Akron @ Tennessee preview

Tennessee looks to rebound after a home loss to SEC rival Florida as it hosts Akron. The Vols surrendered 24 unanswered points to the Gators in the second half, erasing a seven-point lead in the third quarter. A win over the visiting Zips would give Tennessee its first nine-game non-conference winning streak since a 10-game run from 2000-02. Akron is in its first year under head coach Terry Bowden, a familiar face to SEC opponents, having coached the Auburn Tigers from 1993-98.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast Sports South, ESPN3.com. LINE: Tennessee -35

ABOUT AKRON (1-2): The Zips set or tied 13 different school records in a 66-6 dusting of visiting Morgan State last week, earning Bowden his first win as Akron head coach in memorable fashion. Akron's 565 passing yards broke the all-time Mid-American Conference record of 551, set by Kent State in 1997. Fifth-year senior Dalton Williams threw for 446 yards against Morgan State and ranks fourth in the nation with 1,004 passing yards.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (2-1, 0-1 SEC): The Tennessee offense comes into the game averaging 474 yards per game, good for third in the SEC and 29th overall in the nation. Quarterback Tyler Bray trails only Kentucky's Maxwell Smith in the conference with 900 yards through the air this season and his eight touchdown passes are good for a share of the SEC lead. Bray's top target, junior receiver Justin Hunter, is second in the conference with 22 catches, including three touchdown receptions to tie him for the SEC lead.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. This will be just the second meeting all-time between Tennessee and Akron, with the Volunteers prevailing 52-9 in Knoxville in 1989. Tennessee is 4-0 all-time against teams from the MAC.

2. The Zips have two wins over teams from BCS automatic qualifier conferences since 2006, knocking off North Carolina State 20-17 in 2006 and Syracuse 42-28 in 2008.

3. The Volunteers were 2-0 against Bowden during his time as head coach at Auburn.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 41, Akron 17