KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Four days out from their first SEC road trip of the 2024 campaign, the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers took the Anderson Training Center indoor turf on a rainy Tuesday morning in Knoxville to continue on-field prep for Saturday’s ranked matchup at No. 15 Oklahoma. The Vols are gearing up for a nationally televised showdown in primetime against the Sooners, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC as both squads open conference play.
Running backs coach De’Rail Sims anticipates a physical contest for the Big Orange in Norman. Through the first three weeks of the season, UT leads the SEC in scoring (63.7 points per game) and rushing offense (336.3 yards per game) and will face a Sooners defense that leads the FBS with 10 takeaways and ranks top-20 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss.
“I think one thing that jumps out is the physicality they play with at all three levels,” Sims said during Tuesday’s post-practice press conference. “From the defensive line to the linebackers to the secondary, I think that portion of it stands out to you. They play aggressively. You see the personality of the head coach come out in terms of their defense. They want to be physical. They want to be aggressive. Schematically, they are very sound. They’re going to fit the run very well. They do a really good job of making sure that they are covering things in the backend as well. Fundamentally and holistically, they’re a really good defense.”
Tennessee’s defense has been stellar through the first three weeks of the season and carries a streak of 16 consecutive quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown into Saturday’s game at Oklahoma. Linebackers coach William Inge noted the importance of containing Sooner quarterback Jackson Arnold and how that will be key to the continued success of the unit.
“That’s something that you really have to keep your eyes on when it comes to (Arnold) being able to take off and run, but also them having some specific quarterback run games that they design,” Inge said. “They do a great job, and he’s obviously very efficient at what he does. He knows kind of when to take off when it’s there for him. He’s really smart at being able to get what he can get and then he gets down, so we have to be very disciplined when it comes to us applying our job, doing our task.”
Full comments from Inge and Sims can be viewed below, along with select quotes from senior center Cooper Mays, junior defensive tackle Jaxson Moi, senior defensive tackle Omari Thomas and redshirt junior safety Andre Turrentine.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | Sept. 17, 2024
Linebackers Coach William Inge
On how he grades the tackling through three games…
“I think we’ve been fairly consistent at our tackling. And again, often you’re going to be in a battle before you really see how it is, but we’ve definitely been effective thus far. You only know how good you are off of your last performance, so we still have to keep our thumb on it going into the next game. Once we get done with one game, we turn the page and we move on to teaching again because the skill level is going to be better, obviously, this week and we still have to go out there and execute and do our job.”
On the position versatility in the linebacker room…
“Yeah, I think from a vision standpoint in the room, we have to create a culture that’s going to foster and embody academic, athletic and personal excellence. When you do that, everyone is going to be encompassing because we’re always teaching everyone and our vision is to have dual linebackers, to where you can always get your best guys in. One of the goals that we wanted to encompass coming in was see who was going to be the best combination of guys and who could play where. I think the guys have really done a great job of embracing that and really putting that into play on gameday.”
On being cognizant of Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold’s scrambling ability…
“Yeah, that’s something that you really have to keep your eyes on when it comes to him being able to take off and run, but also them having some specific quarterback run games that they design. They do a great job and he’s obviously very efficient at what he does. He knows kind of when to take off when it’s there for him. He’s really smart at being able to get what he can get and then he gets down, so we have to be very disciplined when it comes to us applying our job, doing our task. If they do happen to get something, we have to let it go. 1-0 mindset. Go on to the next play.”
On how linebacker Edwin Spillman played in his debut against Kent State…
“Still very good. He’s definitely coming along and growing. Exactly what you want from a young player. The one thing that he does not lack, he does not lack the physicality, and that’s what you want in your linebackers. To where if you say run through a wall, I know if 13 is going there’s going to be a hole in the wall, and that’s exactly what you want. Just as young players, you’re always trying to teach them on the understanding of just the schematic things that you want. Seeing him grow and have a guy like Keenan Pili having him under his arm is awesome. He’s actually reaping some of the benefits of that.”
