Vols and UTEP far apart historically but each rebuilding

University of Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano stands with quarterbacks coach Mike Canales as the team celebrates last November's home win against Southern Miss. While Guarantano is still with the Vols, Canales is now the offensive coordinator at UTEP, which visits Knoxville today for a nonconference matchup. University of Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano stands with quarterbacks coach Mike Canales as the team celebrates last November's home win against Southern Miss. While Guarantano is still with the Vols, Canales is now the offensive coordinator at UTEP, which visits Knoxville today for a nonconference matchup.

By David Cobb September 14, 2018 4 min read

KNOXVILLE – The University of Tennessee’s football opponent this week is coming from 1,500 miles away, both literally and figuratively.

The University of Texas at El Paso will bring the third-worst all-time record among Football Bowl Subdivision teams with at least 50 years of football played to Neyland Stadium on Saturday for a noon showdown with Tennessee.

The Volunteers, meanwhile, own the nation’s 12th-best all-time record.

As Tennessee (1-1) and its Conference USA foe prepared to square off, though, Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt noted similarities between the programs.

“Just watching them, they remind me a lot of ourselves,” Pruitt said. “When they do things the right way, they have lots of success. When they don’t, they haven’t, which is very similar to us. Probably two programs that are kind of going in a similar direction right now, and both of us are looking to play at our best.”