Tennessee’s week 12 matchup against South Alabama is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick off. ESPNU will broadcast the game.
The matchup with South Alabama is Tennessee’s last regular season game against an out of conference opponent. Tennessee is 2-1 against non SEC teams this season, beating Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech while losing to Pittsburgh.
The Vols are coming off their biggest win of the 2021 season, beating No. 18 Kentucky on the road 45-42.
Tennessee is 5-4 (3-3 SEC) needing just one win to become bowl eligible. With a matchup against No. 1 Georgia on the horizon, it’s very likely that the Vols are playing to become bowl eligible against South Alabama.
South Alabama is 5-4 (2-4 CUSA) entering this weekend’s matchup with Appalachian State. Like Tennessee, the Jaguars are just one win away from becoming bowl eligible. However, South Alabama has a challenging finish to its schedule, playing the App State, UT and Coastal Carolina.
The Jaguars’ starting quarterback is a familiar name for Vol fans. Jake Bentley started his career at South Carolina, beating the Vols in 2016, 17 and 18 before suffering a season ending injury early in the 2019 season.
Bentley transferred to Utah following the 2019 season and was the Utes back up last season before transferring to South Alabama. This fall, Bentley has completed 70% of his passes for 2,122 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The matchup against South Alabama falls on the same day as Tennessee basketball’s first marquee matchup of the season. Rick Barnes’ Vols tip off with No. 4 Villanova at 1 p.m. ET in game one of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Week 12 is a weak slate of SEC games. Top matchups include Alabama at Arkansas on CBS, Florida at Missouri at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network and Vanderbilt at Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
