Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel held his final LSU game week press conference on Thursday.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A talented LSU team awaits No. 8/8 Tennessee this Saturday as the Vols prepare for a rare trip down to the Bayou to take on the 25^th-ranked Tigers at noon ET.

UT’s offense and defense know the stiff challenge that awaits down in Baton Rouge this weekend and that another strong week of preparation will be key to the team’s success in a tough road environment.

“It’s going to be a loud environment,” quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. “There are going to be some points where it’s difficult to communicate. That’s why you work it all week … You can’t take any lacks in preparation for it because it is going to be a loud and crazy environment. We have to prepare for it the right way.” 

The experience of quarterback Hendon Hooker will certainly be a plus for the Big Orange on Saturday, as the redshirt senior has proven to be one of the most poised signal callers in the nation.

“It’s his preparation leading up to it,” Halzle said. “For all the craziness about the environment—whether it’s home or away—once you step in between the white lines, it’s 11-on-11 and you go play ball. Whether you’re prepared or not, that’s where it shows up. Some people do get big-eyed, and the moment gets a little too big when you get in a crazy environment. That is not how he is wired at all. He’s the same dude day-in and day-out.” 

Tennessee’s defense will face another dual-threat playmaker at quarterback this weekend in LSU’s Jayden Daniels. The Arizona State transfer has been efficient with his arm but has also utilized his athleticism to hurt teams with his legs, something the Vols’ know they will need to be ready for.

“Jayden is probably a little lighter but still runs as hard and is as elusive,” linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said. “We obviously didn’t do as great of a job as we wanted to versus Anthony (Richardson), so that’s been a big point of emphasis for us, trying to keep the quarterback contained.”

On top of slowing down Daniels, UT’s defense will also need to limit the Tigers’ talented stable of running backs.

“Their running backs are super talented. I think it is one of the better groups that we’ve played so far going into game five,” Jean-Mary said. “They all run extremely hard downhill. They break a lot of arm tackles, and they are going to be a big-time challenge for us.

“The part about them, they’re an integral part of the passing game. They like to get those guys the ball in the flats and let them do their work, almost like an extended hand off. It’s going to be a challenge because they are going to test us from sideline to sideline.”

The Vols have three more prep days before heading down to Baton Rouge on Friday afternoon. Saturday’s game will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET) and will be broadcast on ESPN with Bob Wischusen (PxP), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Todd McShay (sideline analyst) and Kris Budden (sideline reporter) on the call.

Full assistant coach transcripts and select player quotes from Tuesday’s media availabilities can be seen below.

Quarterbacks Coach Joey Halzle

On Hendon Hooker leading the SEC in completion percentage and yards per attempt, an unusual combination… 
“Hendon (Hooker) is playing at an extremely high level right now. He’s earned everything he’s getting. That guy puts in more time and preparation than anyone I’ve ever been around, and you’re seeing all of that pay off. It didn’t start in-season, it started in January. When he decided to come back, he was making an effort to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Right now, that’s what you’re seeing, is the fruit of that labor. He is playing at an extremely high level right now.” 

On Hendon Hooker’s running ability… 
“That’s what makes him special. There’s a lot of guys that can throw it efficiently, which he can, but what makes him scary to opposing defenses is that at any point he can get out and go. He’s one of the best call carriers on the field anytime he has the ball, too. You have that combination together, that’s why he’s one of the elite players in the country right now.” 

On if communication is easier in a tough environment when running a fast-paced offense… 
“One, it’s going to be a loud environment, like you just said. There are going to be some points where it’s difficult to communicate. That’s why you work it all week. You don’t have the ebb and the flow (with an up-tempo offense), where the crowd knows when the huddle is breaking, and they can start building up. If you’re pushing your tempo and playing ahead of the chains, it does help with that. But still, you can’t take any lacks in preparation for it because it is going to be a loud and crazy environment. We have to prepare for it the right way.” 

On what makes Hendon Hooker play well on the road and at home… 
“It’s similar to the first answer. It’s his preparation leading up to it. For all the craziness about the environment—whether it’s home or away—once you step in between the white lines, it’s 11-on-11 and you go play ball. Whether you’re prepared or not, that’s where it shows up. Some people do get big-eyed and the moment gets a little too big when you get in a crazy environment. That is not how he is wired at all. That’s why you’re seeing the same guy at home, crazy environment at home, not as much on the road, it doesn’t matter. He’s the same dude day-in and day-out.” 

