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FOOTBALL

GUIDE Volume 132 Issue 11

utdailybeacon.com @utkdailybeacon

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

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FOOTBALLGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

THE DAILY BEACON STAFF

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief: Bradi Musil Managing Editor: Megan Patterson Chief Copy Editor: Hannah Moulton News Editor: Tom Cruise Asst. News Editor: Chris Salvemini Sports Editor: Trenton Duffer Asst. Sports Editor: Rob Harvey Arts & Culture Editor: Bryanne Brewer Engagement Editor: Millie Tunnel Digital Producer: Altaf Nanavati Opinons Editor: Presley Smith Special Projects Editor: Jenna Butz Photo Editors: Alex Phillips, Tyler Warner Design Editors: Lauren Ratliff, Caroline Norris Production Artists: Laurel Cooper, Jeremiah Corbett, Sarah Emory, Rachel Incorvati, Jenna Mangalindan, Lauren Mayo

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Congratulations! You made it.

After nine months of no football at all (I mean, excluding the NFL games and handful of college football games since the Vols’ win against Northwestern in the Outback Bowl), football is finally back. Or at least, it will be tomorrow.

And I couldn’t be happier.

That’s not a knock towards other sports either. I love just about every sport out there. I’ll watch baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer. Heck, I’ll even sit and watch a lacrosse match from time to time.

But football is just something that stands out above the rest.

I’ve been a fan of the Vols and football as long as I can remember. One of the first games I can remember is that 6OT UT-Arkansas game back in 2002. The Vols beating the Razorbacks on that Casey Clausen to Jason Witten touchdown pass is one of my favorite moments in all of Vol

Trenton Duffer, Sports Editor Where were you the last time the Vols won the SEC? If I had to guess, I’d say you were either a baby, in preschool or rocking that kindergarten swag.

The Vols haven’t won the SEC since 1998, which was also the year they won the very first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Championship over Florida State.

There are actually a lot of similarities between that team and this year’s team. In both instances, the Vols played Florida, Alabama and Kentucky at home along with South Carolina, Georgia and Vanderbilt on the road.The Vols beat all of those opponents in 1998.

Another similarity for the Vols is their ranking. In ’98, the Vols were ranked tenth in the preseason BCS standings. Although the BCS system has been trashed and substituted with the College Football Playoff system, the Vols are still ranked ninth and tenth in most polls.The Vols worked their way to first back then, going undefeated and winning the national title.

It just seems too perfect, doesn’t it? Well, if you’re a person who believes that the past is just the past and doesn’t matter, then look at it this way — the rest of the SEC is just going to be mediocre this year.

In my opinion, LSU is the only threat to the Vols winning the SEC this year. I’m one of the few that thinks Alabama doesn’t have the pieces that it’s had in the past to do much damage in the SEC and Florida doesn’t have enough offense to be much of a threat.

In the end, I like the Vols going 11-1 with a loss to Texas A&M. That’s right.The Vols will break the curses against the Gators and the Crimson Tide in one fell swoop. A trip to the SEC Championship in Atlanta against LSU is on Tennessee’s radar this year, and an SEC crown will be awarded to the Vols.

Now we wait to see if the Vols can really make it feel like ’98 by winning the national title.

history.

But when I enrolled at UT in 2014, I had never been to Neyland Stadium or Knoxville. The only Vols’ game I went to was in Nashville in 2008 against Vanderbilt.

Even though I’d never visited Neyland at that time, I was a very passionate fan.

In 2009, when Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody blocked the Vols’ gamewinning field goal, I flipped over a chair in my living room. A chair! In my defense, Tennessee WAS just a field goal from upsetting the then number one team in the country. So don’t judge me too harshly.

It’s been two years since I enrolled at UT. In those two years, I’ve worked my way up to the sports editor position here at the Daily Beacon. Which means that I’ll be covering the football team this season.

And, in the words of rapper Drake, What A Time To Be Alive (or in this case, a Vols’ fan). Expectations for the Vols are

Staff Predictions Rob Harvey, Asst. Sports Editor

The Vols are back.

There is no question.There is too much talent on the football field for them to fail this year.

No more blowups in the fourth quarter.The Vols will prevail this year.

On offense the Vols are loaded. A backfield of Josh Dobbs, Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara is unstoppable and if Josh Malone, Preston Williams, Josh Smith and Jauan Jennings can produce at receiver then there will be no stopping them.They return four offensive linemen that will produce big holes for that backfield.

Defensively, experience is through the roof. Returning is the whole defensive line and linebacking core who were very good down the stretch last season.The secondary is a little concerning but the return of Rashaan Gaulden will be huge for the Vols.

