Vols Look To Unleash Frustrations on UAB
IFTIT: Tennessee Vols vs. UAB Blazers Football Preview 2025
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Tennessee (#15/15, 2-1, 0-1 SEC) player their most competitive game against Georgia in recent memory, but came up short 41-44 in overtime. I’m not here to sell you on any sort of moral victory, but considering the level UT played at on Saturday, one has to feel good about the Vols’ chances against the remainder of the schedule. Look, you didn’t come into the season expecting a win against UGA, and yet you almost got one. The ceiling for this team is quite obviously higher than anyone expected.
You can imagine that the Vols, stinging from last week’s loss, will be looking to unleash hell on their next opponent. That happens to be UAB (NR, 2-1, 0-1 American), who is about as opposite of Georgia as a team can get. The Blazers have struggled to a 2-1 record, beating FCS Alabama State by just 10 points in their opener (while giving up 42 points to the Hornets in the process) and winning last week’s game against Akron by a field goal. In between, UAB lost to Navy by two touchdowns. I suppose one does not simply walk into Annapolis and escape with a win, but you’d think in year three Trent Dilfer would have his program ready to navigate the waters of the AAC. That seems to not be the case.
Previously on Vols vs. Blazers
Tennessee beat UAB 30-7 in 2019, although the game is no longer recognized by the NCAA as part of the Jeremy Pruitt investigation. UT is officially 4-0 against the Blazers, but actually 5-0 on the field with that 2019 win. The Vols have scored at least 30 points in all but one game against the Blazers, a surprisingly close 17-10 UT win in 2005. There is one other close call in the series, a 2OT game in Derek Dooley’s first year that Tennessee won 32-29 when Matt Simms hit Denarius Moore on the Vols’ first play of the second overtime.
I hope those names help drive home just what you saw out of Tennessee last weekend. Again, no moral victories, but unless you’re under 18 reading this, you remember a time when UT was grinding out games against Conference USA schools under guys like Dooley, Butch Jones, and Pruitt. It’s been a long, dark journey, but we are watching the Vols play real football again. Try to enjoy it.
Five Factor Tracker
UAB ranks at or near the bottom in most statistical categories. It’s hard to find a place where you’d say if the Blazers get lucky and do X or Y right… because there’s just not enough X or Y for them to latch onto. You’ve got to imagine, given the opportunity, Joshua Kenneth Heupel will chase the single-game scoring record set a couple of weeks ago (and there just might be the opportunity).
Personnel and Matchup
UAB has one returning starter from 2024 on their defense—safety Sirad Bryant
The Blazers do have a fairly high number of transfers starting on defense, and for several of them this is the third stop in their college football journey so far.
That is to say that these guys do have experience if nothing else—eight starters and another three heavy rotation guys are seniors.
For Tennessee, if Chris Brazzell and/or Joey Aguilar have another game or two like they did Saturday, I just might have to turn those circles into stars.
Speaking of stars—is Star Thomas UT’s best running back? I think DeSean Bishop will continue to start, but Thomas has been one of the biggest surprises this season. I was sure he was just a “depth piece” coming into the season, but he’s proven himself as a legit SEC-quality back.
UAB has twice as many returning starters on offense as on defense: two.
One of those is QB Jalen Kitna. His father is former NFL QB Jon Kitna, who won “Comeback Player of the Year” in 2003; the same year Jalen was born.
Kitna has played well this season through 3 games: he has completed 71% of his passes for just under 300 yards/game and a 3:1 TD:INT ratio.
Defensively, Tennessee is still pretty banged up. It’s unlikely that Tennessee will risk anyone coming back for this game, much more likely we at least some player back on the field in Starkville for the Mississippi State game next week.
Prediction
Jeff Sagrin’s ratings have UAB ranked #144 with 16 FCS teams ahead of them, including Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, and Chattanooga. How worried would you be if the Vols were playing UTC this weekend? That’s about how you should feel going into this game.
The outcome of the game isn’t really in question. The Vols could sleepwalk through Saturday and still beat this UAB team. But understandably, you might have some concern about Tennessee’s reaction to last Saturday. Do they come in hungover or unmotivated? I would actually expect the opposite. Tennessee has everyone’s attention after the way they played against UGA. Now is the time to capitalize on that attention as we turn the corner into SEC play proper. Tennessee 63, UAB 13.