East Tennessee State @ Tennessee preview

First-year and first-time head coaches who are familiar with each other square off Saturday when Tennessee hosts FCS member East Tennessee State in the Volunteer State teams' first meeting. Tennessee coach Randy Pruitt and the Buccaneers' Randy Sanders worked together as assistants at Florida State in 2013 with Pruitt the defensive coordinator and Sanders the running backs coach.

"I'm sure he is familiar with us, definitely on the defensive side,'' Pruitt told reporters. "We are probably a little familiar with him on the offensive side. It will be fun to compete and play, and we are looking forward to it." The Volunteers were routed by No. 17 West Virginia 40-14 last week and Pruitt hinted that senior Keller Chryst, a transfer from Stanford, will see time at quarterback after sophomore Jarrett Guarantano passed for 172 yards with only one reception longer than 20 yards versus the Mountaineers. Sanders, a former backup quarterback and assistant coach for seven years at Tennessee, guided the Buccaneers to a 28-7 victory over Division II Mars Hill last week. When asked what might happen if ETSU pulled an upset Saturday, Sanders told reporters: "I'd have that goalpost thrown over my shoulder coming back up the interstate. I wouldn't be riding no bus. I'd be walking, probably naked, with that thing over my shoulder."

TV: 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: None

ABOUT ETSU (1-0): Junior quarterback Logan Marchi, a transfer from Temple, completed 17-of-29 for 273 yards and matched a career high with three touchdowns against Mars Hill. Freshman running Quay Holmes made a splash in his collegiate debut with 118 yards and a TD on 17 carries. Junior wide receiver Quan Harrison caught five passes for 112 yards -- both career bests -- including a 30-yard TD catch and a 55-yard reception after entering with 11 catches for 108 yards and zero scores.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (0-1): Sophomore running back Tim Jordan served notice that he will be a force to reckon with out of the backfield, recording 118 yards and his first career touchdown on 20 carries against West Virginia after totaling 52 yards as a freshman. Junior wide receiver Marquez Callaway, who also handles the punt return duties, caught a career-high seven passes for 85 yards last week. Junior linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., a former all-SEC freshman pick who missed the 2017 season with a knee injury, recorded a career-high 10 tackles versus West Virginia.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Volunteers have won 22 of their past 23 home openers with the loss coming to Oklahoma in 2015, when the Sooners were a College Football Playoff semifinalist.

2. The Buccaneers, who play in the Southern Conference, are 12-22 since the football program was restored in 2015 after an 11-year hiatus.

3. Tennessee has won 13 straight games against in-state non-conference opponents -- its last loss was to Memphis 21-17 in 1996 -- and is 70-3-2 in such contests.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 42, East Tennessee State 7