2017 Tennessee Volunteers football team

2017 Tennessee Volunteers football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Record	4–8 (0–8 SEC)
Head coach	Butch Jones (5th season; first 10 games) Brady Hoke (interim; final 2 games)
Offensive coordinator	Larry Scott (1st as OC; 2nd overall season)
Defensive coordinator	Bob Shoop (2nd season)
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 2 Georgia x$^		7	–	1					13	–	2
South Carolina		5	–	3					9	–	4
Kentucky		4	–	4					7	–	6
Missouri		4	–	4					7	–	6
Florida		3	–	5					4	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					5	–	7
Tennessee		0	–	8					4	–	8
Western Division
No. 10 Auburn xy		7	–	1					10	–	4
No. 1 Alabama x#^		7	–	1					13	–	1
No. 18 LSU		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 19 Mississippi State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Texas A&M		4	–	4					7	–	6
Ole Miss*		3	–	5					6	–	6
Arkansas		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Georgia 28, Auburn 7
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * Ole Miss ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Butch Jones until his firing on November 12.^[1] Brady Hoke was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.^[2]

The team finished the season 4–8, 0–8 in SEC play in last place in the Eastern Division and the SEC. They were the first Tennessee team in program history to lose eight games in a season, as well as the first to not win an SEC game since becoming a charter member of the conference in 1932.^[3]

Departures of scholarship players from the 2016 team.

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Notes	Ref
Derek Barnett	9	DE	6'3	265	JR	Nashville, TN	Entered 2017 NFL draft	[4]
Alvin Kamara	6	RB	5'10	215	RS JR	Norcross, GA	Entered 2017 NFL draft	[5]
Josh Malone	3	WR	6'3	200	JR	Gallatin, TN	Entered 2017 NFL draft	[6]
Dylan Wiesman	71	OL	6'4	310	Senior	Cincinnati, OH	Graduated
Kenny Bynum	51	LB	6'1	235	RS Senior	Jacksonville, FL	Graduated
Corey Vereen	50	DL	6'2	249	Senior	Winter Garden, FL	Graduated
Cameron Sutton	23	DB	5'11	186	Senior	Jonesboro, GA	Graduated
Jalen Reeves-Maybin	21	LB	6'0	230	Senior	Clarksville, TN	Graduated
Jason Croom	18	TE	6'5	246	RS Senior	Norcross, GA	Graduated
Malik Foreman	13	DB	5'10	190	Senior	Kingsport, TN	Graduated
Joshua Dobbs	11	QB	6'3	210	Senior	Alpharetta, GA	Graduated
LaTroy Lewis	4	DL	6'4	256	RS Senior	Akron, OH	Graduated

