Taylor Lewan and Will Compton are bringing their “Bussin’ With The Boys” road show to Knoxville on Sept. 26, giving Tennessee fans an early start to a big SEC Saturday.
The live stop is set for Kern’s Bakery from 8:30-11 a.m., ahead of Tennessee’s noon kickoff against Texas. Fans at the event can expect “a morning full of free food (and) drinks, games, giveaways, and some surprises.”
Knoxville is one of four stops on the Bussin’ Tailgate Tour. The tour opened last weekend in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when LSU faced Clemson to kick off the season, and the remaining dates are Indiana at Nebraska on Oct. 10 and Arizona State at Texas Tech on Oct. 17.
Lewan and Compton know each other well from their NFL days as teammates. Lewan spent his entire career with the Titans from 2014-22 and made three Pro Bowls, while Compton played for five teams from 2013-21, including time with Tennessee in 2018 and 2020. The pair launched “Bussin’ With The Boys” in May 2019 and were linked with Barstool Sports until leaving in early 2025.
The Tennessee-Texas matchup carries plenty of attention on its own. It will be the Vols’ annual Checker Neyland game and features Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of legendary Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning.
Knoxville already got a taste of the national spotlight last season when ESPN’s “College Gameday” came to town for Tennessee’s game against Georgia. It could be back in play this year, too, with No.
3 Texas joining a home slate that also includes No. 12 Alabama on Oct. 17 and No.
8 LSU on Nov. 21.
Week 4 brings the first full conference slate for most FBS leagues, and the calendar is loaded. Along with Tennessee vs.
Texas, there are six ranked-on-ranked matchups: No. 21 Iowa at No.
24 Michigan, No. 11 Ole Miss at No.
25 Florida, No. 6 Oregon at No.
14 USC, No. 9 Texas A&M at No.
8 LSU and No. 10 Oklahoma at No.
2 Georgia.
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This season, Carter has pledged to donate specific amounts to cancer research for each defensive statistic he records, putting an added purpose behind every tackle, stop and splash play. The gesture also comes in the wake of his NCAA suspension related to an impermissible benefit, a painful detour that only seems to have sharpened his perspective. Carters on-field production matters to Tennessee, but so does the way he has decided to turn a difficult chapter into something aimed at awareness, support and a larger good. [Read more 🡒]
