Tennessee is just days away from kicking off the 2023 season with a contest against Virginia on Saturday in Nashville.
The Vols will be wearing their traditional home orange-and-white uniforms on Saturday, going with a white helmet, orange jersey, and white pants. However, observant viewers might notice the University of Virginia logo that splits the numbers on the back of the Vols’ helmets.
Tennessee wore the Virginia helmet sticker for the final three games of the 2022 season to honor the victims of the tragic shooting on the University of Virginia’s campus last November that claimed the lives of three football players and wounded a Cavaliers’ running back, along with another student.
The crime took the lives of junior Devin Chandler, junior D’Sean Perry, and junior Lavel Davis Jr. Running back Mike Hollins has worked his way back onto the field despite several surgeries leading up to the season.
“It’s literally a miracle that I’m here today and just living that out,” Hollins said in March via CNN. “I just feel really blessed to be back on ground and to be able to continue my dreams, my former teammates’ dreams. A lot of blessings in some tough times that are hard to see, but I try to continue to move forward.”
After the tragedy occurred on November 13, 2022, Virginia canceled the remaining two games on their regular-season schedule and ended their season at 3-7 overall.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel confirmed this week that the Vols’ will continue to wear a decal for the game this Saturday – Virginia’s first game since the shooting occurred.
“It’s obviously a horrific tragedy that took place there on their campus,” Heupel said on Monday. “They’ve had a long time to try and grow through that. We also recognize what happened. There will be a moment of silence before kickoff, and we’ll wear a decal of the three individuals that lost their lives on the back of our helmets.”
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Wahoos247’s Jacquie Franciulli posted a picture on Thursday that shows the three different jersey decals that Virginia will wear on their uniforms for the game against Tennessee on Saturday.
Will Bettridge will wear the No. 41 jersey in honor of D’Sean Perry.
“I told his parents that I'm doing everything for him now.”
The #Hoos will honor their 3 fallen Cavaliers every time they step on the field.
They are #UVAstrong https://t.co/nl2z5tD9R5 pic.twitter.com/VLmZ3Mey0q
— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) August 31, 2023
No. 12 Tennessee will take on Virginia in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium at 11:00 a.m. CT/12 Noon E.T. this Saturday. The game will be sold-out with the Vols entering as a 28-point favorite according to Caesar’s Sportsbook.
