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

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

The Big Orange will look to finish the year undefeated at home for the second time in the last three seasons as they enter Saturday’s 1 pm 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 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 for up to 20 years and could extend further, the names of Neyland Stadium and Shields-Watkins Field remain unchanged. Pilot is designated as the presenting partner of the Neyland Stadium renovation project and the official travel stop of Tennessee Athletics.

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

BROADCAST 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 pm

The game can be accessed through SEC Network+, which is complementary to SEC Network and accessible with your TV provider 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 separate subscription from your TV provider credentials. It is available to stream through the ESPN App on your connected streaming device and on ESPN.com.

Fans seeking more guidance on how to watch games on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ can contact ESPN customer care at 888-549-3776. Assistance 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 sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours prior to kickoff at 11 am The pregame show is hosted by 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.

GAMEDAY INFO / TIMELINE

For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee’s 2024 gameday policies, please visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com.

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

Will Call Opens at Gate 21 – 9 a.m.

Truly’s Tailgate Opens – 9 a.m.

Vol Village Opens – 9:30 a.m.

Vol Walk – 10:45 a.m.

Gates Open – 11 a.m.

Pride of the Southland Band March – 11:20 am (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 – 1:02 p.m.

NEW NEYLAND STADIUM FAN ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2024

A host of new fan enhancements 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 enhancements for this season, click HERE.

TICKETS AND PARKING

Tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out. Tickets and parking passes to all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are digital and can be accessed through 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 admission into Neyland Stadium via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android). Your mobile device es the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!

Printed PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for entry at any Tennessee Athletics venue. The only authorized sources for tickets to Tennessee Athletics events are the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office, AllVols.com, the venue box office where the athletic event is taking 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 FAQ is available here.

TENNESSEE ATHLETICS APP

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

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

GAMEDAY EVENTS & 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 pm so that they can join in recognizing the program’s senior class.

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

On Saturday, members of all branches of the military will join and lead the Vol Walk prior to the game. At halftime, a contracting ceremony will be held for select 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 who are recipients of the Vols of Honor Scholarship. The scholarship is provided 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: Vol Village presented by Toyota, serves as the ideal spot to view the Vol Walk and the Pride of Southland Band march. Admission is free to all fans with or without a game ticket. Located across from Circle Park, Vol Village features live music, food trucks and beverage stations, interactive displays and fun activities for all ages.

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

Truly’s Tailgate: Located outside Gate 9, fans can stop by for food and drinks at Truly’s Tailgate. Fans may enter Truly’s prior to gates opening without having a ticket scanned. When 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 with all their favorite marks and logos.

Truly’s will open at 9 am on Saturday and remain open for the majority of the game, giving fans in the south concourse a variety of food, drinks, television entertainment and additional restroom options. Truly’s will close at the end of the third quarter.

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

NEED TO KNOW

Non-Conference Win Streak at 13

The Volunteers have won 13 consecutive non-conference games entering Saturday’s contest against the Miners. UT’s 13 straight victories against non-SEC foes is its longest streak since winning 27 in a row from 1969-73. The last time that 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 ranks 10^th in the FBS in total rushing yards (2,262) and rushing yards per game (226.2). UT has reached the 2,000-yard mark on the ground in all four seasons under Heupel and were the first SEC team to hit 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, leading the SEC and ranking sixth nationally with 1,239 rushing yards this season. The junior running back has rushed for 100-plus 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 nation’s most electric environments and toughest places to play for visiting teams. Over the past two seasons, the Vols are 19-1 inside their confines, outscoring opponents 888-346. In the Josh Heupel era (since 2021), UT is 24-4 at home and has outscored its opponents 2,109-507 with 19 of those wins coming 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 for 20^th consecutive game 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.

Vols in the CFP Rankings
Despite a loss on the road at then No. 12 ranked Georgia last weekend, Tennessee dropped just four spots in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, falling to No. 11. While they are currently the first team out of the bracket, the Vols are still firmly in the mix for a spot in this year’s expanded 12-team playoff.

HISTORY SERIES

Tennessee leads series, 3-0

Saturday will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the Vols and Miners, all of which have occurred in Knoxville and been double-digit victories by Tennessee. In the most recent meeting between the two programs, the Vols posted a 24-0 shutout victory over UTEP in 2015.

ABOUT UTEP

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

UTEP’s offense is led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Skyler Locklear, who has completed 126 of 188 pass 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 ground attack with 160 carries for 650 yards and two scores.

Defensively, linebackers Nate Dyman and Dorian Hopkins are tied for the team 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 the way in sacks with 4.5 on the year.