TENNESSEE (1-0) VS. EAST TENNESSEE STATE (1-0)
4 p.m. at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville
VIDEO & RADIO
SEC Network/106.5 FM
THE MATCHUP
It’s Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt’s Neyland Stadium debut, and it comes against an in-state opponent that brings a few intriguing subplots. Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer worked as a consultant for ETSU as the school began a push to resurrect its football program in time for the 2014 season. The Buccaneers are led by first-year head coach Randy Sanders, who spent more than 20 years at Tennessee as a player and assistant coach, including seven years as Fulmer’s offensive coordinator. As if the meeting was not enough of a family affair, Pruitt and Sanders helped win a national championship while working together on the Florida State staff in 2013. ETSU won its season opener 28-7 against Division II school Mars Hill. The Volunteers lost their season opener 40-14 to West Virginia, now ranked 14th.
ONES TO WATCH
The storyline for Tennessee centers on an offensive line coping without starting center Brandon Kennedy, who was lost for the season with an ACL injury suffered in practice this week. Ryan Johnson is expected to slide over from right guard to take his place. Eyes also will be on the quarterback position as Pruitt has indicated that backup Keller Chryst will play some against ETSU. Jarrett Guarantano beat Chryst out during preseason camp for the starting job, but Pruitt believes developing quarterback depth is crucial. Chryst is a graduate transfer from Stanford with an 11-2 career record as a starter. It will be interesting to see how the offense responds when he enters the game, because recent history shows the Vols often end up needing more than one quarterback through the course of a season.
IN THE END
This is ETSU’s first game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since the program returned to the field in 2014, and the program will receive a guaranteed $500,000 payout for playing. With a new stadium complete and Sanders leading the program after winning national championships as an assistant at Florida State and Tennessee, the Bucs have momentum as a program. Maybe one day they can go on the road for a so-called “money game” and put a scare into an FBS team. That day has not yet arrived. Sanders even joked that he would walk back to Johnson City “probably naked” if ETSU wins. The Vols are still establishing their identity, but they will win this game easily.
PREDICTION: Tennessee 45, ETSU 7