks the next couple of weeks. Not because I think it’s going to tell us anything about what this means. But man they need some coffee right now. I mean I didn’t lie I didn’t like body language on a Saturday. I didn’t like you know just somebody. They played hard. It’s just like I mean to me it was a thought. And and you know at this point it is kind of that and so you know you want to get that out of the program and that’s that’s not there yet. But it’s also you know it’s also not an overnight fix. I feel bad for us as fans and for the kids that are on that team because there was some optimism going into the game and the kids were optimistic going into the game and they kind of got back down to earth and I think it was David Rubin or whomever. I can’t remember who it was but somebody who said you know what Saturday good did was give us a starting point and then I kind of expounded upon that and Mark Coleman said you know we know where we are and we know where we want to go but the hard part is going to be get in there and do something that we’re all just going to have to go through together and that goes from you know from fans to coaches to especially players and they’ve got to learn how to win and you know they’re not playing football right now

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:08] Yeah I think that was actually your buddy Wes not been. But

Brad Shepard: [00:11:11] What was or what yeah

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:12] I think it

Brad Shepard: [00:11:12] Not

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:12] Was

Brad Shepard: [00:11:12] Being

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:13] Yeah it was a good one. And I have to say I was a little surprised to hear you say that you saw a bad poor body language because I didn’t really feel like I saw any of that.

Brad Shepard: [00:11:27] I did. There was a couple of shots at the end of the game I think it was Osborne and maybe and I’m not calling out those kids man I mean you know you’re getting you’re getting crushed that point you’re disappointed. I don’t think it was bad body language like a solid Ireton open season opener

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:41] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:11:41] Last year I don’t like that at

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:43] Ok.

Brad Shepard: [00:11:43] All. I just think that I probably use a bad a bad term it was more like just ject Aylin which is why I kind of went into that I feel bad for it because I think that they thought that they were a little more prepared to face that they were.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:11:58] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:11:58] And you know that Tennessee legitimately are not trying to point fingers or not noses but they legitimately was slow as powerful team. I watched all weekend and I probably watched about 30 hours of football. So I mean that’s that’s discouraging

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:12:14] You know I have to say though we don’t really know how good West Virginia is. So you know a little bit more data will probably help in my Monday. I guess it was Tuesday. I’ve lost track of the week. Whenever labor day comes you know I you know I just I lose track of everything. But anyway I’m looking forward to seeing how Tennessee does against competition like the rest of the S.E.C. played because after last weekend it felt like oh man Tennessee is the worst team in the U.S. because everybody else is score 50 points. You know. But you know most of those teams did not play ranked teams they didn’t play good teams. Now Auburn did but they won. But you know it wasn’t like a runaway. It wasn’t a blowout either so I’m really looking forward to a little more data when everybody starts playing sort of comparable teams. So we’ll see how that goes. But about the praise sandwich let’s let’s let’s come up with one positive take away a negative take away and then finish with a positive takeaway.

Brad Shepard: [00:13:28] Yeah I mean my biggest takeaway was aired Tato I thought that you know I didn’t really know what to expect. And I don’t think any of us really I mean you know we had heard that even though Prewett had kind of a little more praise than we were used to on the team. He’d been a little bit you know he’d been kind of quiet about his quarterbacks and and Gerin Tano. I thought played within himself. He did not play. He didn’t throw any passes that should have been picked the other day. He really executed the offense really well thought he missed on a couple reads. I thought that he really could hit Callaway another couple of times. And you know what I was I was disappointed at some we’re talking about positive now but I was disappointed at Don’s a little bit with Hilton’s play calling in the first half especially but I really thought Gueron delivered the ball on Tom. I was really watching you know that that clock we talk about and I’ve talked about many times and I thought is it 10:00 was a lot better he rewrote the away from pressure a couple times delivered some extra IGCSE. You know the only time that he where we got he had a couple times when Kennedy with Doenitz center but you know including the first game which really put us in a bond. But Garen Tonneau really played a mistake free game and I think that’s something to really be encouraged about. And when you kind of expound upon that and really talk about you know the entire passing game I don’t think Timoci I think we just kind of saw because of what Tennessee and passing game can be because Palmer looked a ton better than he did last year. Jennings and Callaway. Calloway who looked exceptional. Jennings

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:15:11] Yep

Brad Shepard: [00:15:12] Played pretty well when he was in there

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:15:13] Yep

Brad Shepard: [00:15:14] And then dominant what Anderson looks like at the red. So I’m encouraged I’m really encouraged by Bob Gueron Tarnow number one and Bob the entire passing game that was much better than I really thought it would be. I thought the running game would kind of curious and and really you know those guys I felt like we should have passed. Football.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:15:34] Yep. Negative

