Tennessee fans create fundraiser for Knoxville children’s hospital after Ole Miss game
After a controversial ending in last weekend’s 31-26 Ole Miss-Tennessee game, Vols fans are attempting to make good and show the college football world they are better than what a select group of their fans showed on Saturday night.
Brent Baltzer and Jayson Swain have organized a Go Fund Me to raise money for the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.
“Let’s show [everyone] what we are really all about!” the page reads.
As of Thursday morning, they had raised over $40,000. It has been posted for two days. Their donation goal is $102,455, the capacity of Neyland Stadium.
On Saturday night, Tennessee fans peppered the sidelines and field with trash and other projectiles, including a golf ball thrown at Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, following a controversial fourth down call. There was a 20-minute game delay as a result of the debacle. Tennessee has since been fined $250,000, and the UTPD continue to make arrests of those involved.
Heupel has Vols trending up
In his first season, new head coach Josh Heupel’s team is more competitive than it has been in recent memory. Prior to the trash-throwing debacle, Tennessee fans largely had good things going for them, as the Go Fund Me sites.
“Despite being marred by injuries and decimated by the transfer portal, coach Josh Heupel and his rag-tag skeleton crew almost pulled off the upset! They fought hard and they never gave up. They reminded us of what it really means to be a Volunteer!”
Tennessee is 4-3, but outside of a loss at Florida, they have been competitive in every game. Their high-tempo offense is difficult to defend against, as is evidenced by the fact that they are currently scoring 39 points per game and posting 473 yards of total offense each week.
The Vols have a huge question mark at quarterback currently, as their breakout starter Hendon Hooker suffered an injury against Ole Miss and is day-to-day. Hooker is second in the SEC and fifth in the nation in passer rating. Joe Milton, who ended Saturday’s game for Heupel on a mystifying play, would likely get the start if Hooker is not ready to go this weekend.
The Vols head to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a huge test. Tennessee has not beaten Alabama since 2006, and they have not won in Tuscaloosa since 2003. The results over the last 14 years have been ugly; the Crimson Tide have won by an average of 25.7 points.
Fittingly, the Vols are a 25-point underdog on Saturday night. The game kicks off at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.