#17 Tennessee (6-2 | 3-2 SEC) vs. UConn (1-7)
Saturday, November 4th, 2023 | 11:00pm CT/ Noon ET
Knoxville, TN | Neyland Stadium | TV: SEC Network
Knoxville, TN – After back-to-back conference road games, the No. 17 Tennessee Vols football team will be back in action at Neyland Stadium this Saturday afternoon against Connecticut in what will mark the program’s 99th Homecoming game.
The Vols have won 13 straight home games entering Saturday’s contest, a streak that dates back to November 20th, 2021. That represents their longest home winning streak since capturing 23 straight victories from 1996-2000. It’s also the third-longest current home win streak in the country behind only Georgia (23) and Michigan (20).
Saturday’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (PxP), Derek Mason (analyst), and Alex Chappell (sideline reporter) on the call. Kickoff is slated for 12:03pm ET.
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 70 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 135 or 192) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 963), 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 10:00am ET.
Gameday Information / Timeline
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee’s 2023 gameday policies, please visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com.
New Wi-Fi at Neyland Stadium
RockyTopWifi, Neyland Stadium’s new Wi-Fi system, will be a work in progress throughout the 2023 season. Fans will see Wi-Fi available around the immediate perimeter of the stadium and at each gate to assist with ticket scanning.
Those fans seated throughout the lower bowl will see Wi-Fi in most areas, and all fans seated in the premium sections will see Wi-Fi. Fans should note, they will not see RockyTopWifi in every section of the stadium. Join RockyTopWifi from your mobile device settings. No registration is required.
The gameday timeline as well as other important information is listed below.
Will Call Opens at Gate 21 – 8:00am.
Vol Village Opens – 8:30am.
Truly’s Tailgate Opens – 9:00am.
Vol Walk – 9:45am.
Gates Open – 10:00am.
Pride of the Southland Band March – 10:20am. (Pedestrian Bridge)
Tennessee Walking Horse – 11:40am.
Pride of the Southland Band Pregame Performance Begins – 11:49am.
National Anthem/Flyover – 11:52am.
Vols Run Through the T – 12:00pm.
Kickoff – 12:03pm.
Tickets and Parking
Tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out, marking the 11th consecutive home sellout for the Big Orange. However, fans can purchase “Verified Resale” tickets via Ticketmaster on AllVols.com.
Tickets and parking passes to all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are now 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 is 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 Tennessee Athletics app, which now 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: www.utsports.com/app
Gameday Events and Activities
Homecoming on Rocky Top: Saturday will be Tennessee’s 99th Homecoming game. The Vols own a 75-20-3 on-field record in previous matchups and have won 10 straight Homecoming contests when facing a non-conference foe.
VFL and former NFL All-Pro linebacker Al Wilson will serve as the Homecoming Grand Marshal and be honored on the field during the second first-quarter TV timeout. The alumni band members will accompany the Pride of the Southland Band’s half-time performance, and Homecoming awards will be presented after the band’s performance.
Toyota Volunteer Village: Vol Village, located across from Circle Park, 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. Vol Village opens at 8:30am on Saturday.
Vol Village will highlight a new artist or band each home game with a pregame concert series, providing Vol fans with the ultimate pregame atmosphere. September Song will be the featured band for this Saturday’s game.
Featured inside of Vol Village will be a large screen video wall for fans to check out other games around college football as well as food vendors, face painting, axe throwing, Muse Knox, and more.
Truly’s will open at 8:00am 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
Six Wins and Counting
With its win at Kentucky last Saturday night, Tennessee secured bowl eligibility for the third straight season. The Vols also reached the six-win mark prior to November for the second consecutive year, marking the first time the program has done so in back-to-back seasons since 1998-99.
Prior to last year’s 8-0 start after the completion of October, Tennessee had not hit the six-win mark prior to November since 2006.
Orange Rush
The Tennessee Vols boast one of the best running back rooms in the nation led by the trio Jaylen Wright, Dylan Sampson, and Jabari Small. Tennessee is the only team in the SEC with three players averaging 50.0 or more rushing yards per game.
Wright leads the squad and ranks fourth in the SEC in average rush yards per game at 89.1, while Sampson is 15th (53.9) and Small is 16th (51.9).
As a team, UT is tops in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 221.9, a mark that also ranks seventh in the FBS. The Big Orange averages 5.53 yards per carry, second in the SEC and ninth nationally. The UT Vols have had at least one 100-yard rusher in six of their eight games this season.
Starting Fast & Finishing Strong
UT has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in six of its eight games this season, including five of its last six contests. Tennessee has outscored opponents 406-149 in the first quarter under Josh Heupel, including 190-51 in 2021, 141-72 in 2022 and 75-26 this season. The Vols have scored at least one first quarter touchdown in 30 of 34 games under Heupel.
On the flip side, the Big Orange have also been dominant when it comes to finishing games this season, outscoring their opponents 64-29 in the fourth quarter. The Vols have allowed only two fourth-quarter touchdowns all season, against Austin Peay in the second game of the season and at Alabama on October 21st.
Vols in the CFP Rankings
Tennessee debuted at No. 17 in the first College Football Playoff rankings this season, which were revealed on Tuesday night. The Vols have been ranked in each of the last seven CFP rankings dating back to last season.
Last Time Out
UT ended its SEC road drought and never trailed in a gritty 33-27 victory at Kentucky last Saturday night in Lexington. It was the Vols’ 36th win over the Wildcats in its last 39 tries. Running back Dylan Sampson accounted for 115 all-purpose yards, including 91 in the fourth quarter, and Jaylen Wright carried it 11 times for 120 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
The Volunteers held the Wildcats to 72 yards rushing, while the SEC’s leading rusher Ray Davis managed only 42 yards and 2.6 yards per carry. Charles Campbell drilled all four of his field goal attempts (44, 49, 34, 35), matching a career-high to help lead UT to victory.
Series History
First Meeting
Saturday’s contest with be the first meeting between Tennessee and UConn on the gridiron. The Vols have won eight straight games against non-conference opponents and are seeking back-to-back perfect non-conference regular season records for the first time since 2016-17.
About the UConn Huskies
The Huskies are led by second-year head coach Jim Mora, who guided UConn to six wins and a bowl game in his first season at the helm in 2022, marking the program’s first postseason appearance since 2015. Prior to taking over at Connecticut, Mora was the head coach at UCLA from 2012-17 and also spent four years as a head coach in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.
Offensively, the Huskies feature a balanced attack. The running back duo of Victor Rosa and Cam Edwards has combined for 149 of the team’s 261 carries, totaling 767 of the team’s 1,079 rushing yards to go along with four touchdowns.
Redshirt junior quarterback Ta’Quan Roberson enters the contest, completing nearly 58 percent of his passes for 1,275 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has also accounted for two scores on the ground. Seven different players have caught a touchdown pass for the Huskies this season, but no player has recorded more than one. The trio of Cameron Ross, Brett Buckman, and Justin Joly has totaled 88 receptions for 992 yards with each player having recorded 26 or more catches and 319 or more receiving yards.
On defense, senior linebacker Jackson Mitchell leads UConn with 81 total tackles and has racked up 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four quarterback hurries, one interception and one fumble recovery. Defensive end Pryce Yates ranks first on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while defensive tackle Jelani Stafford also has eight TFLs on the year.