This all being said, I believe the Vols will go 10-2. I think they will lose back to back to Texas A&M and Alabama.Texas A&M is a trap game since the Vols will have just played two very emotional games in Florida and Georgia and with Alabama looming the Vols will be tired and looking ahead.

I believe the Vols will have a rematch with Alabama again in the SEC championship game and this time a team that will be way more rested stuns Alabama and wins the SEC championship that will put them in the Final Four.

The Vols are definitely back, so buckle up Vols fans and prepare for a wild ride.

sky-high for the first time in a long time.

A lot of media members and coaches have the Vols winning the SEC East and maybe even more.

With all of this in mind, I implore all of you to go to at least one football game this year.

I attended my first game two years ago when the Vols destroyed Utah State on a Sunday in Neyland Stadium. That’s a moment that I will never forget.

This year is going to be a special one.

There are so many chances for the Vols to break some of the losing streaks they have against certain teams. It’s been 12 years since the Vols beat Florida. It’s been 10 years since the Vols beat Alabama.

But now the Vols have a chance to break both of those streaks in a single year. And you could be there to see it.

Enjoy our preview, and Go Vols.

David Bradford, Staff Writer You can put a hyphen between the “12” and the “0” on Team 120 because when the dust settles on the 2016 regular season, the Vols will be unblemished and rolling into Atlanta.

There is no roster in the SEC that accomplishes what Tennessee’s roster does: a perfect combination of experience, talent and coaching.

The Vols return 17 starters from last season’s 9-4 squad, who just so happened to cap the year off with five consecutive victories, including their 45-6 pulverization of Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.

Starting on offense,Tennessee returns four starting offensive linemen, one of only two teams in the SEC to do so.These beasts in the trenches will carve holes for the dynamic rushing trio of quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.

Dobbs is enough of a dual-threat — 26 total touchdowns last season — to prevent defenses from locking in on stopping the run.

Defensively, the Vols have arguably the strongest front seven in the country, headlined by defensive end Derek Barnett and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.The secondary fields some concern, but cornerback Cam Sutton is undoubtedly one of the nation’s premier lock-down corners.

In terms of scheduling,Tennessee’s season comes down to a four-game stretch where they host Florida, travel to Athens, travel to College Station and host Alabama. Hosting the Gators and the Crimson Tide at Neyland provides an advantage, and while traveling to the hostile environments of Georgia and Texas A&M certainly poses a threat to the Vols’ undefeated dreams, a punishing ground game and dominant front seven bodes well on the road.

Tennessee is tabbed as overrated by some because of questionable coaching decisions in the fourth quarter of high-stakes games, but head coach Butch Jones and his staff will learn from their mistakes.

While most of the SEC downgraded, the Vols managed to gain strength.

As a result,Tennessee won’t lose a game, and Knoxvillians will lose their voices after singing “Rocky Top” so much.

FOOTBALLGUIDE

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Wednesday, August 31, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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Depth of defensive line gives Vols extra step Trenton Duffer

Sports Editor

The defensive line is a position that plays host to some of the biggest, scariest guys on a football team. It’s where you’ll meet most of your 300+ pound players and where some of your strongest players reside.

Luckily for the Vols, they have no shortage of those players this season.

“We’re deeper here (on defense) than I’ve probably been anywhere,” defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said on Monday, Aug. 29.

The Vols defensive line is led by junior defensive end Derek Barnett. Barnett earned preseason first team All-SEC honors last week, joining Jalen Hurd, Cam Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin as the only Vols to earn first team honors.

“Raise your hand if you think Derek Barnett deserves to play,” Shoop joked at Monday’s press conference before getting right back to business. “It’s time to find creative ways. It’s a nice problem to have because now you don’t have to have guys

playing 60-70 snaps and we can assemble packages where one of those guys might be playing inside as well.

“Rather than having a guy play 70-75 snaps, if we can get him to play 50 snaps really, really hard, that’s a good benefit for us.”

Danny O’Brien, Kendal Vickers and Corey Vereen are the other three starters in the Vols’ 4-2-5 set, which means the Vols will have four downed linemen, two linebackers and five members in the secondary.

Kahlil McKenzie and Shy Tuttle, both of whom weigh over 300 pounds, will provide assistance when needed at defensive tackle. Kyle Phillips and Darrell Taylor are also players that have earned mentions from coaches.

Tuttle will likely see playing time for the first time since the Vols’ win over Georgia on Oct. 10 of last season. Tuttle broke his fibula and injured a ligament in his ankle during that game.

Meanwhile, Alexis Johnson, LaTroy Lewis and Jonathan Kongbo are slated to be the backup defensive ends.

Johnson was suspended from the team in February of this year after being charged

with aggravated assault and false imprisonment after he was accused of choking a woman that he had previously dated in his Volunteer apartment on Feb. 14.