2017 Tennessee Volunteers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 2 Jarrett Guarantano  Fr RB 4 John Kelly (S) Jr QB 7 Will McBride Fr WR 8 Latrell Williams So WR 9 Marquez Callaway So WR 10 Tyler Byrd So QB 12 Quinten Dormady Jr QB 14 Zac Jancek  So WR 17 Brandon Johnson So WR 19 Jeff George  Sr WR 25 Josh Smith  Sr WR 26 Ben Powlas So RB 27 Carlin Fils-Aime So WR 28 Will Martinez Jr RB 31 Stedman Love So RB 35 Taeler Dowdy So RB 37 Jayson Sparks  Jr WR 38 Jaye Rochell  Sr RB 42 Chip Omer So TE 44 Jakob Johnson Sr OL 51 Drew Richmond  So OL 55 Coleman Thomas Sr OL 56 Riley Locklear Fr OL 57 Nathan Niehaus So OL 60 Austin Sanders  Sr OL 63 Brett Kendrick  Sr OL 64 Tommy Sprague So OL 66 Jack Jones Jr OL 67 Joe Keeler  So OL 68 Marcus Tatum So OL 69 Brian Garvey So OL 70 Ryan Johnson  Fr OL 73 Trey Smith Fr OL 75 Jashon Robertson Sr OL 76 Chance Hall Jr OL 77 Devante Brooks  Fr OL 79 Thomas Edwards  Sr TE 80 Eli Wolf  So TE 81 Austin Pope So TE 82 Ethan Wolf Sr WR 83 Cooper Melton  Fr WR 85 Thomas Orradre  Jr TE 86 Andrew Craig  Fr WR 87 Logan Fetzner  Sr TE 89 Will Jumper  So	Defense Pos. # Name Class DL 1 Jonathan Kongbo  Jr DL 2 Shy Tuttle Jr DB 3 Marquill Osborne So DL 5 Kyle Phillips Jr DB 7 Rashaan Gaulden  Jr DB 8 Justin Martin Sr LB 11 Austin Smith  Jr DB 12 Emmanuel Moseley Sr DL 13 Deandre Johnson Fr LB 14 Quart'e Sapp  So LB 17 Dillon Bates  Jr DB 18 Nigel Warrior So DL 19 Darrell Taylor  So LB 20 Cortez McDowell  Sr LB 21 Shanon Reid Fr DB 22 Micah Abernathy Jr DB 24 Todd Kelly Jr.  Sr DB 26 Stephen Griffin Jr DB 28 Baylen Buchanan So DB 29 Evan Berry Sr DB 30 Devin Williams  Sr DB 33 MaLeik Gatewood  So LB 34 Darrin Kirkland Jr  Jr LB 35 Daniel Bituli So LB 36 Gavin Bryant  Jr DB 37 Charles West So DB 38 D.J. Henderson  Jr DL 39 Kendal Vickers  Sr LB 41 Elliott Berry Sr LB 43 Matt Ballard So LB 46 DaJour Maddox  So LB 47 Landon Knoll  So LB 48 Ja'Quain Blakely  Fr DL 52 Andrew Butcher  So LB 53 Colton Jumper  Jr DL 55 Quay Picou Jr DL 88 Brandon Benedict  Fr DL 94 Mykelle McDaniel So DL 96 Joey Cave  Fr DL 97 Paul Bain  Jr DL 98 Alexis Johnson Sr DL 99 Kahlil McKenzie Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class PK 25 Aaron Medley Sr PK 30 Holden Foster  Sr H 31 Parker Henry  Jr P 36 Grayson Linde So H 39 Alex Jones  So PK 43 Laszlo Toser  So LS 46 Riley Lovingood  So LS 52 Elijah Medford  Jr LS 59 Jake Yelich So LS 64 Logan Punch So P 93 Trevor Daniel  Sr PK 97 Jackson Morris So	Head coach Butch Jones – 5th year (fired 11/12) Coordinators/assistant coaches Brady Hoke (Associate head coach/defensive line coach/interim head coach) – 1st year Larry Scott (offensive coordinator/tight ends) – 1st year Bob Shoop (defensive coordinator) – 2nd year Robert Gillespie (assistant head coach/running backs/recruiting coordinator) – 5th year Tommy Thigpen (Linebackers/defensive run game coordinator) – 5th year Mike Canales (quarterbacks coach) – 1st year Charlton Warren (defensive backs/special teams coordinator) – 1st year Kevin Beard (wide receivers coach) – 1st year Walt Wells (offensive line coach) – 1st year Steve Stripling (director of Football Program Development) – 1st year Rock Gullickson (director of strength and conditioning) – 1st year Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

