On the Air the Schedule the Coaching Staff
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2020 FOOTBALL 6 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS / 13 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS / 53 BOWL GAMES / 95 ALL-AMERICANS / 46 NFL FIRST-ROUND PICKS GAME 7 | NOV. 14, 2020 | 3:30 P.M. ET | KNOXVILLE, TENN. | NEYLAND STADIUM ON THE AIR TV: ESPN Play-by-Play: Kevin Brown TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS TEXAS A&M AGGIES Analyst: Mike Golic Sr. Sideline: Marty Smith 2-4 VS 5-1 RADIO: VOL NETWORK Head Coach: Jeremy Pruitt Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher Record at UT: 15-16 (.484) // third season Record at A&M: 22-10 (.688) // third season Local: WIVK-FM 107.7 | WNML-FM 99.1 Career Record: same Career Record: 105-33 (.761) // 11th year Sirius: Ch. 106 | XM: Ch. 192 Rankings: AP - NR // Coaches - RV Rankings: AP - 5 // Coaches - 6 Internet: Ch. 963 Web: utsports.com STORYLINES Play-by-Play: Bob Kesling Analysts: Tim Priest & Brent Hubbs • SALUTE TO SERVICE: Tennessee returns to Neyland Stadium for a rare matchup with No. 5/6 Texas A&M at Sideline: Kasey Funderburg 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN. Gameday seating will be at approximately 25 percent of the venue’s full capacity (capacity was 23,394 for last home game vs. Alabama). Saturday will also be “Salute to Service,” SOCIAL MEDIA honoring those who have served in the Armed Forces. #PoweredByTheT @Vol_Football • VS. SEC WEST: Texas A&M was one of the Vols’ two additions to its 10-game conference schedule. This will be Twitter/Instagram: just the fourth meeting between the two programs and the first in Knoxville. UT leads the series, 2-1, and it’s Facebook: Tennessee Football the first matchup between the two since the Aggies won in 2016 in College Station. The Vols are in the midst of facing four consecutive SEC West foes. UT travels to No. 21 Auburn on Nov. 21. • BOUNCING BACK: The Vols are seeking to snap a four-game losing streak. Tennessee saw a 13-0 halftime THE SCHEDULE lead at Arkansas slip away as the Razorbacks scored all 24 of their points in the third quarter last Saturday in Fayetteville. The Vols pitched shutouts in the first half and fourth quarter. Brent Cimaglia connected on Overall: 2-4 | Home: 1-2 | Away: 1-2 field goals of 50- and 48-yards in the first half, whileEric Gray scored UT’s lone touchdown on a 1-yard run, capping a season-long 16-play, 81-yard drive that ate up 8:29 of clock. The Vols racked up a season-best SEPTEMBER (1-0) nine tackles for loss and four sacks led by two TFLs from Henry To’o To’o. Three different UT quarterbacks 26 at South Carolina SECN W, 31-27 played in the game as starter Jarrett Guarantano left midway through the third quarter with a head injury. OCTOBER (1-3) Backup played four drives in the second half, and true freshman saw his most Brian Maurer Harrison Bailey 3 Missouri SECN W, 35-12 extensive action to date, going 6-of-9 for 65 yards and playing the final two drives. 10 at #3/3 Georgia CBS L, 21-44 • YEAR 3 PRUITT ERA: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt is in his third season at the helm after orchestrating the 17 Kentucky SECN L, 7-34 Vols’ turnaround in 2019 that included six straight wins and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win over Indiana. Pruitt, 24 #2/2 Alabama CBS L, 17-48 a five-time national champion as an assistant, owns a 15-16 mark overall. Pruitt is the 26th head coach in NOVEMBER (0-1) UT history. He guided the nation’s No. 1 defense in 2017, 2016 and 2013. He signed a top-10 recruiting class 7 at Arkansas SECN L, 13-24 for the Vols in the spring of 2020, and UT currently has the eighth-best class nationally for 2021. The 2020 14 #5/6 Texas A&M ESPN 3:30 p.m. season is the 13th year for Pruitt coaching in the SEC. Pruitt served as the defensive coordinator on Jimbo 21 at #24/21 Auburn TBA TBA Fisher’s Florida State team in 2013 that won the BCS National Championship and went 14-0. 28 at Vanderbilt TBA TBA • TO’O TO’O THE LEADER OF THE DEFENSE: After a freshman All-America campaign, So. LB Henry To’o To’o DECEMBER (0-0) leads the Vols in tackles (40) and tackles for loss (7.0) as a sophomore. He’s tied for the SEC lead in tackles 5 #6/5 Florida TBA TBA for loss. In the season-opening win at South Carolina, he recorded his first career interception and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. To’o To’o has recorded multiple tackles in 18 of the 19 career games he’s played. * - All games conference only (COVID-19) • TREY SMITH ALL-AMERICA CANDIDATE: Offensive guardTrey Smith elected to return for his senior season and is an Outland Trophy candidate. Smith has played in 38 career games with 37 starts, including 18 straight starts. Last