082819 Daily Beacon

Volume 138, Issue 3 Wednesday, August 28, 2019

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2019 -Projected starting lineup -Paul Finebaum on Vols -Protecting Guarantano -Season predictions -Tee Martin’s return -Staff Pick’ems

Caitlyn Jordan/ Daily Beacon

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 28, 2019

DAILY BEACON STAFF AND POLICY INFORMATION EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Kylie Hubbard MANAGING EDITOR: Caroline Jordan COPY CHIEF: Calista Boyd OPERATIONS MANAGER: Margot McClellan CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR: Alexandra DeMarco CITY NEWS EDITOR: Bailey Fritz SPORTS EDITOR: Cory Sanning, Noah Taylor DIGITAL PRODUCER: Austin Orr OPINIONS EDITOR: Evan Newell PHOTO EDITOR: Gabriela Szymanowska DESIGN EDITOR: Lyn Atter PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Jeremiah Pham,

Letter from Sports Editor: Football is still liked NOAH TAYLOR Sports Editor

It’s an exciting time to be covering college football, especially with the 150th season of the game coming up.

Contrary to popular belief, I was not alive to witness that first game between Rutgers and Catherine Fei Princeton in 1869 (inside joke from the Beacon office). But we’re glad to be bringing you coverADVERTISING/PRODUCTION age from this 150th season.

A year ago, then-sports editor Blake Von HaADVERTISING MANAGER: Hailie Hensley gen told you why he liked football. As did thenMEDIA SALES REPRESENTATIVES: Parker Korpak, Marissa Esposito, Julency Myrtil, Katie assistant sports editor Will Backus. In the name of originality (I am a sports writer, after all), I Riley will keep that tradition alive and tell you that I ADVERTISING PRODUCTION ARTISTS: Anna House, Elizabeth Ledoux, Carlos Padron too, like football. A lot.

My journey to Knoxville has been an interesting one. My love for college football (the single CONTACTS greatest thing ever created) began in a place TO REPORT A NEWS ITEM, please email called Gainesville. Ever heard of it? Well, there’s editor.news@utdailybeacon.com or a team down there I grew up cheering for. It call (865) 974-2348 taught me to love the game...and hate it. And love TO SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE, please email it again. pressreleases@utdailybeacon.com TO PLACE AN AD, please email beaconads@utdailybeacon.com or call (865) 974-5206 ADVERTISING: (865) 974-5206

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I could never have imagined that one season I would be in the press box in Neyland Stadium covering the Tennessee Volunteers, but I am excited to help bring you coverage of the game that we all like...a lot.

Wanna follow Noah Taylor this season? Find him on Twitter @ByNoahTaylor and on Checkerboard Chat each week.

Letter from Sports Editor: Football really is still liked CORY SANNING Sports Editor

It’s the greatest time of the year, isn’t it? Almost as if it were Christmas in August, except without the snow. You get my point, right?

Anyway, as Noah pointed out, it certainly is an exciting reality to be covering the 150th season of college football. With that being said, I feel it would be in everybody’s best interest to know that I too, like football. Bet you didn’t see that coming.

While my love and passion for the game began as an NFL fan, my time in Knoxville has taught me a level of appreciation for a college atmosphere I could only experience from afar in Dayton, cheering on Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Having gone along for quite a journey with my esteemed colleagues and former editors of a year ago, Blake Von Hagen and Will Backus, I now feel prepared to carry the torch. Getting chased out of a Waffle House parking lot at three in the morning in South Carolina can prepare you for

any challenge.

I remember my aunt’s stories of the glory days of Tennessee football, and while we are nowhere near returning to that state yet, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be heading into my second season covering football in Ney-

land Stadium. Here’s to a year of tremendous (hopefully) coverage!

Wanna follow Cory Sanning this season? Find him on Twitter @CorySanning and on Checkerboard Chat .

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 • The Daily Beacon

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2019 Staff Season Predictions With a more manageable 2019 schedule, sports editors Cory Sanning and Noah Taylor, and sports reporter Ryan Schumpert predict the outcome of the 2019 Vols football season.

Cory Sanning, Sports Editor Coming off of a disappointing season in which it failed to reach bowl game eligibility, Tennessee heads into 2019 with a sense of continuity and familiarity it did not have in year one under Jeremy Pruitt. They won’t experience those same struggles this season.

The Vols will rattle off a quick 3-0 start after dispatching Georgia State, BYU and UTChattanooga in Knoxville before being handed consecutive losses at the hands of Florida and Georgia. They’ll beat Mississippi State at home before being bludgeoned in Tuscaloosa by the Crimson Tide.

Returning home, Tennessee will overcome South Carolina and UAB before getting handed some payback at Kroger Field courtesy of the Kentucky Wildcats.

That leads them to Columbia, Missouri where the Vols will fall to the Tigers for a third straight season before returning home to dispatch Vanderbilt, finishing off the regular season with a 7-5 record and bowl game appearance for the first time under Pruitt.

Noah Taylor, Sports Editor A year ago, Tennessee had to break in firsttime head coach Jeremy Pruitt against West Virginia and their high-powered offense at a neutral site.

A few weeks later, the Vols embarked on a brutal stretch that included Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama. They went 1-3 in that span, getting a program-building win at thenNo. 21 Auburn. Later in the season they even beat a top-15 Kentucky team at home, but a frustrating conclusion to the season ended with blowout losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt.

Do those games have any bearing on this, Jeremy Pruitt’s second season? Of course not.

The Vols’ schedule, while still one of the toughest in the conference, sets up a little more favorably with three non-conference games at home against Georgia State, BYU and Chattanooga before they jump into another tough SEC slate.

I have Tennessee winning the games they should, which gets them to five. I think the task of going to Florida then getting Georgia and Alabama in a matter of weeks will be too tough of a stretch, but I have the Vols beating Mississippi State in week six.

I think Tennessee will split games against Kentucky and South Carolina and will beat Vanderbilt to conclude the season, effectively giving them a 7-5 regular season record with a

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt speaks to the press before the Orange and White game on Saturday April 13, 2019 at Neyland Stadium. Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon trip to a bowl game. Of course, it all comes down to beating the teams they should beat.

Ryan Schumpert, Staff Writer Jeremy Pruitt has greatly improved his staff with coaches like Tee Martin, Derrick Ansley, and most importantly offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. Expectations are high for Tennessee’s freshman class as up to nine freshman could see significant snaps in the opener.

However, Tennessee is still weak on both lines of scrimmage. The offensive line will rely on two freshman tackles, but if they can

‘Improving Patient Throughput’ studied times in triage, registration, and in the discharge process to help improve times and outcomes for patients at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering undergraduate team:

Joey Reilman, Skylar East, Lucy Hayes, Madelline Kinsella, Maddie Allison, and Taryn Richard

The Gatlinburg Glades Greenway project designed a three-mile section for the Gatlinburg Greenway to provide a safe path for pedestrians and bicyclists while linking two neighborhoods along a busy road Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering undergraduate team:

Kyle McMullen, Rebekah Kish, Rebecca Bennett, Corey Baldwin, and Nicholas Malone

In The Schulz Lab on campus, undergraduates are investigating the neurobiology of mental illness including how events that happened before birth and during childhood can cause humans to develop in different ways

hold up Tennessee’s offense could be one of the most improved in the nation. Tennessee’s schedule lightens up in 2019 with a home out of conference game against BYU in addition to drawing Mississippi State at home out of the SEC West.

While Florida, Georgia, and Alabama are still likely losses picking up wins against Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Mississippi State would be a major step in the right direction for this program.

In the end I think this team goes 7-5 with wins over the four out of conference opponents, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky.

Discover more ways that undergraduate researchers at UT are making an impact at https://tiny.utk.edu/discovery

Department of Psychology:

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407 Blount Hall | 1534 White Ave. | Knoxville, TN 37996 | (865) 974-8560

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 28, 2019

2019

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FOOTBALL

PICK ‘EM

Kylie Hubbard Editor-in-Chief

Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 20 vs. Auburn 27 Florida State vs. Boise State

Caroline Jordan Managing Editor Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 32 vs. Auburn 28 Florida State vs. Boise State

Cory Sanning Sports Editor Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 28 vs. Auburn 21 Florida State vs. Boise State

Noah Taylor Sports Editor Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 34 vs. Auburn 24 Florida State vs. Boise State

Evan Newell Opinions Editor Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 41 vs. Auburn 35 Florida State vs. Boise State

Caitlyn Jordan Sports Photographer Georgia Tech @ Clemson Wisconsin @ USF Ole Miss @ Memphis Duke vs. Alabama Georgia State vs. Tennessee Oregon 21 vs. Auburn 28 Florida State vs. Boise State

Previewing the Vols’ toughest games NOAH TAYLOR Sports Editor This season, head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s second at the helm, the non-conference games of Georgia State, BYU, Chattanooga and UAB could help Tennessee reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016.

Oct. 19, at Alabama This game would most likely top any similar list. The Crimson Tide have set atop the college football world for nearly a decade now, and Tennessee hasn’t beaten their most historic and oldest rival since 2006.

Don’t let their 44-16 loss to Clemson in last season’s College Football Playoff final fool you, either. Alabama returns twelve starters, including leading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and quarterback Tua Tagovaiola.

If there is one thing that Nick Saban teams have proven, they do very well in ‘revenge’ years. After losing to Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship Game, Alabama bounced back to finish undefeated and win a national title in 2009. They did the same thing in 2011, 2015 and 2017 after missing out or losing in the national championship the year before.

The game being at Bryant-Denny Stadium doesn’t help matters either, after all, it’s a place that Tennessee hasn’t won in since 2003 and was demolished, 45-7 in their last visit there in 2017.

Oct. 5, Georgia Speaking of that 2017 season, Georgia last visited Neyland Stadium that year and handed Tennessee their worst home loss since a 45-0 decision versus Vanderbilt in 1905.

Since that game, the Bulldogs have emerged as one of college football’s premier programs, winning an SEC title and appearing in the national championship game that same season.

Last season, the Vols showed flashes of promise down in Athens against a Georgia team that wound up in their second-straight SEC Championship Game. After falling behind 24-0, Tennessee was able to make it a 24-12 game early in the fourth quarter before the Bulldogs pulled away to win 38-12.

This time, Tennessee will get Georgia at home, but the Bulldogs are primed for another championship run with players like quarterback Jake Fromm, running back D’Andre Swift and a talented defense back.