College recruiting information (2017)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Terrell Bailey CB	Marrero, LA	John Ehret	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Sep 15, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Marquez Bembry ATH	Atlanta, GA	Mount Vernon Presbyterian	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	Mar 14, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kivon Bennett DT	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Thomas Aquinas	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Jun 20, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
James Brown TE	Orlando, FL	Jones	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Oct 30, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
LaTrell Bumphus TE	Savannah, TN	Hardin County	6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m)	232 lb (105 kg)	Jun 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Matthew Butler DE	Garner, NC	Garner	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Dec 21, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
K'Rojhn Calbert OT	McMinnville, TN	Warren County Senior	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	Nov 16, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ty Chandler RB	Nashville, TN	Montgomery Bell Academy	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Aug 15, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Brent Cimaglia K	Franklin, TN	Fred J Page	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Jun 5, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Trey Coleman RB	West Monroe, LA	West Monroe	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	203 lb (92 kg)	Jun 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Eric Crosby DT	Virginia Beach, VA	Ocean Lakes	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	297 lb (135 kg)	Apr 22, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Princeton Fant WR	LaVergne, TN	LaVergne	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	Jun 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Maleik Gray S	LaVergne, TN	LaVergne	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 12, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Will Ignont LB	New Market, AL	Buckhorn	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Oct 26, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Theo Jackson S	Nashville, TN	Overton	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jun 18, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Deandre Johnson DE	Miami, FL	Miami Southridge	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Dec 11, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jacquez Jones WR	Clearwater, FL	Clearwater	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	May 20, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Timothy Jordan RB	Bartow, FL	Bartow	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	189 lb (86 kg)	Jan 23, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Cheyenne Labruzza CB	Albany, LA	Albany	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	186 lb (84 kg)	Apr 16, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Riley Locklear OL	Huntington, WV	Spring Valley	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jul 9, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Will McBride QB	League City, TX	Clear Springs	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Dec 12, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jordan Murphy WR	Hattiesburg, MS	Hattiesburg	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	169 lb (77 kg)	Jul 21, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Solon Page III OLB	Marietta, GA	Kell	6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Apr 16, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Josh Palmer WR	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Thomas Aquinas	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jan 24, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Shanon Reid OLB	Fort Myers, FL	Dunbar	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Dec 6, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Shawn Shamburger S	Moultrie, GA	Colquitt County	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Nov 5, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Trey Smith OT	Jackson, TN	University School of Jackson	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Dec 5, 2016
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ryan Thaxton DE	Alexandria, VA	St. Stephen's & St. Agnes	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Jan 17, 2017
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 15   Rivals: 15  247Sports: 17  ESPN: 15
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Tennessee Signee List 2017". Rivals.com. "2017 Player Signees – Tennessee". ESPN.com. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. "2017 Tennessee Volunteers football team". 247sports.com.

Tennessee announced its 2017 football schedule on September 13, 2016. The 2017 schedule consisted of seven home games, four away, and one neutral site game in the regular season. The Volunteers hosted SEC foes Georgia, South Carolina, LSU, and Vanderbilt, and traveled to Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, and Missouri.^[8]

The Volunteers hosted three of its four non–conference games which were against Indiana State from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, UMass, who competes independently, and Southern Miss from Conference USA. They traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff against Georgia Tech from the ACC.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	8:00 p.m.	vs. Georgia Tech*	No. 25	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA (rivalry/Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game)	ESPN	W 42–41 2OT	75,107
September 9	4:00 p.m.	Indiana State*	No. 25	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 42–7	99,015
September 16	3:30 p.m.	at No. 24 Florida	No. 23	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (rivalry)	CBS	L 20–26	87,736
September 23	Noon	UMass*		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 17–13	95,324
September 30	3:30 p.m.	No. 7 Georgia		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry / SEC Nation / Checker Neyland)	CBS	L 0–41	102,455
October 14	Noon	South Carolina		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	ESPN	L 9–15	98,104
October 21	2:30 p.m.	at No. 1 Alabama		Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October / SEC Nation)	CBS	L 7–45	101,821
October 28	7:30 p.m.	at Kentucky		Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 26–29	57,543
November 4	7:30 p.m.	Southern Miss*		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 24–10	95,551
November 11	7:30 p.m.	at Missouri		Faurot Field Columbia, MO	SECN	L 17–50	50,637
November 18	7:00 p.m.	No. 21 LSU		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN	L 10–30	96,888
November 25	3:00 p.m.	Vanderbilt		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	L 24–42	83,117
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Schedule Source:^[9]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	25	25	23	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	24	21	23	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total Georgia Tech 7 7 7 7 7 6 41 • No. 25 Tennessee 0 7 7 14 7 7 42 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Game start: 8:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:42 Game attendance: 75,107 Game weather: Indoors Referee: John O'Neill • Umpire: Rob. Colosimo • Linesman: William Sutter • Line Judge: P. Engelberts • Back Judge: Mich. Elliott • Field Judge: Gary Powers • Side Judge: Stephen Hassel TV announcers (ESPN): Rece Davis (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color), Maria Taylor (sidelines) Sources:[10]