Johnson rejoined the team two weeks ago.

“I think we’re a very mature and focused defense right now,” defensive line coach Steve Stripling said. “For (Johnson), he was a little frustrated at practice and I said, ‘How many days have you been out here? Six or eight?’ You can’t expect miracles.”

When asked if it was possible to rotate seven guys at defensive end, Stripling laughed and said that he’d “talk to you on Friday.”

With a strong defensive line at his disposal, Shoop talked about the ideal situations for his defense this season.

“I want our guys to understand and to trust me and trust our coaches that if you give your all, and you tap out and need a blow, we’ll get the next guy in and he’ll give the same effort,” Shoop said. “Over the long course of the season and the long course of a game, it’ll provide us an opportunity to put our best players in the game and win the games.”

It’s a nice problem to have because now you don’t have to have guys playing 60-70 snaps and we can assemble packages where one of those guys might be playing inside as well.”

Bob Shoop, defensive coordinator

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*Comparison data from 2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey, Kaiser Family Foundation

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FOOTBALLGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Battle at Bristol on the horizon

Vols prepare for the largest college football game Jordan Duncan Contributor

The Battle at Bristol will be the biggest game in college football history.

At least, in terms of attendance.

The University of Tennessee will play Virginia Tech, a matchup that has not happened since the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The then tenth ranked Hokies were victorious 37-14 in that outing but things have since changed.

The Volunteers are ranked ninth in the country this season and are favored to win every game they play in by Las Vegas. The Hokies, meanwhile, are expected to finish around 7-5 in the ACC. Interestingly enough, Virginia Tech has already announced what uniforms they will be wearing at the Battle at

Bristol. (http://wset.com/sports/battleat-bristol/virginia-tech-unveils-battle-atbristol-uniforms) Around 150,000 seats will be available around the racetrack at Bristol, close to 50,000 more than any other college football game in history. This game brings with it an unprecedented amount of hype, getting fans, coaches and players alike excited for the matchup.

“It’s hard to kind of not look at that — we’re playing at a racetrack. We’re playing at a racetrack.” Alvin Kamara said.

Kamara, a running back, is known as an enigmatic leader on the Vols’ football squad, being elected a team captain after just one year on the team.

Other members of the Vols are looking forward to the matchup as well.

“I’m definitely looking forward to that because it’s something that’s never been

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It’s something that each and every player and everybody who’s a part of it can cherish the rest of their lives, knowing that it’s the first time it’s ever happened.”

done before,” Cam Sutton said. “It’s something that each and every player and everybody who’s a part of it can cherish the rest of their lives, knowing that it’s the first time it’s ever happened.”

Sutton is the Volunteer’s star cornerback, projected to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by some analysts.

Bristol, Tennessee is a fairly centralized location between Virginia Tech and Tennessee, which was part of the reason Bristol Speedway was chosen for this unprecedented event. It is only 90 minutes away from Knoxville, meaning many of the Volunteer fan base will be in attendance.

“I’m going to have a lot of family there,” offensive lineman Coleman Thomas said. “It’s just right down the road (about a 90-minute drive from his hometown of Max Meadows), so I’m really looking forward to that.

“It’s surreal that we’re playing at

Cam Sutton, cornerback

Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol Motor Speedway, national television — that will obviously be a historic game.”

Bristol Motor Speedway personnel announced on Monday that the turf had been officially laid at the speedway.

The company sponsoring the Battle at Bristol is Pilot-Flying J, the company founded by Jim Haslam. Haslam is arguably one of the most influential and prominent UT alumnus, having donated copious amounts of money and time to the university.

This game is predicted to be a competitive matchup between two opponents from opposing conferences. Regardless of the outcome, this game will be in the record books for the highest attendance at a college football game in the history of the NCAA. The Battle at Bristol will take place on Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

FOOTBALLGUIDE

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

FALL 2016 SCHEDULE 7:30 p.m.

9/01/16 vs. Appalachian State Knoxville, TN First meeting Bristol, TN 9/10/16 vs. Virginia Tech 8:00 p.m.

Vols lead series 5-3 Last meeting: VT 37-14 (2009) 9/17/16 vs. Ohio Knoxville, TN 12:00 p.m.

