Recently
Last Saturday night, Tennessee (#15 AP/#14 Coaches’, 2-0, 0-0 SEC) journeyed down I75 to Atlanta, filled Bobby Dodd Stadium with orange, rushed for 299 yards in a 45-27 win, and did not elaborate further.
Meanwhile Kennesaw State (NR, 1-1, 0-0 CUSA) was just outside of Atlanta in their comfy suburban home, where they lost to cross-town rival Georgia State 17-31. And what a bunch of pathetic losers, right? I can’t imagine how embarrassed I’d be if I lost to Georgia State…
Previously on Vols vs. Owls
This will be the first meeting between the schools. KSU did not have a football program prior to 2015, and moved up to FBS in 2022. They have been relatively successful in spite of their youth, going 48-15 in their first five years, winning the Big South Conference title three times, and making a couple of deep runs in the FCS playoffs. Then a year ago, in just their second season of FBS ball, the Owls went 10-3, winning the Conference USA championship.
Saturday will be a return of the Mack as KSU head coach Jerry Mack returns to Neyland Stadium. Mack served as Josh Heupel’s running backs coach from 2021-23 before taking the same position with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, and taking over the Kennesaw program last year. Mack was previously a HC at North Carolina Central from 2014-17.
Personnel/Matchups
If the name Rickie Collins is familiar, it’s because he was Syracuse’s starting QB when the Vols opened against ‘Cuse in Atlanta last season. It was a rocky season for Collins, who lost the starting job to Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli, but regained it briefly when Angeli got injured. Collins finished the season 0-5 as started for the Orange, and is now on his third school (after beginning his career at LSU).
Graduate linebacker Baron Hopson is the Owls’ leader on defense. Hopson was named to the Nagurski and Lombardi award watch lists, and named a G6 Preseason All-American, as well as the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year.
JAR Ratings & Prediction
It’s hard to write much of a preview for a game like this, because Tennessee can basically name their score on Saturday. Although the competition will only be marginally better than what UT saw against Furman, this game lacks the anticipation of the season opener. And I know, there’s still that BVS deep down inside you that can’t shake the memory of another Atlanta team coming to Neyland and doing the unthinkable. But other than a sluggish game against Austin Peay a few years ago, Josh Heupel’s teams haven’t really struggled in games like this. Kennesaw St. had a really nice season last year, but even that team wouldn’t have given Tennessee many problems, against the 2025 or 2026 squads.
Here’s something, JAR has Tennessee in the top 10 and has upgraded next week’s Texas game to a tossup. It’s still got Texas winning 34-29, but that’s an eye wide open emoji for sure, and we will get into that next week.
As for this week, that #9 ranking JAR has for the Vols is not an outlier. ESPN’s SP+ has UT at #11, and another analytics-based rating, the FEI, has the Vols in a virtual tie with Ole Miss at #13. Both ratings have Tennessee’s offense in the top 10. Neither of them have KSU rated any higher than JAR does at 110. JAR does have Tennessee beating the Owls by the hilarious score of 55-1, and I DARE KSU to score one single point in this game. In reality, it’s probably an early FG and a garbage time TD for the Owls, Tennessee 55, Kennesaw State 10.