On how Hendon Hooker’s performance affects play calling and other guys on the field… 
“The way he is playing right now, it gives you confidence. I think as a staff, you can put the ball in his hands and feel good about what’s going to happen with it, whether that’s situationally or normal down situations. As far as the effect on the team, he doesn’t have to be a guy that’s overly vocal. He’s growing in that. Now that everyone is seeing the way he prepares and the way he plays on Saturday, and that’s permeating the entire locker room right now where you see that is the way to handle your business, and you will get the results. That’s not just coach speak, it’s actual facts. When you put in the work, you get the results.” 

On stressing confidence versus playing smart to Hendon Hooker… 
“We’ve always discussed being intelligent situationally as far as taking care of yourself. We talked about it a bunch with him. We talked about it in pregame, talked about it leading up to it, talked about it on the sidelines, but at the end of the day, one of the best things about Hendon (Hooker) is that he’s the fiercest competitor I’ve ever been around. You can’t take that away from a guy either. He is intelligent about the way he carries himself. Maybe there are some times where he could’ve protected himself, but there’s also plays that he makes where if he’s trying to just worry about protecting himself, he doesn’t make those plays. You can never take that away from a guy either, who they are as a person. He’ll keep growing on the other end of it.” 

On how Hendon Hooker does not put the ball in harm’s way… 
“It’s the front-end preparation where he knows what he’s going to get. When you get your unscouted looks, he’s able to process so quickly—which is key to playing quarterback, especially in this system. He processes, he can eliminate right now, and he can get to his second, third and fourth read. That’s what he’s doing at an extremely high level. As his reps grew last year, that’s what you saw him doing as he was moving throughout the season. That’s what he started off doing this year. Because of the preparation and his ability to process and eliminate quickly, he gets himself out of bad plays first and foremost. Now, he’s making the big plays on top of getting himself out of the bad plays first.” 

On if Hendon Hooker has surpassed staff expectations this year… 
“He makes a couple of plays per game where you just kind of go, “Wow.” There was one where a guy comes free on a third down on the two-minute drive against Florida last week where he sets, rolls out to his left, makes a throw back inside on third-and-9 and keeps the drive going that ends up being probably the biggest drive of the game. We talk about preparation, you talk about his practice habits, now that’s just him taking over as a player. The stuff that you don’t coach that makes guys special, and it separates good from special. He’s making those special plays right now.” 

On how much better Hendon Hooker’s decision-making is… 
“Compared to last August, it’s not even close. I think what you’re seeing is the way he’s playing it and throwing the ball after he’s making the decisions. He was always good at finding the read keys, doing all of that stuff because he’s an intelligent kid and works hard at it. Now you’re seeing on top of it, the body language, confidence and the way he’s driving it, snapping it and ripping it all over the field. Now he’s not just trying not to make a mistake or trying to find the right key. He knows what he’s going to do, and that’s why you’re seeing the ball ripping all over the field from him, because now the two of those things are playing together.” 

On if Hendon Hooker is more accurate in these throws compared to last year… 
“Absolutely. One hundred percent. From the deep ball to the intermediate to his quick game, he’s completely changed who he is as a player.” 

On LSU’s secondary… 
“LSU is still LSU. They have good players. They have long guys that can run, hit and they’re extremely competitive. You see guys that are flying around hitting people and playing extremely hard. That’s how they play. That’s who they are. Expect nothing else on Saturday. They’re going to come and try to hit us right in the mouth, and we’re going to have to answer that. It’s going to be a great environment to do it, too.”

Linebackers Coach Brian Jean-Mary

On preparing for LSU QB Jayden Daniels after facing Florida… 
“That is a great question, they are very similar. Different body types. Obviously (Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson) is a little heavier, in the 230-plus range. Jayden is probably a little lighter but still runs as hard and is as elusive. We obviously didn’t do as great of a job as we wanted to versus Anthony, so that’s been a big point of emphasis for us, trying to keep the quarterback contained. But (Daniels) is a super talented kid; they probably had a couple more designed runs in the last game, obviously trying to take advantage of his elusiveness. But we have to do a great job. I think they are comparable as athletes and as runners, but Anthony being a little bigger might be a little bit more of a ‘between the tackles’ guy, where Jayden is probably a little more off tackle.” 

