#9 Tennessee (1-0) vs. Austin Peay (0-1)
Saturday, September 9th, 2023 | 4:00pm CT/5:00pm ET
Knoxville, TN | Neyland Stadium | SEC Network+/ESPN+
Knoxville, TN – After an impressive season-opening victory over Virginia last weekend in Nashville, No. 9/9 Tennessee Vols football team will take on in-state foe Austin Peay State University (APSU) in its home opener at Neyland Stadium on Saturday evening at 4:00pm CT.
As of Friday morning, the game is officially sold out, marking UT’s seventh consecutive home sellout dating back to last season.
The Vols will be looking to win their fourth straight home opener while head coach Josh Heupel will look to improve to 5-1 in home openers as a head coach (2-1 at UCF, 2-0 at UT).
Broadcast Information
Saturday’s contest will be streamed online via SEC Network+ and ESPN+ as Justin Kutcher (PxP) and Dave Steckel (analyst) will have the call. Kickoff is slated for 4:02pm CT.
The game can be accessed through SEC Network+, which is complementary to SEC Network and accessible with your TV provider credentials. It can be accessed through the ESPN App on smartphones, tablets, connected streaming devices or via espn.com/watch.
The game can also be accessed via ESPN+. ESPN+ is a standalone streaming service that requires a subscription separate from your TV provider credentials. It is available to stream through the ESPN App on your connected streaming device and on ESPN.com.
Fans seeking more guidance on how to watch games on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ can contact ESPN customer care at 888.549.3776. Assistance is available online at support.espn.com.
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 70 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 111 or 204) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 967), as well as the Varsity App. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com? and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Bob Kesling (PxP), Pat Ryan (analyst), and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action, with VFL Jayson Swain handling sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours prior to kickoff at 4:00pm CT.
Gameday Info / Timeline
For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee’s 2023 gameday policies, please visit the Tennessee Football Gameday Information page on UTSports.com.
New Wi-Fi at Neyland Stadium
RockyTopWifi, Neyland Stadium’s new Wi-Fi system, will be a work in progress throughout the 2023 season. Fans will see Wi-Fi available around the immediate perimeter of the stadium and at each gate to assist with ticket scanning.
Those fans seated throughout the lower bowl will see Wi-Fi in most areas, and all fans seated in the premium sections will see Wi-Fi this Saturday. Fans should note, they will not see RockyTopWifi in every section of the stadium. Join RockyTopWifi from your mobile device settings. No registration is required.
The gameday timeline as well as other important information is listed below.
Will Call Opens at Gate 21 – 12:00pm CT.
Truly’s Tailgate Opens – 2:00pm CT.
Vol Village Opens – 12:30pm CT.
Vol Walk – 1:45pm CT.
Gates Open – 1:00pm CT.
Pride of the Southland Band March – 3:20pm CT (Pedestrian Bridge)
Pride of the Southland Band Pregame Performance Begins – 3:48pm CT.
National Anthem/Flyover – 3:51pm CT.
Vols Run Through the T – 3:59pm CT.
Broadcast Begins – 4:00pm CT.
Kickoff – 4:02pm CT.
Tickets and Parking
Tickets and parking passes to all Tennessee Athletics events, including football, are now digital and can be accessed through a mobile device to improve security and reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well as make the process more convenient for fans.
Fans will gain admission into Neyland Stadium via a unique QR code which will be scanned directly from a mobile device. For quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues, fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android).
Your mobile device is the ticket on gameday. All valid digital tickets will display a moving barcode or a hold near reader (tap-and-go) icon. PLEASE NOTE: SCREENSHOTS OF TICKETS WILL NOT SCAN AT THE GATE AND WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY!
Printed PDF tickets will no longer be issued or accepted for entry at any Tennessee Athletics venue.
The only authorized sources for tickets to Tennessee Athletics events are the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office, AllVols.com, the venue box office where the athletic event is taking place and Ticketmaster.
As mentioned, tickets for Saturday’s game are officially sold out, however, fans can purchase “Verified Resale” tickets via Ticketmaster on AllVols.com.
Tennessee Athletics APP
Fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app, which now houses the Coca-Cola GBO Zone, allowing fans to play trivia, take part in a light show, and much more. Search “Tennessee Athletics” in the Apple or Google Play Store or use this link to download: www.utsports.com/app
Gameday Events and Activities
Toyota Volunteer Village: Vol Village, located across from Circle Park, serves as the ideal spot to view the Vol Walk and the Pride of Southland Band march. Admission is free to all fans with or without a game ticket. Vol Village opens at 12:30pm CT on Saturday.
