KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football made its first appearance in Neyland Stadium this spring under new head coach Josh Heupel as the Volunteers went through a 100-play live scrimmage and capped Thursday working goal line situations.
Sophomore Harrison Bailey, senior Hendon Hooker and sophomore Brian Maurer all took snaps under center.
“The guys had a ton of energy and made a bunch of plays on both sides of the football,” Heupel said. “I thought we did a great job of getting into a rhythm, creating some big plays and operating really efficiently with our tempo and our ball mechanics. I thought the quarterbacks did a good job of handling all those things really well throughout the day. We played error-free for the most part.
“Today was a full throttle tackle for 85 percent of the scrimmage. There were some situations with the third group where we played thud at the end of it just based on the play count and trying to keep guys healthy at the very end of it.”
Tennessee returns to the practice field at 10 a.m. Saturday with a free open practice to the public. All fans should enter through Gate 21, and the game day clear bag policy will be in effect. Gate 21 will open beginning at 9:15 a.m. Saturday. Ongoing COVID-19 protocols will be in effect, including face coverings upon entry and movement through the stadium upon entry. Physical distancing in the lower bowl of Neyland Stadium will be enforced.
Should inclement weather move the practice indoors, Saturday’s practice would be closed to the public. Follow @Vol_Football for more information.
“It gives us an opportunity to go showcase in front of our fans and in front of this state who and what we are at this point,” Heupel said.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening Statement
“Great day inside of Neyland Stadium. We got an opportunity and didn’t know if the weather was going to hold off and ended up being an absolutely beautiful day out there. The guys had a ton of energy and made a bunch of plays on both sides of the football. I thought defensively, we started extremely fast, played with energy, got off the field and played assignment sound in particular. Early offensively, as the scrimmage went on, I thought we did a great job of getting into a rhythm, creating some big plays and operating really efficiently with our tempo and our ball mechanics. I thought the quarterbacks did a good job of handling all those things really well throughout the day. We played error-free for the most part. We want to correct some things as far as decision making inside the pocket, but took care of the football. Really good day for us. As far as our first scrimmage, first live action. The guys are going to learn a ton from this, and I’m looking forward to moving on here as we get with them here later this weekend.”
On the importance of fans coming to opening practice to see the team practice Saturday …
“I think it’s a great opportunity. Our guys, since the moment I’ve got here, have worked extremely hard and pushed to improve in all areas of who they are and how they operate. The football field is a big part of that. They put in seven great days of work up until this point. It gives us an opportunity to go showcase in front of our fans and in front of this state who and what we are at this point. Also, forecast a little bit of who we’re going to be by the time we get to the fall. So, we want an opportunity for our fans to come in and have an opportunity to see the work that our kids put in, who we are, and a great opportunity for the state and for our players to get inside of Neyland Stadium one more time and have an opportunity to go compete.”
On the main goal to accomplish during the first major scrimmage and the physicality of the team …
“There’s a bunch of things that you’re trying to get your football team to do. At the end of the day, when you get inside of the stadium and you get an opportunity to put guys on the sideline they have to line up, get the signal, play the play, learn how to reset and go play the next play. You’re trying to teach them what the game of football looks like in a real live setting with officials, ball mechanics, all those things and trying to grow as a football team. So, we try to simulate a lot of that during the course of practice. There’s nothing like being inside of the stadium and it being for real. Coaches off on the sidelines and let those guys play. A lot of positive things from today. I thought the physicality of it early was really good. I thought they played with energy, especially on the defensive side of the football early. As we got into the middle part of the scrimmage, I thought the offensive line, tight ends and even on the perimeter of the way we blocked really improved throughout the course of play and tried to create and did create some vertical seams in our run game and did create some big plays there. I thought there were a lot of really positive things from our football team here. I think, you know, just in general offensively the ball mechanics, learning how to play with the tempo, the guys did a lot of really positive things and defensively I thought they reset from play to play in a pretty positive way.”
On how he was able to break up the quarterback reps today and what he saw in the area and the offensive schemes so far …
“Yes, we’ve gone from day to day in practice. Each quarterback has kind of been designated that they were going to run with the ones, twos or the threes on that day. To get into a scrimmage, it’s a little bit different. They basically rotated through, got a set with the ones, next time running with the twos and threes and it got late in the scrimmage, kind of based everything off a play count and you got those guys close to evening out a little bit. I thought all three of them did a really good job of managing the game. Communication was good, not great. We can be better in that area. But they pushed the tempo, were pretty sound in their decision-making in the pass game. All three of them took care of the football and allowed us to move the football at times as well. So, they’re picking it up, never where you want it to be. You’re always pushing to be further ahead, but they are a competitive group that approaches the meeting room and the practice field the right way.”
