Opening statement… “Just want to say thank you to the Orange Bowl committee and South Florida. The hospitality for our program has been absolutely fantastic. It’s been a great week. Before we got down here, having played in it and coached in it before, I was able to relate to our players and staff what this week is all about and the opportunities that they were going to have to see South Florida and have a great week of experiences. You guys have rolled out the orange carpet and shown us a great week. We appreciate everything so much and are certainly looking forward to the football game.”
“It’s been a long time since Tennessee has been here. Really proud of what this program has done in the last 23 months since our staff arrived. Really proud of our players. Playing a great opponent here tomorrow, and looking forward to that.
“We’ve seen a lot of the VFLs, former players, starting to make their way down here and I know our fan base is, too. It’s great to see all those former players show up, and I’m looking forward to going out and competing with our football team tomorrow.”
On Tim Banks’ impact on the program as defensive coordinator… “Tim has been a phenomenal leader on the defensive side of the football. When we were going through the process of finding our defensive coordinator two years ago, looking for somebody that had experience that was a great leader, that was multiple in what he was able to do, was relationship driven and had a great ability to teach, for all the things that we encountered when we first arrived on campus, his steadiness, his leadership, his ability to gain buy-in from the guys around him, that’s staff members that were coming in. Not everybody had worked together. There was some common threads where there were some previous relationships there. But then getting all of our players to buy in to what we’re doing.
“He’s done nothing but do a great job of continuing to grow what we’re doing on that side of the football, and you can see that in the way our guys play for him.”
On the challenge presented by players opting out and key injuries… “I think at the end of the day that’s kind of the landscape of what happens at times inside your program when you’re having success and during the course of bowl season. You can see that across the country. The unique thing is you have a couple extra weeks to prepare and plan for those situations. You’re not dealing with it in a seven-day span. We lost some really good players. I think that provides unique opportunity.
“That’s the tough thing and the great thing about college football is that essentially a quarter of your roster is graduating every single year. With that provides new opportunity to go make plays because you’ve got more snaps on the football field. It provides opportunities in leadership. It’s the great thing about college football.
“You’re essentially building your roster and your football team every single January, and that’s always true, but I think in the landscape of college football, it’s certainly true, and more evident and more prevalent now with the transfer portal, too.”
On being motivated to play in the bowl game after narrowly missing the College Football Playoff… “Yeah, we had to reset the following week, and I think you guys played the week after, as well. The only reason we’ve gotten to this point, these players didn’t come into this and just inherit it. They’ve worked for it from the moment that we got there on campus. That’s the competitive nature. It’s their connection to one another. Our players were able to reset. Was there disappointment? Absolutely, in that moment, and you could feel it in the building when they came in the following day, on Monday. But they were able to reset. This is an important game to our football team. We talk about finishing. We talk about legacy. This group that is graduating and heading on, this is a way to finish it and leave a strong legacy at Tennessee. At the same time, I think bowl games in this era are also about kicking off the following season. For all those things, our kids’ focus and energy out at practice has been fantastic. I think it’s important that you enjoy the bowl experience while you’re here in South Florida, but when you’re in meetings and on the practice field, you’ve got to be dialed in and locked in. I really like how our guys have handled the week up until this point.”
On Joe Milton III embracing the role of starting quarterback and the importance of his performance on Friday… “Yeah, Friday is important because this is the last game for this football team this season. It’s the end of that culmination. We’re going to have competition at every position next spring in our program. We’ve got to go out and earn it and take it every single day, and that’s true at the quarterback position, as well. Everybody inside that room understands and knows.
“Joe has been great all season long. I think it’s a unique story in today’s atmosphere inside of college football that someone is that talented and has had some success at the quarterback position, ends up being moved to the No. 2 spot, sees that there’s value in the staff cares about me, the staff can help develop me, I can perform inside of this offense, and my traits fit this, and I’ve got to stay the course because I need to grow. That can be mentally, it can be emotionally, it can be fundamentally.
“I think in today’s world for a young man to see that and be able to say, hey, I’m going to sit here, I’m going to compete every single day with Hendon (Hooker) or whoever that young man might be and to handle it the right way is a great story. He’s prepared like he’s going to be the starter, all off-season, all training camp, all season long. He’s continued to grow. We’re playing a great opponent, great defense. It’s going to take all 11 to go out there and perform at a high level tomorrow. But I’m excited to see Joe go compete, man, and excited for this opportunity for him.”
On the adjustment of going back to calling plays… “It’s not. Like for us as a staff, we go through that process every single week. We go through it on game day. The fact that Joey (Halzle) and I have been together for 15 plus years, Glen (Elarbee) and I have been together I think for seven years, the communication on game day is seamless, and I’m excited for this one.”
On the hiring process for a new offensive coordinator… “Yeah, we’ll do all of that, handle all of that on the back end of the bowl season. Just everything that’s going on inside of college football after the regular season finishes, we’ll handle all that at the tight end position here on the back end of this bowl game.”
On his reaction to tributes to Mike Leach… “Yeah, Mike was instrumental in my opportunity to play at a high level, to coach at a high level. He’s the guy that gave me my start. He meant so much to so many people around the country inside of college football and outside of it. I think he’s really unique in that way that you truly got a chance to see how his mind worked and operated. He had so many passions outside of the game, as well. We lost somebody that made college football extremely interesting and changed the landscape of it. At that time, college football was played in a box around a lot of the country, and his vision of playing out in space is how college football is played today.”
On this week’s Orange Bowl being a ‘full-circle’ moment after playing in the 2001 edition… “Yeah, my experience down here, great memories. Got a bunch of teammates that are actually going to be down here. A couple of them came into town last night, and will have an opportunity to hopefully catch up with them today, but see them on the field on game day, too. Great memories from my playing career. When I think back to my days at Oklahoma and some of the things that we accomplished, your mind obviously comes right here to this stadium and this bowl game. Dabo was talking about just the bowl game experience in general. These are opportunities and memories that you remember forever, and I’ve tried to share that with our football team, having played in this game, just what this game means, the exposure that you have, the opportunity that you have. As you get further away from it, your bowl experience is something that you’re going to come back to when you’re with your brothers.”
On the Orange Bowl’s impact on recruiting… “Yeah, for sure. It’s another opportunity for kids across the entire country to see the brand of football that you’re playing, the culture that you have by the way that you compete together. Throughout the course of this season, we’ve been able to show the proof of what this program is becoming and what’s going on inside of our building and continuing to take steps forward to continuing to compete for championships. When we first arrived, you were talking about it. A year ago they saw a little bit of proof of it. They get a chance to see a whole lot more of who we are and what we’re about and the exciting brand of football that we’re going to play. We’re going to be extremely aggressive on offense, but we’re going to have that same mentality and attitude on the defensive side of the ball and play that way on special teams, too. This is a great opportunity for Tennessee’s brand, its logo, the university to be in the forefront of the country, playing in one of the iconic bowl games in college football.”