Scoring summary 1 0:06 GT TaQuon Marshall 1-yard run (Shawn Davis kick) GT 7–0 2 8:11 TENN John Kelly 1-yard run (Aaron Medley kick) Tied 7–7 2 1:11 GT KirVonte Benson 1-yard run (Davis kick) GT 14–7 3 9:19 GT Marshall 1-yard run (Davis kick) GT 21–7 3 0:42 TENN Marquez Callaway 10-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (Medley kick) GT 21–14 4 13:08 GT Marshall 6-yard run (Davis kick) GT 28–14 4 11:49 TENN Callaway 50-yard pass from Dormady (Medley kick) GT 28–21 4 1:29 TENN Kelly 11-yard run (Medley kick) Tied 28–28 OT GT Marshall 1-yard run (Davis kick) GT 35–28 OT TENN Kelly 1-yard run (Medley kick) Tied 35–35 OT2 TENN Kelly 2-yard run (Medley kick) TENN 42–35 OT2 GT Marshall 13-yard run (Conversion failed) TENN 42–41

In a renewed rivalry with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Tennessee Volunteers traveled to Atlanta to play in their second Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. The Volunteers never had the lead in regulation play but scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 28 and force overtime. Each team traded touchdowns through two overtimes with Georgia Tech ultimately seeking to win the game on a two-point conversion. However, quarterback TaQuon Marshall could not complete the pass, and Tennessee secured the 42–41 victory.^[11]

In his first start as a Volunteer, quarterback Quinten Dormady went 20-for-37 for 221 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to wide receiver Marquez Callaway.^[12] Running back John Kelly ran for 128 rushing yards and four touchdowns.^[13] After averaging 47 yards on six punts, five of which pinned the Yellow Jackets inside their 20-yard line, punter Trevor Daniel was named Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week.^[14]

Following the game, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones stated, "That was a very good college football game. I have a lot of respect for Georgia Tech. I am really proud of our players. We spoke all week long about a will to win, and that was the kind of game to find out our will to win. We knew that this was going to be a game that you had to show some resolve and some grit, and you had to play complementary football." He added, "The resolve and resiliency of our defense, even though we gave up [535] yards rushing, we still managed to force two takeaways, and offensively, we didn't turn the football over, which was paramount to winning the football game."^[15]

1 2 3 4 Total Indiana State 0 0 7 0 7 • #25 Tennessee 14 14 7 7 42 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 4:01 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:19 Game attendance: 99,015 Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Sunny Referee: Hubert Owens • Umpire: Walt Hill • Linesman: Steve Green • Line judge: Darren Crawford • Back judge: Martin Hankins • Field judge: Greg Thomas • Side judge: Chad Hill TV announcers (SECN): David Neal (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Dawn Davenport (sidelines) Sources:[16]

Scoring summary 1 14:46 TENN Ty Chandler 91-yard kickoff return (Aaron Medley kick) TENN 7–0 1 2:49 TENN Carlin Fils-Aime 4-yard run (Medley kick) TENN 14–0 2 9:03 TENN Fils-Aime 30-yard run (Medley kick) TENN 21–0 2 0:53 TENN Brandon Johnson 19-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (Medley kick) TENN 28–0 3 10:07 INS Jacquet McClendon 23-yard pass from Cade Sparks (Jerry Nunez kick) TENN 28–7 3 2:12 TENN Marquez Callaway 37-yard pass from Dormady (Medley kick) TENN 35–7 4 0:56 TENN Jeff George 11-yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Medley kick) TENN 42–7

In their home opener, the #25 Tennessee Volunteers hosted the Indiana State Sycamores in the teams' first-ever meeting. From the opening kickoff, which Tennessee freshman running back Ty Chandler returned 91 yards for a touchdown, the Volunteers scored 28 unanswered points.^[17] Indiana State's only touchdown came early in the third quarter. Tennessee scored twice more to win their home-opener, 42–7.^[18] Following the game, Chandler was named SEC Freshman of the Week.^[19]

Tennessee head coach Butch Jones called the outcome "a good win." He added, "With the short turnaround, I thought [our players] did a very good job all week long of trying to prepare their bodies and their minds, so I'm really proud of them. I thought one of the keys to the game was third-down defense and being able to get off the field."^[20]