Vols lead series 1-0 Last meeting: UT 34-23 (2009) 9/24/16 vs. Florida Knoxville, TN TBA UF lead series 26-19 Last meeting: UF 28-27 (2015) 10/01/16 @ Georgia Athens, GA TBA Vols lead series 22-21-2 Last meeting: UT 38-31 (2015) 10/08/16 @ Texas A&M College Station, TX TBA Vols lead series 2-0 Last meeting: UT 38-7 (2005) 10/15/16 vs. Alabama Knoxville, TN TBA Bama leads series 52-38-7 Last meeting: UA 19-14 (2015) 10/29/16 @ South Carolina Vols leads series 25-7-2 11/05/16 vs. Tennessee Tech Vols leads series 5-0 11/12/16 vs. Kentucky Vols leads series 78-24-9 11/19/16 vs. Missouri MIZZ leads series 3-1

Columbia, SC TBA Last meeting: UT 27-24 (2015) Knoxville, TN TBA Last meeting: UT 68-0 (1951) Knoxville, TN TBA Last meeting: UT 52-21 (2015) Knoxville, TN TBA Last meeting: UT 19-8 (2015)

11/26/16 @ Vanderbilt Vols leads series 75-30-5 12/03/16 SEC Championship

Nashville, TN TBA Last meeting: UT 53-28 (2015) Atlanta, GA TBA Jeremiah Corbett • The Daily Beacon Lauren Ratliff • The Daily Beacon

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Vols prepare to open up season on Thursday Rob Harvey

Asst. Sports Editor For the first time since 1896, the Vols will open their season on a Thursday night at home.

The last Thursday home opener the Vols played was on Thursday, Oct. 22, 1896, when they beat Williamsburg Institute 10-6.

The Vols haven’t played a Thursday night game since the 2010 Music City Bowl against North Carolina. This was not a game to remember for the Vols as they lost in overtime, 30-27, with some controversy coming at the end of regulation that caused North Carolina to kick a game-tying field goal.

None of the current Vols were on the team during that game, however, and they don’t seem to be affected by a Thursday night game.

“It will just be different with it being Thursday, but not much will change,” quarterback Josh Dobbs said on Aug. 23 during a press conference. “We’ll still have our normal week plan. For us, game week starts this Thursday and we will prepare for the game and go through our weekly regimen from our football practice schedule to film study.”

Head coach Butch Jones said on Monday, Aug. 29, that scheduling is different when it’s football time in Tennessee.

“When it’s the first game of the year, you always think of this as a football calendar,” Jones said.

Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop tried explaining the game planning schedule but even he got confused.

“Sunday is Tuesday, Monday is Wednesday, Tuesday is Thursday and Wednesday is Friday,” Shoop explained. “Geez, you guys (the media) are confusing me.”

Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord also confirmed Dobbs statement and says that nothing really changes on how they prepare for a

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When it’s the first game of the year, always think of this as a football career.”

Butch Jones, head coach

Thursday night game.

“I really don’t think it has much of an effect and I think our players are starting to get into game week and they’ll get excited for that,” DeBord said during the Aug. 23 press conference.

The game will also have an effect on the student body as the University decided to shut down campus and cancel all classes for that Thursday, Sept. 1. This has led to much approval from the student body and student tickets sold out very quickly for the game.

The players were also very excited for cancelled classes on that Thursday.

“I think it says a lot that teachers cancel class to let us know that it is going to be a little bit of a statement game,” Todd Kelly Jr. said on Aug. 13.

The game was originally supposed to be on a Saturday but because of the opportunity to be on prime time on SEC Network, the Vols took advantage of it.

SEC Nation, SEC Network’s version of College Gameday, will also be on campus that Thursday and will be live from the field an hour before the game.

The Vols’ Thursday night game against Appalachian State kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

FOOTBALLGUIDE

Josh Dobbs (top left), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (top right), Alvin Kamara (bottom left) and Cameron Suttin (bottom right) were all chosen to be permanent team captains during the 2016 Orange and White game. Each player earned their captian role based on their leadership roles on and off the field. Dobbs, Reeves-Maybin, and Sutton are seniors while Kamara is a redshirt junior. • File photos

FOOTBALLGUIDE

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

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O Captain, My Captain — Vols’ four permanent captains ready to lead Tennesse Trenton Duffer

Sports Editor When Butch Jones announced at this year’s Orange and White game that the Vols were going to have four permanent captains for the 2016 season, a lot of confused faces overtook Neyland Stadium.

Jones had announced that he had a “big decision” set for the Orange and White game, and there weren’t many who could have assumed that it would be this.

“We have something very, very special here and nobody should ever take this for granted,” Jones said after the Vols’ Orange and White game on April 16. “It’s amazing because when you welcome people from other areas of the country, whether it’s recruits, whether it’s media members, whether it’s family members — it doesn’t matter.

“When they come here and they spend time within the walls of our football program and they’re around our players, they’re around our fans, they sense the excitement.”

The four players named — Joshua Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Cam Sutton and Alvin Kamara — each bring leadership and skill, among other things, to the table.

Josh Dobbs, star quarterback: The story as to why Joshua Dobbs was chosen as a captain is a simple one.

He’s the starting quarterback and face for the football team. A leader when he’s not on the field playing, this year, Dobbs could put his name in the UT record books.