The Vols will get a week off before the game, which should help, but Georgia will also be coming off of a bye when the two meet.

Sept. 21, at Florida While they’ve come close in their last two visits

to Gainesville, the Swamp has been a place where Tennessee has found very little success in the last 20-plus seasons.

The last time the Vols won at Florida was under Phillip Fulmer in 2003. They also upset the No. 2 Gators there in 2001, but you’d have to go back to 1971 see the last time Tennessee won in Gainesville again.

But even with Florida’s dominance in this rivalry, the Vols have watched opportunity after opportunity to beat the Gators slip away. In their 2015 meeting, Florida scored on 4th and 15 down 27-21 from their own 37-yard line in the final minute to escape with a 28-27 win. The next meeting at the Swamp saw Gator quarterback Feleipe Franks launch a 63-yard touchdown pass as time expired to give Florida a 26-20 win.

Last season’s contest in Knoxville lacked near the same drama as six turnovers plagued Tennessee in a 47-21 loss. Florida went on to finish 10-3 and win a New Year’s Six Bowl.

The Swamp has proven to be a difficult place to play for the Vols, and the Gators could also make major strides under second-year head coach Dan Mullen. This will once again be a tough matchup for Tennessee, but also an opportunity for an early-season statement.

Oct. 12, Mississippi State The game against Mississippi State could be difficult for Tennessee for a couple of reasons.

One, the Bulldogs return many of their top offensive performers from last season, as well as a solid defense. Secondly, the game is sandwiched between games versus Georgia and at Alabama.

Regardless of how that game versus Georgia goes, Tennessee can’t afford to be too hung up on it and they certainly can’t afford to be looking ahead to Alabama the following week.

To make matters even more interesting, Mississippi State is coming off of a bye week themselves before traveling to Neyland Stadium.

The Bulldogs won eight games in 2018, but struggled with offensive consistency under firstyear head coach Joe Moorhead. While they lose quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, they could possibly start quarterback Keytaon Thompson, who played in a backup role last season or Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens who has experience in Moorhead’s system during Moorhead’s days as Penn State’s offensive coordinator.

Mississippi State will also return leading rusher Kylin Hill who ran for more than 730 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. This team should improve their offensive numbers this season and will prove to be a challenge at home for Tennessee’s defense.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 • The Daily Beacon

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Finebaum shares thoughts on Pruitt, Tennessee ahead of 2019 season CORY SANNING Sports Editor NOAH TAYLOR Sports Editor

Love him or hate him, when Paul Finebaum talks SEC football, people listen.

For evidence of that fact, look no further than his ultra-successful radio and television program on the equally successful SEC Network. Finebaum’s work covering the SEC goes back to his days on the print side of journalism as a columnist for the now-defunct Birmingham Post-Herald in the early 1980s.

That lengthy resume, in addition to his onair personality has earned him the nickname as the ‘Mouth of the South,’ and deservedly so.

As the 2019 college football season approaches, Finebaum spoke with the Daily Beacon about Tennessee, their prospects under second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, the state of the program and the outlook of the SEC as a whole.

Finebaum’s history with the Vols football

program dates back to his own days at Beacon sports editor, covering the teams in the late 1970s under former head coach Bill Battle.

He’s covered Tennessee at the pinnacle of college football and at the lowest, too.

Despite a drought that has now exceeded a decade, Finebaum is of the mind that the Vols best years are not behind them, even with the past struggles.

“I think Tennessee can become a national championship contender again,” Finebaum said. “I believe in this university, I believe in (Director of Athletics) Fulmer. Georgia, Florida have nothing on Tennessee when it comes to tradition and infrastructure.”

What the Vols have in structure and storied tradition has simply been overshadowed by a mirage of bad choices according to the ESPN personality.

“The only thing that’s happened to Tennessee the last 10-15 years have been a series of terrible decisions.”

As for the 2019 version of Tennessee, Finebaum likes the direction that Pruitt seemingly has the program heading. While he guided the Vols to an underwhelming 5-7 finish in 2018, including their third-straight loss to rival Vanderbilt, there were positives.

Those positives included a road win against a then-ranked Auburn team and a domination of a Kentucky team that would go on to finish with ten wins and a top-15 billing.

With the combined leadership of former head coach and now-athletic director Phillip Fulmer and Pruitt, Finebaum thinks the legitimate rebuild of Tennessee is happening now.

“I think it’s time to get this program back on track,” Finebaum said. “I think Jeremy Pruitt is well on his way in doing that. For the first time in a long time, I see and feel signs that Tennessee is coming out of hibernation.

This seems like the real deal.”

As Tennessee attempts to awaken from its decade-long hibernation, the aura surrounding the team certainly has shifted in the past 24 months. From the debacle that was the end of the Butch Jones era to the uncertainty-filled year that was Jeremy Pruitt’s first season with the Vols, Finebaum has witnessed his alma mater undergo a complete identity change.

With the present staff in place however, Finebaum believes Tennessee is on the precipice of building a new culture, one that rivals that of what fans in Knoxville call the “glory days.”

“It’s inconceivable to me as a Tennessee

alum that this program has been down as long as it has,” Finebaum said. “I fully understand that it looked like it was coming back under Butch Jones, but that seemed artificial.”