Vol Village will highlight a new artist or band each home game with a pregame concert series, providing Vol fans with the ultimate pregame atmosphere. Morgans Mill will be the featured band for this Saturday’s game.
Featured inside of Vol Village will be a large screen video wall for fans to check out other games around college football as well as food vendors, an inflatable slide, face painting, a balloon artist and more.
Truly’s Tailgate: Located outside Gate 9, fans can stop by for food and drinks at Truly’s Tailgate. Fans may enter Truly’s prior to gates opening without having a ticket scanned. When gates open, fans will need to scan their ticket to enter Truly’s.
Truly’s will open at 12:00pm CT on Saturday and remain open for the majority of the game, giving fans in the south concourse a variety of food, drinks, television entertainment and additional restroom options. Truly’s will close at the end of the third quarter.
For complete gameday information, visit UTsports.com/gameday.
Need To Know
Vols to Debut New “Artful Dodger” Smokey Grey Uniforms
This Saturday, Tennessee will don “Artful Dodger” Smokey Grey uniforms on the 51st anniversary of Condredge Holloway’s first start as a Vol. Holloway, nicknamed “The Artful Dodger”, became the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC team on September 9th, 1972, when the Vols defeated Georgia Tech, 34-3, in Atlanta on ABC. Holloway was a three-year starter for the Big Orange and has a statue located outside of Gate 21 of Neyland Stadium.
For more info on the Vols’ new alternate uniforms, click HERE.
No Place Like Neyland
The UT Vols have proved that Neyland Stadium is one of the most feared venues in the country in the Heupel era. UT is 12-3 at home under his watch, outscoring opponents 708-326. The Vols bring a nine-game home winning streak into Saturday’s game, a streak that dates back to November 20th, 2021.
That represents their longest home winning streak since capturing nine in a row from 2006-08. Neyland’s homefield advantage was on full display last season as the Vols went 7-0 in its confines for their first undefeated home season since going 7-0 in 2007. They sold it out for six consecutive games and drew a total of 703,727 fans for an average of 100,532—both of which ranked in the top five nationally.
September Success
After last Saturday’s victory over Virginia, Tennessee has won five straight games in the month of September. In 2022, the Vols secured their first perfect September since 2016, going 4-0 with wins vs. Ball State, Pitt, Akron, and Florida. UT owns a 7-2 record during the month of September under Heupel.
Last Time Out
The Tennessee Vols amassed 499 yards of total offense and limited Virginia to 201 yards as they opened the season with a 49-13 victory over the Cavaliers last Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Senior QB Joe Milton III accounted for 234 yards of total offense and four touchdowns en route to earning SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. He completed 21-of-30 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and added 33 yards rushing to go along with a career-high-tying two rushing scores.
Sophomore RB Dylan Sampson tallied four total touchdowns – three rushing and one receiving – while junior RB Jaylen Wright rushed for a game-high 115 yards on 12 carries. Tennessee’s defense held UVA to 95 yards on the ground and 2.4 yards per rush while racking up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Senior DE Tyler Baron (2.5 TFLs, 2 sacks), who was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week, and sophomore DE James Pearce Jr. (2 TFLS, 2 sacks) led the way. Sophomore LB Elijah Herring notched a team-high five total tackles, as well. The largest crowd to watch a sporting event in Nissan Stadium history – 69,507 – witnessed the Vols win their fourth straight season opener.
Series History
Tennessee leads, 1-0
The Vols and Governors have faced off just one time prior to this year’s meeting, a 45-0 Tennessee victory to open the 2013 season.
Starting QB Justin Worley passed for 104 yards and three touchdowns while the Big Orange racked up 315 rushing yards and scored three times on the ground, lead by Raijon Neal’s 141 yards.
About Austin Peay State University Football
The Austin Peay State University (APSU) football team is led by fourth-year head coach Scotty Walden, who led the program to the 2022 ASUN Conference Football Championship in just his third season. The Governors have been one of the most consistent FCS program in recent years as their 41 victories are the 16th most in the FCS since 2017 and are the most in a six-year stretch in program history.
In a season-opening 49-23 loss to Southern Illinois, graduate quarterback Mike DiLiello completed 20-of-34 passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. His top two targets, Kam Thomas (5 receptions, 72 yards) and Kenny Odom (4 receptions, 66 yards) both hauled in touchdown catches in the opener. Running back CJ Evans Jr. led the team with eight carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the APSU Govs had two players rack up double-digit tackles in the season opener. Linebacker Tyler Long had a game-high 17 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble while fellow linebacker Sam Howard finished with 10 tackles.
