UTEP (2-8) is set to face No. 10 Tennessee (8-2, ranked 11th in the College Football Playoff) on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST, with coverage available on ESPN+ and SECN+. The odds from BetMGM lists Tennessee as the significant favorite, with a spread of 41.5 points. Historically, the Volunteers lead the series against the Miners 3-0.
For the Tennessee Volunteers, this matchup presents a crucial opportunity to demonstrate their worthiness to the College Football Playoff committee following their recent loss to Georgia. A commanding victory is what the team is expected to achieve, but any signs of struggle against UTEP could complicate their playoff aspirations. UTEP’s head coach, Scotty Walden, is focused on the present and is committed to avoiding the temptation to play younger athletes merely for the sake of gaining experience.
A critical element to the game will be the performance of Tennessee’s defensive line. The Volunteers faced a disappointing outing against Georgia, failing to record a sack or consistently pressure the opposing quarterback. Therefore, the defensive front has much to prove in this contest, although success against UTEP won’t entirely remedy the problems observed in their previous game.
In terms of standout players, UTEP’s receiver Trey Goodman has been impressive, particularly in a recent overtime win against Kennesaw State, where he caught 12 passes for 150 yards—marking the highest receiving yards any UTEP player has achieved in 17 years. For Tennessee, the focus will be on middle linebackers Jeremiah Telander and Jalen Smith, particularly in light of the absence of Keenan Pili, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Florida, weakening the defense.
When looking at some additional statistics, Tennessee has an active streak of seven consecutive home wins and aims to secure a perfect 7-0 record at Neyland Stadium for the second time in three seasons. A victory in this game would ensure that the Volunteers achieve at least nine wins for the third straight year under head coach Josh Heupel. Notably, Tennessee has a remarkable record, having won 20 games in a row whenever they rush for at least 200 yards. On the defensive line, James Pearce has been a standout with 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
As for UTEP, they are currently ranked 127th out of 134 teams in the FBS power rankings. They have accumulated 1,247 rushing yards this season, which is slightly ahead of Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, who himself has 1,230 rushing yards and a school record of 21 touchdown runs—leading the SEC and ranking second in FBS. UTEP’s quarterback, Skyler Locklear, boasts a completion rate of 67%, achieving 126 completions on 185 attempts along with five interceptions and nine touchdowns. The Miners last faced Tennessee in 2018, with the Volunteers winning all three previous encounters by significant margins.