On any change in quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle’s workload… “As much as anything, on the scripting side of it, but how we’ve operated and functioned from how we design our starters for each drive, communication. Obviously Alex’s voice won’t be there on game day, but the collaboration of all of us, the way we communicate in between plays, to have been in the middle of all of it, Joey has been, Glen has been, I certainly have been, too. We’ll miss Alex. Alex will do a great job at USF. But the majority of our group and how we’ve operated just really hasn’t changed that much.”
-UT Athletics
MIAMI, FL – December 29, 2022 – Head Coach Josh Heupel of the Tennessee Volunteers during the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl Head Coach press conference at the Le Meridien, in Miami, FL. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
MIAMI —Before the No. 6 Volunteers headed to Barry University for the second day of on-site bowl practice, defensive coordinator Tim Banks and select defensive players met with members of the media Tuesday morning at the Le Meridien Dania Fort Lauderdale to preview Friday’s Capital One Orange Bowl matchup with No. 7 Clemson (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Junior defensive lineman Tyler Baron, senior linebacker Aaron Beasley, redshirt senior defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus, junior defensive lineman Omari Thomas and senior defensive lineman Byron Young joined Banks to participate in Tuesday’s press conference, discussing bowl prep in Miami and how the Vols stack up against the reigning ACC champions.
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“We’ve talked a lot about just the opportunity that we have playing a tremendous Clemson team, and we’re really excited about that opportunity,” Banks said. “They’re a little bit different, we’ve never seen them, but at the end of the day it’s still football. The guys are just so excited to be here at the Orange Bowl with the opportunity to play, so it’ll be fun.”
Capping off a season of memorable team wins and special individual performances, Tennessee’s defensive representatives emphasized finishing the year on a high note in their comments to media on Tuesday morning.
“We’re super excited about the guys who are here,” Banks stated. “Those guys want to finish this thing. We’ve had a tremendous season and to go out on a high note is something that these guys are really hungry to try to achieve. So great opportunity again, and I’m so happy that these guys are here.”
Baron spoke to finishing the season strong for Tennessee’s senior class and working to send his departing linemen out with a hard-fought victory.
“The guys you spend so much time with – in my room specifically, you have LaTrell (Bumphus) and Byron (Young) – those guys are impeccable young men, and you just want them to win more so as a person than a football player … I think this is going to show how hard we play this week, just how well we want them to go out and the note we want them to finish on.”
Transcripts and select quotes from Tuesday’s press conference can be viewed below.
On bowl prep so far… “So far, it’s been great. The guys have really worked hard. You worry a little bit with the layoff whether those guys will be ready to practice or work at the standard that’s required, but so far, it’s been great. We’ve got really good leadership. Guys are working hard. It was a cold day yesterday, but guys responded the right way, so I’m pleased right now with the direction we’re headed.”
On the opportunity to play Clemson in the Orange Bowl… “Yeah, absolutely. We’ve talked a lot about just the opportunity that we have playing a tremendous Clemson team and we’re really excited about that opportunity. They’re a little bit different, we’ve never seen them, but at the end of the day it’s still football. The guys are just so excited to be here at the Orange Bowl with the opportunity to play, so it’ll be fun.”
On different guys having to step up with some players not available for the game… “You know, it’s kind of been our method all year. It’s been a revolving door at a lot of spots, so to speak, obviously for different circumstances some guys aren’t here, but we’re super excited about the guys who are here. Those guys want to finish this thing. We’ve had a tremendous season and to go out on a high note is something that these guys are really hungry to try to achieve, so great opportunity again, and I’m so happy that these guys are here.”
On preparing for the game knowing that LB Jeremy Banks won’t be available… “I hope so. I guess we’ll find out. I think from a mental perspective we understand what’s going on. It’s not a shock, but at the end of the day the guys have to prepare the right way and so far, they’re doing that. And then obviously, the big test comes Friday night. Again, we wish Jeremy (Banks) nothing but the best. He did so much for the University of Tennessee on the field, but we’re obviously excited about the guys that we have that are ready to play and I’m really believing that they’ll have great games and be ready to go.”
On the opportunity for younger players to play on Friday… “I think a lot of it just depends on how the game unfolds, but our mindset right now is we’re going to put the best players out there to give us the best opportunity to win the game. Those young guys have really come along. And you expect that just with the amount of work that they’ve gotten, not just during bowl prep but the whole season. We’re putting together some packages and I guess you’ll just have to find out Friday night.”
On the importance of slowing down Clemson’s run game… “I think it starts there. Obviously, they brought in a young quarterback, and I thought he did a tremendous job. You can see why they played him, you can see why they had so much confidence in him. I didn’t feel like they missed a beat. Those guys do a great job with their RPO concepts. They have a really strong run game, they do a great job that way. And like I said, the quarterback is extremely athletic. I think he has a strong arm. He’s obviously young (and) he doesn’t have a big body of work, but the reps that you see, you understand that the future is bright for him. Our guys understand that. We understand it’s going to be a great challenge, and like I said, we’re definitely looking forward to it.”
On preparing for Clemson QB Cade Klubnik… “It always is. You’ve never seen them. You see the strong arm on tape. He definitely shows some off-schedule type playmaking skills, but until you get in the game and actually see exactly how fast he is (and) how strong he is, you just never know. I can tell you this, he’s definitely got our guys’ attention by what he’s done on tape, and we have a lot of respect for the Clemson program as a whole. We know he’s talented, he wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t and for those guys to put him into the (ACC) championship game and thrust him into that role, we understand the type of confidence that they have in him. We understand that we’re going to have to play our best game to be able to try and control him.
“Like I said, to do it in a championship game on that stage obviously shows the confidence that the coaching staff has in him. Now he’s had a whole two weeks, or whatever it’s been, to prepare for the bowl game. I’m sure they’ll have him ready to go, and it’s our job to make sure we’ve got our guys ready to go.”
On the progression of defensive freshmen this season… “I like Elijah. Elijah Herring has played some football for us this season, obviously. We were literally just talking about him, a guy that was an edge guy for the most part coming out of high school. It’s been a learning curve for him, being able to make the transition from outside to inside, but every week he seems to be getting better and better. He’s a big, strong kid. Football’s extremely important to him, so I think the future is bright with him. I think he’s going to have a chance to be able to help this team in a larger role moving forward. We’re obviously happy that he’s here. Kalib Perry has made some strides, another linebacker who played the bulk of his work on special teams. We feel good about the direction he’s heading in. I could really say that about a lot of the guys. Christian Harrison, corner for us out of Atlanta, Georgia, he’s done some really good things for us. Again, he probably got his lion’s share of work on special teams, but when you look at the bowl prep and the confidence he’s starting to show, we think he’s definitely a guy again that will have a bright future.”
