FB PREVIEW: #11 Vols Host Miners for Senior Day Matinee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 11th^th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers close out their regular-season home schedule Saturday afternoon when they host UTEP on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium.

The Big Orange look to finish the year undefeated at home for the second time in the last three seasons as they enter Saturday’s 1pm contest against the Miners with a perfect 6-0 record at Neyland Stadium.

NEYLAND STADIUM, PRESERVED BY PILOT

Earlier this year, Tennessee Athletics and Pilot broke new ground in college sports by entering into a multi-year partnership that preserves the iconic venue’s name and enhances the stadium experience for future generations. Under the terms of the agreement, which is slated to last up to 20 years and may be extended further, the names of Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field will remain unchanged. Pilot has been named the presenting partner for the Neyland Stadium renovation project and the official travel stop for Tennessee Athletics.

Neyland Stadium. Home of the Vols. Proudly preserved by Pilot.

DISPATCH INFO

Saturday’s contest will be streamed online via SEC Network+ and ESPN+ as Lowell Galindo (PxP), Foz Whitaker (Analyst) and Marilyn Payne (Sideline Reporter) will have the call. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:02 p.m

The game can be accessed via SEC Network+, which is complementary to SEC Network and accessible with your TV provider’s credentials. It can be accessed through the ESPN app on smartphones, tablets, connected streaming devices or via espn.com/watch.

The game can also be accessed via ESPN+. ESPN+ is a standalone streaming service that requires a subscription separate from your TV provider’s credentials. It’s available to stream through the ESPN app on your connected streaming device and beyond ESPN.com.

Fans seeking more guidance on how to watch games on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ can contact ESPN Customer Service at 888-549-3776. Help is available online at support.espn.com.

Fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 65 stations across the state of Tennessee and the Southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 119 or 191) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 961 ), as well as the Varsity App. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.

Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (Analyst) and Brent Hubbs (Analyst) will call the action, with VFL Jayson Swain handling the sideline for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours before kickoff at 11. The pregame show hosts John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, VFL Jayson Swain and a rotating VFL special guest each week. Vol Network celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024.

The Spanish broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and VFL Fuad Reveiz on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.

MATCH DAY INFO / TIMELINE

Visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com for the most up-to-date information on Tennessee’s 2024 gameday policies.

The matchday timeline as well as other important information is listed below.

Will calls open at gate 21 – at 9

Truly’s tailgate opens – at 9

Vol Village opens – 9:30 a.m

Vol Walk – 10:45 a.m

Gates open – at 11

Pride of the Southland Band March – 11:20 a.m. (Pedestrian Bridge)

Senior Day Ceremony – 12:34 p.m

Pride of the Southland Band Pregame performance begins – 12:48 p.m

National anthem – 12:51 p.m

*Flyover will feature a KC-135 from the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson Air Base

Vols Run Through the T – 12:59 p.m

Kickoff – 13:02

NEW NEYLAND STADIUM FAN IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2024

A number of new fan improvements are in place at Neyland Stadium this season.

RockyTopWiFi, Neyland Stadium’s Wi-Fi system, debuted during the 2023 season and is fully functional throughout Neyland Stadium for the 2024 campaign. Fans are encouraged to use the network and stay connected on their mobile devices during the game.

Other fan enhancements include, but are not limited to, upgraded speakers, new televisions, trading cards, commemorative tickets and various concession upgrades throughout the stadium.

For more information on all the new Neyland Stadium fan improvements for this season, click HERE.

TICKETS AND PARKING

Tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out. Tickets and parking passes for all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are digital and can be accessed via a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud, as well as make the process more convenient for fans.

Fans will gain access to Neyland Stadium via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy access to Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). Your mobile device is the ticket on the day of the match. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or hold close reader icon (tap-and-go). PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND DO NOT ALLOW ADMISSION!

Printed PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for admission at any Tennessee Athletics venue. The only authorized sources of tickets for Tennessee Athletics events are the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office, AllVols.comthe ticket office of the venue where the athletic event takes place and Ticketmaster.

A complete step-by-step guide on how to best access and use your digital tickets and parking passes, including diagrams and frequently asked questions, is available here.

TENNESSEE ATHLETICS APP

Fans are encouraged to download the new and improved Tennessee Athletics App, which houses the GBO Zone, which allows fans to play trivia, participate in stadium light shows and more.

Search for “Tennessee Athletics” in the Apple or Google Play Store or use this LINK to download.

GAMEDAY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Senior Day: Tennessee’s seniors will be honored during a pregame ceremony on the field. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 12.30, so they can help recognize the program’s senior class.

Greetings to the service: UT’s annual Salute to Service game honors our nation’s service members, veterans and their families. Since introducing the recognition in 2018, Tennessee has welcomed thousands of military and veterans from across the Southeast to numerous athletic events as part of Salute to Service.