“We’ve put in a lot of time throughout the spring, the winter, the offseason and the summer,” Dobbs said last Sunday, Aug. 28, during practice. “We’ve grown as an overall offensive unit … We are definitely able to do different things, shift up the game plan week to week and keep defense off their heels.”

Coming into the 2014 season, Dobbs was just a redshirt third-string quarterback. Justin Worley handled the starting job while Nathan Peterman was the backup.

After Worley got hurt, Peterman got the starting nod to help the ailing Vols against rival Alabama. Peterman went 2-4 with 10 yards in the first half and was soon replaced by Dobbs, who came in and threw for 192 yards with two touchdowns on 19-32 passing. Dobbs also ran the ball 19 times for 75 yards, the most a Vols’ quarterback had at that time since Tee Martin ran for 81 yards in Sept. 1998.

After the Alabama game, Dobbs became the Vols starter and immediately made his presence known.

The next week against South Carolina, Dobbs orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback against the Gamecocks after trailing 42-28 with under five minutes left in the game. Dobbs would toss

two quick touchdown strikes to tie the game before Aaron Medley kicked home the gamewinning field goal in overtime.

Dobbs finished with over 300 yards passing and nearly had 500 yards of combined offense in that game.

“It keeps the defense on its heels when we’re able to have a balanced attack,” Dobbs said after the iconic win against the Gamecocks in overtime.

Ever since then, Dobbs has been an anomaly for the Vols team.

This season isn’t any different. Dobbs has earned second team All-SEC honors and even some Heisman talk.

And Dobbs is ready for the season.

“There’s been a lot of growth,” Dobbs said.

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to make his last year great. =“Eating better, sleeping better, not getting in bed and watching Netflix until midnight,” Reeves-Maybin said. “Those are things I focused on the past, but I can say that I didn’t put everything I had in making sure I stay with those things. This year, I’m gonna try to keep that schedule and stay as professional as possible.”

Cam Sutton, stoic defensive back: One of the more popular players with the fans on this year’s squad, Sutton backs his popularity with a quiet composure.

But the Florida Gators have garnered a few remarks from Sutton this offseason.

The main source of Florida’s mocking comes from Jalen “Teez” Tabor. Since last season,

We have a group of veterans across the board. Our team is mature. When you become that that mature, it comes down to a point where you have to own everything you do.”

“It’s a night and day difference than when I came here. It’s great to see the depth we have on both sides of the ball … The college football season is crazy. No one ever knows when their name will be called, so everyone must be prepared to play.”

Jalen Reeves-Maybin, veteran linebacker: Reeves-Maybin is the Vols’ Will (or weak side) linebacker. =A native of Clarksville, Tennessee, ReevesMaybin was a part of a talented 2013 recruiting class that included first-round draft picks Vernon Hargreaves and Laremy Tunsil as well as 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. =Although he was highly touted by NFL Draft experts after last season ended, ReevesMaybin decided to stay at UT to finish his senior season, saving his introduction into the draft for next year. =“I told myself I was going to be a professional college football player this year,” ReevesMaybin said earlier this month. “When it comes to taking care of my body and keeping maintenance on my body, I’ve been fortunate to have my degree. I might as well put all my time into football and build myself as much as I can.” =Reeves-Maybin is coming off arguably his best year at Tennessee. The senior had career highs in tackles per game, sacks and combined tackles, including an NCAA-high 21 tackles against Oklahoma last season. =Now with his senior year upcoming, ReevesMaybin is doing everything he can as a captain

Alvin Kamara, running bacl Tabor has made a personal vendetta against the Vols, especially when it concerns Tennessee being the favorite to win the SEC East this season.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the second game of the 2016 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, Quincy Jones, another cornerback for Florida, tweeted out “Cavs tripping” to which Tabor replied “they ain’t tripping they just can’t hang, something like UT in the forth lol.”

When Sutton was asked at SEC Media Days about Florida players calling the Vols out during the offseason, Sutton answered with a strong response.

“We don’t really concern ourselves with that.

We’ll play it on the field,” Sutton said coldly.

Sutton’s calm demeanor has been apparent since he arrived at UT. He’s started every one of his 38 games played at Tennessee. As a matter of fact, in his second game as a Vol, Sutton returned an interception for a touchdown.

At the Vols’ Media Day, Emmanuel Moseley, who will play the cornerback position opposite of Sutton this year, said that Sutton was like a brother to him.

“He’s really just a grinder,” Mosley said. “You can put any situation out there, throw it at him sudden change, and he’s on it. He never complains. You’ll never see him put his head down.

He’s just ready to go at any time.

“He’s just a big playmaker. I’m happy I’ve been able to play with him and let him be like my big brother and show me the way.”

