Each week, Rocky Top Insider will take a look at how all 12 opponents on Tennessee’s 2023 schedule fared.
From Vanderbilt to Georgia, let’s take a look at how the Vols’ 2023 opponents in the eighth week of the college football season.
Week 1 Opponent: Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia pulled off a major upset on the road against (then) ranked No. 10 North Carolina, winning 31-27.
The Cavaliers were 1-5 and the Tar Heels were 6-0 entering the matchup, so it was arguably the biggest upset of the college football season so far.
The Hoos are now 2-5 on the year.
Week 2 Opponent: Austin Peay Governors
The Governors won in a thrilling, overtime victory on the road against Southern Utah, 48-45. Austin Peay is now 5-2 on the season and sits at second place in the United Athletic Conference.
Week 3 Opponent: Florida Gators
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Week 4 Opponent: UTSA Roadrunners
UTSA dominated Florida Atlantic on the road, 36-10, to improve 4-3 on the season. The Roadrunners are winners of three straight.
Week 5 Opponent: South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina lost their third consecutive game this past weekend against Missouri, 34-12.
The blowout loss drops the Gamecocks to 2-5 on the season and 1-4 in SEC play, making for a steep uphill climb the rest of the way if they want to reach a bowl game.
Week 6 Opponent: Texas A&M Aggies
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More From RTI: What Tennessee Coaches Said About Kentucky Early In The Week
Week 7 Opponent: Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama overcame a 20-7 halftime deficit against the Vols to win 34-20, outscoring Tennessee 27-0 in the second half.
Alabama improved to 6-1 on the season with a win and a perfect 4-0 SEC record.
Week 8 Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats
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The Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 SEC) will host Tennessee this weekend in Lexington at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Week 9 Opponent: UConn Huskies
UConn lost a nail-biter at home this past weekend to former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh’s South Florida team, 24-2. The Huskies’ loss marked their sixth of the season as they fell to 1-6, meaning UConn must win out to reach bowl eligibility for the second straight year under Jim Mora.
Week 10 Opponent: Missouri Tigers
Missouri kept their solid season going with a 34-12 beat down of South Carolina in CoMo. 2023 has been the best year yet for the Tigers under Eli Drinkwitz, as they are 7-1 with a 3-1 SEC record, sitting second in the SEC East.
Week 11 Opponent: Georgia Bulldogs
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Week 12 Opponent: Vanderbilt Commodores
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