season, he did not allow a sack, and he has not allowed one in six starts this season. THE COACHING STAFF CBSSports.com projects him as a NFL first round pick. • “JUICE” GRAY: So. RB Eric Gray has gone over 100 yards rushing in three of his six games this season, including Jeremy Pruitt, Head Coach (3rd) 123 yards on 31 carries and one touchdown in his last outing at Arkansas. He is averaging 101.3 yards per game Derrick Ansley, DC/DB (3rd) on the ground in the last eight games dating back to last season. Gray ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing Jim Chaney*, OC (6th) yards per game this season (79.67). For his career, Gray owns four 100-yard rushing games. Shelton Felton, OLBs (1st full-time) BY THE NUMBERS Will Friend, OL (3rd) Jay Graham, RB (2nd) sacks this season by Sr. Deandre tackles for loss by UT this season, Tee Martin, Asst. HC/Pass Game/WR (2nd) Johnson, which is tied for the SEC which ranks second in the SEC 4.5 lead 38.0 (season-high 9.0 last game at Ark) Brian Niedermeyer*, ILB (3rd) Joe Osovet*, TE (3rd, 1st on field) Chris Weinke, QBs (3rd) passing touchdowns surrendered players who have made their UT debut so far this season, including by UT this season, which is tied for * - denotes in press box 17 true freshmen 7 the fewest in the SEC (Kentucky) 20 ( ) - denotes year at Tennessee 2020 TENNESSEE FOOTBALL / UTSPORTS.COM / @VOL_FOOTBALL 1 TENNESSEE FOOTBALL MEDIA INFORMATION In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Southeastern Conference and the University of Tennessee have adopted several new policies and TENNESSEE MEDIA RELATIONS restrictions related to in-person media coverage of Tennessee football games this fall. Press box seating BILL MARTIN KIM HOOD will be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity, Assistant AD for Football Communications Assistant Director of Media Relations (Credentials) sideline access will be restricted and the field-level Office: 865-974-4167 Office: 865-974-1211 | Cell: 423-552-5617 media center will be closed. These changes, guided by Cell: 662-418-3821 E-mail: [email protected] public health authorities and CDC recommendations, Email: [email protected] Twitter: @AllinHoodTime mean that some outlets that have previously been Twitter: @Bill_Martin approved for credentials may not receive access this TOM SATKOWIAK fall. All credentials will be issued on a single-game SEAN BAROWS Associate AD for Communications basis for Tennessee home games. Our hope is that the Assistant Director of Media Relations Office: 865-974-7501 | Cell: 865-696-2897 current restrictions are only required for one season Office: 865-974-7478 | Cell: 561-312-9432 E-mail: [email protected] and that we can return to our traditional credentialing/ E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @TomSatkowiak media access procedures in the fall of 2021. Twitter: @SeanBarows ADDITIONAL STAFF COACH PRUITT MEDIA INTERVIEWS AKILAH LASTER Associate Director: Eric Trainer Assistant Director of Media Relations Assistant Directors: Forest Jersey, Shane Switzer • MONDAY: Coach Pruitt’s weekly press conference Office: 865-974-8876 | Cell: 510-813-7714 Graduate Assistant: Dom Palumbo will be held every Monday of game week at noon ET E-mail: [email protected] Student Assistant: Wyeth Wilson via Zoom. A Zoom link will be distributed to media. Twitter: @AkilahLaster Photographer: Andrew Ferguson It will also be streamed live on SEC Network+, utsports.com and the UT Athletics YouTube page. RICKY MARTINEZ DEPARTMENT ADDRESSES • WEDNESDAY: Coach Pruitt takes part in the weekly Graduate Assistant Anderson Training Center - Ground Floor SEC Teleconference each Wednesday at 11:50 a.m. Office: 865-974-5270 | Cell: 626-833-2141 Phone: 865-974-1212 • Fax: 865-974-9496 ET. Media representatives should contact the SEC for E-mail: [email protected] Mailing Address: P.O. Box 15016 Knoxville, TN 37901 a confidential phone number. Twitter: @rickymartinez_3 Shipping Address: 1551 Lake Loudoun Boulevard, • WEDNESDAY: Coach Pruitt will meet with media Knoxville, TN 37996 members via Zoom following Wednesday’s practice as well. A Zoom link will be distributed to media. NEYLAND GAME DAY INFORMATION • POSTGAME: All SEC postgame press conferences press box will open to media starting two hours this season will be held via Zoom. A link will be • Media in attendance will be required to wear a face covering. and 15 minutes before kickoff. distributed to media. • All individuals credentialed for any 2020 Tennessee • With the exception of one pool photographer and football home game will receive an electronic one pool videographer, there will be no field-level STUDENT-ATHLETE MEDIA INTERVIEWS health questionnaire email via Sports Systems access for external media outlets this fall.