Brad Shepard: [00:15:38] You know the negative thing more than the secondary because and that we talked about it last week and we wrote about it last week but when you have a young secondary with are when you’ve got a secondary that’s a mixture of older slow players and young athletes that have no idea what they’re doing. You absolutely have to help them by getting pressure on the quarterback and the defensive line. Slash pass rushers or just non-existence. Greer had all day throw football. They never harassed him. They were rarely hit him. And Greer was able to just kind of sit back there and dissect the defense. And that does not bode well. Everybody wants to say secondary Secondary secondary. I mean that’s that’s not fair to those kids. I mean because that’s what disappointed as anybody in Buchanan and Abernathy did. And I thought major warrior played a very poor game. I think we’re going to get better play out of him. But man those kids at times they were Letten slow moving plays developed and people were going Bonda because Greer had all the time in the world to put it to the football and the pass rush has got to get better. And even though I thought that Prewett made some bad calls by trying to call some corner blitzes and get those in would you ended up with safeties back there. Man coverage that killed Tennessee and they had end West Virginia exploited man coverage all night or all day. I really thought that it was trying to find a way to manufacture some sort of pass rush. And when you do that you’re going to leave players on arms that’s just you can’t you can’t season seven and have six back. You know there’s not that many out there. And I thought Timoci you know even when they blitzed they struggled to get the quarterback. And you can’t do that when you’re inexperienced and and or not talented. And so the

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:40] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:17:40] Pass rush was it has to improve.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:44] Yeah

Brad Shepard: [00:17:44] And at this point

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:44] I’m sorry. Are

Brad Shepard: [00:17:48] I

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:48] You

Brad Shepard: [00:17:48] Was

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:48] Down

Brad Shepard: [00:17:48] Just going

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:48] With

Brad Shepard: [00:17:48] Say

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:17:49] The negative

Brad Shepard: [00:17:49] At this point you well know I’m at this point you have to try other people you have to really hope that that Jordan Allen and really hope that you know Andre Johnson those guys you have to play those kids because they’re not going to be any worse than what a guy like cango was on Saturday. They’re just not so polite and you hope Lott comes home in the game these next two games are for fonde and some of those guys maybe Peterson that has absolutely no idea what he’s doing right now but is super talented I mean maybe you get these feet the feet wet against some of these teams that they can’t beat you and try to find some players that can get to the quarterback. Because if Tennessee can’t manufacture pass rush Jake Bentley drew law to tag Ebola and I can’t ever pronounce his name. But Kyle Shurmur and guys like that are going to kill us or

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:18:41] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:18:42] It is going to kill us.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:18:44] Mine is the center. He had it he had a rough start for one year but that sounds just like that just a you know a brain problem. You know just real quick. Right. So everybody makes mistakes. But there were a couple of those. And then the thing I was really disappointed in just watching one of the replays after he missed a couple of blocks on a play the I think it was Jordan still got outside but he was just jogged into the play you know so it was effort on top of making those mistakes for me on that one. So I hope that was just a just a one game thing that he’s going to learn from it and get better because he seems like he’s got the talent for it. Hope he will Opie gets it together. Last last last positive unless

Brad Shepard: [00:19:38] Well

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:38] You want to

Brad Shepard: [00:19:38] As

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:38] Do

Brad Shepard: [00:19:38] Much

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:38] Too.

Brad Shepard: [00:19:38] As I

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:39] You

Brad Shepard: [00:19:39] Want

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:39] Can

Brad Shepard: [00:19:39] To say

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:19:39] Do two.

Brad Shepard: [00:19:40] Well now I’ll touch on the one that nobody wants to talk about because it’s not sexy enough. But I was worried about I was worried about special teams I thought that Joe Doyle did a good job on the football. I mean that’s something that didn’t really matter in this game but it’s going to matter it’s some game down the road. And and that was encouraging because I mean these are Edger Reisz Rennies or Verga you know and they beat out the the you know the number two corner in the nation and authority plenty pretty well the other day. And I think that Tennessee you know they need some consistency after losing a guy like Trevor Daniel who just beat out veteran Shane Lechler for the Texans and you know you don’t you don’t just replace golfers like that and Doyle did a really good job the other day. So I was encouraged by that because that’s going to be that’s going to be big later in the season when you know after the gauntlet Tennessee runs and again some of those teams that maybe you know it’s a little more on only an even keel an even playing field was dinsey. But you know the other thing that really was encouraging was Jim Jordan. I mean you know that guy know we we saw kind of you know glimpses of what he could do in the spring game. And I thought that you know this is this is this is the guy they recruited Ptomaine say we want to about Booch I’ve said plenty but that was a root recruiting evaluation Jim. I thought it was a really good pickup when they got him there only a couple teams that liked and he was a basketball player remains an accolade.

