Every week, Rocky Top Insider will review Tennessee’s 2024 schedule and see how their past and present opponents performed the previous week of the college football season.
After Tennessee’s second and last open date of the season, let’s take a look at how the Vols’ 2024 opponents performed in the ninth week of the season.`
Week 1 Opponent: Chattanooga
Chattanooga extended their winning streak to five games with a 31-10 win over VMI. They are tied at the conference’s top at 4-1 with Mercer. The Mocs forced a three-and-out on their first defensive possession, followed by a touchdown on their first offensive possession. Despite gaining an early 7-0 lead, Chattanooga trailed 10-7 minutes into the second quarter. This was the only lead VMI would have. Chattanooga did not allow another point to the Keydets and scored 24 unanswered points to win 31-10.
Chattanooga is now 5-3 (4-1 SoCon) and will play Western Carolina on the road in week 10.
Week 2 Opponent: NC State
NC State did not play in week nine, as they had an open date. The 4-3 Wolfpack will host Stanford in week 10.
Week 3 Opponent: Kent State
Kent State lost to Western Michigan 52-21. The Golden Flashes are still winless on the season with eight losses. Western Michigan scored 38 unanswered points to begin the game before Kent State scored on a one-play passing touchdown set up by an interception. Kent State went into halftime trailing 38-7. The second half consisted mostly of clock management and meaningless scores.
Kent State falls to 0-8 and will have an open date in week ten.
Week 4 Opponent: Oklahoma
After losing two games in a row, Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell and brought Jackson Arnold back as its starting quarterback. The Sooners lost to Ole Miss 26-14, but gave the Rebels a scare, as Oklahoma went into halftime leading 14-10. The Ole Miss defense did not allow a point in the second half, while their offense scored two touchdowns and a field goal to win the game.
Oklahoma is 4-4 (1-4 SEC) and will host Maine in week ten as they look to get back in the win column.
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Week 5: BYE WEEK
Week 6 Opponent: Arkansas
Arkansas defeated Mississippi State in a dominant performance as they won 58-25. The Razorbacks gained 673 yards of total offense, as they passed for 314 yards and ran for 359 yards. In the ground game, they averaged 9.7 yards per carry, headlined by running backs Brayden Russell and Rashod Dubinion, as well as dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green. Green accumulated six touchdowns in the game.
Arkansas is 5-3 (3-2 SEC) and will host Ole Miss in week ten.
Week 7 Opponent: Florida
Florida had an open date in week nine, after defeating Kentucky in week eight. The Gators will host the Georgia Bulldogs in week 10.
Week 8 Opponent: Alabama
Alabama returned to its winning ways, pitching a 34-0 shutout win over Missouri. On top of a great defensive performance, the Crimson Tide rushed the ball very well. The ground game accounted for 271 yards on four touchdowns, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook was injured in the second quarter, and his backup Drew Pyne threw three interceptions. Jalen Milroe threw for 215 yards and ran for 50 yards and one touchdown.
Alabama is 6-2 (3-2 SEC) and has an open date in week ten.
Week 9: BYE WEEK
Week 10 Opponent: Kentucky
Kentucky lost its third game in a row as they were defeated by the visiting Auburn Tigers 24-10. The Wildcats scored on their first two offensive possessions to gain a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. They would not score again. The Tigers would even the score at 10-10 after two-quarters of play. The Kentucky offense had a rough outing, as they threw two interceptions, fumbled once, and only ran for 70 yards in the game.
Kentucky is 3-5 (1-5 SEC) with its lone conference win coming in their upset win against Ole Miss. The Wildcats will travel to Neyland Stadium to face the Tennessee Volunteers in week 10.
Week 11 Opponent: Mississippi State
Mississippi State lost its seventh game in a row to Arkansas 58-25. The Bulldogs had five turnovers as they lost three fumbles and threw two interceptions. They failed to slow down the run, as Arkansas ran for over 300 yards on nearly 10 yards per carry. Quarterback Michael Van Burn Jr. threw for 309 yards, completing 22 passes on 31 attempts for two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Mississippi State is 1-7 (0-5 SEC) and will look to end its losing streak as they host Massachusetts in week 10.
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Week 12 Opponent: Georgia
Georgia had an open date in week nine. They will host Florida in week 10.
Week 13 Opponent: UTEP
UTEP lost to Louisiana Tech 14-10 in week nine. The two teams played drastically different styles of offense. UTEP passed for only 85 yards and rushed for 166 yards, while Louisiana Tech passed for 248 yards and gained only 7 rushing yards on 30 rushing attempts. UTEP scored its lone touchdown of the game on its second offensive possession. The teams were tied 7-7 at halftime before the Miners would only score a field goal in the second half, as Louisiana Tech would come away with a touchdown.
UTEP is 1-7 (1-4 CUSA) and will host MTSU in week 10.
Week 14 Opponent: Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt lost to Texas 27-24 at home in week nine. The Commodores and the Longhorns battled all game in a tightly contested matchup in which Texas held onto late. Vanderbilt took a 7-0 lead early in the game, however, Texas would score 21 unanswered points to gain a 21-7 lead heading into halftime. The Vanderbilt defense played a great second half, allowing only two field goals from Texas which let Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and the offense creep back into the game. The Commodore offense had two possessions where they received the ball down seven points, but were unable to score on either possession, failing to tie the game. This allowed Texas to kick a field goal to take a 10-point lead that would make for a deficit too large to overcome.
Vanderbilt is 5-3 (2-2 SEC) and will travel to Auburn in week 10.