1 2 3 4 Total #23 Tennessee 0 3 0 17 20 • #24 Florida 3 3 0 20 26 Location: Gainesville, Florida Game start: 3:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:30 Game attendance: 87,736 Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: 6 mph (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Partly cloudy Referee: John McDaid • Umpire: Tom Quick • Linesman: Gary Jayrow • Line judge: Chad Lorance • Back judge: Grantis Bell • Field judge: P. Davenport • Side judge: Chris Conley TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Allie LaForce (sidelines). Sources: [21]

Scoring summary 1 7:39 UF Eddy Piñeiro 27-yard field goal UF 3–0 2 8:11 UF Piñeiro 41-yard field goal UF 6–0 2 2:58 UT Brent Cimaglia 51-yard field goal UF 6–3 4 14:23 UF CJ Henderson 16-yard interception (Piñeiro kick) UF 13–3 4 8:36 UT John Kelly 34-yard run (Aaron Medley kick) UF 13–10 4 5:13 UF Brandon Powell 5-yard pass from Feleipe Franks (Piñeiro kick) UF 20–10 4 4:43 UT Ethan Wolf 28-yard pass from Quentin Dormady (Medley kick) UF 20–17 4 0:50 UT Medley 27-yard field goal Tied 4 0:00 UF Tyrie Cleveland 63-yard pass from Franks UF 26–20

In a defensive battle throughout much of the game, the #23 Tennessee Volunteers faced their rivals, the #24 Florida Gators in Gainesville. Down by 10 points in the fourth quarter, Tennessee recovered to allow kicker Aaron Medley to tie the game at 20, after getting stalled in Florida territory with less than a minute to play.^[22] As time expired, Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks threw a 63-yard pass to open wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland for a touchdown, sealing a 26–20 victory.^[23]

1 2 3 4 Total UMass 0 6 7 0 13 • Tennessee 0 14 3 0 17 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: Noon Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 95,324 Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: 2 mph (3.2 km/h) • Weather: Sunny Referee: Matt Loeffler • Umpire: Stan Weihe • Linesman: Gus Morris III • Line judge: Michael Shirey • Back judge: Kevin Mitchell • Field judge: Bobby Ables • Side judge: Jesse Dupuy TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color), Olivia Harlan (sidelines) Sources: [24]

Scoring summary 2 4:33 UT John Kelly 12-yard run (Aaron Medley kick) UT 7–0 2 2:57 UMASS Ross Comis 5-yard run (Michael Schreiner kick failed) UT 7–6 2 0:25 UT Tyler Byrd 8-yard pass from Quentin Dormady (Medley kick) UT 14–6 3 7:52 UT Medley 40-yard field goal UT 17–6 3 2:51 UMASS Sadiq Palmer 13-yard pass from Andrew Ford (Logan Laurent kick) UT 17–13

Tennessee survived an upset attempt by the winless Minutemen in Neyland Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Tennessee was able to breakthrough on a John Kelly 12-yard rushing touchdown. UMass scored later in the quarter but missed the extra point to make the score 7–6. Tennessee scored late in the first half on a Tyler Byrd reception from Quinten Dormady to make the halftime score 14–6. Tennessee distanced themselves with a 40-yard field goal by Aaron Medley midway through the third quarter. UMass pulled within one score on a Sadiq Palmer reception from quarterback Andrew Ford late in the third quarter. Both teams were scoreless in the fourth giving Tennessee the victory.^[25]

1 2 3 4 Total • #7 Georgia 10 14 7 10 41 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 3:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:12 Game attendance: 102,455 Game weather: Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Partly sunny Referee: Hubert Owens • Umpire: Walt Hill • Linesman: Chad Green • Line judge: Chuck Rice • Back judge: Martin Hankins • Field judge: Greg Thomas • Side judge: Chad Hill TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Allie LaForce (sidelines). Sources: [26]