Brad Shepard: [00:21:10] And you know Tennessee North Carolina there was another team I can’t remember who won Ole Miss or somebody who only had there for you know legit offers and it came down to Tennessee North Carolina and they were able to get Jordan to come come to Tennessee and that kid you know he’s athletic and not only as yet licky runs heart and he runs with that protest trust me and said the other day on Monday I believe it was watching watching him run makes me want to play harder. And that’s your bell Cal talk and you know the best player thing. And so I’m not I still believe it’s going to be a running back by committee Chandler and do some things that other kids on that offense can. I thought London had a couple good hard nose runs and but you know Tennessee was really struggling to move the football on the ground early and it helped her go into that little that little catch of the old talls pitch to the agent in Jordan you know Jordan might surprise us and I don’t know how those plays are going to work against Alabama Georgia. You’re going to have to have a tough runner at those times because those names are going to hit you. And you know Jordan I’m not saying he’s going to be a thousand yard rusher this year because or motos that the offensive lines got improves inefficiently but the halo is like a very good player. I’m really excited to see how he develops over the next three years. He’s one of those guys I feel like no kid can be a major part of this moving forward.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:22:34] My second positive just just because you mentioned that you were sort of disappointed and Hilton’s play calling. I actually was kind of pleased with it. The fact that things were were so bad early on and it wasn’t just because player’s mistakes it was that he was trying to run into a box that was stacked against the run. You know and he didn’t just say you know I know this will work eventually if we just keep going to it. You know he actually changed

Brad Shepard: [00:23:03] Where are

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:23:03] What he was doing and started having success. So I was I was happy to see that adjustments on the fly. Not waiting for halftime. Not waiting for the next game. Or never. You know. So we’re beginning to run out of time a little bit. So give me 60 seconds on what you want to see against you this week.

Brad Shepard: [00:23:26] Well I mean you know I’d like to see Tennessee expand the passing game a little bit. I want to see them run a more vertical. Things often simply that that’s really what I’d like to see. I want to see them you know run some deep patterns use the center of the field a little bit more. We said run some slants and crosses. It seems to me that they are not utilizing that part of the field and Tennessee never did it in the Bush era. So I don’t know if it’s just might be the beef gave them in the first Goodhand but I really really like as as I mentioned I really like what I see from the receiving corps so I’m curious to kind of see that develop and want to see you know what Anderson more are involved in the passing game. So that would be that be what I would like to see on offense and you know defensively are really they as I said they’ve got to manufacture a pass rush so she’s not going to beat you if you run. JJ Peterson out there for 24 blades even even though that could get literally just got on campus. I don’t know that he’ll play this week because I know that there’s like an acclimation

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:32] Yeah

Brad Shepard: [00:24:32] Period after the NCAA clears you.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:34] You’d

Brad Shepard: [00:24:34] So I’m not saying

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:35] Have to

Brad Shepard: [00:24:35] That

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:35] Play

Brad Shepard: [00:24:35] You

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:35] Just

Brad Shepard: [00:24:35] Run

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:35] In shorts.

Brad Shepard: [00:24:38] In the game

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:24:39] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:24:40] You know at this point he would probably still start. But no I’m just kidding. But you know. But I mean seriously throw him to the side and let’s let’s talk about Andre Johnson. Let’s talk about it. I mean the Allen kid the JUCO it for him from San Francisco. Let’s talk about you know Austin Smith I mean a guy that I’d like to see you know a little bit more of a woman. Let’s pin the ears and have some guys that can get after to the quarterback. I mean you don’t ever want to say anything negative about a kid. But. I’ve seen Jonathan Kombo fall off a block maybe two or three times in his entire career. TIMOCI so maybe you know maybe the lot’s going to come on but I didn’t see a whole lot Saturday that made me have a lot of faith in it. So let’s trust some other thing. Let’s try some other players and just because they can get the quarterback issue doesn’t mean the candidates order. But you know Tennessee’s got to play some kids got to try to make some things up. And we’ve got to try to find some sort of semblance of a pass rush and the front 7

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:25:51] Yeah I want to see a score