On the benefit of playing against similar offensive styles back-to-back…  
“Obviously there’s carry-over. Every week, you expect there to be some carry-over. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. Most people watch film, and they try to take advantage of what they see, what’s a possible weakness from the previous opponent. So, anything that they thought the opponent did well, I’m pretty sure they will try to capitalize on it some way. There’s always things that we have to get corrected, so we always look at ourselves first and what we can correct. But obviously with another athletic quarterback, we feel like we have some things in place to try to contain them. But a lot of their plays, just like (Anthony) Richardson last week, come off of broken plays. That’s what makes those guys special. They have designed runs, but if it’s a pass play and it turns into a scramble scenario, you get a chance to see some of that athletic ability. You can practice and plan for it, but when you have high-level athletes like Richardson and (Jayden) Daniels this week, you have to be able to overcome some of those broken plays when there was a pass play that was actually called.”  

On the breakdowns against Florida defensively in the passing game and how much of the responsibility fell onto the linebackers… 
“I always say it’s everybody’s responsibility. Everybody sees the DB’s that are obviously in the 1-on-1 situations with the ball getting thrown down field, but they don’t see if there was a pass-rush error up front, a blitz error from the linebacker, some of the underneath coverages that we were in and we didn’t do a good job. We take full responsibility, because there were a few times that there were blitzes that weren’t executed at a high level. We gave the quarterback too much time to sit in the pocket, or it was a scramble scenario where we didn’t do a great job of latching. It’s always all eleven. I know everybody sees the end result, but we always put it on the entire defense. Like I said, the best pass defense in the world is a great pass rush, so we’re trying to hone in on that and do a better job in that regard. We have to do a better job linebacker-wise as far as some of our underneath coverages.”

On what he has seen in LSU’s running backs… 
“Their running backs are super talented. I think it is one of the better groups that we’ve played so far going into game five. As a collective group, they rotate three guys. The young man that took the majority of the reps the first couple of games, (Armoni) Goodwin, is out, but between (John) Emery, (Josh) Williams, and obviously Noah Cain, I think they’re all interchangeable. They all run extremely hard downhill. They break a lot of arm tackles, and they are going to be a big-time challenge for us. The part about them, they’re an integral part of the passing game. They like to get those guys the ball in the flats and let them do their work, almost like an extended hand off. It’s going to be a challenge because they are going to test us from sideline to sideline, but they do run hard. They are a good group.” 

On his philosophy about containing the quarterback… 
“We always talk about rush lanes with our d-line, and I can’t just say the d-line, linebackers and the (defensive backs) that blitz. That is another point of emphasis. We want to be a pressuring team, so we don’t necessarily want to have a fence at the line of scrimmage because we do not want to give them a lot of time. We do stress the rush lanes, not rushing past the quarterback or giving up inside gaps. That is something we talk about all the time. That is a point of emphasis this week. We are going to try and keep him in the pocket, I mean, obviously that is easier said than done because he is so talented. That is a point of emphasis for us  in trying to stay in front of him and not end up behind him in our pass rushing.” 

On how hard it is to play linebacker in college football right now… 
“It’s a challenge. You’re going to be in some kind of conflict almost every play. You have to play sideline to sideline with the spread offenses. You’re going to get conflict with the RPO as far as running-and-pass. Then you have to be able to defend some pretty good athletes in space. Most people are going to try and find mismatches, so a lot of times you will see some of their high-end receivers of the teams that you play, they line them up as a slot receiver or put in as a boundary, too, so they can match them up against linebackers. It’s a challenge, I think it is difficult. I joke with them all the time saying, ‘I’m glad I played linebacker in the years I did, because I don’t know if I would be playing linebacker right now.’ But it’s part of the job description and I think we got some high-end guys that are athletic enough and play the game the right way that they put themselves in positions to make plays and it gives us the opportunity to play good defense.” 

