There are a surprising number of similarities between the last time Tennessee football played the Georgia State Panthers and this season. For instance, it was Jim Chaney’s last season as the Vols’ offensive coordinator, 2012, and now he’s back in the same role.
It was also the last time Derrick Ansley was on staff. The current UT defensive coordinator was the Vols’ defensive backs coach at the time. On top of that, there was cautious optimism surrounding the program at the time. Derek Dooley was in his third year, and he had finally restocked the roster to where he wanted it after inheriting a mess in 2010.