On how linebacker Jalen Smith has positioned himself to receive more playing time…
“The biggest thing Jalen has done, he’s been consistent. When he has a task to do he can go apply the job that’s needed on that particular call within the defense. The other thing that he’s done is he’s really grinded during the spring, during the summer and during the fall camp of just making sure that he knows exactly everything that’s going on within the schematic structure of the defense. So, when he’s out there, he’s not going to be deficient. He works efficient in all of his movements. As a young player, he’s still developing, so it’s not perfect just yet. It’s still going to be what we would call kind of poetry in motion, as he’s still trying to paint his picture as a young player. We’ve definitely been pleased with how he’s been able to be consistent on the football field and at the point of attack, he’s been able to make his plays and make his tackles.”
On what leads to a linebacker having good vision…
“One of the best things to deal with when it comes to your eyes, number one, is just knowing that they have to be disciplined in the correct spot prior to the ball being snapped and when the ball is snapped. I think that’s the one thing that we work on a lot of time is going to be us more in just the visionary portions of the game. Knowing what you can anticipate is going to happen, what’s going to happen, did it happen? You got your confirmation because your eyes were in the correct spot. Now you can be able to go play fast. I think that’s one of the things that our young men, to a whole group, they’ve been really able to encompass that when it comes to our eyes discipline. That’s probably been one of the reasons why we have been experiencing a lot more success on the field.”
On what he saw from Edwin Spillman in his debut…
“I couldn’t settle the guys down on the sideline, number one, because when I put Edwin in the game, I didn’t tell them. It was like we were coming off the field and I’m like, ‘Hey, you’re going in the game.’ I did not give him one second to think about it. All the guys on the sideline started going crazy. Every person was looking directly at him, but to see him go out there and play and be effective more than anything. I think we knew physically he could go apply and do all of his jobs. We just wanted to make sure that he could settle down and that’s kind of what coaching is on our end, just making sure he can be calm and everything can be slowed down for him. That’s exactly what you want as a young player, getting the exposure that he got at that period of time. We thought it was kind of be a 15 to 20 snap scenario for him, so he’s on course to growing with respect to what we want from him.”
On what he likes about starting Arion Carter and Keenan Pili together…
“The one thing that you see from those guys when it comes to leadership and preparation, that’s why that combination is really good. In my opinion, it’s definitely for sure one of the best combinations in the country. If you look at their production per play, it would definitely speak for itself. They do a great job in the preparation when you talk about being the gym rats, the guys in the building that are here early in the morning and late at night watching film, studying, preparing, getting the information on to the teammates, the next group of guys who are going in. They’re exactly what you want and then when you push play you talk about two guys that play fast together. That’s exactly what you want in your room. We’ve been very pleased to see them (play that way). From our standpoint, we’re getting into SEC play, we still have to continue to take steps and rise in our performances.”
Running Backs Coach De’Rail Sims
On getting able to take part in the Vol Walk with his daughters…
“It was really good because that’s a memory that they always remember. It’s one of those situations like being in that environment, them walking out and being excited. They had their shades on. It was really awesome.”
On if Dylan Sampson has done anything surprising throughout three games…
“No. Just because of the way he prepares, his preparation, the way he goes and attacks practice. Everything is right on point in terms of what I thought he would be able to do for us.”
On what he saw from Peyton Lewis against Kent State…
“We had a chance to see him get comfortable within the game. I think he started off feeling his way through early on. The more carries he got, the more comfortable he became. We had a chance to see him run with some violence and pad level at the end. We had a chance to see him hit it and hit his top-end speed as well.”
On if there is a quality in running backs like Dylan Sampson that allows them to score touchdowns when they get close to the goal line and in the zone…
“I think that’s the hunger part of it, that you want to get in the end zone and be able to punch it in. Also, the feel of it. It’s like for a running back when they get in that zone when they’re running the football, whether it’s zone scheme or whatever scheme you run, and they start to feel it. It’s like they’re running blind. They can feel where the holes are going to open up. I think he just has an innate ability to find the end zone once he gets to that point in time in the game.”