Alvin Kamara, skilled running back: The final Vol listed as a captain in 2016 is likely the flashiest player on the list.

Alvin Kamara redshirted in 2013 at Alabama before transferring to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas for the 2014 season. Kamara decided to transfer from the junior college in 2015 and was listed as the fourth overall JUCO player that year.

It didn’t take long for Kamara to join the Vols staff, and he’s proved to be a great fit since joining the team.

In his first year at UT, Kamara ran for nearly 700 yards and seven touchdowns. Kamara also had 291 receiving yards with a trio of touchdowns.

Kamara, the only junior on Jones’ list, said at the Vols’ Media Day that he was honored to be chosen and that he likes the maturity of this year’s team.

“We have a group of veterans across the board,” Kamara said. “Our team is mature.

When you become that mature, it comes down to a point where you have to own everything you do.”

Kamara, like Reeves-Maybin and Sutton, decided to stay at school for his final year rather than entering the NFL Draft.

Kamara tweeted out “Welp… another year of this college football thing on rocky top.!” two weeks after the Vols beat Northwestern 45-10 in the Outback Bowl.

Now that he’s still at UT, Kamara is ready to help Jalen Hurd with the running back duties.

Kamara said that he and Hurd are “as cool as two peas in a pod.”

Running back coach Robert Gillespie agrees.

“Both of those guys respect each other,” Gillespie said to the media after last week’s practice. “The biggest thing is this — they realize they need each other to win. Winning is the ultimate goal for us. We don’t care about accolades, rushing yards and stats.”

Four captains, four different attitudes: Each player brings something different to the table.

Dobbs is the star quarterback that everyone wants to talk to. Reeves-Maybin is the veteran linebacker that’s been here since the beginning.

Sutton is the quiet, collected cornerback that lets his plays on the field do the talking. And running back Kamara provides a bit of youth and humor to his vast experience.

Four different players with one goal: winning a championship.

“We look forward to being captains this season,” Kamara said after the Orange and White game. “I think we all see it as a challenge. We have to be better and hold ourselves to an even higher standard. This is the first time Coach Jones has done this.

“It is a lot of pressure, but it is good pressure.”

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FOOTBALLGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Offensive linemen turn Dobbs’ shadow into their own spotlight Rob Harvey

Asst. Sports Editor An offensive lineman’s job is a tough one.

Not only does he have to protect the quarterback at all costs, he has to deal with some of the biggest, strongest guys on the opposing side of the ball.

However, offensive linemen are no slacks themselves in terms of strength and size. When the two guards, two tackles and center line up, they cast a shadow on the field.

At UT, though, the offensive linemen are the ones that find themselves in the shadows.

For the past year, Thomas Edwards, Dylan Wiesman, Jack Jones and other offensive linemen have lived in Josh Dobbs’ and other well-known players’ shadows.

All during football season the lineman are forced to stand in the background while Josh Dobbs, Jalen Hurd, Alvin Kamara and others are praised for their athletic abilities.

Even when they go in public to just hangout, they are still forced to be in the background as fan after fan asks for a picture with the more well-known

That’s what it’s all about, I think it also speaks to the brotherhood and team chemistry. While they were on SportsCenter everyone was in Smokey’s, standing, watching and laughing at them�

players and leaves the offensive linemen in their shadows.

Instead of taking offense to this, however, the Vols linemen decided to make a game out of it. Every time they are out at a place and a fan asks for a picture with a player that’s not them they sneak a selfie of themselves in the background while the player gets his picture taken with the fan.

The idea started when former Offensive Lineman Ja’Wuan James told the current offensive linemen to embrace the shadows rather than resent them — and so that’s exactly what they did.

The linemen have gotten pictures in a variety of places such as restaurants,

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Butch Jones, head coach stores, bowling alleys and most recently at high school football games. According to lineman Brett Kendrick the pictures are not very hard to get. “We just take (Dobbs) outside of the house and everybody just floods about him and we just get in our formation and snap a picture,� Kendrick said in an interview on SportsCenter on August 20.

A Twitter account was made called “Life in the Shadows� where they could post these pictures to Twitter as a joke. The joke is soaring in popularity though, as the Twitter account has reached over 8,000 followers. “I guess Dobbs technically gets all the credit because without him there

wouldn’t be any shadows,� Kendrick said at a press conference on August 23. “It’s been awesome. We have a lot of fun with it.�

The linemen were eventually cast out of the shadows and put into the spotlight as four of them were on SportsCenter to do an interview.

Dobbs officially put himself in the shadows when he posted a picture on Twitter in the background of the players during their interview.

Dobbs wouldn’t let them hog the spotlight for too long, however, as he busted in during the interview and stole the spotlight back.

