Started By
Message

Throwback Thursday: Vols

Posted on 12/11/25 at 4:04 pm
Posted by grey
Member since Aug 2015
3947 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 4:04 pm
Cannot wait until the Sugar Bowl, so I'm gonna do this bit every week until it's here.

First up is Tennessee. First real test of the season that showed just how poised this team was, despite being exposed on defense.



This post was edited on 12/11/25 at 7:24 pm
Posted by WG_Dawg
Member since Jun 2004
89553 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 4:16 pm to
Love this idea
Posted by HunterDawg
Member since Oct 2024
639 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 4:47 pm to
TOP differential in that game was crazy given the other stats.
Posted by Griffindawg
Member since Oct 2013
8032 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 5:55 pm to
London Humphreys has been an underrated portal get. He’s made quite a few clutch game changing catches this year and doesn’t get enough praise.
Posted by wdhalgren
Member since May 2013
4618 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 5:56 pm to
Interesting that prior to 2021, we played Tennessee in late September, early October and Auburn in mid November. Then Auburn begged for a switch to early season because they thought it would help their outcomes against Georgia. So Tennessee moved back and Auburn moved up.

From 2021 - 2024, we played Tennessee in mid November. Then the 2025 schedule was announced Dec 11, 2024, and for some reason UGA vs UTk had moved up to September 13, first SEC game for both teams. I wonder if somebody at UTk requested the UGA game be moved up again. Maybe they decided playing early at home in 2025 would give them a quarterback advantage, with Nico presumably returning and and Beck presumably not. If so, didn't work out as intended.
Posted by New Money
Athens, GA
Member since Jun 2023
3561 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 6:04 pm to
I wonder if all of the negas will whine while watching the replay.

Oh yeah, Branch scored on a screen pass.
Posted by Peter Buck
Member since Sep 2012
13940 posts
Posted on 12/11/25 at 6:11 pm to
quote:

London Humphreys has been an underrated portal get. He’s made quite a few clutch game changing catches this year and doesn’t get enough praise.


16 blocks very well and does some special teams. Def more valuable than his stats.
Posted by Violent Hip Swivel
Member since Aug 2023
8161 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 10:10 am to
quote:

I wonder if somebody at UTk requested the UGA game be moved up again. Maybe they decided playing early at home in 2025 would give them a quarterback advantage,


Tennessee under Heupel is always one of the favorites for the September national championship. They peak early. That game was a really tough setup for Georgia. First road game. Early in the season. We won anyway. Credit to Kirby and them.

Posted by grey
Member since Aug 2015
3947 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 12:05 pm to
Knowles was a homerun hire and they recruited well this class. Could be a dangerous team soon.
Posted by Violent Hip Swivel
Member since Aug 2023
8161 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 1:23 pm to
quote:

Knowles was a homerun hire and they recruited well this class. Could be a dangerous team soon.



Yeah, I think that might end up being the biggest pickup of the off-season in the SEC, player or coach.

Tennessee also has a QB and wide receiver coming in who are both top 10 national recruits.

Probably a good time to get Tennessee off of the schedule every year.
Posted by wdhalgren
Member since May 2013
4618 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 4:44 pm to
quote:

Probably a good time to get Tennessee off of the schedule every year.


Too bad about Banks. Just last year the Vols and their media friends had him pegged as probably the best DC in college ball. Tim Banks was on fire, and now he's fired? I've been told that this season's troubles were all due to injuries; surely they wouldn't cut the best DC in America because players got hurt?

But, for Vol fans this is the silver lining in the cloud thats been hanging over over their football program for the last two decades. When you get knocked out of any meaningful postseason participation with a month left in the regular season, you can get an early start on the offseason hype for next year. New names and faces step into the void left by old names and faces that faded away with nothing to show for their moment of offseason glory. By mid-summer we'll be hearing about Heismans and #1 draft picks and 15 & 0. What's Faizon's nickname? We've had Nico the 8 Million dollar man (may he live in infamy), Merkslinger (very short lived), and Joey Football. Maybe just FAIZON; it'll become one of those names that stands on its own merits, like Elvis or Michael.

Good thing Penn State obliged by letting Knowles go, as did Ohio State after 2024. I think Campbell noticed that PSU's defense got worse and Ohio State's got better. But, on the bright side, Tennessee picked him up at a million dollar discount from what he was being paid at Penn State.
This post was edited on 12/12/25 at 5:18 pm
Posted by Griffindawg
Member since Oct 2013
8032 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 5:07 pm to
quote:

Tennessee under Heupel is always one of the favorites for the September national championship

Havent really heard anything from Knoxville since September either. They’re about to trend down over the next few seasons and end up firing Heupel. That stupid offense doesn’t work in the SEC
Posted by Violent Hip Swivel
Member since Aug 2023
8161 posts
Posted on 12/12/25 at 8:32 pm to
quote:

. By mid-summer we'll be hearing about Heismans and #1 draft picks and 15 & 0.


And then they'll score 150 points in their first two game and Tennessee Season will be in full swing.
Posted by VADawg
Wherever
Member since Nov 2011
47718 posts
Posted on 12/13/25 at 11:14 am to
quote:

London Humphreys has been an underrated portal get. He’s made quite a few clutch game changing catches this year and doesn’t get enough praise


Great blocker too. Had an awesome block that sprung Frazier's TD run in the SECCG.
Posted by wdhalgren
Member since May 2013
4618 posts
Posted on 12/13/25 at 12:39 pm to
quote:

And then they'll score 150 points in their first two game and Tennessee Season will be in full swing.


Sometimes I wish Kirby would do that too. Instead of turning the game into a clock-eating contest, put in the backups and let 'em run the offense.
Posted by Violent Hip Swivel
Member since Aug 2023
8161 posts
Posted on 12/13/25 at 12:50 pm to
quote:

Sometimes I wish Kirby would do that too. Instead of turning the game into a clock-eating contest, put in the backups and let 'em run the offense.


Kirby's slowly coming around. Probably 90 percent portal related. There was a game 3 or 4 years ago when Dijuan Edwards had something like 12 carries in the fourth quarter and we never threw a pass. Then there was the other game when Kirby tried to convince the other team's coach to cancel entire 4th quarter.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow SECRant for SEC Football News
Follow us on X and Facebook to get the latest updates on SEC Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitter