They're coming home this weekend.

It's only appropriate. After all, it is homecoming weekend for the University of Tennessee.

It's just a little different for Ian O' Connor, John Inman and Zane Bruhin.

They're making it home to Knoxville, but it's not for some kind of alumni reunion. They'll be wearing the green of Marshall University in a 4 p.m. Saturday matchup (TV: PPV) against 15th-ranked Tennessee.

"It's an opportunity to play in front of friends and family in the environment that Tennessee offers," said O'Connor, a former star kicker at Halls High School. "It's just incredible.

"It's a great way to cap off a senior year and be back home."

A pipeline straight from Knoxville to Marshall got its beginning when Webb School's Chad Pennington went to Huntington, W. Va., throw touchdown passes to Randy Moss.

A steady stream of local players has taken that route ever since.

"Neyland Stadium is just a great place and Tennessee has great fans," said Inman, an offensive lineman out of Webb.

"Growing up in Knoxville it was always a dream to play in Neyland Stadium.

"Now I get to do it from the other side of the spectrum, and that adds even more to it."

O'Connor knows the feeling.

It led to an upset stomach when Marshall played at UT his freshman season in 2003. The Thundering Herd threw a little scare into the Vols back then, losing 34-24.

"I was kind of in shock before the game," O'Connor said of his first homecoming trip. "I actually threw up most of the game."

He'll be a little more relaxed this time.

He's a senior considering a return to Knoxville and UT's Veterinary School when his time at Marshall is finished.

Like the rest of the Thundering Herd, O'Connor has had his ups and downs the past few years.

He connected on 14 of 19 field goals and punted for a 40.4 average as a sophomore. Last season, he went 7-of-14 on field goals. He has since lost kicking duties and returned to punting full time.

"We haven't gotten the start we wanted and I haven't had the start I wanted, personally," O'Connor said after getting a punt blocked last week in a loss at Kansas State.

"We're just working out the kinks and trying to get everything right for the conference games. I just want to keep making some progress and Tennessee would be an ideal place to do that."

O'Connor admitted a lot of family and friends are long-time season-ticket holders to UT games.

"There are several people torn between the green and the orange when this game rolls around," he said.

Including his brother, Logan, another strong-legged kicker from Halls. Logan made an unofficial visit to UT during the Cal game.

Inman (6-foot-5, 302-pound junior) has similar family and friend issues.

His family doesn't have season tickets, but plenty of them follow the Vols.

"I think I ate them out of season tickets with all my trips to fast-food restaurants and Kroger's," Inman said. "Besides Marshall, my family is all about UT and we've got a bunch of UT fans.

"I've got a lot of cousins and uncles talking junk and trying to hype me up to play Tennessee."

So much so that Inman has had to screen his calls this week.

"I've been off the map with my buddies this week," he said. "I'm just trying to get prepared to play this game.

"Tennessee has always had a dominant defense and they've got a motor that just doesn't stop. Facing that defensive line is going to be a big task for us."

The Bruhin family has even more interesting ties between UT and Marshall.

John Bruhin, Zane's dad, was a starting right guard for the Vols from 1985 to 1987. Zane is a backup redshirt freshman this season and little brother John Bruhin, a senior at Powell, already has committed to the Thundering Herd.

"It's a dream come true," said Bruhin, a backup left guard. "I've been looking forward to this one for a while.

"I'm pretty sure my whole family is going to be wearing green. Tennessee's going to be tough, but we're looking forward to getting after them."

Then there's the Lee Smith connection.

Smith signed with Tennessee out of Powell High School, but never made it to fall camp. He was dismissed from the team in July after a DUI arrest on campus and later transferred to Marshall where he's sitting out for one year.

All kinds of subplots exist. Only one matters to the Marshall players from Knoxville.

"We're just glad to be coming home," Bruhin said.