Tennessee football is back at Neyland Stadium.
The No. 14 Vols (2-0) play Kennesaw State (1-1) on Sept. 19 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
It'll be the Vols' final nonconference game of the regular season before starting their nine-game SEC schedule.
Here's what you need to know about the matchup.
Kennesaw State won Conference USA last year. How does this team compare?
Kennesaw State's rise has been rapid. The program moved up to the FBS level for the 2024 season and won Conference USA just one year later, finishing 10-4.
Now they're tasked with making up for the losses of many key players from that group. The most notable is quarterback Amari Odom, who transferred to Syracuse. They also lost their entire interior offensive line, top receiver and their top three running backs.
The Owls started this season with a 47-0 win
over West Georgia but lost to Georgia State 31-17 on Sept. 12.
Quarterback Ricky Collins threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, hitting on a few explosive passing plays. But the run game never got going, and the Owls allowed 230 yards rushing (4.9 per attempt) after giving up 4.6 yards per rush last year.
Kennesaw State did lose its first two games last year to Wake Forest and Indiana, but Georgia State was picked to finish last in its division in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll this year.
How will Tennessee adjust after Ethan Davis injury?
Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury suffered in the Vols' last game at Georgia Tech.
Sophomore DaSaahn Brame is now thrust into the role of starting tight end. He is a talented downfield receiver and has flashed his blocking ability, but even with a 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame, that part of his game is still a work in progress.
South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas is next on the depth chart. His role is primarily that of a blocker, but now he might need to catch a few more passes after having just four receptions at South Alabama last season.
It's also possible Tennessee could lean more on its receivers and opt for more looks with just one tight end on the field.
Former Vols assistant Jerry Mack returns to Knoxville
Kennesaw State coach Jerry Mack was the running backs coach for the Vols from 2021-23, and his development of players like Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson eventually landed him the same position with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.
Mack was hired by Kennesaw State ahead of last season and was Conference USA's Coach of the Year after winning the league.
Four assistant coaches on Kennesaw State's staff also coached at Tennessee under Josh Heupel. Offensive coordinator Mitch Militello was an offensive analyst for the Vols from 2021-24, special teams coordinator Kyle Blocker was a special teams analyst from 2022-23, running backs coach Aston Walter was an offensive assistant from 2023-24 and special teams assistant Dane Nussbaum was a student special teams coach from 2023-24.
Tennessee vs Kennesaw State prediction
Tennessee 41, Kennesaw State 10: Heupel was adamant that this game is not a tune-up before the looming SEC opener against No. 1 Texas on Sept. 26 (noon, ABC), but his team should win comfortably. It's a particularly favorable matchup for Tennessee's rushing attack that ran for 299 yards against Georgia Tech, so big numbers could be in store for running back DeSean Bishop and company.
If Tennessee's defense can keep Collins in check and even force a few turnovers, the score line could get lopsided quick.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Will Tennessee football stay unbeaten in game against Kennesaw State? Our pick
