2021 Tennessee Volunteers football team

2021 Southeastern Conference football standings
	East Division
	West Division
	Championship: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
	^ – College Football Playoff participant; $ – Conference champion; x – Division champion/co-champions; As of January 1, 2022; Rankings from CFP Rankings

2021 Tennessee Volunteers football
2021 Tennessee Volunteers football
Music City Bowl vs. Purdue, L 45–48OT
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Eastern Division
2021 record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Josh Heupel (1st season);
Offensive coordinator	Alex Golesh (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (1st season)
Base defense	4–3 multiple
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
	Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year coach Josh Heupel.

Recruiting class[]


Ranking	Position	Name	Home State
★★★★	OT	Addison Nichols	Georgia
★★★★	QB	Tayven Jackson	Indiana
★★★★	WR	Cameron Miller	Tennessee
★★★	EDGE	Joshua Josephs	Georgia
★★★	TE	Brody Foley	Ohio
★★★	WR	Marquarius White	Alabama
★★★	WR	Chase Nimrod	Arkansas
★★★	RB	Dylan Simpson	Louisiana
★★★	OG	Maurice Clipper	Georgia
★★★	OT	Brian Grant	Florida
★★★	OG	Masai Reddick	Michigan
★★★	DT	Jordan Phillips	Florida
★★★	LB	Elijah Herring	Tennessee
★★★	LB	Kalib Perry	Kentucky

Coaching staff[]

Name	Position^[1]	Joined Staff
Josh Heupel	Head Coach	2021
Tim Banks	Defensive Coordinator	2021
Kodi Burns	Wide Receivers	2021
Mike Ekeler	Outside Linebackers / Special Teams Coordinator	2021
	Offensive Line	2021
	Defensive Line	2021
Alex Golesh	Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends	2021
	Quarterbacks	2021
	Linebackers	2021
Jerry Mack	Running Backs	2021
Willie Martinez	Secondary	2021

Schedule[]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	8:00 p.m.	Bowling Green*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 38–6	84,314
September 11	Noon	Pittsburgh*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN	L 34–41	82,203
September 18	Noon	Tennessee Tech*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN+/SECN+	W 56–0	80,053
September 25	7:00 p.m.	at No. 11 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 14–38	88,478
October 2	Noon	at Missouri	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	SECN	W 62–24	45,655
October 9	Noon	South Carolina	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN2	W 45–20	89,437
October 16	7:30 p.m.	No. 13 Ole Miss	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	L 26–31	102,455
October 23	7:00 p.m.	at No. 4 Alabama	Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL (Third Saturday in October)	ESPN	L 24–52	100,077
November 6	7:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Kentucky	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 45–42	61,690
November 13	3:30 p.m.	No. 1 Georgia	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	CBS	L 17–41	100,074
November 20	7:30 p.m.	South Alabama*	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPNU	W 60–14	75,203
November 27	3:45 p.m.	Vanderbilt	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 45–21	77,349
December 30	3:00 p.m.	vs. Purdue*	Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN (Music City Bowl)	ESPN	L 45–48^OT	69,489
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP and CFP Rankings after November 2 All times are in Eastern time

^[2]

Game summaries[]

Bowling Green[]

Bowling Green at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bowling Green	0	6	0	0	6
Tennessee	14	0	14	10	38

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 2
Game time: 8:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C)
Game attendance: 84,314
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

Pittsburgh[]

Pittsburgh at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Pittsburgh	0	27	7	7	41
Tennessee	10	10	7	7	34

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 11
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 82,203
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color) and Tom Luginbill (sidelines)

Tennessee Tech[]

Tennessee Tech at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee Tech	0	0	0	0	0
Tennessee	14	14	21	7	56

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: September 18
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 80,053
Referee: Kyle Olson
TV announcers (SECN+/ESPN+): Kevin Brown (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (color) and Abby Labar (sidelines)

at No. 11 Florida[]

Tennessee at No. 11 Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	7	7	0	0	14
No. 11 Florida	10	7	14	7	38

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

Date: September 25
Game time: 7:00 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 88,478
Referee: Matt Loeffler
TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), and Katie George (sidelines)

at Missouri[]

Tennessee at Missouri

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	28	17	10	7	62
Missouri	3	7	7	7	24

at Faurot Field, Columbia, MO

Date: October 2
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Rain, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 45,655
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color), and Andraya Carter (sidelines)

South Carolina[]

South Carolina at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
South Carolina	0	7	7	6	20
Tennessee	28	10	0	7	45

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 9
Game time: Noon
Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 89,437
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (color), and Taylor McGregor (sidelines)

