Tennessee Vols morning report: FPI projections, Grant Williams on watch list
The ESPN FPI projections for the Tennessee Vols football team and Grant Williams being on a watch list lead our Volunteers news for Friday, Oct. 19, 2018.
Happy Friday! The Tennessee Vols have lots of sports in full swing right now, and basketball is right around the corner. But amidst all of that, it’s still football time, and the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry, however lopsided it may be, is back!
With UT preparing for the game, our news on Rocky Top today involves outside projections for the football team. But there is some news on the basketball front since it’s just around the corner, which is very exciting.
Finally, we have a recap of a match to bring you from Thursday night and a preview for Friday in two different Lady Vols sports. So there’s a lot to get to. Let’s start it off with the football forecasts in Knoxville.
ESPN FPI projections still unfavorable – Patrick Brown, GoVols247
The Tennessee Vols football team got a big boost from the ESPN Football Power Index after beating the No. 21 ranked Auburn Tigers last Saturday. However, Jeremy Pruitt’s team is still projected to go 4-8 if you take each game individually since only one, the Charlotte 49ers, is considered a likely win.
"The Vols were ranked 67th in the FPI coming off the Georgia loss two weeks ago, and now enter Saturday’s visit from top-ranked Alabama at No. 58, and the win percentages increased for all but one of Tennessee’s remaining games.The FPI ranks teams based on how many points above or below average they are, and projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season, so it changes every week based on how teams perform."
Grant Williams on Karl Malone Award Watch List – HoopHall Awards
Tennessee Vols men’s basketball junior Grant Williams is among 20 players on the Karl Malone Award Watch List for the year. This award goes out to the the nation’s best power forward each year, and as the projected SEC Player of the Year, it makes sense for Williams to be on the list. The award, obviously, is named for NBA legend Karl Malone.
"Karl Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. He led the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game."
Tennessee soccer scores dramatic win over LSU – Cory Sanning, The Daily Beacon
You could not write this crazy script. A day after Khadija Bunny Shaw helped lead her home country’s team in Jamaica to its first ever women’s World Cup berth, she came home and scored a golden goal to deliver an overtime win for the No. 18 ranked Tennessee Lady Vols soccer team Thursday.
"Although LSU scored early, Tennessee fought back to tie the game in the second half and send it into overtime. That’s when one of the Vols’ senior leaders came through in the clutch, playing a role all-too familiar to anyone, as Tennessee (11-2-2, 5-2-1 SEC) claimed a thrilling 2-1 win over the Tigers (9-6-1, 3-4-1 SEC) on a chilly night in Knoxville."
Tennessee volleyball to visit Texas A&M – UTSports
The Tennessee Lady Vols volleyball team will visit the Texas A&M Aggies Friday night. The match is scheduled to be shown on SEC Network+, and the first serve is set for 7:30 p.m. E.T.
"The Lady Vols (14-5, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) and the Aggies (12-7, 5-2 SEC) enter the weekend in a tie for fourth place in the conference standings and just a half game back of Missouri for third. Tennessee will be in search of its second road win in the SEC after opening up the conference slate with a four-set win at Auburn."