Nashville Daily Times: Vols don't like home underdog role

By Joe Kennedy, Daily Times Correspondent

KNOXVILLE — Don’t expect Tennessee receiver Jayson Swain to be watching intently as Lee Corso offers his prediction on Saturday’s season opener.

The senior, who was named as one of five game captains for the match-up against No. 9 California, is already tired of hearing about the Vols’ role as spoiler. Kickoff Saturday at Neyland Stadium is 5:30 p.m. (ESPN). “Personally, I’m mad,” Swain said. “I’m mad that Tennessee can be counted out of any type of football game. That’s the attitude and the mentality that I’m going to have out here as well as the rest of the guys out here practicing.”

Swain and his fellow captains are aware of the responsibility placed on them by coaches and plan on getting the message across to the younger players as the season draws near. “Being older, we know that the preseason rankings really don’t matter, but as far as respect, we don’t feel like we’ve gotten it,” Swain said, “so we have to go out there and take it.”

Despite the pervading notion that they are indeed underdogs, the No. 23 Vols actually opened as slight favorites to defeat the Golden Bears. But after years of being a heavy favorite in nearly every game held inside Neyland Stadium, Tennessee finds itself in a strange position after a 5-6 season. “Obviously, we’re getting the hype that we deserve,” defensive lineman and game captain Turk McBride said. “Last year wasn’t a great season, but we’re not looking at last year anymore. We’re a new football team — new players, new mentality on the team — so we’re ready to go out there and prove ourselves.”

Read the entire article here.