No. 13 Ole Miss[]

No. 13 Ole Miss at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Ole Miss	10	14	7	0	31
Tennessee	9	3	7	7	26

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 16
Game time: 7:30 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 59 °F (15 °C)
Game attendance: 102,455
Referee: Marc Curles
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

The game was delayed for nearly 20 minutes in the 4th quarter as some Tennessee fans started to throw objects onto the field, including a golf ball that hit Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin in the leg. The eruption occurred after officials ruled that Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren was short on 4th-and-24 with just under a minute left to play.^[3] On the Monday following the game, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced that Tennessee would be fined $250,000 due to the fans' actions.^[4]

at No. 4 Alabama[]

Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	14	0	3	7	24
No. 4 Alabama	7	14	3	28	52

at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL

Date: October 23
Game time: 7:00 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 100,077
Referee: Alex Moore
TV announcers (ESPN): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), and Katie George (sidelines)

at No. 18 Kentucky[]

Tennessee at No. 16 Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	14	10	14	7	45
No. 18 Kentucky	7	14	14	7	42

at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

Date: November 6
Game time: 7:00 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 61,690
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)

No. 1 Georgia[]

No. 1 Georgia at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Georgia	7	17	3	14	41
Tennessee	10	0	0	7	17

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 13
Game time: 3:30 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 49 °F (9 °C)
Game attendance: 100,074
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color) and Jamie Erdahl (sidelines)

South Alabama[]

South Alabama at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
South Alabama	0	7	0	7	14
Tennessee	14	21	14	11	60

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 20
Game time: 7:30 pm
Game weather: Cloudy, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 75,203
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (color)

Vanderbilt[]

Vanderbilt at Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vanderbilt	0	7	6	8	21
Tennessee	7	17	14	7	45

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: November 27
Game time: 3:45 pm
Game weather: Sunny, 46 °F (8 °C)
Game attendance: 77,349
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color), and Andraya Carter (sidelines)

Purdue[]

2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Tennessee	21	0	10	14	0	45
Purdue	7	16	7	15	3	48

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Date: December 30
Game time: 3:00 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
Game attendance: 69,489
Referee: Jerry Magallanes
TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), and Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

References[]

^ "Football Coaches". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ "2021 Tennessee Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
^ Wilson, Mike (October 17, 2021). "How Tennessee Vols fans trashed end of Ole Miss game vs. Lane Kiffin". Knox News. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
^ Low, Chris (October 18, 2021). "SEC Fines Tennessee Volunteers $250k for fan behavior at end of loss to Ole Miss Rebels". ESPN. Retrieved October 23, 2021.

This college football 2020s season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] "Football Coaches". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved 2021-06-07.

[2] "2021 Tennessee Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

[3] Wilson, Mike (October 17, 2021). "How Tennessee Vols fans trashed end of Ole Miss game vs. Lane Kiffin". Knox News. Retrieved October 23, 2021.

[4] Low, Chris (October 18, 2021). "SEC Fines Tennessee Volunteers $250k for fan behavior at end of loss to Ole Miss Rebels". ESPN. Retrieved October 23, 2021.

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v t Tennessee Volunteers football
Venues	Waite Field (1892–1920) Shields-Watkins Field (1921–1962) Neyland Stadium (1962–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama: Third Saturday in October Auburn Florida Georgia Georgia Tech Kentucky Vanderbilt
Culture & lore	History Smokey "Rocky Top" Pride of the Southland Band Battle at Bristol Porter Cup
People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
National championship seasons in bold

2021 Tennessee Volunteers football

Music City Bowl vs. Purdue, L 45–48^OT
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
2021 record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Josh Heupel (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Alex Golesh (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (1st season)
Base defense	4–3 multiple
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

2021 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
East Division
No. 3 Georgia x^		8	–	0		13	–	1
No. 22 Kentucky		5	–	3		10	–	3
Tennessee		4	–	4		7	–	6
Missouri		3	–	5		6	–	7
South Carolina		3	–	5		7	–	6
Florida		2	–	6		6	–	7
Vanderbilt		0	–	8		2	–	10
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$^		7	–	1		13	–	1
No. 8 Ole Miss		6	–	2		10	–	2
No. 21 Arkansas		4	–	4		9	–	4
Mississippi State		4	–	4		7	–	6
No. 25 Texas A&M		4	–	4		8	–	4
Auburn		3	–	5		6	–	7
LSU		3	–	5		6	–	6
Championship: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions As of January 1, 2022; Rankings from CFP Rankings