On his confidence in DeSean Bishop…
“I think the number one deal with him is nothing surprises me with him. He does a really good job in his preparation standpoint, the way he goes and attacks. He constantly has a notebook with him from the time he walks into the building until the time that he leaves. He constantly takes notes throughout whatever meetings he is in. In practice, he goes after it. He does a phenomenal job of being able to attack that. The confidence factor, we’ve always had confidence. Seeing the confidence in him in terms of growing every single day, you can tell that by the way he answers questions. The confidence factor of him has grown tremendously.”
On the use of multiple tight ends within the system thus far…
“I think it gives you the opportunity to be multiple in what you are able to do. It opens up a lot of other things for people to have to prepare for. It’s been really good from that standpoint.”
On the performance of the short-yardage run game…
“I think the number one deal is we’ve done a good job of executing from that standpoint in terms of being able to go convert when we get those opportunities. I think with everything for us as running backs, we have to do a better job of pad level. A couple of times, we’ve gotten caught running too high. Sometimes, we’re looking to hit the big one instead of going to convert or running behind our pads.”
On what has impressed him about Oklahoma’s defense…
“I think one thing that jumps out is the physicality they play with at all three levels. From the defensive line to the linebackers and to the secondary, I think that portion of it stands out to you. They play aggressively. You see the personality of the head coach come out in terms of their defense. They want to be physical. They want to be aggressive. Schematically, they are very sound. They’re going to fit the run very well. They do a really good job of making sure that they are covering things in the backend as well. Fundamentally and holistically, they’re a really good defense.”
On the preparation of the running back room…
“I think when you sit here and look at (Dylan) Sampson and the way he goes about attacking and how he is the leader of that room, you see everybody follow his lead. Even for a young guy like Peyton Lewis coming in here, they sit beside each other in the meeting room. When Peyton has a question, he turns and he asks Sampson the question. Vice versa, when Sampson sees something on tape, he is giving him (Peyton Lewis) pointers on that. The preparation key is we want to make sure we’re doing a really good job through the week that we are overprepared, so we can anticipate what is going to happen in the game.”
On if they were worried about Dylan Sampson readjusting to the game after not getting in the work he wanted to in the offseason…
“I think the number one deal is even with his time when he had limited reps, he did a really good job of preparing on the sideline and taking those mental reps. I think with him, it’s muscle memory. Once he gets in there and he gets one carry or two carries, it all comes back to him, and he gets in his rhythm and flows. Nothing has surprised me from that standpoint. I think he’s done a really good job of maximizing every single opportunity that he’s had and made the most of it.”
On what Dylan Sampson has that other running backs around the country don’t…
“For me being in the room with him every day and having the chance to coach him every day, I can just speak to what he brings to the table for us. You see the leadership characteristics about him. You see how smart he is. He is very football-smart and football-savvy. He can pick up on a play one time and you don’t have to repeat the same things to him. He’ll come off the field and be like, ‘Coach, this is what happened.’ And I’ll always be like, ‘Tell me the truth when you come off the field.’ Now, we can sit up here and make the right corrections. I think that is really good. Overall, his instincts, the ability to play fast on everything that he is able to do, and also the ability to go in there and be violent in pass protection with his hands. I think that makes him really complete.”
On the chemistry between the running backs, the offensive line and the tight end group…
“I think it’s really good. When you sit there and look at a lot of the runs that we’ve had, especially the explosive runs, everybody is on the same page. I think it’s like poetry in motion a little bit when the running backs, the tight ends and the offensive line are all synched together which you’ve seen on multiple occasions this year. It’s been really good. I think they feed off one another too. The offensive line, when they’re sitting there having big blocks, the running backs get amped up about that. It’s vice versa with the tight ends when they’re leading for us in certain situations. We have plays where we get over to the sideline and a lot of time, I can’t find the (running) backs early on because they’re over there congratulating the tight ends and the offensive line and making sure they’re doing a good job of uplifting them. That portion has been really good.”
Senior OL Cooper Mays
On if communication has plagued the offense when playing in hostile environments in the past…
“I wouldn’t say it’s plagued us. I think it kind of plagues everybody in general. I mean every away game is going to be a challenge, especially in this league. The fans are always going to show up and be rowdy. We just hone in on the details and communicate well and just do our jobs at a high level, and that should be the answer.”
