#23 Tennessee (2-1 | 0-1 SEC) vs. UTSA (1-2 | 0-0 AAC)
Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 | 3:00pm CT / 4:00pm ET
Knoxville, TN | Neyland Stadium | TV: SEC Network
Knoxville, TN – The No. 23/20 Tennessee Vols football team begins a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when it hosts the UTSA Roadrunners at Neyland Stadium.
The Volunteers will look to return to their winning ways and rebound from a disappointing loss in their SEC opener at Florida last weekend.
UTSA will also be aiming to get back in the win column after dropping a close one at home to Army last Friday night.
Broadcast Information
Saturday’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (PxP), Derek Mason (analyst), and Taylor Davis (sideline) on the call. Kickoff is slated for 4:01pm.
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. 109 or 190) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 961), as well as the Varsity App. A live broadcast audio stream will also be available on UTSports.com? and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL 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 2:00pm.
Gameday Information / 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 – Noon
Truly’s Tailgate Opens – Noon
Vol Village Opens – 12:30pm
Vol Walk – 1:45pm
Gates Open – 2:00pm
Pride of the Southland Band March – 2:20pm (Pedestrian Bridge)
Pride of the Southland Band Pregame Performance Begins – 3:47pm
National Anthem/Flyover – 3:50pm
Vols Run Through the T – 3:58pm
Broadcast Begins – 4:00pm
Kickoff – 4:01pm.
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. Fans are encouraged to download the Tennessee Athletics app from the App Store (iPhone) and Google Play (Android) for quick and easy entry into Tennessee Athletics venues.
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.
A complete step-by-step guide on how to best access and use your digital tickets and parking passes, including diagrams and FAQ, is available here.
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: http://utsports.com/app
Gameday Events & 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 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. Eric Chesser will be the featured artist 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, Muse Knox, 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 noon 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
Neyland Streaks
Tennessee returns to the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium this Saturday, kicking off a month-long homestand at one of college football’s most iconic venues.
The Vols carry a 10-game home win streak into Saturday’s contest against the Roadrunners, their longest such streak since winning 23 straight at Neyland from 1996-2000. UT’s current home win streak is tied for the fourth longest in the country behind Georgia (21), Michigan (18) and Utah (16). USC has also won 10 straight home games. Tennessee is 13-3 overall at home under head coach Josh Heupel, outscoring its opponents 738-339.
Saturday’s game is also set to be the eighth consecutive sellout at Neyland Stadium dating back to September 17th last season.
Non-Con Domination
UT defeated Virginia to open the season in Nashville this season, followed by a home-opening win versus Austin Peay State University.
UT Vols in the Polls
Tennessee is currently No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 20 in the AFCA USA Today Coaches poll. The Vols have been ranked in 19 consecutive AP polls dating back to September 6th, 2022. That is the longest streak for the program since it was ranked for 42 consecutive weeks from 2003-05.
Last Time Out
A rough second quarter put the Vols in a hole they could not dig out of in their SEC opener at Florida last week, falling 29-16 to the Gators down in Gainesville. UF outscored UT 20-0 in the second quarter to build a 26-7 halftime lead.
The Big Orange held the Gators to just three points in the second half but were unable to complete the comeback despite outgaining Florida 393-349.
Series History
First Meeting
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Tennessee and UTSA. The UT Vols are 44-4 all-time against teams currently in the American Athletic Conference.
About the UTSA Roadrunners
The Roadrunners are in their first season as members of the AAC after spending the past 10 years in Conference USA. They are led by fourth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, who has guided the program to back-to-back C-USA Championships and consecutive 11-plus win seasons.
Redshirt senior quarterback Frank Harris is the focal point of UTSA’s offense. The Texas native is in his sixth season with the program, having accounted for 11,717 yards of total offense and 101 touchdowns in his illustrious career, which includes winning C-USA MVP honors last year.
The Roadrunners offense has struggled somewhat this season due to Harris being limited by injury and having missed last week’s game against Army. Eddie Lee Marburger has performed well when filling in for Harris, completing 17-of-26 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in two games.
Senior wide receiver Joshua Cephus is the team’s top threat in the passing game with 24 receptions for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Alcoa High School product Tykee Ogle-Kellogg ranks second on the team with 10 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt sophomore running back Kevorian Barnes is UTSA’s leading rusher with 245 yards and a touchdown on 51 carries.
Defensively, junior linebacker Martavius French leads the team with 17 total tackles entering Saturday’s game while redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Trey Moore is off to a hot start with a team-leading five tackles for loss and four sacks.
