How Tennessee's 2021 Opponents Fared in Week One
Coming into the 2021 season, the Tennessee Volunteers were projected to have the 21st toughest schedule in college football. Each week we will look at how the Vols opponents fared and where their record stands. Note- Tennessee's bye week is week 9.
Week 1 Opponent Bowling Green
Bowling Green traveled to Knoxville for the season-opener on Thursday night. Lost 38-6.
Week 2 Opponent Pittsburgh
Hosted UMass at home and defeated the Minutemen 51-7. Sixth-year senior quarterback Kenny Pickett led the Panthers with an efficient 27-37 for 272 yards and two touchdown performances
Week 3 Opponent Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles from Cookeville were trounced 52-14 by Samford on Thursday night.
Week 4 Opponent Florida
The SEC East foe cruised to a 35-14 victory over Florida Atlantic, but one key storyline from this game is the quarterback position. Emory Jones finally got his chance, and he tossed two interceptions against the inferior opponent leaving a bad taste in the mouth of Florida fans. Is it possible there is a QB controversy in Gainesville after only one week?
Week 5 Opponent Missouri
Missouri squeezed out a hard-fought 34-24 victory against Central Michigan as the Chippewas simply refused to go away in this one. The Tigers were efficient with the football and star running back Tyler Badie had a career day en route to a 200 yard and two touchdown performance.
Week 6 Opponent South Carolina
The Gamecocks cruised to an easy 46-0 victory over FCS Eastern Illinois. The real storyline in this one was the fact that Shane Beamer had to convert graduate assistant Zeb Noland to a roster position and start him at quarterback to start the season. Noland tossed four touchdowns in his first game as a Gamecock.
Week 7 Opponent Ole Miss
Despite Lane Kiffin not being on the sideline for Monday night's Chick-fil-a kickoff in Atlanta, the Rebels were dominant from start to finish. Matt Corrall and the offense played at a high-tempo, while executing efficiently. While they don't play as fast as Josh Heupel's Tennessee team will, they snap the ball as fast as any other team in the country. The defense looked much improved in the 43-24 win over Louisville.
Week 8 Opponent Alabama
Once again, Alabama has reloaded. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 44-13 victory over Miami in Atlanta, and second-year quarterback Bryce Young quickly emerged as a new Heisman favorite. The Alabama defense also looked rejuvenated and as dominant as years past.
Week 10 Opponent Kentucky
After a slow start against UL-Monroe, the Wildcats new-look offense hit its stride en route to a 45-10 victory. Penn State transfer Will Levis threw for four touchdowns and almost 400 yards in his debut.
Week 11 Opponent Georgia
The Bulldogs played in the game of the week against third-ranked Clemson, and they impressed. No offensive touchdowns were scored during the game, but Georgia's defense was dominant en route to a 10-3 victory. Kirby Smart's defense sacked D.J. Uiagelelai seven times and scored on a pick-six to secure the victory.
Week 12 Opponent South Alabama
Former South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley was a nightmare for previous Vols staffs, and he is now the quarterback at South Alabama in his final season. His 17-22 for 269 yards and two touchdowns performance helped the Jaguars to a 31-7 victory over Southern Miss.
Week 13 Opponent Vanderbilt
In arguably the worst loss of the weekend, Vanderbilt fell to Randy Sander's ETSU program. It was not a fluke either. ETSU physically dominated the Commodores in all phases of the game in Clark Lea's debut en route to a 20-3 victory.
Overall Opponent Performance: 9-3