On Elijah Herring’s role… 
“Everything is earned. We don’t give anybody anything. He earned a spot when we go into our 4-3 package to be the SAM linebacker. That is kind of his role right now and he is still growing every down. Still, some of the youthful mistakes show up, which is to be expected. He plays the right way, and he plays with a lot of energy. He is getting better every week. You know how it is, sometimes, it’s like rookies in the NFL, there is a reason they do not play a lot. That’s the same reason for freshmen in college. That experience means a lot. Every day he is getting better but, as always, there are one or two things you got to keep working on. I think with experience and time he’s going to be very, very good. Like I always say, we want him to be perfect yesterday. That is how us coaches are, but it is a process. He has a great attitude and is getting better every day.” 

On how it feels watching a player get his first career sack and getting to talk with him about it after… 
“For myself individually, I am always happy for all these guys. I think in college football now, we ask so much of these kids 24/7. It is almost a full-time job, and it is nothing different than what is going on around the country. So, when they are able to have some success and go out there in front of a packed stadium and make those kind of plays, I am the happiest guy in the building because I feel like they earned it. Football is a tough sport for tough people. It is not for everybody, so when they can go out there, make plays, and play at a high level, I am the happiest guy in the building. Sometimes it doesn’t look that way, but I am always 100 percent for these kids because I know the time and effort they put in trying to be the best players they can be.”  

On if it is more important to have great play recognition versus having great speed playing linebacker… 
“Obviously as a coach you want both, right? You want both. I always say this about kids who have great speed: the speed is beneficial when you have great play recognition. If you’re a very fast player and you’re going the wrong direction, you are going farther away from the play. We want to have both. So, play recognition will always be the premium when you’re dealing with linebackers. Obviously, play recognition when you top that with high-end athletic ability and speed you are going to see it and get there faster which makes the defense better. The play recognition part is always the most important because, like I said, if you’re a great athlete but your eyes are in the wrong spot, you’re just getting to the wrong spot faster.” 

Junior WR Jalin Hyatt

On stepping up after Cedric Tillman’s injury…
“It’s just preparation. We knew we had to step up, especially with one of our big-time receivers out. We just want to keep going with the preparation that we are doing each week and for game day. So, when we’re focused throughout the week, that’s the outcome we want on Saturdays.”

On his pregame predictions…
“It’s just one of those things where I want to just put in the air and let everything fall out. I don’t have a prediction this week. That was just one of those things where everything worked out perfectly. My main focus is playing the game that I know I can play to help this team, to help these players and be a leader in that room, especially with guys that are down, just being a leader in that room. That’s another thing I want to do and just grow on.”

On Tennessee’s national rankings…
“As a team we don’t even pay attention to any of the rankings or anything. We can only control what we can control. I think that’s the biggest thing. We control what we can control on Saturdays; how we come out, how we play on offense, how we do on drives and how we can sustain in the third quarter and the fourth quarter. It’s really on us. We don’t pay attention to outside noise. Win, loss or draw, we just continue to play University of Tennessee ball.”

Senior DB Jaylen McCollough

On the opportunity going to a different venue like LSU this weekend…
“It’s a blessing. Anytime you get to strap on the cleats and put on the pads on any given Saturday it’s a blessing. I am excited. I know we’re excited as a team. We’re just ready to play. We’re ready to go down there and play Tennessee football.”

On Florida throwing different looks and formations at them…
“Florida threw a lot of different formations, different motions, different shifts at us, but that’s what team are going to do. They are going to try and attack us in different ways we haven’t seen. Maybe a formation here, a motion or a shift there. It all comes down to the details and the little things. That is something that we took great pride in, taking a step from Florida into the off weekend, and now into LSU.”

On having a coach like Josh Heupel telling them to embrace the big game environment…
“That’s his biggest message, is to prepare. It’s good to have somebody who’s been there because he’s talking from experience. He gives us everything we need to know as far as preparation, as far as just the mental aspect of leading up to kickoff. It’s helped us out tremendously in the past two years.”

Senior DL Byron Young

On LSU’s offensive line…
“They’ve got a really big offensive line. They’re really well coached, I’d say. Big guys, the tackles are quick on their feet. Some things that I’ve seen is that they’re an up-tempo offense. They are pretty good with their movements. We just got to do our assignments. I feel like we will be okay.”

On the ending of the Florida game…
“I just believed in my DBs. I just knew I had to get to them. Just had to make him (Florida QB Anthony Richardson) uncomfortable. I just got off the ball, it would’ve been the last rep, so I just gave everything I had. At first, it was the first rush and I kind of stopped a little bit and then I saw Tyler (Baron) coming around. I saw him try and step up, so I just came around real fast and just made a play happen. Then we had the backend and had Kamal (Hadden) finish the game.”