Brad Shepard: [00:25:53] Or

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:25:53] That looks like the ones that are SGC brethren put up against their cupcakes something that’s going to make me feel like we can have hope against Florida. That’s what I want to see. So

Brad Shepard: [00:26:07] Like a 55 to 3 or something.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:09] Yeah you know

Brad Shepard: [00:26:11] Yeah.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:11] At least getting close to 50 and holding them understand 10 something just a blowout as long as it’s a blot. Want to see it that’s probably bad expectation to go into a game with. But that will make me feel better. So and right now I just want to feel better. So

Brad Shepard: [00:26:27] Sure absolutely.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:28] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:26:29] I mean we’re we need that because we’re not going to have no we’re talking about maybe five or six field good games this year. So that’s

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:38] Yeah

Brad Shepard: [00:26:38] If that’s it. I mean 6 if we’re if we’re really happy

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:41] Yeah

Brad Shepard: [00:26:41] And that’s you know that’s that’s that’s bad. And that was not good. So

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:45] Yeah.

Brad Shepard: [00:26:46] Let’s be happy this week

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:26:48] All right. Well that’ll do it for the game day Aracataca podcast please subscribe via iTunes or Google and give us orating give us a review. Bonus points if you use the words next. Randy Sanders and you have to spell it

Brad Shepard: [00:27:07] Nobody

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:07] And

Brad Shepard: [00:27:07] Wants to see it

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:08] You have to spell it e KayKay ID. Alternatively you can get bonus points for using the word Taylor Swift or to.

Brad Shepard: [00:27:18] But not but not make it tailors with

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:21] No we don’t want that. No. Well that might be good for hits I don’t know. But anyway so for Brad Shepard I’m Joel Hollingsworth and this has been the game to rocket up podcast.

Brad Shepard: [00:27:37] That got to look for my wife.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:40] Well as it should.

Brad Shepard: [00:27:42] Because

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:42] We need a chaperone

Brad Shepard: [00:27:43] It’s your

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:44] For you. You also confirmed to by the way that you have no idea what 60 seconds is.

Brad Shepard: [00:27:50] No.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:50] So

Brad Shepard: [00:27:51] No not at all. Oh big I’m capable of doing anything in 60 seconds

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:27:59] I’ll leave that one alone.

Brad Shepard: [00:28:01] Yeah look it up.

Joel Hollingsworth: [00:28:02] Yeah.

Worth watching 9.4.18: Pruitt’s weekly press conference

Lots of great comments from Jeremy Pruitt at his weekly press conference yesterday:

Trey Smith is incredibly impressive:

Marquez Callaway also says all of the right things:

Brandon Kennedy, who didn’t have the best game Saturday, looks like he didn’t really want to do this interview, but managed well enough:

Baylen Buchanan seems to have the perfect mindset of a cornerback, as it looks like he’s already bounced back in confidence:

The official outlet’s recap video:


The Sports Source:

And finally . . . the first look at JJ Peterson:

Worth reading 9.4.18: Is it okay to look ahead to Florida?

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from 247Sports’ Wes Rucker:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Competence vs Excellence, via Gameday on Rocky TopWill’s Tennessee-West Virginia post-game.
  2. A Last Look at West Virginia Before Looking Ahead, via Gameday on Rocky TopBrad’s Tennessee-West Virginia post-game.
  3. Updated projected win totals for the Vols after Week 1, via Gameday on Rocky Top. This week’s how ya like me now?
  4. Vols’ Chandler ‘day-to-day’ after injury in season opener, via 247Sports
  5. Tennessee’s secondary not ‘discouraged’ after WVU loss, via 247Sports
  6. Top takeaways from Tennessee’s season opener, via WNML
  7. Jeremy Pruitt reviews Jarrett Guarantano’s play in opener, via 247Sports
  8. Pruitt: Vols’ improvement starts with execution, better coaching, via 247Sports
  9. Pruitt: Kelly not ‘ready just yet’ coming off leg injury, via 247Sports
  10. Tennessee’s Trey Smith feeling ‘normal’ in return, via 247Sports
  11. Pruitt: Tuttle ‘bright spot’ for Vols’ defense in opener, via 247Sports
  12. Randy Sanders says he’ll walk home naked if ETSU upsets Vols, via 247Sports
  13. Transcript of Pruitt’s Weekly Press Conference, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • Vols Film Room: Room for improvement for the Tennessee…, via The Athletic
  • Ahead of his return home, ETSU’s Randy Sanders reflects on…, via The Athletic
  • Practice observations: JJ Peterson makes practice debut, via 247Sports

Updated projected win totals for the Vols after Week 1

How you view the result of Saturday’s Tennessee-West Virginia game depends largely on how you felt going in. As I said on the two Gameday on Rocky Top Podcasts last week, my three most expected outcomes for the game were (1) West Virginia in a close one, (2) a West Virginia blowout, and (3) Tennessee in a close one.