Indeed the program looked like it was on the upward trend under Jones as the Vols got off to a 5-0 start in 2016 and seemed well on their way to winning the SEC East. Then UT dropped the next three games, which seemed to mark the beginning of the end for that era.

For Finebaum, having Pruitt at the helm of Tennessee football is a breath of fresh air, something Jones and his staff could not provide. That credit ultimately goes back to Fulmer, who has made tremendous strides in his time as athletic director.

“Every time I comment on this, I believe even more that Phillip Fulmer saved this athletic department and especially the football program,” Finebaum said. “He understands what it takes and he has been there and done it.”

Had the department remained former AD John Currie’s leadership, however, Finebaum believes it would be a totally different story today.

“Had Phillip not been hired, I think this would be unsalvageable.”

Projecting Tennessee’s starting lineup ahead of 2019 football season NOAH TAYLOR Sports Editor At SEC Media Days back in July, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt remarked that ahead of his first season at the helm in Knoxville in 2018, he knew very little about the team he had inherited.

“This time last year, I had no idea who was going to come with me to Media Days,” Pruitt said on July 16. “I didn’t know the football team.”

With one season now under his belt, Pruitt not only has a better understanding of who his players are, he has confidence in what they can do heading into his second season.

“After being here for a year, we know the players that we have,” Pruitt said. “We know what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and I think that’s been extremely important in the development of our football team.”

As the season opener versus Georgia State approaches, the optimism within the Tennessee camp is growing, thanks in large part to offseason training and a number of experienced players returning to several positions across the board.

Here is how Tennessee could look when they take the field at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 31.

Offense Before opening up against West Virginia in

Charlotte last season, there was some speculation as to who would be lining up under center for the Vols on their first offensive possession.

In the 2018 offseason, the Tennessee coaching staff had acquired the services of graduate transfer quarterback Keller Chryst out of Stanford.

Already on the Vols’ roster was returning starter Jarrett Guarantano and Will McBride, who had also seen playing time in 2017.

If there was a quarterback battle like coaches had suggested, then Guarantano won it, starting in the opener and the remaining 11 games afterward.

Despite Tennessee’s inconsistency on offense in 2018, Guarantano showed marked improvement from his redshirt freshman campaign in 2017, throwing for more than 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns against just three interceptions.

With two true freshman behind him, there is no doubt who will be the Vols’ signal caller this time around.

In the backfield, Tennessee returns a staple of talented rushers that saw plenty of action last season in Ty Chandler, Tim Jordan, Carlin Fils-aime and Jeremy Banks.

Chandler lead the group, and the team in rushing with 630 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 183 more yards and three scores receiving out of the backfield. Chandler will mostly likely get the starting nod, but the rest of the unit will be expected to contribute heavily.

Receiver is the group that the coaching staff is most excited about. The Vols return seniors Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings as well as junior Josh Palmer. Callaway lead the team in receiving nearly 600 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. Senior tight end Domonick Wood-Anderson, who started 10 of 11 games last season, should be a threat that Tennessee can utilize.

Add first-year Offensive Coordinator Jim Chaney into the mix, who excelled at Georgia over the past three seasons and at Tennessee under Derek Dooley in 2010-2012, and there could be some real improvement for the Vols offense.

But like the 2018 season, upfront will make or break Tennessee in 2019. The Vols’ offensive line was abysmal last season, returning just two starters and losing Trey Smith to medical issues. Pruitt and company have recruited well, bringing in five-star Wanya Morris and four-star Darnell Wright this past recruiting cycle. Four starters return, but expect the young players to see plenty of action.

Defense The defense returned six starters from the 2017 team last season. The group, especially the secondary showed spurts of improvement throughout the season but still gave up an average of 462 yards and 36 points per game.

After losing their top-two corners from 2017, Pruitt was forced to start two true freshman in Alonte Taylor and Bryce Thompson in their opener versus West Virginia last season.

The experience should pay off for what was a young secondary in 2018. Senior safety Nigel Warrior returns as the most experienced of the group.

At linebacker, the unit is set to be headed up by seniors Daniel Bituli and Darrell Taylor.

Bituli lead the defense in tackles last season with 79, including one sack and five tackles for loss. Taylor was moved over from defensive end due to a scheme change with the new staff.

While Bituli and Taylor will most assuredly have locked down their starting positions in fall camp, expect to see some youth get a shot.

J.J. Peterson, who was a 4-star prospect, a part of the 2018 class, now has a full offseason with the team, while fellow 4-star linebackers Quavarious Crouch and Henry To’oTo’o came in as big prospects in the 2019 class.

The defensive front for Tennessee will include some new faces after the departure edge-rushers of Kyle Phillips and Alexis Johnson.

Senior Emmitt Gooden, who came to Knoxville by way of Independence Community College in Kansas, returns after playing in 12 games in 2018, while junior defensive end Matthew Butler is also expected to start after playing nine games.

STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 • The Daily Beacon

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 On the other end of the line, former Michigan defensive end Aubrey Solomon has the skills and experience to start, but his status remains in limbo as the coaching staff awaits clearance from the NCAA. Special Teams This time last season, Tennessee was tasked with finding replacements on special teams.

Heading into 2019, the Vols are locked up at kicker with junior Brent Cimaglia.