On how much the extra work is paying off after playing 19 offensive linemen against Kent State…
“It’s super cool to see. A lot of the young guys got to play, which is a really good luxury here at the University of Tennessee in these last few games. I did not get to play much as a freshman; those reps are invaluable. Just being able to get inside the action and get to feel college football—it’s a whole different atmosphere than practice. Super happy that they got to experience it.”
On how excited he is to see Nico handle the away environment…
“A lot of confidence in just how he’s played first and foremost. Second of all, he’s super consistent in who he is day in and day out. Like you said, he’s laid back and calm, cool, and collected. That’s him every day, no matter the environment. Super excited to protect him and help him do all of the things he wants to do on Saturday.”
Junior DL Jaxson Moi
On keeping opponents out of the endzone…
“We are definitely very proud of our performances the last few weeks, but something Coach Heupel, Coach Banks, Coach Garner, the whole coaching staff preaches on is, ‘Great job on the win, but it’s time to flush it.’ Now it’s time to focus on Oklahoma, playing stout defense against them as well as we’ve done the past three weeks and keeping that momentum going into Norman.”
On coming to Tennessee…
“Playing in the College Gameday atmosphere, big-time national stage games, this is what you come to Tennessee for. You come here to showcase your talent against the best. I’m excited for what our group is going to show, and I’m blessed for this opportunity.”
On playing in Neyland Stadium…
“I’d say running out through the T has been one of my favorite parts yet. Being able to run and know that you have a whole state behind you supporting you. I don’t look at it as a pressure, but as a privilege being able to represent that T and my last name on my back. I have a lot of people counting on me, but it means a lot to me and I’m proud to carry on that tradition at UT. It means a lot.”
Senior DL Omari Thomas
On how much he is looking forward to playing on the road and getting back on the road…
“I’m very excited to get a chance. The first SEC game, you know, that brings a lot of energy to itself, but then able to start it out on the road, that’s something that we said at the beginning of the year or this offseason that we want to be able to be a team that wins on the road. Be able to go into those hostile environments and be the same as we are playing at home games and things like that. And I feel like, that really just starts with the defense being able to play with high energy, play with high tempo to create that momentum for us because we know when you go into a hostile environment, they’re going to be cheering loud against our offense and things like that. So, we just have to go in as a defense to create that energy so that way it feels like a home game for us, as well.”
On how well he feels the defensive is playing as a whole…
“There’s definitely things we have to clean up as a team. There are games we would go out there it looks good, but then we come back and watch it like, ‘if we had just did this, there’s more production out there for us.’ We just want to continue to grow as a defense as a defensive line. I will say that we play hard. We come out every weekend locked in just ready to play and ready to win games, but we definitely have things that we have to get better at for sure.”
On the defensive line setting the tone for the game…
“We take a lot of pride in it. I know, especially the defensive line guys take a lot of pride because we’re older guys. We want to be able to be leaders for the team, leaders for the defense, and we just want to go out there and we want to be the best that we can be, honestly. We want to go out there and show all the work we put in with each other, that we have grown as a defensive line, grown as a defense, grown as a team. I feel like that’s something that starts with the defensive line of just continuing to play hard, play on the other side of the line of scrimmage, celebrating with each other, having fun, making plays. It’s just beautiful to be out there. You see guys that you worked all year with, making plays in the backend, making plays on the front, so it’s a good feeling and we’re excited.”
RS-Junior DB Andre Turrentine
On how he would grade the overall safety play through three games…
“I think we’ve been playing very well, tackling well, helping the guys out in the front end, front seven when they need to be helped. I think we’ve had good range and good depth in the post and our deep drops. We’ve made plays as opportunities show.”
On what has gone into limiting explosive plays so far this season…
“Just our preparation. Every week we come in with the same mindset of prep and how we prepare from the d-line to the linebackers to the backend. We’ve all come together as a group, I feel like more than ever. Just understanding that, staying close with each other and prepping the same way every week has allowed us to be successful in that regard.”
On what he has seen from young DBs John Slaughter and Edrees Farooq early in the season…
“I’ve seen their will to compete. Understand that this game is long, and things change during the season and how long the season is now, more than it has been in the past, so just understanding and attacking every day. They’re coming along and when we need help, they’re going to help us.”
