“I feel it doesn’t matter what you do the earlier week, it’s important to put the sport behind you,” head coach Josh Heupel stated on Monday. “Actually, we perceive the standard of the opponent that’s coming to city this week. Our guys perceive who they’re, what they’re about and the way in which they’re going to play. It is going to be a fantastic check for us.”
Being again contained in the pleasant confines of Neyland Stadium ought to assist present a lift to the crew getting into this weekend’s matchup. The Vols have been improbable at defending their residence turf throughout the Heupel period and carry a 14-game residence successful streak into Saturday’s contest in opposition to the Bulldogs.
“It is the primary time we now have been again residence for an SEC recreation inside Neyland Stadium in over a month,” Heupel stated on Monday. “Wanting ahead to our followers, seeing them there on Saturday. We’d like a fantastic environment.”
Redshirt senior defensive sort out Courott Garland echoed his coach’s ideas on what he expects will likely be a fantastic environment this weekend on Rocky High.
“I really feel like with it being a house recreation, our followers are going to be there and so they’ll be actually good help for us,” Garland stated. “We’re hoping to present them a superb present this coming Saturday.”
Movies, a full transcript of Heupel’s press convention and choose participant quotes from Monday could be discovered under.
Opening assertion…
“Guys got here on this morning, and you possibly can see the frustration on their face nonetheless. There is a chance to study from it as we watch the tape. On the finish of the day, a number of the issues we talked about going into the sport, we did not do. Now we have to play smarter soccer, specifically on the offensive aspect of the soccer. You have a look at the drives, most of them ended with a serious penalty that places you in second and extra-long or first and extra-long, and the turnovers on the plus aspect of the territory as properly. So, quite a bit to study from. On the identical time, it’s important to wash it whether or not you win or lose, and it’s important to transfer on to the following one. Now we have a fantastic opponent coming to city this week. You have a look at Georgia, they play extraordinarily properly—good soccer, bodily soccer in all three phases of the sport. They’ve dynamic playmakers in all three phases of the sport as properly. So, it’s a enormous check for us, and we now have to have a fantastic week of preparation to prepare for these guys. It is the primary time we now have been again residence for an SEC recreation inside Neyland Stadium in over a month. Wanting ahead to our followers, seeing them there on Saturday. We’d like a fantastic environment. Dolly (Parton) goes to be there as properly, so my mother will likely be enthusiastic about that one.”
On fixing the quantity of penalties the crew commits…
“A few of it’s private accountability. A few of it, you have a look at a number of the penalties on the offensive aspect of the soccer, the enjoying penalties. It comes right down to fundamentals and approach and physique place. You do these issues proper, and you’ve got a chance to not have a few of these issues occur. You must be good on the finish of a play as properly.”
On how strict their apply officers name penalties in preparation for a recreation…
“They take note of all the pieces that is happening. They’re there for a cause. The best way you end performs in apply is not essentially the identical as a recreation.”
On the run recreation in opposition to Mizzou and the way they’ll get it going once more in opposition to Georgia…
“A part of it’s the means the sport ended and the kind of state of affairs that you’re enjoying out, however a bunch of it’s us doing a fantastic job with communication, fundamentals, working backs urgent the opening and doing a superb job of studying issues too. It was a mix of all these issues the opposite night time.”
On Dee Williams having flexibility with how he approaches kickoff returns…
“Now we have an thought of what we’re doing earlier than we go on the market, however primarily based on the kick too, there ought to be a call that’s made throughout the course of the play as properly.”
On if enjoying in opposition to the No. 1 crew in Neyland helps the crew put the Missouri outcome behind them…
“I feel it doesn’t matter what you do the earlier week, it’s important to put the sport behind you. Actually, we perceive the standard of the opponent that’s coming to city this week. Our guys perceive who they’re, what they’re about and the way in which they’re going to play. It is going to be a fantastic check for us.”
On vast receivers stepping up after WR Dont’e Thornton Jr.’s damage…
“Dont’e will likely be out for the rest of the common season. We’ll see the place we’re at as we get into postseason play. Younger guys, there have been some actual constructive issues that they did throughout the course of the sport. Chas Nimrod, Kaleb Webball in all, I favored a majority of what they did.”
On how a lot he has to vary offensively to compensate for accidents…
“You are all the time going to subtly change your scheme primarily based on what you are seeing structure-wise and personnel-wise on the opposite aspect. You all the time attempt to put these guys ready the place they’ll go win. On this one, there is a bunch of one-on-ones. It may be tight, contested protection out on the skin. On the finish of the day, they will must win a few of these battles.”
On his evaluation of LB Elijah Herring…
“The opposite day, I believed he bought his eyes simply caught within the incorrect place on a few his reads. Missed a pair open-field tackles, however he did some good issues as properly. He is a younger participant that has to proceed to develop. He did not play extraordinarily properly on Saturday afternoon.”
