Tennessee enters the game against Missouri as a nine-point favorite.
That line might be deceptive, though, as it doesn’t fully capture the mood surrounding the game.
Tennessee (6-4, 3-3 SEC) will enter an emotionally charged environment for its showdown against Missouri (5-5, 1-5) on Saturday (TV: ESPN 2, 7:15). Longtime Missouri coach Gary Pinkel announced on Friday that he was diagnosed with lymphoma and would resign at the end of the year. Saturday will mark his last home game as Missouri’s coach.
Several Missouri players went on strike last week. Saturday’s matchup against the Vols will be the Tigers’ first home game since that incident.
Add senior night to the equation, and the Tigers might be the Vols’ toughest challenge since they played at Alabama on Oct. 24.
“Whenever you go on the road in the SEC, you are pretty much expecting a challenge,” senior safety Brian Randolph said Monday at the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio. “I don’t know much for them, but I know they are going to give us their best shot regardless of the situation.”
The situation at Missouri is worth mentioning.
Missouri students began protesting in September, saying that university officials weren’t doing anything to combat racism on campus. Missouri student Jonathan Butler went on a hunger strike. Several Missouri players participated in the protest, announcing on Nov. 7 that they would not practice or play until Missouri President Tim Wolfe resigned and Butler’s hunger strike ended. Pinkel quickly supported his players’ decision. Two days later, Wolfe resigned.
Predictably, reporters asked Tennessee players for their opinions on the recent events at Missouri.
Junior quarterback Josh Dobbs said he was aware of the situation at Missouri, but suggested that it had nothing to do with the game on Saturday.
“We are pretty isolated when we go on the road,” Dobbs said. “There are obviously things we can’t control, so we just focus on what we can control. We are aware of the situation, but we are also focused on what we have to do here to have a productive season. We are just focused on what we can control going into the game.
“I don’t know much about the details. I am really focused on what I need to do here to prepare myself on Saturday.”
Randolph admitted that he doesn’t know much about the protests, but later indicated that his experience at Tennessee could differ from that of Missouri players.
“We are all good here, we are a big family,” Randolph said. “We are all orange. That’s the only color we see around here, for the most part. I can’t speak for everybody. But I never had a problem here.”
Players were also asked about Pinkel. Did they expect Missouri players to be on an emotional high in his last game? How does the game plan change when a coach retires?
The Vols provided clichéd answers. Dobbs said the game plan doesn’t change. Junior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said the atmosphere at Missouri wouldn’t faze the Vols, as no atmosphere compares to the one at Neyland Stadium.
Saturday should be interesting. One thing is certain: The Vols will be the enemies, the adversaries who could spoil Pinkel’s going-away party.
Tennessee players, however, acted on Monday like it’s just another SEC game on the road.
“It’s always fun on the road,” Dobbs said.