I wouldn’t argue with anyone who feels like a 26-point loss is a blowout, but because I knew there was a significant risk of the Mountaineers passing game continuing to exploit the Vols secondary, it doesn’t really feel like that to me. Maybe I’d feel differently if it happened all game instead of just the second half. It’s like getting all of the Pythagorean theorem questions wrong on the ACT. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re terrible at math; it just means you got the same concept wrong 15 times.

On the other hand, expecting a close game and getting a 26-point loss is indeed cause for adjusting expectations downward to some degree. So yeah, I’m feeling a little less hopeful for the Vols after this weekend. I’m really interested to see how West Virginia does the rest of the way. Go ‘Eers.

Meanwhile, every one of the Vols’ future opponents except UTEP had first outings that were solid enough to make me feel slightly worse about them as well. With the exception of Auburn, though, everybody played cupcakes, so if I feel worse, it’s not by much.

On balance, I feel only slightly worse about the Vols and only slightly worse about the Vols’ opponents after the first weekend. Plus, like Brad, I’m thinking that the only reason I’m feeling worse is because I probably felt better than I should have last week. I’m keeping the Alabama-Auburn-Georgia trio where they are and in the order they were. I’m reordering the Charlotte, ETSU, UTEP trio and keeping the group in my “as certain as can be” range. But I’m moving the shifting the middle group of South Carolina, Florida, and Missouri toward the red a bit and keeping Kentucky, and Vanderbilt right in the toss-up range.

My projected win total is now 5.25. Use the GRT Expected Win Total Machine to gauge your own expectations after the first week:

The details of the games are below, but here’s my updated chart for this week:

Tennessee Volunteers currently

  • Lost to #17 WVU*, 40-14
  • ETSU, 4:00 PM ET
  • UTEP, 12:00 PM ET
  • Florida, TBD
  • #3 Georgia, TBD
  • #9 Auburn, TBD
  • #1 Alabama, TBD
  • S Carolina, TBD
  • Charlotte, TBD
  • Kentucky, TBD
  • Missouri, TBD
  • Vanderbilt, TBD

The Vols should be able to regain a bit of confidence over the next two weeks against ETSU and UTEP at home. Florida gets Kentucky and Colorado State the next two weeks, so expectations could shift in a hurry regarding that imminent clash between the Vols and Gators at Neyland.

The Vols’ past opponents

West Virginia Mountaineers

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in Big 12

  • Beat Tennessee*, 40-14
  • Youngstown St, 6:00 PM ET
  • NC State, 3:30 PM ET
  • Kansas State, TBD
  • Texas Tech, TBD
  • Kansas, TBD
  • Iowa State, TBD
  • Baylor, 7:00 PM ET FOX Sports 1
  • #23 Texas, TBD
  • #16 TCU, TBD
  • Oklahoma State, TBD
  • #7 Oklahoma, 8:00 PM ET

Unless they stumble, we won’t really know just how good West Virginia is until the back end of the season. Let’s hope they don’t stumble.

East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 2nd in Southern

  • Beat Mars Hill, 28-7
  • Tennessee, 4:00 PM ET
  • VMI, 1:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • Furman, 7:30 PM ET
  • Chattanooga, 7:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • Gardner-Webb, 3:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • The Citadel, 2:00 PM ET
  • Wofford, 1:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • W Carolina, 3:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • Mercer, 3:00 PM ET ESPN+
  • Samford, 1:00 PM ET

UTEP Miners

Current record: 0-1 (0-0), 1st in C-USA – West

  • Lost to N Arizona, 30-10
  • UNLV, 9:00 PM ET
  • Tennessee, 12:00 PM ET
  • New Mexico St, 7:30 PM ET
  • UTSA, 7:00 PM ET ESPN+
  • North Texas, 7:30 PM ET
  • LA Tech, 3:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • UAB, 7:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • Rice, 3:30 PM ET
  • Mid Tennessee, 3:00 PM ET ESPN+
  • W Kentucky, 7:30 PM ET
  • Southern Miss, 3:00 PM ET ESPN+