In his sophomore campaign, Cimaglia was a 10-of-13 on field goals and perfect on extra points, finishing 31-of-31, making him the Vols leading scorer with 61 points in the 11 games he saw the field in. His longest field goal was a 45-yarder versus Auburn.

At punter, redshirt-sophomore Joe Doyle started all 12 games for Tennessee as a freshman. Doyle averaged better than 41 yards a punt with 23 of those downed inside the 20yard line. The performance was good enough to land Doyle freshman All-America honors in 2018.

You could see a few different skill players returning kicks for the Vols this year, but when Georgia State punts for the first time, you’re going to see Marquez Callaway deep to receive.

While no other Tennessee player made any preseason All-SEC or All-American teams, there’s a reason Callaway landed on the AllSEC second-team as a return specialist. In

2018, Callaway averaged 11.9 yards a return, including an 82-yard touchdown return. Callaway ranked No. 3 in the SEC in punt returns and No. 13 in the nation.

Top: Daniel Bituli,#35, makes a tackle during game against UTEP on Sept. 15, 2018 at Neyland Stadium.

Right: Running back Ty Chandler, #8, runs the ball during game against Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, TN on Nov. 24, 2018.

File / The Daily Beacon

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Wednesday, August 28, 2019 • The Daily Beacon

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crossword & sudoku

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New puzzles every Wednesday.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

No. 1325

4 5 1

Medium

1

Previous solution - Easy

3 2 4 3 4 2 6 5 5 7 7 8 8 6 9

8 1

8 9 3

9 4

7 7

2 3

2

© 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

8

You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

1 5 3 4 6

5 3 4 2 8 1

7 8

7 6 8 7 6 8 7 5 8 3 1 9 1 2 3 2 4 4 5 6 4 5

8 9 9 6 6 7 7 8 4 5 3 3 2

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

SUDOKU No. 1325

3

Very Hard

7 2

Previous solution - Tough

1

3 1 9 6 8 7 4 2 5

5

1 9 4

4 6 9 9 3 1 5 7 8 2 4 7 7 4 8 1 5 6 7

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

7 5 4 2 9 1 6 8 3

8 2 6 5 3 4 1 7 9

9 4 8 1 5 3 2 6 7

2 7 5 9 4 6 8 3 1

1 6 3 7 2 8 5 9 4

5 8 1 3 6 9 7 4 2

6 9 7 4 1 2 3 5 8

4 3 2 8 7 5 9 1 6

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. © 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

5

FOR RELEASE AUGUST 21, 2019

Los Angeles Times Daily LOS ANGELES TIMES CROSSWORD • EditedCrossword

by Rich NorrisPuzzle and Joyce Lewis

STR8TS 6 1

9

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts, Sudoku and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store at www.str8ts.com

ACROSS 1 Half of a stiff price to pay 4 Chinese food additive 7 Breed from Honshu 12 Sob story makeup 14 __ Nui: Easter Island 15 Jell-O flavor 16 Food for the kitty?

17 *British-owned American hotel chain 19 Robert the Bruce, for one 20 Speak with style 21 Latin “to be” 22 *Went on foot 24 Boys 26 Actress Longoria 27 Substitute for 30 Cat Deeley’s role on “So You Think You Can Dance” 33 *Wind chill factor relative 35 Jobs title, once 36 Represent inaccurately 37 Web access co.

38 *Three-time U.S. Open champion 41 “Semper fidelis” is one 43 Veterans 44 Refuge for couples?

45 Italian automaker 46 *Subject of much debate 51 Golfer’s transport 53 Night calls 55 Radius neighbor 56 With “The,” one of 50 since 8/21/1959, as hinted at by the answers to starred clues 58 Eyeglass frames 59 Have more People come to the house?

60 City near Anaheim 61 Dueling sport 62 Midler of “Hello Dolly” 63 Leb. neighbor

DOWN 1 Knee-deep (in) 2 Chop-O-Matic maker 3 Anti-harassment movement 4 New Zealand settler 5 Paint spill sound 6 Stable pace 7 In the style of 8 Entered, as data 9 “That went right over my head” 10 Truckloads 11 Heche of “Psycho” (1998) 13 Fixed charge 14 Valerie Harper sitcom 18 Get rid of 23 Christmas __ 25 Boxer who beat Frazier twice 27 Ball game delayer 28 Tuxedo part 29 Former Canadian MLBer 30 Repeat

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

31 Happy __ 32 Leading edge of cooler temperatures 33 Cuts down 34 Yale alum 36 Thin soups 39 Peter the Great, e.g.

40 401(k) kin, briefly 41 CT scan relative 42 “Sounds good”

the daily beacon

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8/21/19

By Jim Bordoni and C.C. Burnikel

64 Cap initials at Busch Stadium

puzzles Wednesday.

NewNew puzzles every every Monday and Thursday.

8/21/19

44 Utterly confused 46 White with frost 47 Furry swimmer 48 Berth places 49 Not yet achieved, as a goal 50 Art class item 51 Atkins no-no 52 Toward shelter 54 Some parlors, for short 57 Stun

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW

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Jennings set to return to ‘alpha dog’ form ahead of final season CORY SANNING Sports Editor

Jauan Jennings knows what it feels like to be the hero. He also knows what it feels like to watch nearly an entire season helplessly from the sideline.

Long-removed from his miracle Hail Mary catch in the end zone against Georgia in 2016, Jennings heads into this season with a chip on his shoulder - much like he has throughout his entire career.