On Georgia’s personnel this 12 months in comparison with final…
“They’ve actually good gamers throughout the board. Defensively, thick, robust and athletic up entrance. They’ll run. They cowl extraordinarily properly on the backend. They do not miss tackles. You see them in shut quarters and in open area, they sort out extraordinarily properly. Offensively, they have dynamic playmakers. A couple of of these guys are simply getting again and getting actually wholesome proper now, however the quarterback is enjoying extraordinarily properly. Actually environment friendly, been correct. He is accomplished a very nice job.”
On if Dolly Parton’s presence will put strain on the crew…
“Anytime Dolly’s hanging round it actually provides strain, completely, to our efficiency. For Tennesseans, that is one that everyone will take pleasure in seeing.”
On DB Jourdan Thomas’s efficiency at Mizzou and an replace on Tamarion McDonald…
“I believed Jourdan did some constructive issues, was harmful and made some performs out on the perimeter. T-Mac (Tamarion McDonald) bought nicked up early within the soccer recreation. I do consider that he’ll have a chance to be prepared for this one.”
On what Missouri was doing to stop the Vols protection from getting off the sector on third down…
“Lack of ability to get off the sector, a part of that was the quarterback extending and making performs together with his ft, working, additionally scrambling and getting exterior of the pocket. For us, it’s important to do a superb job of making use of strain to him, too. You may’t let him sit again there all day. However he broke include on us. That was disappointing. A few of our selection video games, our contained participant did not get there. He bought out up by the center of the soccer subject one or twice, too. We have to do a greater job. That’ll be massive on this one too, and we have to match issues out on scramble drill.”
On what he meant when he stated he was disillusioned in how the crew completed at Missouri…
“Simply the final couple of drives. Going again and watching it, a variety of them did proceed to play exhausting. I simply did not assume we performed very good on the finish of it. We’re disillusioned in that.”
On how they’ll enhance the working recreation for a tricky Georgia protection…
“Actually simply matching the surge and matching the vitality that these guys are coming off the ball with. One thing that we now have dealt with all 12 months lengthy is dealing with the physicality. With the ability to go on the market and transfer folks, and never each single one-on-one as a result of everyone knows that is unrealistic on this recreation. Understanding our angles on our double groups and understanding the footwork that must be taken for various strategies. With the ability to adapt on three-down and four-down; they get into a variety of various things with their fronts and the blokes that they’ve. These issues will assist us for positive.”
On solely having two extra video games left in Neyland and feeling a way of urgency…
“When you go about your corporation the proper means, you deal with issues and also you deal with folks the proper means, I feel folks naturally really feel that. I feel folks need the most effective for me and different guys in my place, the older guys on the crew, the blokes that aren’t going to be right here subsequent 12 months. Not that they do something particular or completely different, however there is a sense of urgency that you simply wish to have for these guys which might be leaving this system. For myself as properly, it’s important to capitalize on these subsequent two weeks, as a result of I am not going to have the ability to play on that grass after this 12 months. Why not exit the most effective I can?”
On how Dont’e Thornton Jr.’s damage impacts the offense…
“I feel it impacts it in a means of, these guys are the blokes that you have leaned on and trusted for the entire preseason, you then get into the season, and also you lose a man like Bru (McCoy) and also you’re leaning on guys like Dont’e. Now you may’t lean on Dont’e anymore, as a result of he isn’t enjoying for us. It is a matter of trusting the following man up. On this recreation, there are going to be occasions when you are going to be known as upon, and there is going to be a chance for a youthful vast receiver or a man with much less expertise to step up into that function. Now we have the utmost confidence that they’re going to have the ability to do it as a result of we all know the right way to put together, and we all know how that room handles their enterprise. Even Bru and Dont’e, those that aren’t in a position to play, are going to carry the blokes alongside into what they should be for the crew.”
On wanting ahead to the following opponent and attending to play in Neyland this Saturday…
“I really feel like as quickly as Monday comes, the swap flips on. Now we’re again to specializing in a brand new crew, a special crew. I really feel like with it being a house recreation, our followers are going to be there and so they’ll be a very good help for us popping out. We’re hoping to present them a superb present this coming Saturday.”
On the problem offered by Georgia…
“I feel that Georgia is a reasonably good crew. They’re powerful, however I really feel like if we will carry our mentality, our focus and guarantee that we’re extra honed into this subsequent recreation, then we ought to be prepared for them.”
On the house subject benefit that Neyland Stadium brings…
“I really feel like with how excessive the audio is within the stadium, positively the followers contribute quite a bit to that. I really feel like with that happening, the offense has to drive themselves to change up their cadence. They’re going to primarily attempt to stick with a quarterback clap.”