Today On Rocky Top: Vols Looking To Avenge Loss To Vanderbilt

Nov 9, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers kicker Michael Palardy (1) before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

From WBIR

"After an off week, the football Vols are back and preparing to take on Vandy this Saturday at Neyland Stadium.At his weekly press conference, Coach Butch Jones said the bye week, or work week, as he called it, were good for the team. They needed time to work on their fundamentals, to continue to develop as a team, and to get their health back. They’ve been in the midst of a tough grind, playing five top 10 ranked teams in a row, and Jones said the team needed a little time off. He said they had a short, productive practice on Sunday, and he was happy with what he saw."

From the Miami Herald

"Vanderbilt coach James Franklin says he still doesn’t believe the Commodores historically have been competitive enough with Tennessee to make this annual series a legitimate rivalry.A second straight Vanderbilt victory over the Volunteers (4-6, 1-5 SEC) could change that perception.Tennessee had won 28 of its last 29 games with Vanderbilt before falling 41-18 in Nashville last season. Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-4) enters Neyland Stadium on Saturday seeking its first two-game winning streak over the Vols since the 1920s."

From Bleacher Report

"Tennessee football coach Butch Jones won’t lose his job if he loses to Vanderbilt on Saturday, but that doesn’t diminish the significance of this game for the future of the Volunteers or their first-year coach.The immediate ramifications of a loss are clear: UT will fail to make a bowl game for the third consecutive season.But it’s the unrest and uncertainty that will settle into the program if the Vols lose to Vanderbilt that could ultimately jeopardize Jones’ career and what he wants to build in Knoxville."

From WBIR

"An April 2015 trial date has been set for former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings’ lawsuit against the University of Tennessee and athletic director Dave Hart.U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell issued an order Friday setting a trial date of April 27, 2015.Jennings sued Tennessee and Hart individually last year while alleging that age and sex discrimination led to her forced retirement from the school."