On early enrollee defensive back John Slaughter… “John is exactly what we thought he would be. Extremely athletic, he’s long, has what I would consider elite ball skills. I think he has a really bright future. Very athletic. Obviously, just like most freshmen, there are some things that he has to get better at, but just the short window that we’ve had him, it’s going to be exciting to watch him develop.”
On the foundation being set by the last two defensive signing class… “For us to go, and not just go, but stay where we want to be, it’s going to start with us building the thing the right way with a great foundation. It’s no mystery that it starts up front for us. The defensive line is always the tip of the spear. We wanted to identify edge rushers that could win one-on-ones, guys that have a natural twitch, and we feel like we’ve found that in our recruiting classes over the last couple years. Once you get that solidified, you want to make sure you have enough guys on the back end that can play one-on-one coverage and make plays in space. And then, you want to find some linebackers that can lead and put the whole thing together. We feel like we have a really strong foundation that we’re building, so it’s exciting.”
On what stood out when scouting Keenan Pili as a transfer prospect… “Great leadership. He’s obviously played a lot of football. He’s a big, strong kid from an athletic perspective that actually has some really good spatial awareness. I think it’ll be a good bridge for some of the younger guys that are getting in, that we think are going to be extremely talented, but you’ll have an older guy who has played a lot of football that seems to be a good leader. He was a captain there at BYU. We’re excited about not only what he brings from a leadership perspective, but obviously a talent perspective as well.”
On the potential of linebackers rotating with added personnel… “That’s the ultimate goal. You want to be able to alternate and roll those guys on all three levels. We obviously play a style of football where we’re going to play extremely fast and you’re always going to play a lot of snaps. For us to play at the level we need to play at, guys need to be able to be as fresh as they can be. We’re able to do that a little more up front. Like you said from the secondary perspective, (we rotated) a little bit because we had to. We’re very much stagnant at the inside linebacker position, and we think moving forward, we will not be. Again, I’m excited about those freshman linebackers we have coming in, and I think the future will be extremely bright.”
On what he has seen from the early enrollee linebacker corps in bowl practice… “Just athleticism (and) twitch. We’re obviously not tackling right now and things of that nature, but just in terms of their overall athleticism, the speed to be able to diagnose the play, get downhill, all the things that we thought we saw in recruiting has really come to fruition based on the small body of work that they’ve had through these couple of days of practice. I think the next piece is obviously the physicality that will come when we get going. These guys haven’t disappointed at all. I think as they continue to get stronger, learn our system, I think again, we’ll have three of the most outstanding, definitely athletic linebackers in the country.”
On the process of players declaring for the NFL Draft… “Definitely. We are part of the puzzle, but there are a lot of people involved and a lot of stakeholders, so to speak. You know, you like to think that when you went to battle with these kids over the last two years for some of them, they value your opinion. Ultimately, you want the best for those guys. So, yeah, we are definitely a part of the puzzle but ultimately it comes down to the kid and his family to make the best decision for them.”
On balancing preparations for the bowl and giving the newcomers reps… “Yeah, it is a balance. I think Coach Heupel has done a tremendous job that way, we obviously had to get our work in, get prepared for the bowl game, but whether it’s on the frontend or the backend or a small time during the course of practice, we made sure that we had a chance to identify and get the young guys in so we could get a closer look at them. Just making sure we are starting our development the right way. It’s been good, it’s been unique, but I think those young guys have shown enough that we are pleased with who we signed and we definitely think the future is bright.”
On the roles targeted in the most recent signing class… “I think for what we signed, and I think we had about 90 percent of those guys in bowl prep, we’ve gotten a lot more athletic in some spots, particularly for the young guys. They got to get stronger and all those things, but the reality of it is the talent is there and it’s no secret how we want to build this defense, we want to build it from the front to the back. Being able to continue to develop edge guys, a couple interior guys, get more athletic, faster – it was a priority for us the last two classes. We feel like we addressed that and with this class in particular it was the linebackers because we feel like we’ve got the corners, we’ve got the guys up front now we needed some guys to quarterback the whole defense, some guys with leadership skills that you need to be successful at that position and obviously just an overall talent. We think those linebackers bring a lot to the table and we think those guys are going to be tremendous for us moving forward.”
On Alex Golesh’s hiring at USF… “Oh it’s awesome. I’ve known Alex (Golesh) for over 10 years and there is not a harder worker in the country. He is a bright mind and I know USF’s got a great one there and he is going to get that program headed in the right direction.”
On coaching turnover after the departure of Golesh… “You always want them to win, just don’t take all of our good coaches. It’s kind of the unwritten rule in the profession. The guys understand who is untouchable and who isn’t. I wish Alex nothing but the best, he will do a tremendous job and we wish him nothing but the best.”
On finishing the season on a high note for the seniors… “I mean the guys you spend so much time with, in my room specifically, you got LaTrell (Bumphus) and Byron (Young) – those guys are impeccable young men, and you just want them to win more so as a person than a football player. So, I think this is big in just how we feel about them. I think this is going to show how hard we play this week, just how well we want them to go out and the note we want them to finish on.”
On fellow defensive lineman Byron Young… “It just goes to show what type of person he is. Byron is a one-of-a-kind guy on and off the field, so I’m just more than happy for him and his journey. He puts an incredible amount of work into this and an incredible amount of time, so I’m just excited for everybody else to just see how it goes. I’m just really excited for that guy.”
On pressuring Clemson QB Cade Klubnik… “It’s definitely important to put pressure on him. He does a really good job of using his feet. He’s a real slippery guy. But I think he’s growing in how comfortable he is in the pocket, so I think there’s definitely a big future ahead for him. I think we’ve just got to be really disciplined and put him in a lot of tough situations and make him beat us.”
On QB Joe Milton III… “Joe, a great quarterback. Strong arm, can improvise with his legs, very smart. He’s a winner. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He’s got one of the strongest arms I’ve ever seen, and he doesn’t have to do much. Just flick it and it goes 75, 80 yards.”
On the key to slowing down Clemson’s offense… “I feel like the biggest thing they want to do is run the ball. I feel like that’s there M.O., they want to establish the run game. Their quarterback is pretty good, the freshman (Cade Klubnik), he can improvise with his legs. I feel like he’s got a lot of confidence in himself. He’s a winner. But, I feel like they want to establish the run game, so I feel like we got to do a good job of handling that and limiting explosive plays.”
