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NASHVILLE, Tenn - The Tennessee Titans (0-1) play their regular season home opener this week, welcoming the division rival Houston Texans (0-1) to LP Field (capacity 69,143). Kickoff is scheduled for noon CDT on Sunday, Sept. 20.
The 2009 season, the 50th in the history of the Titans organization, marks the 11th year the club has called LP Field its home. The Titans own an all-time record of 54-30 in the regular season and playoffs at the stadium, and every game at the venue has been sold out.
Fans attending this week's game are encouraged to participate in the LP PENCIL Box School Supply Drive. LP PENCIL Box is a collaborative venture between PENCIL Foundation and LP Building Products. The non-profit organization, which offers Nashville Metro teachers the opportunity to shop free for classroom school supplies, is in need of erasers, pencil boxes, pencils, hand soap, hand sanitizers, facial tissue, paper towels, colored pencils, pens and rulers. Seven collection locations will be positioned outside of LP Field.
THE BROADCAST
The game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5. Gus Johnson will handle play-by-play duties, while Steve Tasker will provide color commentary.
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 103.3-WKDF, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, color commentator Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.
Westwood One Radio Sports will carry the national radio broadcast. Howard David (play-by-play) and Dan Reeves (color commentary) will provide the call.
LAST WEEK
The Titans opened in front of a national television audience last Thursday in Pittsburgh, where they pushed the Steelers to overtime before eventually falling by a final score of 13-10. They limited the defending Super Bowl Champions to 36 rushing yards, recorded four sacks and totaled three takeaways. However, two missed field goals and a pair of turnovers proved fatal in the defeat.
Tennessee's lone touchdown of the game came on a 14-yard pass from Kerry Collins to Justin Gage. Rob Bironas added a 45-yard field goal, which gave the Titans a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Steelers tied the game late in regulation and scored on the opening possession of overtime.
DIVISION QUEST
This is the first of six games the Titans will play this season against AFC South opponents.
They won the division last year with a 13-3 overall record, including a 4-2 combined mark against the Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the third consecutive season they went 4-2 in the division.
The Texans, who lost 24-7 at home last week to the New York Jets, were 2-4 against the AFC South in 2008. They won five of their last six games of the year to finish 8-8 for the second consecutive season under head coach Gary Kubiak.
The only AFC South team to win last week was the Indianapolis Colts, who were 14-12 winners against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
