We have been over the daunting task that playing at Neyland Stadium can present for the visiting team, and we have been over Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning's records on the road. However, when it comes to the Texas Longhorns' actual experience at the home of the Tennessee Volunteers, there is nothing to go over.
The Horns have never played in Knoxville before, with the two teams' three previous meetings all taking place in Cotton Bowl games.
However, while the program itself may not have any experience at Neyland, Texas's head coach has been there on a number of occasions and walked away victorious every time.
Steve Sarkisian went undefeated at Tennessee as Alabama assistant
Before taking over on the 40 Acres, Sarkisian had various coaching jobs all across the country, including as an offensive assistant and offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide under legendary head coach Nick Saban.
In 2016, when Sark was Alabama's offensive assistant and interim OC, the then-No. 1 Tide stormed into Neyland and demolished the then-No. 9 Volunteers in a 49-10 walloping. Four years later, when Sarkisian was Bama's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the then-No. 2 Crimson Tide whooped up on Tennessee once again, securing a 48-17 win.
Simply put, Sarkisian is no stranger to earning victories in one of the more intimidating stadiums in the sport.
Now, don't let this lead you to believe that Sarkisian is disillusioned with the home-field advantage that Neyland Stadium presents for the Vols. He is well aware that it won't be an easy environment for his team to settle into on Saturday.
"We are going into what I would probably consider the loudest stadium in the country," Sarkisian said in his game preview press conference at the start of the week. "Their fans are engaged, and they understand football; they've got a lot of pride in their program... It's definitely a loud place."
Fortunately, as the Longhorns work to find their footing in a new setting, Sarkisian knows what to expect and has experienced it as an opposing coach in the past.
Of course, many had expected quarterback Arch Manning to have been to Neyland Stadium before, with his legendary uncle, Peyton Manning, suiting up for the Volunteers in college. However, both the Horns' head coach and QB1 shared that it would be his first time in Knoxville.
The best news, beyond the fact that Sarkisian has coached and won in Neyland before, is that the game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT, taking away the additional edge that an SEC night game can give to the home team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google