On how Clemson’s offense looks different with Cade Klubnik at quarterback… “I feel like they want to try and take shots. They want to use Klubnik’s legs. Like I said, they still want to run the ball, that’s their M.O. I feel like they want to improvise with Klubnik a little more because he can use his legs and make plays out of nothing. I feel like they want to do a little more with Klubnik.”
On getting a chance to reflect on the season the team had… “It’s been good. Really just going back home – the little time I was home right before coming to the bowl game – people just constantly congratulating me and the team just on how happy they were for us. Tennessee fans out, I’d go to a store picking up Christmas gifts (and) people would see us and were so excited for us and just so happy with how the season went for us. It’s been good just to be able to have that feeling and feel like the energy is there again, so it’s been real good.”
On what they learned from last year’s bowl experience and how it’s helped them prepare this year… “I feel like you have to truly be locked in throughout the week. We understand it’s a bowl, but you have to understand what the main goal is here at the end of the week. We’re coming here to win a game, we’re coming to win a ring and we want to be the ones out there playing in the confetti and all that. That’s something that we just learned about, and just knowing the game ended last year, I know for me it left something in my heart that I just didn’t feel good going throughout the offseason. So, we want to just change that feeling throughout this next offseason and build on this one.”
On this being a preview of what the team could look like next season… “This is definitely a building block for us, just being able to come out here and show who we are. Like I said, we’ve got a lot of players who have opted out this game to continue their careers and stuff like that. That’s good for them and I’m very happy for them but we still have a job that’s not done that they have helped us get to this year. So, we have to go out here and we have to do what we do and we just have to be able to take this game as a little glimpse of what can be next year and we just have to really look at it that way and be focused and honed in on what we got to do.”
On what advice he’d give to the newcomers on the team… “My message would be nowadays you don’t see a lot of people stick around and things like that, and what I would say to them is, college is not going to be easy. There are going to be a lot of ups and downs, but you got to be able to talk to people, you got to be able to pray on things and when things get hard, you can’t run away from it because leaving is not always the best option. You got to think about what’s best for you and if you can sit down and take your time, listen to other people and just be coachable, everything will work out in your favor.”
On what this year has meant to him personally… “It’s meant a lot. Of course we’ve been winning and stuff but just to be able to see how Tennessee moves – it moves different now that Tennessee football is good again – and I have never been able to see that side of things. It’s just a blessing to be able to see those things and see what we’ve been able to turn around.”
On the challenge of focusing during bowl week… “Obviously, we’re here in Miami (but) we’re here to play the game at the end of the day. You can go have fun, but you got to know when to turn it off. I think, coming into this week, you can’t get caught up in ‘what am I going to do tonight?’ You just got to come and focus on getting that W.”
On why he decided to play in the game… “Just basically finishing what we started. Being committed to my team and going through everything I said I was going to do. It’s just a hard pill to swallow knowing that this is your last game, so I didn’t want to miss out on it. I wanted to finish it with my brothers, and this is a big week, so I want to be there for them and support them and play my best game.”
On what stands out about Clemson and its offensive line… “That’s a great o-line. They’re great with movement, can pass block and run block, so you just got to be prepared to play our techniques and be ready.”
On if people counting them out provides extra motivation… “Oh most definitely. There’s a lot of people doubting us, feeling that this is not the same Tennessee team – and it’s not if you think about it – but at the same time we still got the same mentality and we still want to win, so we still have the same goal to be great and to finish strong.”
MIAMI – With less than 72 hours until kickoff of the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl, the No. 6 Tennessee football team completed its third on-site practice of bowl week at Barry University. Prior to practice, quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle and select offensive players met with members of the media Wednesday morning at the Le Meridien Dania Fort Lauderdale to discuss the Friday night showdown with No. 7 Clemson.
Quarterback Joe Milton III received high praise from his coach and teammates during the media session as the Volunteer representatives expressed their confidence in him and the growth they have witnessed him undergo during the course of bowl practices.
“He’s been extremely intentional in his preparation,” Halzle said. “It hasn’t been too big for him. He hasn’t changed who he is, but in the same breath, he understands his new role of having to lead this team. He’s done a really good job of not having the moment be too big for him. He’s completely dialed in to what we’re seeing, what we’re expecting and how we’re going to attack it. I’m actually excited to watch him go take the field on Friday night.”
“It’s been great. Joe is a great leader, a great quarterback and a brother as well,” redshirt senior tight end Princeton Fant said. “The confidence level is high, we all trust Joe. We trust the gameplan with Joe. He is going to go out there an compete and give it everything he has.”
While the game has lots of different twists compared to a regular-season contest, it is viewed among members of the team as an opportunity to finish what they started, a message head coach Josh Heupel has preached throughout bowl practices: finish what you started.
“We built this, so we want to finish what we started,” junior running back Jabari Small said.
“I’m just focused on winning this bowl game,” Fant added.
That focus and intensity continues to build with every passing moment as the Vols continue preparations for the ACC Champion Tigers.
Comments from Halzle, Milton III, Fant, Small, Ramel Keyton and Javontez Spraggins can be found below along with videos from their media availabilities.
On Alex Golesh being named head coach at USF… “I was really, really happy for AG when he got that opportunity. I know he’s been wanting to be a head coach, and he got a great opportunity, so it was all good on our side. When someone gets a chance to live out a dream, it’s a great thing to see him be able to do it.”
On the dynamic between UT’s coaches with Golesh’s absence… “It’s been great. This staff has been together for a long time. A lot of us were at UCF together. A lot of us were at Missouri together as well. We’ve been together a long time, and I think because of that, we’ve had a great move over to this new situation, where we’re not fully staffed right now but everybody is kind of just taking different roles that they haven’t had to do and just making it as fluid as possible.”
On preparing to face Clemson’s defense… “Clemson’s defense, what you would see is they are an attacking style of defense. They like to pressure, like to get up in your face and try to change the looks on the quarterbacks, the wideouts and o-line. What you see is a defense that is clearly well-coached. They scheme well, they game plan well, and they play really hard, so they present a really unique challenge.”
On what Joe Milton III has done to impress him since being tabbed the starting quarterback… “He’s been extremely intentional in his preparation. It hasn’t been too big for him. He hasn’t changed who he is, but in the same breath, he understands his new role of having to lead this team. He’s done a really good job of not having the moment be too big for him. He’s completely dialed in to what we’re seeing, what we’re expecting and how we’re going to attack it. I’m actually excited to watch him go take the field on Friday night.”
On who will call plays in the Orange Bowl… “It’s always going to be communal up there. I’m (Coach Heupel’s) eyes up top, he’s down on the field. As a whole staff, we’ll get to the right calls together.”
