2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team

2020 Tennessee Volunteers football
2020 Tennessee Volunteers football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Eastern Division
Record	0–7, 3 wins vacated (0–7 SEC, 3 wins vacated)
Head coach	Jeremy Pruitt (3rd season);
Offensive coordinator	Jim Chaney (6th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Derrick Ansley (2nd season)
Home stadium	Neyland Stadium
	Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 13 Florida x	8	–	2	8	–	4
No. 7 Georgia	7	–	2	8	–	2
Missouri	5	–	5	5	–	5
Kentucky	4	–	6	5	–	6
Tennessee	3	–	7	3	–	7
South Carolina	2	–	8	2	–	8
Vanderbilt	0	–	9	0	–	9
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#^	10	–	0	13	–	0
No. 4 Texas A&M	8	–	1	9	–	1
Auburn	6	–	4	6	–	5
LSU*	5	–	5	5	–	5
Ole Miss	4	–	5	5	–	5
Arkansas	3	–	7	3	–	7
Mississippi State	3	–	7	4	–	7
Championship: Alabama 52, Florida 46
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * – ineligible for postseason due to self imposed ban Note: Due to COVID-19, the SEC played a conference-only schedule. Rankings from AP Poll.

The 2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2020 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). The Volunteers were led by third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

In a season initially questioned whether it would be played because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southeastern Conference ultimately decided to go through with the season, the Volunteers compiled a 3–7 record, all in conference games. While the team did not have a winning record, the NCAA had waived bowl eligibility requirement for the season,^[1] and the Volunteers accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl. However, the team had to withdraw on December 21 after several players and coaches, including Pruitt, tested positive for COVID-19.^[2]

Pruitt was fired in January 2021 following an

NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. He left Knoxville with a 16–19 overall record. However, in July 2023, all Tennessee wins for the 2019 and 2020 seasons were vacated due to the recruiting violations.^[3]

Thus, the 2020 Volunteers are credited with an official record of 0–7.

Preseason

SEC Media Days

In the preseason media poll, Tennessee was predicted to finish in third place in the East Division.[4]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (East Division)
1	Florida	624 (53)
2	Georgia	613 (43)
3	Tennessee	434
4	Kentucky	405
5	South Carolina	287
6	Missouri	224
7	Vanderbilt	101

Schedule

Tennessee had games scheduled against Charlotte, Furman, Oklahoma, and Troy, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 26	7:30 p.m.	at South Carolina	No. 16	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	SECN	W 31–27 (vacated)	15,009
October 3	12:00 p.m.	Missouri	No. 21	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	SECN	W 35–12 (vacated)	21,159
October 10	3:30 p.m.	at No. 3 CBS	L 21–44	20,524
October 17	12:00 p.m.	Kentucky	No. 18	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	L 7–34	22,519
October 24	3:30 p.m.	No. 2 Alabama		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (Third Saturday in October)	CBS	L 17–48	23,394
November 7	7:30 p.m.	at Arkansas		Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	SECN	L 13–24	16,500
November 21	7:00 p.m.	at No. 23 ESPN	L 17–30	17,490
December 5	3:30 p.m.	No. 6 Florida		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	CBS	L 19–31	22,943
December 12	4:00 p.m.	at Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry )	SECN	W 42–17 (vacated)	849
December 19	11:00	No. 5 Texas A&M		Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN	ESPN	L 13–34	22,232
Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 24) released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

The SEC postponed Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt to facilitate the rescheduling of the Vanderbilt-Missouri game. The shuffling allows for the opportunity for all 14 SEC teams to play 10 regular-season games.^[9]^[10]

Tennessee accepted an invitation to play in the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN held on December 31, 2020, but was forced to withdraw due to Coach Pruitt and several players testing positive for COVID-19.^[11]^[12]

Game summaries

At South Carolina

Tennessee at South Carolina

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
#16 Tennessee	7	7	10	7	31
South Carolina	7	0	14	6	27

at Williams–Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

Date: September 26
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 15,009
Referee: Ken Williamson
TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Alyssa Lang (sidelines)

Missouri

Missouri at Tennessee

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Missouri	0	6	6	0	12
#21 Tennessee	7	14	7	7	35

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 3
Game time: 12:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 21,159
Referee: Steve Marlow
TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), D. J. Shockley (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)

At #3 Georgia

Tennessee at Georgia

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
#14 Tennessee	7	14	0	0	21
#3 Georgia	7	10	14	14	45

at Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA

Date: October 10
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 20,524
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)

