For the first time in 40 years, Tennessee is headed to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech, and Saturday night’s matchup comes with a sideline storyline the Pope family won’t forget anytime soon.
The Vols and Yellow Jackets are set to meet at Georgia Tech’s home field, where Tennessee is trying to hand the Jackets their second home loss of the early season. But beyond the football itself, the game also puts twin brothers Kelsey and Kyle Pope on opposite sidelines.
Kelsey Pope is Tennessee’s wide receivers coach. Kyle Pope coaches the defensive ends and outside linebackers at Georgia Tech. So when the Vols and Yellow Jackets line up, the Pope twins will be going head to head too.
For their family, it’s the kind of reunion that naturally carries some extra buzz, even if both coaches are trying to stay locked in on the job.
“It’ll be fun. I think it’ll be something, you know, fun for our family,” Kelsey Pope said.
“I think they’ll probably enjoy it more than me. My focus right now is to get these guys in the room ready to go win one on the road.”
He said the bigger reflections will probably come later, once the season winds down and the holidays roll around.
“I’m sure once we get to the back end of the season, Christmas and all that stuff, it’ll be good memories,” Kelsey added. “But just honestly, my focus is on the players right now. It’s in a different spot, but it’ll be a cool moment.”
This won’t be the first time the brothers have found themselves on opposite sides of a game. In 2013, they met as players in an FCS playoff matchup, with Kelsey at wide receiver for Samford and Kyle on the defensive line for Jacksonville State. Kyle’s Gamecocks won that one going away.
Now Kelsey is hoping this round ends differently, with Tennessee leaving Atlanta with a win. The Volunteers and Yellow Jackets are scheduled to kick off Saturday night.
In Other News...
Tennessee Must Deal With A Familiar Threat In Georgia Tech's Backfield
Georgia Techs season opener gave Tennessee another reminder that early nonconference games can still bring a familiar-looking challenge. Justice Haynes, who has already logged stops at Alabama and Michigan before landing in Atlanta for his senior season, made his first appearance for the Yellow Jackets last week and is now set to see Tennessee this weekend. For a Vols defense getting its first real look at Georgia Tech, the backfield will feature a runner with a well-traveled resume and the kind of experience that tends to show up quickly.
Josh Heupel didnt spend much time underselling what Haynes brings. He described him as dynamic and physical, with good vision, a combination that can make a back dangerous both between the tackles and once he gets a crease. That gives Tennessee another early test in a matchup where the Vols will need to be sharp against a runner who already has a feel for high-level football and is trying to make an immediate impact in his new home. [Read more 🡒]
Kelsey Pope Put Tennessee Receivers Through A Drill Fans Need To See
Tennessees wide receivers have spent part of the offseason working through a drill that looks more like a stunt than a standard practice rep. Under receivers coach Kelsey Pope, the group has been wearing eye patches while going through catching work, a twist designed to sharpen focus and force the kind of hand-eye coordination that normal drills can take for granted. The Vols have also mixed in tennis balls, adding another layer to a routine built around tougher, quicker reactions.
Kelsey Popes approach fits into a broader tradition of coaches finding unusual ways to challenge receivers, including the Dallas Cowboys use of beekeeper masks in similar training exercises. For Tennessee, the goal is simple enough even if the method looks odd: make routine catches feel less routine before the real pressure hits. Fans may not see the payoff until the fall, but the offseason work already has a way of standing out. [Read more 🡒]
Arion Carters Return Adds Intrigue To Tennessees First Road Test
Tennessee heads to Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 12 for its first road test of the season against Georgia Tech, with the matchup set for ESPN as Josh Heupel continues sorting through the early-season details that come with a team still forming its identity. One of the most notable pieces of that picture is Arion Carter, whose presence around the program has carried added weight as the Volunteers prepare for a game that will say plenty about where they stand away from home.
Heupel recently addressed the way Tennessee handled leadership during Carters NCAA suspension, noting that Carter served as the teams sole captain while sidelined. The suspension came after an agent paid for a flight during the pre-draft process, and Carter now returns with another layer of motivation, planning to donate money to cancer-related charities based on his defensive performance this season. For Tennessee, it is a reminder that this opening stretch is about more than just travel and opponent prep, with Carters return adding a personal and competitive subplot to a meaningful September test. [Read more 🡒]