On what stands out on Clemson’s defensive line… “You’ve seen them just attack other offenses. That’s one of the things that I actually respect about what they do, is they don’t sit back and let the offense and dictate what they want to do. They come after them and try to force the offense’s hand to play how they want them to play. It’s actually been a unique challenge with all the different stuff they’re going to show you on tape, and like I said, I’m excited to go see what it looks like on Friday night.”
On the opportunity for Tennessee’s young wide receivers to gain experience in the bowl… “Absolutely. Ramel (Keyton) has played a bunch of ball for us this year. We have absolute trust in him. Squirrel (White), he’s dynamic. He’s lightning in a jar right there. That guy can go the distance at any time. Once again, we have a unique responsibility as coaches to put a lot of guys that haven’t played as much ball in good positions to go be successful. I think we’ll do that.”
On the development of freshman WR Chas Nimrod… “Chas is explosive. He’s explosive, he’s long, he tracks the ball really well. Really excited about his future here. He’s a guy that has a chance to be a bigtime playmaker for us.”
On redshirt sophomore QB Navy Shuler… “Navy is a great guy. The whole room loves him. He’s a really hard worker. He’s really meticulous in how he goes about his game planning and his week, and he’s just the ultimate team guy. He loves that university, it means something to him, and it matters to him. He’s really the ultimate – whatever needs to be done from him, he does it. He’s there early, he’s there late, and he’s there preparing just like he’s the starting quarterback. He’s been a great addition to the room.”
On freshman QB Tayven Jackson returning from injury… “He looks like his old self again. It’s been good watching him out there running around, throwing the ball again. With it being the collarbone like it was, he was out for a little bit, and there hasn’t really been a setback on his way back to it. He looks good out there on the field.”
On incoming freshman QB Nico Iamaleava… “He’s obviously a really high-end talent, but he’s also a great kid. He’s been running scout team stuff, and all our scout coaches are talking about what a great guy he is, and how he doesn’t feel like he’s too big to do that type of stuff. Really talented young man who’s a really, really good young man too, for lack of a better word. He’s been a great addition here.”
On conversations with Iamaleava about outside noise or pressure… “A little bit, but nothing really. Like I’m saying, the way he’s wired and the way he was raised, he doesn’t come in thinking he’s bigger or better than anybody or doesn’t have to do anything. He’s been doing all the freshman lifts, he’s been doing the scout work, and he just is happy to be out there, happy to start learning the offense and get his chance to go compete.”
On the camaraderie between Milton and Iamaleava in the bowl practices… “It’s been great watching Joe try to help him get started and get him to all the right spots, to help with his eyes and all that type of stuff. Joe has been awesome with him.”
On Clemson’s secondary… “The back end, people don’t talk about them as much just because of how talented the front end is there, but they have a really good group of DBs back there. Just matching their front, they are aggressive. When you’re letting the ball go, they’re going to try to drive on it and make plays on the football. That’s the type of player they have and the way they’re coached, to be extremely attacking in their style, and you can see that on tape.”
On the motivation level he’s seen during bowl prep… “I think if you watch our guys in practice, it’s been a really high energy, good intensity practice. I think a lot of that is from what you asked earlier, we have some guys that are trying to show that they should be the guy moving forward here. I think you got a bunch of guys that are ready to go perform on a big stage at a high level and make a statement in their minds.”
On how the responsibilities were split up with Coach Golesh leaving for USF… “For sure. And we lost a lot of support staff, as well, that went out there with them and got their first coaching opportunities and we’re really happy for those guys too. But, as far as stuff they didn’t even think about, like who’s printing the scripts and all that type of stuff, so it’s just everyone kind of grabbing on and doing what they can to help. Like I said, it’s been a really fluid transition.”
On who will fill Coach Golesh’s position moving forward… “Yeah, we’re going to go try to win a ballgame on Friday night and everyone’s pitching in to get that one done and then we’ll figure it out on the backend.”
On the team outings and what he’s enjoyed most about the trip so far… “So, I wasn’t at the beach outing or the yacht, that was for the guys, but I got to go to Joe’s Stone Crab last night which was awesome. It was my first time getting to go there, so that was a big-time meal. It was a really cool environment and I enjoyed that one a lot.”
On his role in terms of calling plays for the bowl game… “I’ll be up top, and coach (Josh) Heupel will be down low. It’s always been extremely communal anyway, and obviously one guy is going to end up making the call and coach Heupel is the head coach, so it’s always going to go through him. But, as far as being the eyes up top and helping him get where he needs to go and him judging the feel and the play down low, I think it’ll be a really nice transition for us.”
On Joe Milton’s development since taking over as starter… “Yeah, he’s had a really good December as far as going from late November with Vandy and then into this one where he’s really gotten to take hold of it and make it his own. He’s dialed in. He’s ready to go play. He understands that it’s a big game, but he’s not put all the extra pressure on himself to where he’s tightening up. He just seems loose, he seems like himself and he’s ready to go play well.”
On the unique bond between Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker… “It was a unique bond when Hendon was the starter that, one, Joe stayed, and two, that they became such good friends and roommates actually. I’ll tell you a story, when I got here, we had a walk through the first night in the hotel and when I got to the lobby Joe was sitting there and Hendon had the call sheet in his hand and Hendon was going through the plays and Joe was making the calls. Hendon was like, ‘where are your eyes going here?’ So, Hendon still, (despite) coming back from his rehab, he’s working through the call sheet with Joe before a Monday night walk through. That’s the type of guys we got there. It’s pretty special to see. I didn’t even know they were doing it, I just happened to walk up on them.”
On Hendon being here with the team and staying involved with bowl prep… “No he’s here. Hendon is here. The main thing he’s doing right now is obviously rehabbing. That’s the biggest thing for him but he’s been great to have around the guys. I think it’s just a good presence to have around with the type of guy that he is. He could have just said I’m done with it, but he’s still here and he’s wanting to make sure that we perform well as a team, which is, like I said, unique. But he’s a unique young man.”
On the added responsibilities he’s taken on since Coach Golesh’s departure… “I’ve had to take on quite a bit more with actual preparation of like the call sheet and everything that he would do with coach Heupel and now I’ve taken into the role to make sure everybody is on the same page and we’re rolling, and we have everything ordered correctly. So, basically just being what he was for coach, filling into that role.”
On Joe Milton catching rabbits in his hometown of Pahokee… “Yeah. He’s told the story before. Joe is freaky athletic. If you’ve every seen a 250-pound man do a backflip, it’s pretty insane to watch. Joe likes to joke about that from where he grew up doing that. He always said he got too big too quick though, so he had to stop.”