Florida Gators

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat Charleston So, 53-6
  • Kentucky, 7:30 PM ET
  • Colorado State, 4:00 PM ET
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • #18 Miss St, TBD
  • #25 LSU, TBD
  • Vanderbilt, TBD
  • #3 Georgia*, 3:30 PM ET CBS
  • Missouri, TBD
  • S Carolina, TBD
  • Idaho, TBD
  • #19 Florida State, TBD

Georgia Bulldogs

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat Austin Peay, 45-0
  • S Carolina, 3:30 PM ET CBS
  • Mid Tennessee, 7:15 PM ET
  • Missouri, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Vanderbilt, TBD
  • #25 LSU, TBD
  • Florida*, 3:30 PM ET CBS
  • Kentucky, TBD
  • #9 Auburn, TBD
  • UMass, TBD
  • Georgia Tech, TBD

Auburn Tigers

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – West

  • Beat #6 Washington*, 21-16
  • Alabama State, 7:30 PM ET
  • #25 LSU, 3:30 PM ET CBS
  • Arkansas, TBD
  • Southern Miss, TBD
  • #18 Miss St, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Ole Miss, TBD
  • Texas A&M, TBD
  • #3 Georgia, TBD
  • Liberty, TBD
  • #1 Alabama, TBD

Alabama Crimson Tide

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – West

  • Beat Louisville*, 51-14
  • Arkansas State, 3:30 PM ET
  • Ole Miss, 7:00 PM ET
  • Texas A&M, TBD
  • Louisiana, TBD
  • Arkansas, TBD
  • Missouri, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • #25 LSU, TBD
  • #18 Miss St, TBD
  • The Citadel, TBD
  • #9 Auburn, TBD

South Carolina Gamecocks

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat C. Carolina, 49-15
  • #3 Georgia, 3:30 PM ET CBS
  • Marshall, 7:30 PM ET
  • Vanderbilt, TBD
  • Kentucky, TBD
  • Missouri, TBD
  • Texas A&M, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Ole Miss, TBD
  • Florida, TBD
  • Chattanooga, TBD
  • #2 Clemson, TBD

Charlotte 49ers

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in C-USA – East

  • Beat Fordham, 34-10
  • App St, 6:00 PM ET ESPN+
  • Old Dominion, 6:00 PM ET
  • UMass, 3:30 PM ET
  • UAB, TBD
  • W Kentucky, 3:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • Mid Tennessee, 3:00 PM ET
  • Southern Miss, 2:00 PM ET
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Marshall, 2:30 PM ET ESPN+
  • FIU, 2:00 PM ET
  • FAU, 6:00 PM ET

Kentucky Wildcats

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat Cent Michigan, 35-20
  • Florida, 7:30 PM ET
  • Murray State, 12:00 PM ET
  • #18 Miss St, TBD
  • S Carolina, TBD
  • Texas A&M, TBD
  • Vanderbilt, TBD
  • Missouri, TBD
  • #3 Georgia, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Mid Tennessee, TBD
  • Louisville, TBD

Missouri Tigers

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat UT Martin, 51-14
  • Wyoming, 7:00 PM ET
  • Purdue, 7:30 PM ET BTN
  • #3 Georgia, TBD
  • S Carolina, TBD
  • #1 Alabama, TBD
  • Memphis, TBD
  • Kentucky, TBD
  • Florida, TBD
  • Vanderbilt, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD
  • Arkansas, 2:30 PM ET CBS

Vanderbilt Commodores

Current record: 1-0 (0-0), 1st in SEC – East

  • Beat Mid Tennessee, 35-7
  • Nevada, 12:00 PM ET
  • #12 Notre Dame, 2:30 PM ET NBC
  • S Carolina, TBD
  • Tennessee St, TBD
  • #3 Georgia, TBD
  • Florida, TBD
  • Kentucky, TBD
  • Arkansas, TBD
  • Missouri, TBD
  • Ole Miss, TBD
  • Tennessee, TBD

Worth watching 9.2.18: West Virginia post-game video

Video game recap:

Game highlights:

Pruitt did an excellent job in the post-game, hitting just the right tone:

This was from before the game, but it’s still pertinent:

Worth reading 9.2.18: Opener a reality-check for some Vols fans

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from 247Sports’ Wes Rucker:

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Worried about Tennessee’s offensive line? Jeremy Pruitt isn’t, via 247Sports
  2. Pruitt still confident in Tennessee’s trio of freshman DBs, via 247Sports
  3. Jordan Shines as Vols Fall to #17 West Virginia in Opener – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  4. Despite defeat, quarterback Jarrett Guarantano steady in starting role, via VolQuest
  5. QB Guarantano wins ‘close battle,’ shows ‘poise’ in opener, via 247Sports
  6. West Virginia 40, Tennessee 14: Mountaineers too much for Vols 2.0 beta, via Gameday on Rocky Top
  7. Pruitt drops head coaching debut, says Vols’ loss ‘on me’, via 247Sports
  8. Pruitt accentuates positives in lopsided loss, via VolQuest
  9. Vols’ Peterson, No. 44 prospect, cleared to play, via ESPN
  10. Full stats, box score, starters, drive charts, etc., via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • Saturday showed the Vols and Pruitt their starting point, via VolQuest
  • Snap Judgments: Tennessee falls to West Virginia in opener, via 247Sports
  • Four takeaways from Tennessee’s season-opening loss to…, via The Athletic
  • Four quick takes on a tough debut, via VolQuest

West Virginia 40, Tennessee 14: Mountaineers too much for Vols 2.0 beta

The Jeremy Pruitt Era at Tennessee got off to an inauspicious start when West Virginia nose tackle Kenny Bigelow blew up the Vols’ first play from scrimmage, running through UT’s offensive line unblocked and crushing quarterback Jarret Guarantano as he threw an ugly incompletion. When the offense continued to go backward, so much of the blooming hope that had been carefully cultivated on Rocky Top over the past nine months withered and wilted.

And for a while, Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and West Virginia’s passing attack looked like it was going to squelch any hopes for the defense as well.

But after a few extremely rough series, Tennessee’s offense shifted out of reverse and even put together a nice 78-yard drive for a touchdown in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Vols defense held the Mountaineers’ high-powered and dangerous offense to only one touchdown and two field goals in the first half.

After an extended halftime break caused by a lightning delay, West Virginia and Grier found a groove, scoring more points and piling up more yards in the third quarter than they did in the entire first half. They found the end zone on every possession after halftime with the exception of one drive that ended with a fumble recovered by Tennessee.

The Vols offense sputtered some and scored some in the second half, earning another touchdown and getting to within two yards of another before turning the ball over on downs. When it was all said and done, West Virginia won 40-14.

Stiff arming adversity

The opening of the game for Tennessee was horrid, as the first play felt like getting punched in the mouth while opening a much-anticipated Christmas present. And then getting stomped on the throat while being reminded who somebody else thinks you are.

But Tennessee’s guys took the licks, got up, and then started giving some of their own. Tyson Helton didn’t wait long to abandon the idea of running into a stacked box and immediately started having success throwing the ball and moving the chains. The players didn’t quit, and they didn’t hang their heads. That’s going to be important as they face the potential of additional beatings in October.

The offensive line recovered from a terrible start

For the frightening first few minutes, Tennessee’s offensive line somehow looked worse than ever. Alabama transfer and former 4-star prospect Brandon Kennedy completely whiffed on that first play and was getting manhandled by Bigelow. The rest of the guys were doing no better, getting pushed back, run around, and just generally overwhelmed by West Virginia’s front seven.

But they found their legs after a few series and started, at the very least, holding their own. And then they started opening up lanes for the running backs. (More on that in a minute.) On balance, I think you’d have to say that the jury is still out on the o-line, but as the game went on, you started feeling better about them.

Jarrett Guarantano

Guarantano got the start, and, once the o-line started helping him after the first few series, he looked good. He finished the game 19-25 for 172 yards and a touchdown. I said this already, but it really can’t be overstated: He was absolutely pummeled on that first play, and he could have succumbed to the here-we-go-agains like the rest of us did. But he not only put his helmet back on and got back in the pocket, he started having success.

Tim Jordan

Jordan has to be the player of the game for the Vols. After Ty Chandler went out with an injury, Jordan got the bulk of the work in the run game, and he finished with 20 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. The guy ran hard, had solid vision, and simply would not go down on first contact. On a couple of runs, he punished would-be tacklers before hitting the turf. He’s going to be fun to watch.

Grier and his guys were just too much

We knew going in that Tennessee’s secondary was going to be challenged, and while there was hope that the new guys at corner would surprise, they really didn’t. Alontae Taylor must have had a decent game, as his name wasn’t called very much. But Grier and the West Virginia offense picked on Trevon Flowers all night and for good reason, as he simply got beat by the Mountaineers’ wide receivers multiple times.

Whether that means the Vols’ secondary is going to be a concern all season, that Grier is going to win the Heisman, or that what happened this afternoon when Tennessee tried to defend the pass was a combination of the two, we won’t know for several games. Stay tuned for additional evidence and keep deliberating.

