MATCH CENTRAL: at USF

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 22 Tennessee will play its first ranked opponent of the 2021 campaign in Tampa on Thursday, squaring off with a USF team that is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and is ranked No. 23 by Top Drawer Soccer. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET, and it will be streamed on ESPN+.

UT enters the match having opened the season with four straight shutouts for the first time in program history. The Big Orange currently ranks third in the nation in goals scored with 18, and 10 different players have found the back of the net already this season.

It is the first meeting between the two programs. The Vols hold a 6-3-0 record all-time against AAC opponents.

USF enters the game with a 3-1 record, having already faced three SEC opponents. The Bulls beat both Florida and Kentucky, 2-1, and fell to LSU, 1-2. USF was picked to finish first in the AAC by the league's coaches in the 2021 preseason poll, having captured its fourth consecutive conference championships in 2020 with both the regular season and tournament titles.

UP NEXT: Tennessee returns home to host High Point at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be streamed on SECN+.

FRESHMEN STARTING HOT: Freshmen Taylor Huff, Jordan Fusco and Emmy Schleifer have combined for seven goals through four games.

HUFF CLIMBING CHARTS: With four goals on the season, Taylor Huff currently leads the team in goals scored. That figure ranks first among freshmen in the SEC and 22nd in the nation among all players.

MAY WE ASSIST YOU: UT's 18 assists ties Clemson at third among Division I programs.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE: The Vols' back line has tallied 360 scoreless minutes, limiting opposing teams to a combined 19 shots and just four corner kicks over the last four games.

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Fusco

Taylor Huff

Emmy Schleifer

University of Tennessee Athletics