Kentucky

Kentucky at Tennessee

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Kentucky	0	17	10	7	34
#21 Tennessee	0	7	0	0	7

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 17
Game time: 12:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
Game attendance: 22,519
Referee: Marc Curles
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

#2 Alabama

Alabama at Tennessee

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
#2 Alabama	14	14	14	6	48
Tennessee	0	10	7	0	17

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: October 24
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 23,394
Referee: Alex Moore
TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color), Jamie Erdahl (sidelines)

At Arkansas

Tennessee at Arkansas

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	3	10	0	0	13
Arkansas	0	0	24	0	24

at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR

Date: November 7
Game time: 6:30 p.m.
Game weather: Clear, 57 °F (14 °C)
Game attendance: 16,500
Referee: Mark Loeffler
TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sidelines)

At #23 Auburn

Tennessee at Auburn

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	7	3	0	7	17
#23 Auburn	0	10	10	10	30

at

Jordan–Hare Stadium

, Auburn, AL

Date: November 21
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: Clear, 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 17,490
Referee: David Smith
TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color), Allison Williams (sidelines)

#6 Florida

Florida at Tennessee

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
#6 Florida	3	14	7	7	31
Tennessee	0	7	0	12	19

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: December 5
Game time: 3:30 p.m.
Game weather: Clear, 51 °F (11 °C)
Game attendance: 22,943
Referee: Steve Marlowe
TV announcers (CBS): Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (color), Jenny Dell (sidelines)

At Vanderbilt

Tennessee at Vanderbilt

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tennessee	7	21	7	7	42
Vanderbilt	7	3	0	7	17

at

Vanderbilt Stadium

, Nashville, TN

Date: December 12
Game time: 3:00 p.m.
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
Game attendance: 849
Referee: Marc Curles
TV announcers (SECN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Dawn Davenport (sidelines)

Texas A&M

Texas A&M at Tennessee

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Aggies	7	17	0	10	34
Volunteers	7	6	0	0	13

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Date: December 19
Game time: 12:00 p.m.
Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
Game attendance: 22,645
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color) and Quint Kessenich (sideline)

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	25	25*	15	16	21	14	18	RV
Coaches	RV	RV*	17	21	20	12	17	RV
CFP	Not released															Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	77	Josh Palmer	WR	Los Angeles Chargers
6	226	Trey Smith	OG	Kansas City Chiefs

References

^ "DI Council approves football bowl eligibility requirements waiver". NCAA.org (Press release). October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
^ "Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season". utsports.com (Press release). December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
^ Sparks, Adam (July 15, 2023). "These Tennessee football wins under Jeremy Pruitt have been vacated". USA Today. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.
^ Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
^ Dellenger, Ross (August 7, 2020). "SEC's New Schedule: Winners, Losers and... Mizzou". si.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
^ "2020 Tennessee Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.
^ "Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt postponed; Commodores to play Missouri". The Tennessean.
^ "Tennessee Football Schedule, Tennessee Football Scoreboard and Results – SEC".
^ "Tennessee Volunteers out of Liberty Bowl due to COVID-19 issues". December 21, 2020.
^ "Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season".

[1] "DI Council approves football bowl eligibility requirements waiver". NCAA.org (Press release). October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.

[2] "Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season". utsports.com (Press release). December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.

[3] Sparks, Adam (July 15, 2023). "These Tennessee football wins under Jeremy Pruitt have been vacated". USA Today. Retrieved July 16, 2023.

[4] "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.

[5] Talty, John (July 30, 2020). "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[6] Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

[7] Dellenger, Ross (August 7, 2020). "SEC's New Schedule: Winners, Losers and... Mizzou". si.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.

[8] "2020 Tennessee Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.

[9] "Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt postponed; Commodores to play Missouri". The Tennessean.

[10] "Tennessee Football Schedule, Tennessee Football Scoreboard and Results – SEC".

[11] "Tennessee Volunteers out of Liberty Bowl due to COVID-19 issues". December 21, 2020.

[12] "Tennessee Football Pauses Team Activities, Completes 2020 Season".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

v t e Tennessee Volunteers football
Venues	Baseball Park (1892–1893) Fountain City Park (1894) Baldwin Park (1895–1900, 1902–1905) Chilhowee Park (1901, 1907) Baker-Himel Park (1906) Waite Field (1908–1920) Neyland Stadium (1921–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama: Third Saturday in October Auburn Florida Georgia Georgia Tech Kentucky South Carolina 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 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold