If there’s anyone to challenge Georgia in the SEC East, Tennessee believes they are the team to do it. The Vols couldn’t get past the top-ranked Bulldogs in Athens last season, falling 27-13. At the time, the Vols were undefeated and ranked #2.
They only fell three spots in the ranking, so they maintained hope of making the playoffs. Then Columbia happened. The Vols faced at USC team coming off a dreadful performance at Florida and got slapped around by the Gamecocks 63-38. On top of that, they lost their starting quarterback Hendon Hooker for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The Vols recovered to blowout Vanderbilt 56-0, and then they handled Clemson int he Orange Bowl 31-14. So, they finished 11-2 and created a great deal of optimism for the 2023 season. And now that the NCAA has finished their work on the blatant cheating by the previous staff, Heupel can clearly focus on taking the Vols to that championship level.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days
RETURNING STARTERS
OFFENSE (6)
C • Cooper Mays • Sr.
WR • Bru McCoy • R-Sr.
OT • Gerald Mincey • R-Jr.
RB • Jabari Small • Sr.
OG • Javontez Spraggins • Sr.
TE • Jacob Warren • R-Sr.
DEFENSE (6)
LB • Aaron Beasley • Sr.
CB • Kamal Hadden • Sr.
S • Jaylen McCollough • Sr.
STAR • Tamarion McDonald • Sr.
CB • Doneiko Slaughter • Sr.
DT • Omari Thomas • Sr.
SPECIALISTS (1)
SNP • Matthew Salansky • R-Sr.
Tennessee 2023 Schedule
Sept. 2 vs. Virginia (in Nashville)
Sept. 9 AUSTIN PEAY
Sept. 16 at Florida*
Sept. 23 UTSA
Sept. 30 SOUTH CAROLINA*
Oct. 14 TEXAS A&M*
Oct. 21 at Alabama*
Oct. 28 at Kentucky*
Nov. 4 UCONN
Nov. 11 at Missouri*
Nov. 18 GEORGIA*
Nov. 25 VANDERBILT*
2022 Results
11-2 Overall • 6-2 SEC
Home: 7-0 Away: 3-2 Neutral: 1-0 vs. Top 25: 6-1
Sept. 1 [RV/RV] BALL STATE W 59-10 92,236
Sept. 10 [24/RV] at Pittsburgh (17/14) W 34-27 (OT) 59,785
Sept. 17 [15/16] AKRON W 63-6 101,915
Sept. 24 [11/12] FLORIDA* W 38-33 101,915
Oct. 8 [8/8] at LSU* (25/rv) W 40-13 102,371
Oct. 15 [6/8] ALABAMA* (3/1) W 52-49 101,915
Oct. 22 [3/4] TENNESSEE-MARTIN W 65-24 101,915
Oct. 29 [3/4] KENTUCKY* (19/17) W 44-6 101,915
Nov. 5 [2/3] at Georgia* (1/1) L 13-27 92,746
Nov. 12 [5/5] MISSOURI* W 66-24 101,915
Nov. 19 [5/5] at South Carolina* L, 38-63 79,041
Nov. 26 [9/11] at Vanderbilt* W, 56-0 40,350
Dec. 30 [6/6] vs. Clemson (10/11) W, 31-14 63,912
Capital One Orange Bowl • Miami Gardens, Florida