Scoring summary 1 13:37 UGA Rodrigo Blankenship 38 yard field goal UGA 3–0 1 6:10 UGA Javon Wims 12-yard pass from Jake Fromm (Blankenship kick) UGA 10–0 2 7:13 UGA Fromm 9-yard run (Blankenship kick) UGA 17–0 2 4:14 UGA Fromm 4-yard run (Blankenship kick) UGA 24–0 3 1:04 UGA Sony Michel 21-yard run (Blankenship kick)) UGA 31–0 4 12:00 UGA Brian Herrien 1-yard run (Blankenship kick) UGA 38–0 4 5:34 UGA David Marvin 19-yard field goal UGA 41–0

Tennessee suffered their worst lost at Neyland Stadium in school history against the Bulldogs. In a game Georgia dominated from start to finish, Tennessee only was able to put up 142 total yards, with 91 scrimmage yards coming from running back John Kelly.^[26][27]

1 2 3 4 Total • South Carolina 0 3 6 6 15 Tennessee 6 3 0 0 9 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 12:02 pm Elapsed time: 3:09 Game attendance: 98,104 Game weather: Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: 5 mph (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Partly sunny Referee: Steve Marlowe • Umpire: Rick Lowe • Linesman: Keith Johnson • Line judge: Kirk Lewis • Back judge: Michael Watson • Field judge: Allan Nicholson • Side judge: Mike Williams TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Neely (play-by-play), Tommy Tuberville (color), Paul Carcaterra (sidelines) Sources: [28]

Scoring summary 1 10:26 TENN Brent Cimaglia 29 yard field goal 3–0 TENN 1 1:36 TENN Brent Cimaglia 33 yard field goal 6–0 TENN 2 10:31 SCAR Parker White 47 yard field goal 6–3 TENN 2 0:33 TENN Brent Cimaglia 24 yard field goal 9–3 TENN 3 1:02 SCAR A.J. Turner 20 yard run 9–9 4 5:17 SCAR Parker White 21 yard field goal 12–9 SCAR 4 1:13 SCAR Parker White 36 yard field goal 15–9 SCAR

In a sluggish game for both offenses, South Carolina overcame a 9–3 halftime deficit to defeat Tennessee 15–9.^[29]

Third Saturday in October

1 2 3 4 Total Tennessee 0 0 7 0 7 • #1 Alabama 7 14 10 14 45 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Game start: 2:39 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:22 Game attendance: 101,821 Game weather: Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) • Wind: 11 mph (18 km/h) • Weather: Mostly sunny Referee: Marc Curles • Umpire: Tom Quick • Linesman: Tim Sistrunk • Line judge: Michael Taylor • Back judge: Martin Hankins • Field judge: Wes Booker • Side judge: Chris Jamison TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Allie LaForce (sidelines) Sources: [30]

Scoring summary 1 8:21 BAMA Bo Scarbrough 1 yard run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 7–0 BAMA 2 4:48 BAMA Bo Scarbrough 1 yard run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 14–0 BAMA 2 1:18 BAMA Damien Harris 11 yard run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 21–0 BAMA 3 12:39 BAMA Irv Smith Jr 14 yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Andy Pappanastos kick) 28–0 BAMA 3 6:03 TENN Daniel Bituli 97 yard interception return (Brent Cimaglia kick) 28–7 BAMA 3 3:13 BAMA Andy Pappanastos 25 yard field goal 31–7 BAMA 4 12:59 BAMA Tua Tagovailoa 23 yard run (Andy Pappanastos kick) 38–7 BAMA 4 4:49 BAMA Henry Ruggs III 60 yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa (Andy Pappanastos kick) 45–7 BAMA

For the 11th straight time, the Crimson Tide defeated the Volunteers in their annual rivalry game.^[31] Tennessee's lone score came on a 97-yard pick-six from Daniel Bituli off of Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter.^[32]

1 2 3 4 Total Tennessee 6 14 3 3 26 • Kentucky 7 14 0 8 29 Location: Lexington, Kentucky Game start: 7:39 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:27 Game attendance: 57,543 Game weather: Temperature: 38 °F (3 °C) • Wind: 5 mph (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy Referee: David Smith • Umpire: Wally Hough • Linesman: Jay Vines • Line judge: March Bovos • Back judge: Wayne Gautney • Field judge: Andy Britton • Side judge: Richard Rooker TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines) Sources: [33]

