Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised the environment at Neyland Stadium ahead of the Longhorns' trip to Tennessee on Saturday.
"I think that's the challenge of (the SEC), being mentally and physically prepared to play week in and week out, and for us, this week is no different," Sarkisian told reporters Monday. "We're going into what I would probably consider the loudest stadium in the country, Neyland Stadium."
Sarkisian added, "We've got a heck of a challenge going into a hostile environment. Obviously, with (College GameDay) coming, they'll be all charged up, ready to go. I think naturally for us, when we go on the road, we've gotta focus on what we need to do. We need to stay really connected, and we need to have the ability to execute in all three phases to be successful."
The Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country and are coming off a 30-6 victory over UTSA. Tennessee is ranked No. 14 after a 42-9 home win against Kennesaw State. Both teams are 3-0.
Neyland Stadium holds a capacity of 101,915, making it the sixth-largest college football stadium in the U.S.
"Their fans are engaged. They understand football," Sarkisian said. "They got a lot of pride in their program, right? But I don't know the structure of it why - if it's more vertical. I'm not sure how it is; it's enclosed. But it's definitely a loud place."
Saturday will be the first time Texas faces Tennessee since Jan. 1, 1969. The schools have met only three times, all at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
