Vols Football Preview: Tennessee vs. Georgia State

Neyland Stadium / Credit: UT Athletics

Vols Football Preview: Tennessee vs. Georgia State

Posted on August 30, 2019
Neyland Stadium / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After a long offseason it’s finally Football Time in Tennessee as the Volunteers welcome Georgia State to Neyland Stadium on Saturday for the much-anticipated 2019 season opener.

Kickoff for Tennessee’s opener is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPNU as Clay Matvick (PxP), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) have the call.

Fans can also listen to Tennessee’s radio broadcast on the Vol Network (WIVK-FM 107.7) as well as satellite radio (Sirius Ch. 37, XM Ch. 192, Internet Ch. 963). Bob Kesling (PxP), Tim Priest (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action all season long.

Need to Know
Vols Dominant in Home Season Openers
The Big Orange have been dominant when opening the year at home. UT has won 20 straight season openers played at Neyland Stadium and is unbeaten in the last 22 home season openers dating back to 1984.

UT Coaching Staff Among Nation’s Best
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt has assembled one of the country’s top coaching staffs as he enters his second year in charge of the program. The Vols’ on-field coaching staff have combined to win 16 National Championships and 29 conference titles while coaching 66 All-Americans and having over 200 players selected in the NFL Draft.

New to the staff this year are some familiar faces as Tee Martin, Jim Chaney and Derrick Ansley have all returned to Rocky Top to join Pruitt’s coaching staff. Martin, who was the starting quarterback for UT’s 1998 BCS National Championship team, will coach the wide receivers and serve as passing game coordinator. Chaney, who led record-breaking offenses during his first stint with the Vols from 2009-12, is back as offensive coordinator after a successful stint at Georgia (2016-18) where he helped lead the Bulldogs to the National Championship game in 2017. Ansley, who coached defensive backs for Tennessee in 2012, takes over as defensive coordinator after spending last season as the Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach.

Pruitt and his staff led Tennessee to a pair of upset victories over ranked opponents in 2018, defeating No. 21 Auburn on the road and taking down No. 11 Kentucky at home. Pruitt was named National Coach of the Week by the Dodd Foundation following UT’s win over the Tigers, which was the program’s first upset victory on the road since a 51-33 win over No. 10 Georgia in 2006.

Taylor Back for More
Tennessee outside linebacker Darrell Taylor opted to forgo the NFL Draft and return for one more season on Rocky Top after leading the Vols with eight sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss in 2018. The redshirt senior’s eight sacks last season were the most by any returning player in the SEC.

Taylor had two games with three-plus sacks, joining Derek Barnett (2014) and Leonard Little (1996) as the only players in Tennessee history with multiple games of at least three sacks in the same season.

The Hopewell, Va., native was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Bednarik National Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after posting four sacks in an upset victory against No. 11 Kentucky on Nov. 10, recording just the third four-sack game in Tennessee football history. Taylor joined Reggie White (1983 vs. Citadel) and Corey Miller (2013 at Kentucky) as Vols with four sacks in a game.

Returning Talent
The Vols return quite a bit of production from last year’s team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Led by redshirt junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and senior wideouts Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings, Tennessee brings back 10 offensive starters. The Orange and White return 98.5 percent of their receiving yards and 86.5 percent of their rushing yards from a year ago.

UT also welcomes back some important playmakers on the defensive side, led by the aforementioned Taylor, senior linebacker Daniel Bituli and senior defensive back Nigel Warrior. Bituli has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons while Warrior has started more games (25) than any other player on UT’s roster.

Preseason Accolades
UT had 12 players named to preseason watch lists (full listing below). The trio of OL Wanya Morris, OL Darnell Wright and LB Henry To’o To’o were also included on the ESPN Preseason True Freshman All-America team.

Darrell Taylor – Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Jarrett Guarantano – Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Ty Chandler – Doak Walker Award
Dominick Wood-Anderson – John Mackey Award
Brandon Kennedy – Rimington Trophy
Ryan Johnson – Wuerffel Trophy
Trey Smith – Wuerffel Trophy
Riley Lovingood – Patrick Mannelly Award
Warren Burrell – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA)
Wanya Morris – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)
Henry To’o To’o – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)
Darnell Wright – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)

Series History: Georgia State
Vols lead series, 1-0
Past Meetings:
9/8/12     Knoxville     W, 51-13

Tennessee won the only prior meeting between the two programs with a 51-13 victory over the Panthers at Neyland Stadium in 2012. Vols’ quarterback Tyler Bray recorded his eighth career 300-plus yard passing performance, finishing 18-of-20 for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

About Georgia State
Georgia State is entering just its 10th football season and seventh at the FBS level after starting the program back in 2010. The Panthers will be looking to rebound from a tough 2018 campaign that saw them finish 2-10. They are led by third-year head coach Shawn Elliot, who led GSU to a win over Western Kentucky in the AutoNation Cure Bowl in 2017.

Much like the Vols, the Panthers bring back a lot of production from last season with nine offensive starters and seven defensive starters returning. Georgia State returns All-Sun Belt selections in senior quarterback Dan Ellington, left tackle Hunter Atkinson, left guard Shamarious Gilmore and defensive end Terry Thomas. Ellington led the Panthers in passing yards (2,119) and rushing yards (625) in 2018 and scored 17 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions.