On Saturday, members of all branches of the military will participate and lead the Vol Walk prior to the game. At halftime, a contract ceremony will be held for selected Army and Air Force ROTC cadets. During the ceremony, cadets will formally commit to serve in the armed forces upon graduation.

The Pride of the Southland Band will dedicate its halftime performance, featuring patriotic music, to service members and recognize UT students receiving the Vols of Honor Scholarship. The scholarship is given in partnership with Folds of Honor to spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled service members and first responders.

Vol Village Presented by Toyota: The Vol Village presented by Toyota serves as the ideal location to view the Vol Walk and the Pride of Southland Band march. Entry is free for all fans with or without a game ticket. Located across from Circle Park, Vol Village features live music, food trucks and beverage stations, interactive exhibits and fun activities for all ages.

Vol Village will highlight a new artist or band during each home game with a pregame concert series, giving Vol fans the ultimate pregame atmosphere. Kelsey Cate be this week’s featured artist. Vol Village opens at 9:30 for Saturday’s game.

Truly’s Tailgate: Located outside of Gate 9, fans can stop by for food and drinks at Truly’s Tailgate. Fans can enter Truly’s before the gates open without having a ticket scanned. Once the gates open, fans will need to scan their ticket to enter Truly’s.

New to Truly’s this season is the addition of the Vintage Volunteer Shop, where fans can purchase classic gameday merchandise featuring all their favorite brands and logos.

Truly’s opens at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and will remain open for most of the game, providing fans in the South with a selection of food, drinks, TV entertainment and additional restroom options. Truly’s will close at the end of the third quarter.

For complete gameday information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.

MUST KNOW

Non-conference winning streak of 13

The Volunteers have won 13 consecutive non-conference games entering Saturday’s contest against the Miners. UT’s 13-game winning streak against non-SEC foes is its longest since winning 27 straight from 1969-73. The last time Tennessee was beaten by a non-conference opponent was the 2021 Music City Bowl against Purdue. Under head coach Josh HeupelThe Vols boast an impressive 16-2 overall record in non-conference play and have outscored those opponents 894-246.

Ground and Pound
As has become the norm under Heupel, the Vols have been one of the nation’s best rushing teams this season. Tennessee is number 10^th in FBS in total rushing yards (2,262) and rushing yards per battle (226.2). UT has reached the 2,000-yard mark on the ground in all four seasons under Heupel and was the first SEC team to break 2,000 yards for the second straight year.

Doak Walker Award semi-finalist Dylan Sampson has been the driving force behind the Vols’ impressive ground attack that led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally with 1,239 rushing yards this season. The junior running back has rushed for over 100 yards in nine of the team’s 10 games this season and has scored a program-record 21 rushing touchdowns.

The Neyland effect
Neyland Stadium is once again one of the country’s most electric environments and toughest places to play for visiting teams. Over the past two seasons, the Vols have gone 19-1 inside its confines, outscoring opponents 888-346. In it Josh Heupel era (since 2021), UT is 24-4 at home and has outscored its opponents 2,109-507 with 19 of those wins by double digits. Tennessee’s 19 home wins since the start of the 2022 season are tied for third in the nation.

Neyland Stadium will be sold out on the 20th^th game in a row on Saturday. UT has ranked in the top five nationally in attendance in each of the last two seasons, ranking no. 3 in total attendance (713,405) and no. 4 in average attendance (101,915) while leading the SEC in attendance in 2023.

Tie in the CFP rankings
Despite an away defeat in the then no. 12 ranked Georgia last weekend, Tennessee dropped just four spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, dropping to No. 11. While currently the first team out of the standings, the Vols. still firmly in the mix for a spot in this year’s expanded 12-team playoff.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee leads the series, 3-0

Saturday will mark the fourth-ever meeting between the Vols and Miners, all of which have taken place in Knoxville and been double-digit wins by Tennessee. In the last meeting between the two programs, the Vols posted a 24-0 shutout win over UTEP in 2015.

ABOUT UTEP

The Miners are led by first-year head coach Scotty Walden, who coached inside Neyland Stadium last season when he was the head coach at Austin Peay.

UTEP’s offense is led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Skyler Locklear, who has completed 126 of 188 passing attempts for 1,356 yards and nine touchdowns. Locklear has also rushed for 161 yards and two scores. The Miners have relied on a trio of productive receivers in Kenny Odom (36 rec., 642 yds, 7 TDs), Kam Thomas (43 rec., 442 yds, 2 TDs) and Trey Goodman (40 rec., 407 yds). Redshirt junior running back Jevon Jackson leads the offense on the ground with 160 carries for 650 yards and two scores.

Defensively, linebackers Nate Dyman and Dorian Hopkins are tied for the lead with 73 tackles and have combined for 15 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five passes defended and two fumble recoveries. Kory Chapman paces the team with 11.0 tackles for loss, while Maurice Westmoreland leads in sacks with 4.5 on the year.