Scoring summary 1 13:26 TENN Brent Cimaglia 30 yard field goal 3–0 TENN 1 10:16 UK Benjamin Snell Jr. 6 yard run (Austin MacGinnis kick) 7–3 UK 1 4:34 TENN Brent Cimaglia 24 yard field goal 7–6 UK 2 14:57 UK Benjamin Snell Jr. 2 yard run (Austin Macginnis kick) 14–6 UK 2 8:37 TENN Ty Chandler 1 yard run (Brent Cimaglia kick) 14–13 UK 2 5:58 UK Benjamin Snell Jr. 1 yard run (Austin Macginnis kick) 21–13 UK 2 1:25 TENN Ty Chandler 1 yard run (Brent Cimaglia kick) 21–20 UK 3 3:40 TENN Brent Cimaglia 30 yard field goal 21–23 TENN 4 13:24 TENN Brent Cimaglia 45 yard field goal 21–26 TENN 4 0:33 UK Stephen Johnson 11 yard run (Benjamin Snell Jr. 2-point pass) 29–26 UK

For only the second time in the last 33 meetings, and despite having a turnover margin of 4–0, the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 29–26.^[34] The victory marked only Kentucky's third over the Volunteers since 1984.^[35]

1 2 3 4 Total Southern Miss 0 3 0 7 10 • Tennessee 7 3 14 0 24 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 7:39 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:25 Game attendance: 95,551 Game weather: Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: 2 mph (3.2 km/h) • Weather: Partly cloudy Referee: Matt Austin • Umpire: Rodney Lawary • Linesman: Tim Sistrunk • Line judge: Michael Taylor • Back judge: Jimmy Russell • Field judge: Blake Parks • Side judge: Bobby Moreau TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines) Sources: [36]

Scoring summary 1 10:59 TENN Jarrett Guarantano 3 yard run (Aaron Medley kick) 7–0 TENN 2 8:16 USM Parker Shaunfield 27 yard field goal 7–3 TENN 2 2:42 TENN Aaron Medley 38 yard field goal 10–3 TENN 3 5:15 TENN John Kelly 20 yard run (Aaron Medley kick) 17–3 TENN 3 3:17 TENN John Kelly 3 yard run (Aaron Medley kick) 24–3 TENN 4 6:45 USM Kwadra Griggs 1 yard run (Parker Shaunfield kick) 24–10 TENN

The Volunteers snapped a four-game losing streak in the 24–10 victory over Southern Miss. Running back John Kelly recorded two touchdowns and quarterback Jarrett Guarantano had one rushing touchdown.^[37]

1 2 3 4 Total Tennessee 10 7 0 0 17 • Missouri 14 10 7 19 50 Location: Columbia, Missouri Game start: 7:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:36 Game attendance: 50,637 Game weather: Temperature: 45 °F (7 °C) • Wind: 15 mph (24 km/h) • Weather: Clear Referee: Marc Curles • Umpire: Brent Sowell • Linesman: Keith Johnson • Line judge: Chris Conway • Back judge: Scott Vaughn • Field judge: Wes Booker • Side judge: Chris Jamison TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines) Sources: [38]

Scoring summary 1 9:15 MIZZ Ish Witter 7 yard run (Tucker McCann kick) 7–0 MIZZ 1 7:19 TENN Nigel Warrior 70 yard interception return (Aaron Medley kick) 7–7 1 4:52 MIZZ Emanuel Hall 31 yard pass from Drew Lock (Tucker McCann kick) 14–7 MIZZ 1 1:17 TENN Aaron Medley 48 yard field goal 14–10 MIZZ 2 7:25 MIZZ Tucker McCann 41 yard field goal 17–10 MIZZ 2 1:15 TENN Ethan Wolf 19 yard pass from Will McBride (Aaron Medley kick) 17–17 2 0:18 MIZZ Larry Rountree III 1 yard run (Tucker McCann kick) 24–17 MIZZ 3 10:56 MIZZ Emanuel Hall 50 yard pass from Drew Lock (Tucker McCann kick) 31–17 MIZZ 3 4:34 MIZZ J'Mon Moore 23 yard pass from Drew Lock (Tucker McCann kick) 38–17 MIZZ 3 2:48 MIZZ Tucker McCann 23 yard field goal 41–17 MIZZ 4 14:32 MIZZ Tucker McCann 38 yard field goal 44–17 MIZZ 4 13:21 MIZZ Johnathon Johnson 20 yard pass from Drew Lock (kick failed) 50–17 MIZZ