After dealing with nagging injuries that plagued him for the last two seasons, the Murfreesboro, Tennessee native is ready to reassert his alpha status amongst the top receivers in the SEC and he’s not afraid to let anyone know about it.

“I’m the alpha male anywhere I go,” Jennings said. “I feel good, way better since surgery. I am feeling a whole lot better.”

Despite appearing in all 12 games last year, Jennings recorded just 30 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns, a far cry from his 580-yard, seven-touchdown campaign in 2016.

The only difference is last season, he wasn’t healthy. Barring any drastic mishaps, he’ll be 100 percent or near it come Aug. 31.

He’s ready to let the person lined up across

from him know about it as well.

“There is going to be some trash talking out there, but that is what players do,” Jennings said. “I love it. It is just another motivator.”

Known for his confidence and swagger both on and off the field, Jennings is taking a more cerebral approach in his final collegiate season, mentoring the young receivers while still relishing in his opportunities.

Gone is the player that took to Instagram to criticize an inept coaching staff. Gone is the player that was cited for simple possession.

Enter Jennings the leader, the teammate and the kid who fell in love with the game of football at a young age, living out his dream.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by his coaching staff either, particularly for wide receivers coach Tee Martin, who lauded Jennings’ maturity and willingness to take the next step during fall camp.

“He’s turning the corner and it’s something he focused on in spring,” Martin said. “He was one of those receivers that really wanted to get the ball and was a little emotional at times.”

While that emotion was what earned Jennings his status as one of the conference’s most physical receivers, it didn’t always translate to success on the field.

That’s why he’s been working tirelessly to correct it and according to Martin, Jennings has turned the corner and is becoming as strong of a leader as the offense has seen since

Joshua Dobbs was under center.

“He’s doing everything that we are asking him to do,” Martin said. “It’s his last year and I think he understands the importance of him having a good season.”

For head coach Jeremy Pruitt, coming to Tennessee meant adapting to a new situation.

He would no longer be contending for national championships every season and he was wellaware of that reality.

Along with that came mending the fences between Jennings and the athletic department, as their relationship had soured in the months leading up to the dismissal of Butch Jones and the hiring of Pruitt.

UT fans remember Jennings’ infamous rant on social media, but what they didn’t know was that they hadn’t seen the last of him - and for good reason: his love and passion for the game is unrivaled, and his coach took notice of that. “(Jauan) doesn’t like it, he loves it. He loves football, he loves the University of Tennessee,” Pruitt said. “He likes to practice, he likes to play, he likes to be in the building. You love coaching guys like Jauan.”

Whether Jennings is remembered as a physically-gifted receiver who made the most of his opportunities or as the trash-talking emotional anchor that wasn’t afraid to let you know how good he was, there is no doubt he’s left his mark on Tennessee football.

And as he rides off into the sunset follow-

#15 Jauan Jennings after catching a touchdown during the Orange and White game on Saturday April 13, 2019 at Neyland Stadium.

Caitlyn Jordan / Daily Beacon ing UT’s final game of the year, the only question left will be where no. 15 ranks amongst the Vols’ most memorable threats on the outside.

Following year of punishment, Guarantano set to take off in 2019 CORY SANNING Sports Editor

The bitter taste that Jarrett Guarantano had in his mouth as he walked off the field at Commodores Stadium on a cold, chilly night in November was never going to be normal.

For the then-redshirt sophomore quarterback and Tennessee fans alike, the feeling was nothing short of misery.

Falling to their in-state rival for the third consecutive year, the Vols’ bowl game eligibility vanquished into thin air as they trudged back to the locker room with their heads down. Vanderbilt fans taunted them as their coaches and players celebrated on the far sideline.

Nearly a year later, Guarantano is using that memory as added fuel as he enters his third season under center.

“I think that was part of the maturation process, just saying that there are things I want to get better at,” Guarantano said. “And (figuring out) how do I do so, how do I become more cerebral?”

Just how does he plan to do that?

Watching other quarterbacks, and not just the icons he looks up to in the NFL. “I looked at Deshaun Watson, I looked at Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees,” Guarantano said. “I looked at Tua (Tagavailoa), I looked at (Jake) Fromm and Trevor (Lawrence) a little bit.”

With each quarterback came a different style of play and Guarantano is attempting to integrate as much from each one into his game as possible.

“I studied a lot of guys...they’re all different types of players, so I mixed it up a little.”

The film room hasn’t been the only spaced Guarantano has locked himself in this summer either.

The Lodi, New Jersey native adopted quite the workout philosophy during the offseason. While most college students were flocking towards sunny beaches, renting lake houses or taking trips to Cancun, Guarantano was in the gym.

Whether he was pounding weights inside the Anderson Training Center or going for a swift run, the redshirt junior’s mindset has not wavered since that fateful night in Nashville. That dedication has also carried over to his diet, which

has helped him pack on additional muscle.

His head coach has taken notice too, and not just in regards to Guarantano’s improved physique.

“The one thing about the quarterback position is Jarrett has the ability to make the guys around him better,” Jeremy Pruitt said. “He has had a really good camp and he has to continue to improve every single day.”

Guarantano’s go-to pregame meal?

The simple, sugar-free carbohydrates found in a bowl of freshly-made pasta courtesy of his roots.

“I’m an Italian boy, so I usually go with pasta,” Guarantano said at SEC Media Days in Hoover. “That helps me enough to get through the game.”

As Guarantano attempts to master his second offensive system in as many seasons, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is hard-at-work putting together a playbook that will not only allow him to be successful, but allow the offensive line to protect him as well.

He’s also cognizant of building a strong relationship with his quarterbacks, something Chaney was very suc-

cessful with at Georgia with the likes of Jake Fromm, who was one of the conference’s most productive signal callers last season.

When it pertains to Guarantano, it’s his willingness to continuously learn that has stood out to Chaney the most.

“He’s a very good student of football.

He has a good attitude and he has a good feel for the game,” Chaney said. “I like Jarrett. We’ve developed a good relationship thus far.”

Offensively, the Vols certainly weren’t one of the prettier teams in the country in 2018. They averaged just 23 points per game and produced an average of 326 yards in 12 games.

Boasting a revamped playbook and an offensive line that has added size and strength, Guarantano is in position to have the most prolific season of his career and he credits that to Chaney’s newlook philosophies.

“We’ve changed the whole offense and it’s really quarterback-driven. A lot of protection stuff and defensive looks,” Guarantano said. “I’m very happy that he’s the coach and he’s really helped my game out a lot.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Wednesday, August 28, 2019 • The Daily Beacon

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Martin eager, ready to contribute following return to Knoxville CORY SANNING Sports Editor

Tee Martin remembers exactly how he felt the last time he was wearing Tennessee orange.

He also remembers the last time he was in Neyland Stadium, which didn’t exactly draw the same positive reaction from UT fans that once relentlessly cheered him on as he helped guide the Vols to the 1998 BCS National Championship.

The only similarity is that in both situations, his love for the university and its fan base never wavered.

“The last time I was here I was coming in with the Kentucky blue on and I was on the other sideline,” Martin chuckled. “So that was a little strange. Going back as a Tennessee coach is something I have thought about for a long time and I’m excited about doing it.”

No Kentucky blue this time.

Martin will be marching the sidelines along the banks of the Tennessee River in UT orange for the first time in two decades. While no longer the captain of the Vols’ offense, its as if he never left.

When Skylar Grey’s “Coming Home” was

played over the loudspeaker at ThompsonBoling Arena on Jan. 19, the Mobile, Alabama native couldn’t help but bask in the moment as fans cheered and a nostalgic video tribute played over the jumbotron.

“I get fired up. You saw how fired up I was when I walked in here and I had to calm down a little bit,” Martin said. “It’s been 20 years since I have been in front of you guys and speaking to fans that I actually know and have a relationship with and not at some place where I didn’t come from.”

Despite Martin’s long absence from Tennessee athletics, his presence has long-been a mainstay on UT’s campus.

There’s a street named after him and nearly half of the merchandise sold in the Vol Shop has the year “1998” printed or stitched in large block letters. His national championship ring, however, has yet to make an appearance, much to the dismay of Jauan Jennings.

“Every day you cannot go by without looking at his face and see a quarterback that went perfect with a national championship,” Jennings said. “I still have not seen the championship ring, but I have not bothered him about it because we are out there working every day.”

It’s that same work ethic that helped propel the Vols to a national championship all those years ago that Martin is attempting to instill in

his group of wide receivers.

With Jennings leading the way, Tennessee boasts of the deepest receiving corps in the SEC. Paired along with Marquez Callaway and Josh Palmer, the trio has come a long way since Martin arrived before spring practice.

That’s a credit to the former USC offensive coordinator’s “no-nonsense” type of approach, something Jennings has fully embraced.

“He coaches us hard, he makes sure we are doing what we are supposed to do,” Jennings said. “He wants to make plays and that is something he stresses in the room. That is what wideouts do.”

As his receivers continue to thrive under his leadership, Martin still finds himself taken aback by the fact that he is now back in his old stomping grounds.

Aside from former cornerbacks coach Terry Fair, not many Tennessee football alumni had returned to coach at their alma mater following their playing days. Martin certainly didn’t think that reality was in the cards for him either.

“I never thought I was going to come back and coach here,” Martin said. “The way it worked out and the timing of it was great. I am just as excited to get started as our fanbase is.”

With the uncertainty of the regular season

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Associate head coach, Tee Martin during the Orange and White game on Saturday April 13, 2019 at Neyland Stadium.

Caitlyn Jordan / The Daily Beacon looming, one fact that remains certain is that Martin is back and ready to contribute. His emotions on game day, however, are yet to be determined.

“I don’t know how I’m going to feel, but I’m looking forward to it.”

12

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Ansley, defense building sense of familiarity as season-opener nears CORY SANNING Sports Editor

When Jeremy Pruitt first brought former Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley back to Knoxville in February, Ansley, a Tallahassee, Alabama native that spent his collegiate playing years at Troy, had already developed a reputation as one of the SEC’s strongest recruiters during his time at Kentucky and Alabama.

His lone season in Oakland saw his group produce 14 interceptions in 16 games - up five from the previous year.

After giving up nearly 28 points per game a season ago, Ansley is looking to build Tennessee’s defense back into a national powerhouse - something that can only be accomplished through repetition and continuity.

“It improves because the guys are a year older in scheme,” Ansley said. “Going through the spring and having acclimated practices in the summer, you can also get around and develop them a little bit more.”

With a year of experience in Pruitt’s defensive system now under their belts, the Vols are looking to take it to the next level in 2019 - a reality that Ansley is well-aware of ahead of UT’s season-opener against Georgia State on Aug. 31.

“I think the familiarity with the scheme and the coaching staff kind of helps guys calm down,” Ansley said. “(Just) take a

deep breath and see things a little bit clearer.”

Capturing two national championships during his time on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, Ansley also helped Minkah Fitzpatrick capture the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik Awards in 2017, which are handed out to the nation’s top defensive back and defensive player respectively.

Alabama also had the nation’s topranked scoring and total defense in both seasons, leading the nation in defensive touchdowns with 11 in 2017.

Senior linebacker Daniel Bituli got a chance to witness both of those teams up close, with the Crimson Tide outscoring Tennessee 77-17 in their respective matchups. For Bituli, the chance to work with Ansley and learn from one of the nation’s top defensive minds was an opportunity not many could pass up.

“Coach Ansley has helped this defense out in a lot of ways and we’re glad to have him here,” Daniel Bituli said. “Being extra, his play calling, he explains to you how he wants to go about making plays.”

Having coached with him in Tuscaloosa for two seasons, Pruitt knew exactly what he was getting when he made that call to Ansley in February.

“I have confidence in the guys we have on defense,” Pruitt said. “I’ve said that in every defensive meeting with the players and the coaches, so it’d really no different from last year in that aspect.”

Having coached some of the nation’s most prolific groups of defensive backs in terms of takeaways, Ansley is looking to

#19 Darrell Taylor and #27 Quavaris Crouch practice a drill on Monday, August 26 2019.

Caitlyn Jordan/Daily Beacon bring that same philosophy to the Vols as they get set to take on Georgia State to kick off the regular season.

A style that has served him well in the past, Ansley is a big proponent of the ballhawking secondary that creates turnovers.

Limited in that regard last season, Tennessee produced just nine total interceptions and scored just two defensive touchdowns.

Thankfully for them, their defensive coordinator is a man that advocates solid play on the outside.

“The style of defense we want to play,

you have to be really good on the outside and on the perimeter,” Ansley said. “If you don’t have really good corners, it places a limitation on your defense.”

As the Vols prepare to rid themselves of those limitations from a year ago, they’ll certainly be leaning on Ansley’s expertise - and swagger - to get them to where they need to be.

“Those guys have a lot of room to improve, a lot of work to do, but they’re trending in the right direction.”

Rumph feeling more comfortable with team, surroundings heading into second season NOAH TAYLOR Sports Editor

When asked about his comfort level between last season and now, Tennessee co-defensive coordinator Chris Rumph likened the experience to buying a new house.

After Rumph was hired away from Florida by then-first year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, he had to learn to adapt again. Adapt to new team, a new coaching staff and a new town.

“It’s like buying a house,” Rumph said.

“I bought my house last year, I turned the lights off and I’m touching, trying to find where this is and bumping into this wall. Now I can turn the lights off and walk all through my house. I know where everything is. I’m comfortable.

“It’s the same thing with this team.

I know what to expect. I can coach and teach ball instead of just doing the little things.”

That comfortability with his surroundings, having now been in Knoxville for over a year, hasn’t just helped Rumph and his family adjust, it’s helped Rumph in his coaching duties for Tennessee’s improving defense.

“It’s a comfort level, man,” Rumph said. “You can say something and the players know what you’re talking about.

Last year, everyday was a new day. You didn’t know what to expect from practice.

This time last year, the players were nervous. Now those guys have gone through every phase of the program. Now they get it. Now they see the big picture.”

While Pruitt took over the bulk of the play-calling duties on defense, he named Rumph his co-defensive coordinator and outside linebacker coach ahead of the 2018 season. The Tennessee defense

was one of the most improved in college football in Rumph’s first season, jumping up 74 spots from 2017 in run defense and 45 spots in third down defense.

For Rumph, it wasn’t just about building and improving relationships with his own players but with Pruitt as well.

Heading into their second season together, Rumph has noticed a difference in how Pruitt has built a relationship with his staff and players that goes beyond the Xs and Os. “Coming in as a head coach, you’re trying to build your program,” Rumph said. “You’re trying to create the culture. A lot of times when you do that, you don’t get the chance to really know your players. Now, this year I think he’s really gotten to know his players, so now they know his expectations.

“Now when you come at somebody, they know where it’s coming from. I tell my guys all the time, you got to know

that I care about you. I think that’s where we’re at right now as a staff.”

The players agree, especially senior linebacker Daniel Bituli, who has bonded with Rumph over the past year outside of practice and team-related activities.

“Our relationship has been great,” Bituli said. “Coach Rumph is a great man.

You know, I see him at church all of the time, so we laugh it up over there. I’m really glad to have him as our coach.”

As Rumph gets set to embark on his second season on the Vols defensive staff, he is cherishing the relationships he’s built in his short time here, both on and off the field.

“I’ve been on some really good staffs,” Rumph said. “But I really enjoy these guys. I enjoy coming to work. I enjoy being able to work here. I work with some great men. Besides being football coaches, they’re great people. I enjoy being around them.”