Coach Butch Jones said that the blooper real was even funnier for the interview and said that he enjoys it because it keeps the players loose. “That’s what it’s all about,� Jones said in a press conference on Aug. 22.“I think it also speaks to the brotherhood and team chemistry. While they were on Sports Center everyone was in Smokey’s, standing, watching and laughing at them.�

As the Vols prepare for their first game of the season, the very talented and veteran offensive linemen will go back to the shadows as they protect and block for their spotlight thief Dobbs.

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PUZZLES&GAMES

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ The Daily Beacon

9

STR8TS No. 863

Medium

Previous solution - Easy

2 3 1 2 4 9 7 8 6 7 8 9

3

3 4 6 5 2 8 3 6 7

3 8 5

5 1 4 4 5

1 2 2

6

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Š 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

7

1

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4 5 3 9 8 7 6

4 3 8 2 1

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How to beat Str8ts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These QHHG WR EH ÂżOOHG LQ ZLWK QXPEHUV WKDW complete a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;straightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;straightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are formed.

SUDOKU No. 863

6 9

1 7 5 3 4 2 6 9 8

3 5 1 2 4 1 8 6 1 2 2 4 1

6 5 3 8 2 5 7 2 5 7 The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

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Oompa-Loompas and the BFG 28 Place to find three {s 2 Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re marked 32 â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ said!â&#x20AC;? on maps: Abbr.

36 Messes with 007â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello â&#x20AC;Ś hello â&#x20AC;Ś martini hello â&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;?

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40 Place to find 7 Floated, as a bad four {s check 42 Vegas 8 â&#x20AC;&#x153;How do you like performance dem apples?!â&#x20AC;?

C A B S A L P S S O F A R O M A N D O I T I H O P E S I D E T A B L E T H R O W I D E A S S O N G T I T L E K A T T O N I S O D S E A T R I P A G S I N C H S O R E T H U M B S B O R I S L O X T R O U T S W E E T T O O T H E M L Y F A B S A D T A L E E R G R A F T M E H S O U L T R A I N V I X E N T A S E R S E A S O N T W O E S T E E T U N E G R O G S T O R K S P O T S A K S 1 5

Previous solution - Tough

Š 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

7

Very Hard

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD â&#x20AC;˘ Will Shortz

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

2016

10

FOOTBALL

PICK ‘EM Trenton Duffer, Sports Editor

No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 41 — Appalachian State 17

Rob Harvey, Asst. Sports Editor No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 45 — Appalachian State 17

Lauren Ratliff, Design Editor No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 45 — Appalachian State 10

Hannah Moulten, Copy Chief No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 45 — Appalachian State 17

Bradi Musil, Editor-in-Chief No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 54 — Appalachian State 17 Megan Patterson, Managing Editor No. 18 Georgia — No. 22 North Carolina No. 1 Alabama — No. 20 Southern Cal No. 16 UCLA — Texas A&M South Carolina — Vanderbilt No. 11 Ole Miss — No. 4 Florida State No. 9 Tennessee 38 — Appalachian State 7

Kelly changes number in honor of Zaevion Dobson Rob Harvey

Asst. Sports Editor

Fans might have a little trouble this year locating Todd Kelly Jr. on the field.

All throughout college and high school, Kelly has worn the No. 6 jersey. It would take something major to cause him to change his number.

That major thing happened on Dec. 17, 2015.

Fulton student and football player Zaevion Dobson was shot and killed in a home in Knoxville, Tennessee, after diving on top of three girls to protect them from the gunfire. Dobson’s courage was honored posthumously at the ESPYs with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, one of the highest honors that can be received in sports.

Even President Barack Obama honored Dobson’s sacrifice.

“Zaevion Dobson died saving three friends from getting shot,” President Obama said at a press conference on Sunday, Dec. 20, of last year. “He was a hero at 15. What’s our excuse for not acting?”

Dobson has been labeled a hero by almost anyone who has heard the story, including Kelly.

Kelly, a friend of the Dobson family his whole life, was devastated by the news and knew he wanted to do something this upcoming season to honor him.

That something was changing his number.

“Everyone knows he is not here with us anymore, but his legacy lives on,” Kelly said when his number change was announced on Aug. 1. “By wearing this #24, I feel like his legacy still lives on the football field.”

Head coach Butch Jones was very supportive of Kelly’s number change saying it speaks to just what kind of person Kelly is.

“I think it speaks volumes to TK’s (Todd Kelly) character but also for the Dobson family as well and how close they are to our family,” Jones said at the press conference for Kelly’s number change.

Kelly will not be only player in Knoxville with their number changed, however.