Tennessee was forced to start Will McBride at quarterback due to injury.^[39] The Volunteers suffered a 50–17 loss to Missouri, which left Tennessee at a 4–6 record for the season and 0–6 in conference.^[40] The Vols' loss to the Tigers was their worst loss to an unranked opponent in the AP Poll era.^[41] Head coach Butch Jones was fired following the game.^[42]

1 2 3 4 Total • #21 LSU 3 14 13 0 30 Tennessee 0 10 0 0 10 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 7:10 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:10 Game attendance: 96,888 Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind: 18 mph (29 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy Referee: Matt Loeffler • Umpire: Stan Weihe • Linesman: Gus Morris • Line judge: Michael Shirey • Back judge: Tony Josselyn • Field judge: Mike Boshers • Side judge: Chad Hill TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (color), Allison Williams (sidelines) Sources: [43]

Scoring summary 1 6:38 LSU Connor Culp 30 yard field goal 3–0 LSU 2 13:59 TENN Aaron Medley 45 yard field goal 3–3 2 11:31 LSU Darrel Williams 10 yard run (Connor Culp kick) 10–3 LSU 2 2:08 LSU Danny Etling 13 yard run (Connor Culp kick) 17–3 LSU 2 1:23 TENN Marquez Callaway 46 yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Aaron Medley kick) 17–10 LSU 3 7:26 LSU Derrius Guice 3 yard run (kick failed) 23–10 LSU 3 2:06 LSU Darrel Williams 6 yard run (Connor Culp kick) 30–10 LSU

Under interim head coach Brady Hoke, Tennessee was able to go the half trailing with a 17–10 score. LSU pulled away with 13 points in the third quarter in a game that featured a rain storm.^[44] Despite the result, Tennessee outgained LSU in total yards 293–281.^[45]

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 7 14 0 21 42 Tennessee 14 3 0 7 24 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Game start: 4:01 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 83,117 Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: 4 mph (6.4 km/h) • Weather: Sunny Referee: James Carter • Umpire: Russ Pulley • Line judge: Chuck Rice • Back judge: Dax Hill • Field judge: J. Taylor • Side judge: A. Jeffries TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color), Dawn Davenport (sidelines) Sources: [46]

Scoring summary 1 10:06 TENN Marquez Callaway 2 yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Aaron Medley kick) 7–0 TENN 1 6:13 VAN C.J. Duncan 9 yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick) 7–7 1 2:50 TENN John Kelly 1 yard run (Aaron Medley kick) 14–7 TENN 2 11:47 VAN Ralph Webb 2 yard run (Tommy Openshaw kick) 14–14 2 2:37 VAN Kalija Lipscomb 30 yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick) 21–14 VAN 3 5:22 TENN Aaron Medley 49 yard field goal 21–17 VAN 4 14:20 VAN Trent Sherfield 20 yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick) 28–17 VAN 4 6:58 VAN Trent Sherfield 12 yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick) 35–17 VAN 4 5:59 VAN Ralph Webb 20 yard run (Tommy Openshaw kick) 42–17 VAN 4 4:27 TENN Ethan Wolf 20 yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Aaron Medley kick) 42–24 VAN

In a game that saw Tennessee lose eight games and go winless in conference play for the first time in school history, Vanderbilt dominated in total yardage 529–238.^[3] Tennessee stayed in the game through three quarters, only trailing 21–17. However, Vanderbilt scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away.^[47] The victory marked Vanderbilt's fourth in six games over the Volunteers, a mark that had not been seen in the rivalry since 1922–1929.^[48]

Tennessee had three players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.^[49]

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Rashaan Gaulden	Safety	3	85	Carolina Panthers
John Kelly	Running back	6	176	Los Angeles Rams
Kahlil McKenzie	Defensive tackle/offensive guard	6	198	Kansas City Chiefs

• Season summary at Sports Reference