-UT Athletics

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Vols Football Preview: Tennessee vs. Georgia State

Neyland Stadium / Credit: UT Athletics

Vols Football Preview: Tennessee vs. Georgia State

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Vince Ferrara • 0 Comments
Neyland Stadium / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After a long offseason it’s finally Football Time in Tennessee as the Volunteers welcome Georgia State to Neyland Stadium on Saturday for the much-anticipated 2019 season opener.

Kickoff for Tennessee’s opener is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPNU as Clay Matvick (PxP), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) have the call.

Fans can also listen to Tennessee’s radio broadcast on the Vol Network (WIVK-FM 107.7) as well as satellite radio (Sirius Ch. 37, XM Ch. 192, Internet Ch. 963). Bob Kesling (PxP), Tim Priest (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action all season long.

Need to Know
Vols Dominant in Home Season Openers
The Big Orange have been dominant when opening the year at home. UT has won 20 straight season openers played at Neyland Stadium and is unbeaten in the last 22 home season openers dating back to 1984.

UT Coaching Staff Among Nation’s Best
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt has assembled one of the country’s top coaching staffs as he enters his second year in charge of the program. The Vols’ on-field coaching staff have combined to win 16 National Championships and 29 conference titles while coaching 66 All-Americans and having over 200 players selected in the NFL Draft.

New to the staff this year are some familiar faces as Tee Martin, Jim Chaney and Derrick Ansley have all returned to Rocky Top to join Pruitt’s coaching staff. Martin, who was the starting quarterback for UT’s 1998 BCS National Championship team, will coach the wide receivers and serve as passing game coordinator. Chaney, who led record-breaking offenses during his first stint with the Vols from 2009-12, is back as offensive coordinator after a successful stint at Georgia (2016-18) where he helped lead the Bulldogs to the National Championship game in 2017. Ansley, who coached defensive backs for Tennessee in 2012, takes over as defensive coordinator after spending last season as the Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach.

Pruitt and his staff led Tennessee to a pair of upset victories over ranked opponents in 2018, defeating No. 21 Auburn on the road and taking down No. 11 Kentucky at home. Pruitt was named National Coach of the Week by the Dodd Foundation following UT’s win over the Tigers, which was the program’s first upset victory on the road since a 51-33 win over No. 10 Georgia in 2006.

Taylor Back for More
Tennessee outside linebacker Darrell Taylor opted to forgo the NFL Draft and return for one more season on Rocky Top after leading the Vols with eight sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss in 2018. The redshirt senior’s eight sacks last season were the most by any returning player in the SEC.

Taylor had two games with three-plus sacks, joining Derek Barnett (2014) and Leonard Little (1996) as the only players in Tennessee history with multiple games of at least three sacks in the same season.

The Hopewell, Va., native was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, the Bednarik National Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after posting four sacks in an upset victory against No. 11 Kentucky on Nov. 10, recording just the third four-sack game in Tennessee football history. Taylor joined Reggie White (1983 vs. Citadel) and Corey Miller (2013 at Kentucky) as Vols with four sacks in a game.

Returning Talent
The Vols return quite a bit of production from last year’s team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Led by redshirt junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and senior wideouts Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings, Tennessee brings back 10 offensive starters. The Orange and White return 98.5 percent of their receiving yards and 86.5 percent of their rushing yards from a year ago.

UT also welcomes back some important playmakers on the defensive side, led by the aforementioned Taylor, senior linebacker Daniel Bituli and senior defensive back Nigel Warrior. Bituli has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons while Warrior has started more games (25) than any other player on UT’s roster.

Preseason Accolades
UT had 12 players named to preseason watch lists (full listing below). The trio of OL Wanya Morris, OL Darnell Wright and LB Henry To’o To’o were also included on the ESPN Preseason True Freshman All-America team.

Darrell Taylor – Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Jarrett Guarantano – Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Ty Chandler – Doak Walker Award
Dominick Wood-Anderson – John Mackey Award
Brandon Kennedy – Rimington Trophy
Ryan Johnson – Wuerffel Trophy
Trey Smith – Wuerffel Trophy
Riley Lovingood – Patrick Mannelly Award
Warren Burrell – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA)
Wanya Morris – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)
Henry To’o To’o – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)
Darnell Wright – Freshman All-America Team Watch List (FWAA, 247Sports)

Series History: Georgia State
Vols lead series, 1-0
Past Meetings:
9/8/12     Knoxville     W, 51-13

Tennessee won the only prior meeting between the two programs with a 51-13 victory over the Panthers at Neyland Stadium in 2012. Vols’ quarterback Tyler Bray recorded his eighth career 300-plus yard passing performance, finishing 18-of-20 for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

About Georgia State
Georgia State is entering just its 10th football season and seventh at the FBS level after starting the program back in 2010. The Panthers will be looking to rebound from a tough 2018 campaign that saw them finish 2-10. They are led by third-year head coach Shawn Elliot, who led GSU to a win over Western Kentucky in the AutoNation Cure Bowl in 2017.

Much like the Vols, the Panthers bring back a lot of production from last season with nine offensive starters and seven defensive starters returning. Georgia State returns All-Sun Belt selections in senior quarterback Dan Ellington, left tackle Hunter Atkinson, left guard Shamarious Gilmore and defensive end Terry Thomas. Ellington led the Panthers in passing yards (2,119) and rushing yards (625) in 2018 and scored 17 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions.

-UT Athletics