Zaevion’s brother Zack Dobson, a senior at Fulton High School in Knoxville, also made the decision to switch in honor of his brother for the season. Dobson is currently committed to play football at Middle Tennessee State University, and Kelly is very high on him as a player. “(He’s a) freak athlete,” Kelly said about Zack Dobson. “He can do really anything when you put the ball in his hands. He plays offense, defensive and returns kicks and punts.”

As the season opener approaches for Kelly and the Vols, Kelly says that Zaevion Dobson will definitely be on his mind during that first game.ww “No matter what I do on the field that doesn’t determine the number I have on,” Kelly said. “No matter how I play I want to honor him. He’ll always be in the back of my mind.

“I just want everyone to remember the things that he did for this world while he was here.”

FOOTBALLGUIDE

“

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 • The Daily Beacon

11

Vols drop ‘Third Down for What,’ finish game-week preparations Tyler Wombles Contributor

Tennessee’s head football coach Butch Jones voiced his excitement for the Vols home opener Thursday against Appalachian State.

“I’m excited to see our players perform Thursday night, see how they can handle a great, great environment in Neyland Stadium,” Jones said. “I’m excited for our fans as well, and our student body. You can start to feel the excitement.”

Third Down For What” No More: Jones confirmed on Monday that the song “Third Down for What” will no longer be played during home football games.

The song is a rendition of Lil’ Jon’s “Turn Down For What” which has been played to pump up the home crowd on third down since the beginning of the 2014 season.

“We’re gonna do some things a little bit different on third down,” Jones said. “We’ll mix up some different songs. So we won’t have ‘Third Down

for What,’ but we’ll have some different songs to get our crowd energized and obviously we have the Pride of the Southland Band as well.

“We have to continue to make Neyland Stadium a home field advantage for us. When situational football comes into play, especially on third down, I think that’s really helped us with our third down defense in the past as well.”

Injury Report: Jones stated Monday that Alexis Johnson, Shy Tuttle and Jauan Jennings will all be available to play Thursday against Appalachian State.

Tuttle suffered a broken fibula last year against the Georgia Bulldogs and has been working on getting back his health throughout the offseason. He recorded 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery last season.

Jennings underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the spring. He totaled 149 yards on 14 receptions last year after making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver.

Johnson, a highly-touted junior college transfer, has been healthy all offseason but has only been able to

practice the past two weeks when Johnson rejoined the team after being suspended indefinitely for an arrest in February.

Medley Taking on Two Roles: Junior placekicker Aaron Medley will be playing the role of both a starter and a backup on Thursday.

Medley is currently the team’s backup punter behind Trevor Daniel, Jones stated on Monday. Tennessee lost depth at the position during the offseason when redshirt freshman Tommy Townsend transferred to Florida.

“I’ve been very, very excited about the progress of both Aaron and Trevor,” Jones said. “The other thing that we’ve challenged Aaron with is also his punting capabilities, and we’ve put him in pressure where he’s taken all of the number two reps and he’s done a very good job. So he’ll be our backup punter, and he’s done a good job with that in terms of practice.”

Medley punted for a 40.4 yard average in high school but has not attempted a punt yet at the collegiate level.

Daniel had a breakout season last year and was named All-SEC ThirdTeam during the preseason.

We have to continue to make Neyland Stadium a home field advantage for us. When situational football comes into play, especially on third down, I think that’s really helped us with our third down defense in the past as well.”

Butch Jones, head coach

12

FOOTBALLGUIDE

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 31, 2016

KICKER

HOLDER

#25 Aaron Medley

#31 Parker Henry

PUNT RETURNER

KICK RETURNER

LONGSNAPPER

#7 Cameron Sutton

#29 Evan Berry

PUNTER #93 Trevor Daniel

TEAM 120

#46 Riley Lovingood

KICKOFF

DEPTH CHART

#25 Aaron Medley

SPECIAL TEAMS WR

LG

LT

C

RG

RT

WR

#7 Preston Williams #51 Drew Richmond #75 Jashon Robertson #55 Coleman Thomas #71 Dylan Wiesman #63 Brett Kendrick #3 Josh Malone #15 Jauan Jennings TE QB WR #11 Joshua Dobbs

#82 Ethan Wolf

#25 Josh Smith

TB #1 Jalen Hurd

OFFENSE LCB #7 Cameron Sutton

LE

DT

DT

#50 Corey Vereen

#39 Kendal Vickers

#95 Danny O’Brien

WLB

DEFENSE

#22 Micah Abernathy

RCB

#9 Derek Barnett

#12 Emmanuel Moseley

MLB

#21 Jalen Reeves-Maybin

FS

RE

#34 Darrin Kirkland Jr.

NB #13 Malik Foreman #7 Rashaan Gaulden

SS #24 Todd Kelly Jr.

Hannah Jones • The Daily Beacon Caroline Norris • The Daily Beacon