2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented of the University of Tennessee in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
2020 Tennessee Volunteers football | |
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Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Eastern Division | |
2020 record | 3–7 (3–7 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Jim Chaney (6th season) |
Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
Defensive coordinator | Derrick Ansley (2nd season) |
Home stadium | Neyland Stadium (Capacity: Limited Attendance Due to COVID-19 Restrictions) |
2020 Southeastern Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Florida x | 8 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 Georgia | 7 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 5 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 4 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 3 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | 2 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Alabama x$# | 10 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Texas A&M | 8 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 6 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU* | 5 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 4 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 3 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas | 3 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Alabama 52, Florida 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In a season initially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before being reinstated, the Volunteers compiled a 3–7 record, all in conference games. While the team did not have a winning record, the NCAA had waived bowl eligibility requirement for the season,[1] and Volunteers accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl. However, the team had to withdraw on December 21 due to positive COVID-19 testing.[2] They were led by third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, in what would turn out to be his final year. Pruitt would later be fired in January 2021 following an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations. He would leave Knoxville with a 16-19 overall record.
Previous season
Tennessee finished the 2019 regular season at 7–5 overall, 5–3 in the SEC, and were bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. On January 2, the Volunteers won the Gator Bowl over Indiana, 23–22,[3] to finish at 8–5 for the season.
Preseason
SEC Media Days
In the preseason media poll, Tennessee was predicted to finish in third place in the East Division.[4]
Media poll (East Division) | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Florida | 624 (53) |
2 | Georgia | 613 (43) |
3 | Tennessee | 434 |
4 | Kentucky | 405 |
5 | South Carolina | 287 |
6 | Missouri | 224 |
7 | Vanderbilt | 101 |
Schedule
Tennessee had games scheduled against Charlotte, Furman, Oklahoma, and Troy, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6][7][8]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 26 | 7:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | No. 16 | SECN | W 31–27 | 15,009 | |
October 3 | Noon | Missouri | No. 21 |
| SECN | W 35–12 | 21,159 |
October 10 | 3:30 pm | at No. 3 Georgia | No. 14 | CBS | L 21–44 | 20,524 | |
October 17 | Noon | Kentucky | No. 18 |
| SECN | L 7–34 | 22,519 |
October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 2 Alabama |
| CBS | L 17–48 | 23,394 | |
November 7 | 7:30 p.m. | at Arkansas | SECN | L 13–24 | 16,500 | ||
November 21 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 23 Auburn | ESPN | L 17–30 | 17,490 | ||
December 5 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 6 Florida |
| CBS | L 19–31 | 22,943 | |
December 12 | 4:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | SECN | W 42–17 | 849 | ||
December 19 | 11:00 | No. 5 Texas A&M |
| ESPN | L 13–34 | 22,232 | |
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The SEC postponed Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt to facilitate the rescheduling of the Vanderbilt-Missouri game. The shuffling allows for the opportunity for all 14 SEC teams to play 10 regular-season games.[9][10]
Tennessee accepted an invitation to play in the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN held on December 31, 2020, but was forced to withdraw due to head coach Pruitt and several players testing positive for COVID-19.[11][12]
Game summaries
at South Carolina
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#16 Tennessee | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
South Carolina | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
at Williams–Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 7:30 pm
- Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 15,009
- Referee: Ken Williamson
- TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Alyssa Lang (sidelines)
Missouri
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Missouri | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
#21 Tennessee | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- Date: October 3
- Game time: Noon
- Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 21,159
- Referee: Steve Marlow
- TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), D. J. Shockley (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)
at #3 Georgia
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#14 Tennessee | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
#3 Georgia | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
- Date: October 10
- Game time: 3:30 pm
- Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 20,524
- Referee: David Smith
- TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)
Kentucky
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
#21 Tennessee | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- Date: October 17
- Game time: Noon
- Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 22,519
- Referee: Marc Curles
- TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines)
#2 Alabama
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#2 Alabama | 14 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 48 |
Tennessee | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 3:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 23,394
- Referee: Alex Moore
- TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Jamie Erdahl (sidelines)
at Arkansas
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tennessee | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 6:30 pm
- Game weather: Clear, 57 °F (14 °C)
- Game attendance: 16,500
- Referee: Mark Loeffler
- TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines)
at #23 Auburn
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tennessee | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
#23 Auburn | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
at Jordan–Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 6:00 pm
- Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 17,490
- Referee: David Smith
- TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), Allison Williams (sidelines)
#6 Florida
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#6 Florida | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
Tennessee | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 3:30 pm
- Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 22,943
- Referee: Steve Marlowe
- TV announcers (CBS): Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (color), Jenny Dell (sidelines)
at Vanderbilt
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tennessee | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
Vanderbilt | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 3:00 pm
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 849
- Referee: Marc Curles
- TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)
Texas A&M
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aggies | 7 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
Volunteers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
- Date: December 19
- Game time: Noon
- Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 22,645
- Referee: James Carter
- TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color) and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
AP | 25 | 25* | 15 | 16 | 21 | 18 | RV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaches | RV | RV* | 17 | 21 | 20 | 17 | RV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | Not released |
References
- "DI Council approves football bowl eligibility requirements waiver". NCAA.org (Press release). October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- "Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season". utsports.com (Press release). December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- "Indiana vs. Tennessee - Game Summary - January 2, 2020 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
- "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.
- Talty, John. "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- Dellenger, Ross (7 August 2020). "SEC's New Schedule: Winners, Losers and... Mizzou". si.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- "2020 Tennessee Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.
- https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2020/11/23/tennessee-football-vanderbilt-game-postponed-missouri-vandy-vols-game/6401082002/
- https://www.secsports.com/schedule/football/tennessee-volunteers/_/year/2020
- https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30574860/sources-tennessee-volunteers-liberty-bowl-due-covid-19-issues
- https://utsports.com/news/2020/12/21/tennessee-football-pauses-team-activities.aspx