IIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT’SSSSSSSSSS MONDAY!!!!!
And, as usual, you fine orange-clad brethren know what that means. Let’s strap on those helmets, tighten up those shoulder pads, put our hands in the dirt, and smash right into those Tennessee Vols-related thoughts scattered around my mind.
1) So the Vols know where they’ll be starting at to reach their first shot at a national championship since 1998. Well, at least in one of the polls. The coaches poll came out on Monday, and the Vols checked in at 15.
15, on its face, isn’t really that bad. However, it’s the fact that the Vols are the seventh-ranked SEC team that leaves my scratching my head a bit. I guess maybe it shouldn’t but it does. I’m not as high on Missouri and LSU, who are ranked at 11 and 12.
But hey, that’s more motivation for the team, I suppose. Take it where you can. The anti-rat poison.
2) I’m not going to go much into camp. Because we’re still mostly at the underwear football stages. When the pads have been popping for a bit, then that’s where things become a little bit more relevant as we start to get closer to a game week. I’m more interested in everyone staying healthy and making it through camp to the start of the season.
3) Unfortunately, that didn’t happen with STAR Jourdan Thomas, who’s out for the year with a knee injury. Hate that. Poor guy just can’t catch a break from the injury bug. Instead, it looks like freshman Boo Carter could get a look there, as our Terry A. Lambert noted recently.
4) I indicate that you can’t tell much from underwear football, and I believe that. But there are some things you can tell. One of them is guys who hustle and play like their hair is on fire. Fly to the ball during positional drills. Carter has done that so far in camp, and he looked pretty good during the spring game as well. Consider me intrigued there.
5) Heupel landed 2026 5-star QB Faizon Brandon’s commitment over the weekend, as we noted on Saturday. But man, I have to say I love the reaction of 2025 QB commit George MacIntyre to the news. He tweeted a picture of UT QB coach and OC Joey Halzle looking smooth and cool. As in coach did it again. Have to love him publicly welcoming a new teammate albeit competition. He indeed appears to be all Vol.
6) Angels reliever Ben Joyce threw the fastest pitch in the majors over the weekend, striking out Mets’ DH J.D. Martinez on a 104.7 mph fastball. It was so ridiculous that Martinez was even laughing about it with the Mets reporters afterwards.
Ben Joyce dials it up to 104.7 MPH to get the final out of his first career save! pic.twitter.com/RLfbJUEGRm
— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2024
“Kudos to him. He throws hard and he goes right at you.”
J.D. Martinez says Ben Joyce’s 105 MPH fastball in the 9th inning is the hardest he’s ever faced: pic.twitter.com/nVUQdxkAni
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 4, 2024
Joyce hasn’t allowed an earned run since June 11, a stretch of 18 straight appearances. Just silly, stupid, ridiculous stuff. He’s turning into one of the best young relievers in baseball. We’ll see if he has a new teammate in the near future in his 2022 Vols teammate Christian Moore, who’s started his pro career off in a big way.
Go Vols!