On the experience at the Orange Bowl… “It’s been awesome, the whole crew has been great. The guys feel taken care of, their hospitality room is awesome, they’ve had a bunch of cool stuff. Like they got to go on a yacht, they had a beach day then they’ve got an awesome dinner tonight. As a staff, it’s been well taken care of. Our families have had an awesome experience which always makes it more fun when you know they are taken care of when we are out at work. Had an awesome dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab last night, I had never been there before, I heard it was a historic place so I was excited, and it lived up to it. Really excited about that one, now as we are getting closer and closer to gametime, just honing it all in. You know, sometimes on bowl trips it’s all fun, then the game just shows up on you so Coach Heupel has been like ‘hey guys, we are here for a reason.” So, it’s been an awesome experience. We were very excited to come here.”
On using the events as motivation to continue striving for excellence… “I think it’s good if you can use that as motivation for how you want to live. Like, “okay, this is cool and it is absolutely attainable” and if it can help people transform their habits and their mindset to flip it to: this is actually an attainable thing for me, I think that’s an awesome experience for them.”
On remembering the experience going forward… “One hundred percent, and I think to your thing about motivating guys moving forward, when you have a conversation – and it’s awesome in December when you are a part of it and you’ve got a bowl game coming up and there in something there – but in February, when there is nothing ahead of you and there is nothing to get ready for, let’s remember these moments and use them as a motivating force in February, March, April when you can’t say, “hey, I’ve got a game in four days, I’ve got a press conference.” No one wants to talk to you in March. No one wants to talk to you in February, so how are we going to stay motivated? If you can use that as something that feeds into someone’s self-drive and habit-changing and mindset, I think that’s a huge positive.”
On how he brings up motivation to individuals… “I think a lot of times you have to judge it on an individual basis, but I do think there are times when you can feel it when it starts to turn into a go-with-the-flow situation. Like how do we create urgency when there aren’t 100,000 people and cameras with eyes on you in the next four days, because nobody is watching you in February, so that conversation just naturally comes up because human nature takes over and people fall into complacency. So anything you can use to bring them out of that complacency I think is really good for us.”
On if the gameplan changes with different pieces playing… “Oh yeah, Joe’s talent level and his dial into the game has been the same all year long. So, we feel comfortable rolling him out there, we don’t have to pull anything back for Joe. Ramel has played in a lot of huge games. He started against Alabama, he started against Florida and played really well in those games. So, there is nothing on our staff where we have to do this, or have to change this, or not do this. We have to go out there and play, and play the way we play and see what happens.”
On Ramel Keyton stepping into a leadership role… “I think that just kind of occurs naturally. When you are the next guy in, a lot of times you hang back a little bit, but Ramel is more of a lead by example guy. He practices really hard, he plays really hard and the guys see that and see that he never felt bad for himself when he was behind Cedric Tillman, he was always ready to go and when he got his opportunity, he excelled. He doesn’t have to do a bunch of hollering and saying, that’s just not how he is wired –which is fine, not everybody needs to be that for you. He is a great example that you can point to as a staff that if you stay ready, in this game, your opportunity comes and go grab it when it does.”
On the most fun thing the team has done… “It seems like the beach trip. Everyone was talking about how the yacht, it was just so cold that night they were out there. But they seemed to really enjoy the beach trip yesterday. Then, everybody seems really excited for the dinner tonight at Fogo de Chao.”
On starting a bowl game in his home state… “It means a lot. Coming from Pahokee, Florida, that’s an hour away. It’s a blessing. Not everybody where I’m from gets to have this opportunity, and I’m just cherishing every moment. Some of the guys where I’m from, they either take the wrong route or play ball and not get far with it, so I feel like this will be a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent and play for the Vols, but also just put on a show for my hometown.”
On developing more of a leadership role since being tabbed the starter… “I haven’t changed one bit. I’ve been the same person. It’s called consistency. I feel like from my prep at the beginning of the season to now has been the same. I haven’t changed one thing. Only thing that has changed is just the reps, the amount of reps I get. I get more reps than I did when I wasn’t starting, that’s pretty much the only thing that changed. Nothing else changed. My leadership role has been the same, it’s just viewed differently now from others. But for me and myself, I’m still the same person.”
On any adjustments due to the departure of Alex Golesh… “Everything has still been the same. This is what Coach Heupel and Coach Halzle have been doing from day one. Now that Coach Golesh is gone, we wish him the best for him. He was a great coach, but we just have to keep it rolling, and that’s what we Vols are going to do.”
On finishing the season off right… “One hundred percent, I think that is enough motivation right there. You look at Hendon Hooker, how much he meant to this program, he wasn’t able to finish with us, obviously. Jalin Hyatt, you can only be happy for him. Then Ced, Cedric Tillman, he dealt with injuries and tried to get back. So, playing for the people that were here with us, but were not able to finish, that’s a big deal for us. And what we built, like Coach Heupel always says, we built this so we want to finish what we started.”
On Joe Milton III… “Very, very confident. He oozes confidence and it is very contagious, but with every rep you can just see him building – getting more comfortable in the offense, getting his swagger back. So, this game I think he will get a fair shake to display his talent. Vanderbilt, last game, there was a lot of rain so it was a different type of ballgame, but this game I think we can let him loose and let him show his talent.”
On having downtime between games… “One hundred percent, just being able to rest, get off your feet, and even see family, it’s very refreshing. Just being in Miami, taking in the whole atmosphere, the environment. It puts you in a different type of mindset as well, so I think these last four weeks were really good for me.”
On the confidence in Joe Milton III… “It’s been great. Joe is a great leader, a great quarterback and a brother as well. The confidence level is high, we all trust Joe. We trust the gameplan with Joe. He is going to go out there an compete and give it everything he has.”
On having his daughter around an in attendance at the game… “It means a lot. It’s my last one here, so to have her there watching me in the stands is a blessing. She kind of understands (the experience). She is only three, but when she sees me she says, “there is daddy.” When I score a touchdown she loves it, it’s fun to see her light up. With the beautiful smile she has, it’s an amazing feeling.”
On his future after the bowl… “Everybody’s dream is to go to the NFL. That’s something I’m working towards, but right now I’m just focused on winning this bowl game. I’ll handle the rest after this game and just see where the future goes.”
On how it’s been getting ready for the Orange Bowl down in Miami… “It’s been nice just getting used to the weather and the humidity and getting your body used to a different climate. In Knoxville, it was cold, so we got to treat our bodies different down here.”
On Clemson’s defense and the challenges they pose… “I see challenges like getting open on time because their d-line in good, so our challenge is getting open on time and not disrupting the timing in our routes and stuff like that.”
On what Clemson’s defense does well as a unit… “I feel like as a unit they play well together. They’re all on the same page a lot. I feel like their secondary is pretty good, but the d-line helps them out, so we got to get open really fast to help us out.”
