KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s three coordinators and associate head coach/defensive line coach Brady Hoke met with the media on Friday afternoon in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio to provide updates on Team 121 as it prepares to begin game-week preparations for Georgia Tech next week.
Offensive coordinator Larry Scott said many competitions remain open on the offensive side of the ball and talked about the excitement that comes with lining up to play that first game.
“As a coach, you’re always evaluating and seeing what you have,” Scott said. “At some point, it’s time to go play. You never say you feel great or bad heading into a new day. It’s about what the day brings, what do you have to do, and what do you have to conquer? Soon, it will be gameday. What will we have to do to win? When we put the ball down [in the first game], I think a lot of questions will start to get answered.”
Scott, in his first year as the offensive coordinator after serving as the tight ends coach last season, takes the helm of an offense that returns 49 starts on the offensive line from 2016 as well as second-leading receiver Jauan Jennings (40 receptions, 580 yards, seven touchdowns) and second-leading rusher John Kelly(630 yards, 6.4 ypc, five touchdowns).
Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop enters his second year as the Vols’ defensive coordinator. He recognizes communication will be key against the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense.
“One of the things that I try to talk about all the time, as a coach, is your vocabulary,” Shoop said. “I talk about speaking the same language defensively. Singing the same song and singing the same tune. That’s what we’ve been trying to do. I think we’ve really improved on that. It didn’t just start in August, it started in January and February. It really started last year in bowl game preparation.”
Shoop added that teams are successful when players buy in and coach each other.
“You can’t get 40 guys ready to play, but you can get 22-25 guys ready,” the veteran defensive coordinator said. “I feel like all of those guys have done a great job coaching each other up and helping each other out, and they have been doing a great job at that.”
Scott and Shoop were joined by special teams coordinator Charlton Warren and associate head coach/defensive line coach Brady Hoke at the media availability on Friday.
Pair of Vols Selected for 2017 Piesman Watch List
Senior defensive tackle Kendal Vickers and redshirt junior defensive end Jonathan Kongbo were named to the 44-member Piesman Watch List on Friday by SB Nation.
The award is given to the offensive or defensive lineman who makes the most impressive play as a runner, receiver or passer – as decided by a panel of national voters.
This year, the three finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony in New York City on Dec. 8.
Kongbo, a 6-6, 264-pounder, who was born in the Congo and raised in Canada, had a 59-yard interception return of a touchdown in 2016. He appeared in all 13 games last season, making 11 tackles, including three TFLs.
Vickers is expected to enter his third year as a starting defensive tackle for the Vols. He’s made 26 starts and appeared in 31 games over his career. The 6-3, 295-pounder tallied 38 tackles and six TFLs in 2016.
Additional Quotes
Offensive Coordinator Larry Scott
(On if everything is where he wants it to be at this point in camp)
“As a coach, you’re always evaluating and seeing what you have. At some point, it’s time to go play. You never say you feel great or bad heading into a new day. It’s about what the day brings, what do you have to do, and what do you have to conquer? Soon, it will be gameday. What will we have to do to win? When we put the ball down [in the first game], I think a lot of questions will start to get answered.”
(On how close Trey Smith is to starting)
“He is getting closer and closer, but we can’t forget that he is still 17 years old. He is still learning. I don’t care how big or strong a guy is. Mentally, he is still young. It’s the grind of it all too, especially at his position in this league. You will have one or two good days, but as an offensive lineman, you can’t have a bad day. Through all of that, he is still learning and maturing.”
Defensive Coordinator Bob Shoop
(On the balance of playing more players and keeping communication levels high)
“One of the things that I try to talk about all the time, as a coach, is your vocabulary. I talk about speaking the same language defensively. Singing the same song and singing the same tune. That’s what we’ve been trying to do. I think we’ve really improved on that. It didn’t just start in August, it started in January and February. It really started last year in bowl game preparation. I just saw a change in the guy’s working better together as a unit, eleven guys working as one. You can’t get forty guys ready to play, but you can get 22-25 guys ready. I feel like all of those guys have done a great job coaching each other up and helping each other out, and they have been doing a great job at that.”
(On Georgia Tech’s backfield despite losing a couple of running backs)
“Starting at the quarterback position you have Matt Jordan and TaQuon Marshall and they are both excellent runners. Jordan is more of an interior runner and TaQuan is a former running back that they made a quarterback. Searcy and those guys at the slot are all really good. JJ Green transferred from Georgia and the one has missed some time but No. 22 averages 11 yards a carry, 30 yards a reception, so that has my attention, I promise. They are good players, their slots, their quarterbacks, their running backs and their receivers are all very talented. He will always have a fullback, they have talked about a true freshmen playing and we’ve watched all the guys. (KirVonte) Benson had a good spring game and they’ve had some other guys at the fullback position that are very good players. Coach Johnson knows how to utilize his talent.”
(On whether or not starting competitions are still going on for defense)
“Well, defense is a little different than offense. A lot of guys play no matter what. We feel like we have a pretty good two deep line up right now and maybe even then some. The guys have all practiced well and have been very competitive so that’s been healthy. The competitive piece is something we’ve emphasized this whole offseason. So hopefully in will continue all season. It’s not that we’re trying to make guys uncomfortable, but we want them to compete every day to be the best player they can be.”
Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Charlton Warren
(On the team discipline when facing Georgia Tech)
“They understand, through film study and seeing how they make big plays, and seeing how they take great defenses and shred them up and how they are able to use their scheme to manipulate what the other team has to do defensively. I think our guys are seeing it on tape and how they are understanding it by their execution during practice. You have to have a certain level of accountability and discipline for this scheme way before you go into the game. Eye violations really lead to big plays for this team.”
(On the kick return game)
“I think in a perfect world you have to have two guys back there that can field the ball and do something with it. Even though the second guy isn’t the primary returner, we still expect them to get a big positive return when the ball is kicked their way. Whoever we put back there, whether the off returner or the primary returner, we have to have to guys back there you trust to be the returner.”
(On how practice differs when switching from fall camp to game preparation)
“You focus less parts on certain parts of your playbook and more on others parts because in camp you’re installing a defensive package and as you’re getting ready for Georgia Tech you’re installing a package for their offense.”
Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach Brady Hoke
(On the depth at defensive line)
“We have a lot of great competition still. I met with our four ends who have gotten most of the work, but I can’t tell you who the starters are yet. That’s a good thing because of how they have been competing. Inside, we are still trying to build it. Shy Tuttle is coming along, which is exciting. Quay Picou is coming along as well. I think we have more depth than we did in the spring. I believe we will play 10 guys, but I don’t know if we will be there in that first game.”
(On what he would like to see the most improvements on during the next week)
“I would say our discipline continued with our eyes. We are playing triple-option football. I want to see more physicality on in the inside. Those two tackles have to take up the guards, center and fullback. They have to do a tremendous job. They will get knocked down and cut blocked. It’s about what you do and the mentality you have after that.”
