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In Week 1, the No.15 Tennessee Volunteers open their season against the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs at 12:45 p.m. on Aug.31 in Knoxville, Tenn. The Vols have opened up as 38.5-point favorites over their FCS foe. According to Tennessee records, they have played Chattanooga 45 times, with the first matchup in 1892. The Vols lead the series 40-2-2. The 46th matchup is likely to go Tennessee's way.
The Stakes
The Volunteers have three games on their schedule this year in which they will be overwhelming favorites. This game is one, the other two are matchups with Kent State in Week 3 and Texas-El Paso in Week 13. Kent State of the Mid-Atlantic Conference and UTEP of Conference USA are Group of 5 teams. Chattanooga plays in the FCS's Southern Conference (SoCon).
The Volunteers can't afford to lose this game if they want to play in the 12-team College Football Playoff at the end of the season. A loss to the Mocs would be a shocking and disastrous start to Tennessee's season. The Vols face teams like top-ranked Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama and several other tough opponents this season. So, they need to take care of business against the Mocs.
The Mocs have nothing to lose in this game. If they can play well and stay competitive, they could generate positivity that will likely carry over into their other games later this season. If they pull off a shocking upset and knock off No.15 Tennessee, the Mocs' confidence would swell and they would likely be on a glide path to the FCS playoffs.
Key Players: Vols
On offense, the Tennessee Volunteers will be led by quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who started just one game last season when Joe Milton elected to sit out the Citrus Bowl. Milton is now in the NFL, and Vols running back Jaylen Wright joined him. RB Dylan Sampson may fill the void created by Wright's departure. He rushed for 604 yards and 7 touchdowns last season and has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. In the wide receiver room, Tennessee returns two top WRs—Squirrel White and Dont'e Thornton Jr. White led the Vols last year with 67 receptions, 803 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thornton had 224 receiving yards and 1 TD.
Tennesee's defense has gone through a lot of change since last season. Six top defensive players from last year's squad are either in the NFL or have transferred to other schools. The top defensive player still on the team (by tackles) is defensive lineman Omari Thomas. With all these changes, the Vols will seek to get their new defenders to gel in this early-season matchup with the Mocs.
Key Players: Mocs
Chattanooga is led by senior QB Chase Artopoeus, who nearly threw for nearly as many yards as Tennessee's Milton in 2023. He threw for 2,672 yards, while Milton threw for over 2,800 yards. The Mocs' leading running back is Gino Appleberry who finished last year with 753 yards and 8 touchdowns. Chattanooga RBs Ailym Ford and Reggie Davis both finished last season with over 300 yards on the ground and at least 2 touchdowns. The Mocs also had three different receivers last season with over 55 catches, two of whom are back this year.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Mocs' top three tacklers all return. Linebacker Alex Mitchell, defensive back Jordan Walker and defensive back Josh Battle all had 70+ tackles in 2023. They will need to replicate that production for Chattanooga to keep the Volunteers from pulling away.
Trends to Watch:
Expect the Vols to make this a very one-sided affair. It could get ugly quickly. The Vols will most likely use this as a tune-up game as they gear up for matchups against tough Southeastern Conference opponents later in the season. But, Week 0 featured one FCS victory over the FBS, as Montana State defeated the New Mexico Lobos. The Mocs will look to continue the success of the FCS.
Broadcast Information
Time: 12:45 p.m. EST
Date: Aug. 31
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
TV: SEC Network
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