Here's what WON'T happen with Tennessee football this fall

With the 2019 Tennessee football season creeping closer, I’ll go on record as stating I have no idea what’s going to happen. Seven wins? Eight? Five (gulp)?

Trey Smith is All-America? Trey Smith doesn’t play a snap?

Jarrett Guarantano has a brilliant season and declares for the NFL draft? Jarrett Guarantano is knocked out for the year against BYU?

I feel on firmer ground predicting some things that will not – repeat, not – happen in 2019.

I’ve been poring over the UT record book. It’s a treasure of fascinating facts that illuminate Tennessee’s rich history. There are trivial tidbits, as well. It’s not all Peyton Manning and Reggie White.

Here is a collection of school records I predict will survive 2019.

Nobody will top William Howard’s 1986 NCAA record of 16 consecutive rushing attempts. I’m not sure if coach Johnny Majors was punishing Howard for a curfew violation or just riding a winning horse. In a 22-10 win over Ole Miss, Howard’s number was called 16 consecutive times over two possessions.

Also safe, another NCAA record by a Vol – three consecutive interceptions returned for touchdowns. It wasn’t Eric Berry, either. Prentiss Waggner got the hat trick in 2010, against UT Martin and UAB in September, then Ole Miss in November.

One more NCAA record isn’t going anywhere this fall. Tee Martin’s 23 consecutive pass completions at South Carolina in 1998. Even if Martin coaches up Tennessee’s receivers, a ball will hit the ground before that standard is threatened.

I like junior kicker Brent Cimaglia, but Fuad Reveiz’ SEC record of 18 consecutive made field goals (1984) is good for another year. Speaking of Reveiz, no Vol has made one longer than his 60-yarder in 1982.

Another special-teams record: Kent Elmore’s 81-yard punt in 1988 at Vanderbilt will live on. That’s the modern-era standard. A 100-yard punt was recorded in 1902. Before the days of Shields-Watkins Field, the gridiron might have been downhill.

Jay Graham is sometimes overlooked in the discussion of UT’s greatest tailbacks. His school record of 11 100-yard rushing games in a season (1995) won’t be threatened this fall. For the record, that was 11 out of 12 games.

Here’s one that has stood the test of time. Gene McEver scored 130 points in 1929. The 90th anniversary of McEver’s record won’t be the occasion it is broken.

If Guarantano would like to see one record broken, this is it: In 2007, the Vols allowed only four sacks all season. The past two seasons, Tennessee quarterbacks have been sacked a combined 58 times. The prediction here is five sacks by Columbus Day.

I’m guessing here’s the record that head coach Jeremy Pruitt would like to break: his defense forcing turnovers on four consecutive snaps. It happened against Western Kentucky in 2013. Won’t happen again, though.

The secondary should be a strong point this fall. But not strong enough to break a couple of 1970 interception records. The Vols intercepted eight passes in a 24-0 win over Alabama. The 2018 Vols intercepted nine all season. Bobby Majors picked off 10 all by himself in ’70. I hope College Football Hall of Fame voters validate Majors, who is on this year’s ballot.

Jim Chaney is back in town as offensive coordinator. Here’s betting there will not be a Saturday where he calls 75 running plays – a 45-14 win over Kentucky in 1980. Nor a Saturday where his quarterback lofts 68 passes – Manning, a 35-29 loss to Florida in 1996.

Enough. You know what they say about records: They’re made to be broken. These won’t be, not in 2019.

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Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently write a weekly sports column for Shopper News.