Game #3 - Tennessee Volunteers

After a tough weekend in Charleston, SC, the Catamounts travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face what is an even more formidable opponent, as the Cats will face SEC foe, Tennessee.

This game will mark Western's first ever trip to Neyland Stadium (capacity 102,037), and a win for the Cats would be Western’s first-ever victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team, currently the Cats are 0-52 against FBS teams.


When:  Saturday, September 19th at 7 pm
Where: Neyland Stadium (102,037). Knoxville, TN
Radio:  Catamount Sports Network 
TV / video:  ESPNU
Game Notes:  Western Carolina       -       Tennessee

Head Coach: Butch Jones.  The University of Tennessee announced on Dec. 7, 2012 the hiring of Butch Jones as the 24th head football coach of the Vols. Tennessee finished its second season under Jones with a 7-6 record that included a 45-28 win over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville which marked the first January bowl game for UT since the 2007 season.


Last year’s record (2014): 7-6 overall, 3-5 in the SEC

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  11 / 0
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2  - On defense, the Vols lost the following starters: Defensive tackle Jordan Williams; and cornerback Justin Coleman to graduation.
Specialist - Returning/Lost: 5 / 2  - The Vols lost punter Matt Darr; kickoff returner Devrin Young; to graduation

Offensive Formation:  Spread
Defensive Formation: 4-3 Under  - which is basically a 3-4 with one of the linebackers designated as purely a pass rusher

2014 has to be viewed as a successful one for Tennessee. Despite having lost almost the entire offensive and defensive lines to graduation from the prior season, and experiencing lots of injuries then having to play more true freshmen than any other FBS team in the country, their overall goal of getting to the postseason was achieved.

Who has the Vols played this season?  The Vols come into the game with a 1-1 overall record. They opened the season in Nashville against Bowling Green, with a whopping 59-30 victory over the

Falcons. In game two, the Vols dropped a two-overtime game to #19 Oklahoma, 31-24 in Knoxville. 

2015 Tennessee Statistics (2 games):
Rushing Offense: 597 yards
Yards per rush: 4.8 yards
TDs rushing: 8
Passing Offense: 330 yards or 165 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 28-54-1
Total Offense: 858 yards or 429 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 2-0
Penalties-Yards: 14-120 yards
3d Down Conversions: 15 of 34 or 44%
4th Down Conversions: 0 of 0
Field Goals - Attempts: 2 of 5
Red-Zone Scores: 12 of 13 (92%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 10 of 13 (77%)
Punts (No. Yards): 12 (5918) Avg, per punt: 49.2

The Volunteers played one FCS team during the 2014 season.  The UTC made the trip to Knoxville last season on October 11th, losing by a final score of  45-10.  The Vols entered that game having lost 3 straight games on the road.

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