On what has been his favorite part of being in Miami… “Being with the team, believe it or not. A lot of guys say coming to Miami, you go out and have fun, but just being with the team and being in this atmosphere is a memory that’s going to last forever.”
On the offense’s preparation with some key players missing… “Yeah, it is a lot of moving parts, but as far as us as an offense, we try to minimize our mistakes and do everything the right way so that we don’t have to this, that and the third late in the game or anything like that. Like we said, we’re preparing and we’re going to come out and try to execute the way that we’re preparing.”
On what changes from an offensive line perspective with Joe Milton at quarterback… “It actually doesn’t change. Like I said, I got two guys that I know both work hard. Both are mentally able to compete and it’s not any different. It’s like, hey, I got to go out there and practice today for this guy because I know that if I do it right, we’ll make the game short and easy.”
East Tennesseans are still waiting for answers after the Tennessee Valley Authority had to implement rolling blackouts over the Christmas weekend. The blackouts came amid the worst freeze the state had seen in years and left several thousand without power.
Representative Tim Burchett sent a letter to Jeffery Lyash, TVA CEO, Tuesday, asking for answers.
Burchett says “TVA appears to have been caught completely flat-footed, which resulted in service disruption for thousands of Tennesseans and other residents within the TVA service area, I hope you agree that this is unacceptable.”
In a later update Wednesday, TVA officials sent out a statement about the incident.
“We at TVA take full responsibility for the impact we had on our customers. We never want to impact anyone’s energy at any time. This is not the way we want to serve our communities and customers.
We are conducting a thorough review of what occurred and why. We are committed to sharing these lessons learned and – more importantly – the corrective actions we take in the weeks ahead to ensure we are prepared to manage significant events in the future.
With sustained record-breaking cold temperatures and high winds, winter storm “Elliott” strained power grids across the nation late last week. During a 24-hour period on December 23rd, TVA supplied more power than at any other time in its nearly 90-year history. This event also produced the highest winter power peak in TVA history.
It was also the first time in TVA’s 90-year history that we’ve had to direct targeted load curtailments due to extreme power demand.
On two occasions during a 24-hour period, TVA directed local power companies to reduce power consumption. On December 23rd, a 5 percent system-wide power consumption reduction for two hours and 15 minutes and on December 24th, a system-wide power consumption reduction in 5-10 percent curtailments for 5 hours and 40 minutes. Most of the local power companies were able to target power reductions that impacted customers for relatively short durations. We greatly appreciate their partnership and support throughout this event.
We will learn from this unprecedented event and are committed to providing you with the reliable service you expect and deserve.
The Tennessee Volunteers practiced again on Wednesday at Barry University in Miami on Tuesday during Orange Bowl week in south Florida ahead of Friday night’s game vs. Clemson.
Coverage sponsors: Visit My Smokies, Nothing Too Fancy, Roane State Community College, UT Athletics, HoundDogs & Bragg Weight Loss & Wellness
Vols RB Dylan Sampson / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
The Tennessee Volunteers practiced again on Wednesday at Barry University in Miami on Tuesday during Orange Bowl week in south Florida ahead of Friday night’s game vs. Clemson.
Vols RB Dylan Sampson / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
Tennessee’s defensive numbers in 2022 weren’t imposing.
It was terrible against the pass, allowing 287 yards per game (127th in the nation).
It was horrific against South Carolina, allowing 63 points and 606 total yards.
It allowed almost 400 total yards per game.
You’ve come to expect that from a defense that often is put in harm’s way by an up-tempo offense.
But despite those numbers, Tennessee’s defense held its own for the most part.
When it went against lesser opponents, it was dominant.
Ball State scored only 10 points, Akron got six, UT-Martin managed 24 (10 in the fourth quarter) and Vanderbilt was shutout after scoring 31 against Florida, 24 against Kentucky and 28 against Ole Miss.
The defense was the reason Tennessee won at Pitt in overtime.
And the defense held LSU to seven points until well into the fourth quarter.
By my calculations, defensive coordinator Tim Banks had just three subpar outings.
The Vols allowed 63 points to South Carolina and a red-hot Spencer Rattler.
They gave up 49 to Alabama and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young.
They were torched for 596 yards and 33 points in a narrow win over Florida as quarterback Anthony Richardson, who hadn’t throw a scoring pass in the first three games of the season, lit UT up for 453 yards and two touchdown passes.
Banks’ aggressive style proved to be effective against most opponents this season.
And UT’s run defense was stout. The Vols allowed just 111.8 rush yards per game to rank second in the SEC and 20th in the nation. UT also allowed just 3.2 yards per rush.
It was a significant improvement over 2021, when opponents averaged 148.5 rushing yards and 3.7 yards per carry against the Vols. UT also cut down on scoring defense from 29.1 points to 23.5.
UT’s staff has proven it can maximize offensive talent.
It has yet to prove it can maximize defensive talent, although defensive line coach Rodney Garner has done a nice job developing is unit.
Tennessee’s linebacker play was average this season.
The secondary play was, for the most part, poor.
Tennessee signed what appears to be an outstanding array of defensive players in the Class of 2023. But it might take a couple of years for those players to make an impact.
I think Tennessee’s defense needs to be built the way the Colts were in Peyton Manning’s heyday. Behind Manning, the Colts would often build a second-half lead then rely on a ferocious pass rush to harass the opposing quarterbacks in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee had two promising young edge rushers this season in Joshua Josephs and James Pearce with linebacker Elijah Herring showing the type speed needed to harass passers.
Tennessee has signed a couple of edge rushers that could be disruptive to an opponent’s throw game.
That should give the Vol Nation hope that the defense won’t necessary be a liability with an offense that doesn’t play complimentary football.
And it could certainly raise the ceiling on Tennessee’s potential.
If you can win 10 games with a defense that got rattled by South Carolina and ranked among the five worst in the nation in pass defense, what could you do with an improved secondary and an improved pass rush?
Tennessee’s defensive numbers in 2022 weren’t imposing.
It was terrible against the pass, allowing 287 yards per game (127th in the nation).
It was horrific against South Carolina, allowing 63 points and 606 total yards.
It allowed almost 400 total yards per game.
You’ve come to expect that from a defense that often is put in harm’s way by an up-tempo offense.
But despite those numbers, Tennessee’s defense held its own for the most part.
When it went against lesser opponents, it was dominant.
Ball State scored only 10 points, Akron got six, UT-Martin managed 24 (10 in the fourth quarter) and Vanderbilt was shutout after scoring 31 against Florida, 24 against Kentucky and 28 against Ole Miss.
The defense was the reason Tennessee won at Pitt in overtime.
And the defense held LSU to seven points until well into the fourth quarter.
By my calculations, defensive coordinator Tim Banks had just three subpar outings.