Marquez Callaway

Callaway had a good afternoon, pulling down seven catches for 85 yards, and he appeared to be Guarantano’s go-to receiver.

It was also good to see Jajuan Jennings back in action. When he gets his hands on the ball, you think that he’s never going to let go or go down. He did have only two catches, though.

Injuries

I believe that running back Ty Chandler was the only Vol to leave the game with injury and not return. Trey Smith went out at one point, but got back on the field after getting his ankle re-taped. That’s good news for a team that’s had more than its share of bad luck in the injury department the past couple of years.

Going forward

This wasn’t exactly the result that we Vols fans were hoping for. Many were entertaining the idea of winning, and most were thinking it would be closer than the 10 points Vegas predicted.

Whether 26 points constitutes a blowout is up for debate, but I saw some things this afternoon that look like a solid foundation upon which success can be built. Responding well to adversity. Abandoning ineffective gameplans and making effective in-game adjustments quickly. Mostly solid fundamentals.

I’m also sitting here right now trying to remember any mistakes, and I can’t remember any. The guys got beat. They missed some tackles, some blocks, and some coverages. But did the coaches commit any serious blunders? I don’t think so.

I think Will Grier, David Sills, and Gary Jennings are excellent.

I think West Virginia is very good.

But I also think we’re in good hands with Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.

Your Gameday Gameplan: Tennessee-West Virginia

It’s finally here. Gameday. Football Time in Tennessee.

Here’s the perfect Gameday Gameplan for Vols fans. Where and when to find the Vols game on TV, what other games to watch, and what to listen to and read as you wait for kickoff.

When is the Vols game, and what TV channel is it on?

The most important thing you’ll do today is watch the Vols game, so here are the particulars:

The best other games for Vols fans to watch today

Here’s our list of games to watch today, curated just for Vols fans:

Saturday, September 1, 2018
Away Home Time TV How Why
NOON SLATE
Coastal Carolina South Carolina 12:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN Live Future Opponent
Florida Atlantic No. 7 Oklahoma 12:00 PM FOX Channel Hop Top 25 Team
No. 23 Texas Maryland 12:00 PM FS1 Channel Hop Top 25 Team
Oregon State No. 5 Ohio State 12:00 PM ABC, WatchESPN Channel Hop Top 25 Team
Southern No. 16 TCU 12:00 PM Channel Hop Top 25 Team
Furman No. 2 Clemson 12:20 PM ACCNE, WatchESPN Channel Hop Top 25 Team
AFTERNOON SLATE
Tennessee No. 17 West Virginia 3:30 PM CBS Live Go Vols!
No. 6 Washington No. 9 Auburn 3:30 PM ABC, WatchESPN DVR Top 25 Matchup
Austin Peay No. 3 Georgia 3:30 PM ESPN, WatchESPN DVR Future Opponent
Central Michigan Kentucky 3:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
UT Martin Missouri 4:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
EVENING SLATE
No. 14 Michigan No. 12 Notre Dame 7:30 PM NBC Live Top 25 Matchup
Northern Arizona UTEP 7:30 PM ESPN3 Channel Hop Future Opponent
Charleston Southern Florida 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN DVR Future Opponent
Middle Tennessee Vanderbilt 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent
Stephen F. Austin No. 18 Mississippi State 7:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN Channel Hop Top 25 Team
Louisville No. 1 Alabama 8:00 PM ABC, WatchESPN Channel Hop Future Opponent

 

See also, this week’s full college football TV schedule.

GRT games and contests

While you’re waiting for the games to begin, make sure that you submit your answers to the GRT Guessing Game questions and update your picks for the GRT Pick ‘Em.

GRT game-week podcasts

And if you’re driving around this morning to get stuff done before kickoff, have a listen to our two podcasts this week by subscribing via iTunes or Google:

 Listen on Google Play Music

Pre-game prep

And to catch up on on your pre-game reading, have a look at our game preview posts from earlier this week:

  1. Tennessee vs West Virginia Preview: How Many, How Much, A Few
  2. Tennessee-West Virginia statsy preview prediction: Mountaineers by 5
  3. Saturday’s West Virginia Showdown is a Major Opportunity for Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols
  4. Locks & Keys Week 1: Do You Fear the ‘Eers?
  5. Vols-Mountaineers: Comparing the starters, head-to-head
  6. Every Season Tells a Story
  7. The data on how Vols fans are feeling about the 2018 season

This will also serve as our game thread for the day. Hope to see you there.

Go Vols!