On the numbers inside the linebacker and what he sees in those guys …
“It’s a group that doesn’t have a ton of experience, as far as playing time. Jeremy (Banks) being out right now, coming back off of injury and the guy has played some high-level football here. But, it’s a group that continues to compete, push hard, work hard, learn the game from Coach (Brian Jean-Mary). And, we’re growing in that area. It’s a position that’s going to have to come on for us to be who we are capable of being when we get to next fall for sure.”
On recruiting the state …
“I think recruiting the state is going to be critical to this football program. If you look at the great football teams here, there’s been a huge contingency that has been from inside of the state. It means something to them to put on the Orange and White. The sense of pride and a little bit of pressure with their family and friends knowing that there’s interest in what they’re doing every single day, how the team comes together and what their role is going to be in that. I think it’s a really special opportunity for guys inside of the state to come in, wear the Power T. It’s a four-year decision, but you’re creating a sense of power inside of your life for the rest of your life. You look at the VFL’s here and the success that they’re having, the network and connection that those guys are going to create while they’re playing here with the T on the side of their helmet and their name on the back of their jersey. It’s life changing forever. That’s one of the things that I have learned being here a short amount of time. The importance of the legacy and the buy in from the VFL family and what it means to be a Volunteer. That’s something that lasts forever. I think that’s really unique and it gives a special opportunity for guys that are inside of this state to create a legacy and an opportunity for the rest of their lives.”
On when you’re recruiting the quarterback …
“We’ve had tall ones, short ones, fast ones, and we’ve had guys that did not run quite as fast and some others moved around like probably I did back in the day, it doesn’t matter. They’re accurate. Some of them had huge arms and some of them have been really great with their timing. To me, it’s about the intangibles. You’ve got to be smart. You’ve got to be competitive, willing to go lay it on the line every single day, 365 days out of the year. You’ve got to be able to demand it from the guy that’s next to you. Those intangible things are what we’re looking for in our quarterback here at Tennessee. We’re going to find it, and it’s going to be a guy that’s going to help lead us to a championship.”
On who won the first scrimmage…
“You better be competing every single day. Iron sharpens iron. We’re going to go good on good. We’re pushing, challenging and competing with each other every single day. That’s on the practice field and inside the strength and conditioning arena. That’s who and what this program is, a cornerstone and is going to be a part of our foundation, which is that competition. Having a heck of a lot of fun while we do it. Who won, who lost, I don’t have the scoreboard on that. I know that there were a bunch of plays that were made by both sides of the football with each group. There were some things that were glaring that we got to get corrected. We’re learning how to have winning habits inside of our program. We’re getting rid of a bunch of habits that aren’t going to help us win. The thing that I love about this group is that they listen, and they are working to become what they’re capable of. The challenge and race against themselves to become as good and as fast as they can, these guys have accepted that in a really positive way. They are starting to demand it from the guy next to them inside of the locker room. That accountability has got to come from within. Our group is starting to learn that and take ownership in it.”
On how do you handle scrimmages …
“You’re managing it differently every time of the year based on play count with each group. We talk as a staff as far as what’s the target of what we’re trying to get out of the scrimmage. The number of plays for each group. As you go through a scrimmage, things are going to change based on the injury here or whatever might happen. You adjust as you go. Today was a full throttle tackle for 85 percent of the scrimmage. There were some situations with the third group where we played thud at the end of it just based on the play count and trying to keep guys healthy at the very end of it.”
On what do you expect in terms of format for practice on Saturday …
“It will be pretty close to what we go through on a typical day. Our guys are going to have an opportunity to meet tomorrow and hopefully learn a bunch from what they saw today, have urgency in making those corrections. On Saturday, we get an opportunity to go out and get one day better. We’ll have meetings beforehand and get out on the practice field and go to work.”
On how do you see the offensive line progressing …
“That group has a lot of winning habits. As far as some of the core values of what we’re trying to instill inside of our program, they’ve grasped on to it. They’re starting to demand it from everybody inside of that locker room. Great offenses, those five guys up front are going to take a lot of ownership in your entire offensive unit. We need that group to thrust into that role for us and make sure that they push us in a positive way. It’s a group that competes really hard. They know that they are going to be great every single day. The rotation changes, today with the ones, the twos, the threes. There was a game of mix and match throughout it. They communicated in a really positive way. That versatility is critical as you get into the fall. A guy gets nicked up, you have got to be able to move a guy from inside to outside or right to left. You got to find a way to get the best five guys on the field at that moment. It’s a group that I like what they’re doing and where they are heading.”
On having a break in a new kicker and the return game …
“In punt return and kick return, we haven’t had a ton of live situations. We had six guys back there working under a competitive drill today. We’re going to find a guy as we go through, we chart it every day, who we trust back there catching the football first, then who’s going to take care of it and lastly who has an opportunity to be dangerous with the ball in his hands. We’ll work through that process as we go through spring ball and get into training camp.”
-UT Athletics
