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Tennessee Football: Orange Bowl hints at checkerboard end zone for Vols

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/28/22•

GrantRamey

Tennessee will be the away team in the Orange Bowl on Friday, but Hard Rock Stadium will give the Vols an at-home feel in one end zone. The Orange Bowl and Hard Rock Stadium posted on Twitter on Tuesday hinting at a checkerboard end zone in Miami.

No. 6 Tennessee (10-2) and No. 7 Clemson (11-2) are scheduled for an 8 p.m. Eastern Time start at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday. The game will be televised by ESPN.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said earlier this month that, despite his Tigers being the designated home team, they’ll likely be in white road jersey, paired with orange helmets and orange pants. 

“I think we’re orange pants and maybe white jerseys,” Swinney said during the Orange Bowl’s introductory press conference on December 9. “I think that’s what the guys, I think we got to pick, if I remember. My equipment guy (asked me) and I said ask the players what they want to do. 

“So I think we’re white on orange. I think that’s what we’re wearing. We’ve got orange helmets, orange tape, orange shoes. We’ve got a lot of it.”

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said at the time that the decision would also be made by the players.

“I don’t know what (the players) have picked,” he said. “Our guys pick the uniforms every week. I’m sure there will be a ton of orange in it.”

The Vols have been working out in white helmets at practice this week in Florida, indicating they’ll be in their traditional home uniform.

Vols wore four different helmets, two alternate uniforms during regular season

Tennessee players have had plenty of options in picking uniforms this season. In 12 regular-season games, the Vols wore two alternate uniform sets and four different helmets.

At South Carolina on November 19 Tennessee debuted a new orange helmet paired with the white road jersey and white pants. 

The orange helmet was the fourth different one the Vols have worn this season, to go with the traditional white helmet, the black helmet with the ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniform and the Smokey Grey helmet.

The black helmet featured a black face mask with an orange stripe and orange Power T’s. The Smokey Grey helmet has multiple shades of grey, with the Smokey Mountains on the back to go with a grey face mask, orange stripe that includes a checkerboard pattern on the back, and orange Power T’s.

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