Tennessee has an important game on the road against Texas A&M this weekend before returning to Knoxville for the final home game of the season against LSU.

As crazy as the atmosphere was inside Neyland Stadium for the Alabama game and the Dark Mode game against Kentucky, the environment for the LSU game could be the craziest one yet this season.

After all, it’s the return of former LSU head coach Lane Kiffin to Neyland Stadium (it’ll be his fourth time back, following return trips as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2014 and 2016 and as the Ole Miss head coach in 2021).

The last time Kiffin was in Neyland Stadium — the 2021 Ole Miss game — featured fans pelting the field with trash (and a famous mustard bottle and golf ball) after some questionable calls by officials.

If you’re expecting to see a reference to the mustard bottle (or the incident in general) from Tennessee when LSU visits Neyland Stadium in two weeks, you’re going to be dissapointed.

Vols athletic director Danny White — despite Josh Heupel’s comments at SEC media days about mustard bottles and golf balls — made it clear on Wednesday during an appearance on WNML’s SportsTalk that he has no interest in revisiting what happened in 2021 against Ole Miss.

“I think there will be no references to those types of things,” said White when asked about mustard bottles. “I know our fans are going to perform. They are a part of the game. They know that, and that’s why we have the best home field advantage in college football. And I expect to not get a penalty from our fans, and I don’t think we’ll have that kind of activity. I certainly hope not.

“This season has a chance to be really special, and we need them in the game with us. It’s not about the past and mustard bottles. It’s about winning a football game and creating a dynamic atmosphere. And I know they’ll be there with us. … It won’t be Dark Mode — Dark Mode is a novelty event we do every year. But I expect it to be just as lit. Perhaps maybe a little louder.”

Penalties are rarely called on the home crowd, but the officials can call a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if fans cause in-game issues. And given what happened against Ole Miss in 2021, the officials may be quick to pull the trigger on calling a penalty if the crowd at Neyland starts throwing objects on the field during the LSU game.

But I don’t think that will be a problem. That incident happened in 2021 because the officials made some very questionable calls, and there were also some questionable injuries from Ole Miss that slowed the Vols’ tempo. It wasn’t about Kiffin — though his presence certainly caused the stadium to have some extra juice.

Like Danny White said, this game is about getting a win for the Vols. Nothing else matters.