The Vols allowed 63 points to South Carolina and a red-hot Spencer Rattler.
They gave up 49 to Alabama and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young.
They were torched for 596 yards and 33 points in a narrow win over Florida as quarterback Anthony Richardson, who hadn’t throw a scoring pass in the first three games of the season, lit UT up for 453 yards and two touchdown passes.
Banks’ aggressive style proved to be effective against most opponents this season.
And UT’s run defense was stout. The Vols allowed just 111.8 rush yards per game to rank second in the SEC and 20th in the nation. UT also allowed just 3.2 yards per rush.
It was a significant improvement over 2021, when opponents averaged 148.5 rushing yards and 3.7 yards per carry against the Vols. UT also cut down on scoring defense from 29.1 points to 23.5.
UT’s staff has proven it can maximize offensive talent.
It has yet to prove it can maximize defensive talent, although defensive line coach Rodney Garner has done a nice job developing is unit.
Tennessee’s linebacker play was average this season.
The secondary play was, for the most part, poor.
Tennessee signed what appears to be an outstanding array of defensive players in the Class of 2023. But it might take a couple of years for those players to make an impact.
I think Tennessee’s defense needs to be built the way the Colts were in Peyton Manning’s heyday. Behind Manning, the Colts would often build a second-half lead then rely on a ferocious pass rush to harass the opposing quarterbacks in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee had two promising young edge rushers this season in Joshua Josephs and James Pearce with linebacker Elijah Herring showing the type speed needed to harass passers.
Tennessee has signed a couple of edge rushers that could be disruptive to an opponent’s throw game.
That should give the Vol Nation hope that the defense won’t necessary be a liability with an offense that doesn’t play complimentary football.
And it could certainly raise the ceiling on Tennessee’s potential.
If you can win 10 games with a defense that got rattled by South Carolina and ranked among the five worst in the nation in pass defense, what could you do with an improved secondary and an improved pass rush?
Fair or not, the Orange Bowl will be a referendum on Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton.
If Milton plays well against No. 7 Clemson (11-2), he firmly plants himself as Tennessee’s starter entering this fall.
If he doesn’t, the competition will likely be open this spring among redshirt Tayvon Jackson and five-star signee Nico Iamaleava.
Milton looks the part of an NFL quarterback – 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, athletic, fast, cannon for an arm.
In fact, CBS’ Rick Neuheisel, a former quarterback himself, said one of the most entertaining things he saw last season was Milton throwing passes during pre-warmups. He’s that impressive.
But throwing passes against air doesn’t define a quarterback. If it did, JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf would have been a stars in the NFL.
There are two questions Milton must answer against Clemson – and in the future. He must be accurate with his throws and he must make good decisions.
Those were two attributes that served Hendon Hooker well.
Milton showed flashes this season that he’s a better version of the 2021 Milton, who started the first two games of last season at Tennessee with mixed results.
Milton was more accurate and more decisive in a backup role to Hooker, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. But Milton’s success came when the game wasn’t on the line, for the most part.
He started Tennessee’s 56-0 victory over Vanderbilt in the season finale, and he made a nice throw to Jalin Hyatt in the first quarter. But he missed some open receivers after that and finished a pedestrian 11 of 21 for 147 yards and one touchdown.
After Hooker was injured against South Carolina, Milton found an uncovered Hyatt streaking up the right sideline. But Milton misfired – though no one was near Hyatt.
You can’t miss those type throws if you want to be an elite quarterback – or even a good quarterback.
Had Milton been UT’s starter this past season, the Vols might not have beaten Pitt or Florida or Alabama. They might have gone 7-5 instead of 10-2.
But we don’t know that for sure.
Maybe Milton, given the reigns, would have responded with a solid season.
After basically sitting out the 2022 season, watching Hooker perform, and forging a better understanding of UT’s fast-pace offense, maybe Milton is ready for a breakout 2023.
It would certainly help his case – and engender confidence in the coaching staff and the UT Vol Nation – if Milton has a strong Orange Bowl against a solid Clemson defense.
It’s worth noting that during a preseason media avail, Milton was asked about getting beat out by Hooker last season. Milton corrected the reporter: “I didn’t lose the job; I got hurt.’’
That’s a good attitude for a quarterback who needs to exude confidence.
But he will gain more confidence – for himself and those around him – if he performs well under the Friday night lights in Miami.
Fair or not, the Orange Bowl will be a referendum on Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton.
If Milton plays well against No. 7 Clemson (11-2), he firmly plants himself as Tennessee’s starter entering this fall.
If he doesn’t, the competition will likely be open this spring among redshirt Tayvon Jackson and five-star signee Nico Iamaleava.
Milton looks the part of an NFL quarterback – 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, athletic, fast, cannon for an arm.
In fact, CBS’ Rick Neuheisel, a former quarterback himself, said one of the most entertaining things he saw last season was Milton throwing passes during pre-warmups. He’s that impressive.
But throwing passes against air doesn’t define a quarterback. If it did, JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf would have been a stars in the NFL.
There are two questions Milton must answer against Clemson – and in the future. He must be accurate with his throws and he must make good decisions.
Those were two attributes that served Hendon Hooker well.
Milton showed flashes this season that he’s a better version of the 2021 Milton, who started the first two games of last season at Tennessee with mixed results.
Milton was more accurate and more decisive in a backup role to Hooker, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. But Milton’s success came when the game wasn’t on the line, for the most part.
He started Tennessee’s 56-0 victory over Vanderbilt in the season finale, and he made a nice throw to Jalin Hyatt in the first quarter. But he missed some open receivers after that and finished a pedestrian 11 of 21 for 147 yards and one touchdown.
After Hooker was injured against South Carolina, Milton found an uncovered Hyatt streaking up the right sideline. But Milton misfired – though no one was near Hyatt.
You can’t miss those type throws if you want to be an elite quarterback – or even a good quarterback.
Had Milton been UT’s starter this past season, the Vols might not have beaten Pitt or Florida or Alabama. They might have gone 7-5 instead of 10-2.
But we don’t know that for sure.
Maybe Milton, given the reigns, would have responded with a solid season.
After basically sitting out the 2022 season, watching Hooker perform, and forging a better understanding of UT’s fast-pace offense, maybe Milton is ready for a breakout 2023.
It would certainly help his case – and engender confidence in the coaching staff and the UT Vol Nation – if Milton has a strong Orange Bowl against a solid Clemson defense.
It’s worth noting that during a preseason media avail, Milton was asked about getting beat out by Hooker last season. Milton corrected the reporter: “I didn’t lose the job; I got hurt.’’
That’s a good attitude for a quarterback who needs to exude confidence.
But he will gain more confidence – for himself and those around him – if he performs well under the Friday night lights in Miami.
