No. 14 Tennessee heads back to Neyland Stadium on Sept. 19 with a final tuneup against Kennesaw State, and a fresh batch of 100 EA Sports College Football 27 simulations says the Vols should be in complete control.
After last week’s successful call on Tennessee’s trip to Georgia Tech, Knox News ran the matchup again on PS5s, with the game also available on PC and XBOX Series X|S. The setup was kept as close to Saturday night as possible, with clear skies and an 8 p.m. kickoff, since 7:45 p.m. wasn’t an option. Tennessee was split evenly between starting on offense and starting on defense across the 100 runs.
The result was lopsided. Tennessee went 98-2 in the simulations and won by an average of 30 points, the kind of margin that would play out like a -30 spread.
The Vols topped 21 points in 72 simulations, and only six games came down to a single possession. Tennessee also reached at least 40 points 63 times, while Kennesaw State was held to two touchdowns or fewer in 59 simulations.
The shutout possibilities were real, too. Tennessee blanked Kennesaw State three times, including a 44-0 rout in Game 86.
The most common forecast from the simulations points to a 51-17 Tennessee win, which lines up with Knox News sports columnist John Adams’ prediction. That exact score showed up in Game 18, when Tennessee piled up 318 rushing yards and 312 passing yards while limiting Kennesaw State to 222 yards on the ground and 127 through the air.
There were a few outlier blowouts buried in the results. Tennessee’s largest win was 80-13, a 67-point margin, while Kennesaw State’s best showing came in two six-point losses, 30-24 and 20-14. The highest-scoring game was that 80-13 outburst with 93 total points, and the lowest-scoring finish was a 17-0 Tennessee win.
One of the wildest individual performances came in Game 41, when DeSean Bishop broke Tennessee’s single-game rushing record for the second straight week with 330 yards. Another trend worth watching was the Vols’ ability to spread the ball on the ground. Six simulations featured multiple 100-yard rushers for Tennessee, including one where Faizon Brandon and DeSean Bishop both cleared 150 yards.
That fits the bigger picture from the simulations: Tennessee is heavily favored, and ESPN gives the Vols a 97.8% chance to win as 35.5-point favorites. The one thing the results kept circling back to was the 30-point mark. Tennessee scored fewer than 30 points only six times, and both of its losses came in those games.
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For Tennessee, the appeal goes beyond simply landing another elite recruit. Gabriel-Georges has the traits to contribute early and eventually grow into a featured role, which matters for an offense that could be looking ahead to a post-2026 backfield if DeSean Bishop moves on to the NFL. Even in a loaded room, the Vols have a chance to turn a highly rated newcomer into the next major piece of the attack. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee-Texas Just Added More Intrigue For Frustrated Vols Fans
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For fans already frustrated by the timing, the attention only added another layer to a game that already carries plenty of weight on the schedule. Stephen A. Smith raised the possibility the kickoff could still be changed, leaving Tennessee supporters with one more wrinkle to monitor as the date draws closer and the buildup to one of the seasons biggest home games keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees New Adidas Look Is Already Sparking A Vols Identity Debate
Tennessees next home game will look familiar on the field, with the Vols sticking to their traditional home uniform combination of white helmets, orange jerseys and white pants against Kennesaw State. The decision lands in the middle of a broader uniform reset, after the program unveiled new Adidas home looks earlier this year with design touches meant to nod to Tennessee footballs history and traditions.
Josh Heupel has already framed the partnership as a positive step for the program, pointing to what it could mean for current players and the ones coming after them. Still, the return to the classic home setup serves as a reminder that even with a new apparel deal in place, Tennessees identity remains closely tied to the look generations of fans know best. [Read more 🡒]