When evening strikes Thursday night, a sea of orange is destined to engulf the city of Knoxville, TN. The aura surrounding inside the fifth-largest stadium in the country should be stronger than in past years, especially after the palpable hype generated in Josh Heupel’s first season at the helm — attaining a winning record in his first year unlike Tennessee’s previous three head coaches.
For the second consecutive year, Tennessee welcomes a MAC program for its Thursday night opener at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers tossed Bowling Green in 38-6 fashion last year, and this week, Ball State hopes for a different result.