On if he likes playing early games…
“I think I played one so far. It’s okay with me. Either way you got to play, so it doesn’t matter. Night game, early game, in the morning, it doesn’t matter – I’ll be ready to go any time.”

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After an open weekend that allowed the eighth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers to rest and recover, the team was back to work Monday morning gearing up for a road showdown at No. 25 LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

In game five, the Vols will already face their third ranked opponent of the season. After downing No. 17 Pitt on the road Week 2, 34-27, UT defeated No. 20 Florida, 38-33, in its last game. LSU moved into the rankings for the first time this week after a 21-17 victory over Auburn on the road.

Head coach Josh Heupel understands the test and the environment that LSU brings. He and his Vols are excited to size up another battle against a quality opponent.

“Now we turn our attention obviously to a really good football team here,” Heupel said in his Monday press conference. “Great opportunity at the end of the week. They continue to find ways to win. They’re a good football team. They’re long, they’re athletic on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and obviously have really good skill players, too. Exciting week for us as we continue to go down this journey.”

Members of the team find enjoyment in the difficulty of playing in the Southeastern Conference. The league currently boasts seven teams in the Associated Press Top 25, most in the country. For Jabari Small, it is a “unique challenge” and a chance to prove that they can play at the highest level in the sport.

“I think last year, I noticed we had a pretty tough schedule,” Small said. “That’s just how Tennessee is, we play the best teams every year. Nothing is easy about our schedule, nothing is easy about how we win. We have to earn everything. I am very excited about it, and it’s a challenge.”

For others, this game features an opportunity to go somewhere new and play in front of family. This includes Jerome Carvin, a fifth-year offensive linemen who is going to soak in the moment and playing at Tiger Stadium, a destination the Vols haven’t been to since 2010.

“Me growing up as a kid, I loved watching SEC football,” Carvin said Monday afternoon. “That’s all I watched. You see the (big games) on TV, and you actually go get to do it now. As a player, it’s amazing. A little bit about me – my whole family is from Louisiana, so I am excited to go down there, see my family and just play in that stadium. It’s a great conference. You go against great players, and these programs that we play at and play against, they’re big programs. It’s just some lifelong things that you can always remember and tell your kids, family and friends that you played there, so it’s amazing.”

Kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 8, is slated for 11 a.m. local time (noon ET) on ESPN. A full transcript and video of Monday’s press conferences can be found below.

Head Coach Josh Heupel 

Opening statement… 
“Hope everybody is doing great. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to see you. Hope you guys enjoyed your short vacation. Last week, finished up good on the field with the guys, and then obviously our staff had a chance to get around the country and go recruit—which was a great opportunity for us to get out and see players, but take our brand across the country too. Finished up good, and now we turn our attention obviously to a really good football team here. Great opportunity at the end of the week. They continue to find ways to win. They’re a good football team. They’re long, they’re athletic on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and obviously have really good skill players too. Exciting week for us as we continue to go down this journey. Players were good this morning and looking forward to the opportunity on Saturday.” 

On what he learned from defending against Florida’s Anthony Richardson and applying it to LSU’s Jayden Daniels… 
“There are areas that we have to grow that will show up again in this game. For us defensively, it’s the eyes, keys, tight ends are exiting in the formation. That will be critical in this football game. The quarterback run absolutely is a huge part of the football game. That can be in some read game, but also just as the pocket breaks down or he goes through his progression, his ability to escape. The way they finish runs is probably a little bit different just in their style. But absolutely, the mobility of the quarterback is a huge part of us having to defend that in this football game.” 

On LSU’s ability to come back from being down… 
“Well just for us, you have to understand that if you’re up on the scoreboard, it doesn’t matter. We talk a lot about playing it 0-0 for 60 minutes. The way they play and compete no matter what the scoreboard looks like, you have to be prepared for their best for 60 minutes. They are a resilient team. They’ve done a really good job of creating turnovers, making special teams plays, creating short fields and flipping the way the game is played here. You can see that from week one all the way through this past week.” 

On the challenges presented by LSU’s defense… 
“The front four are big, physical, long, athletic, and they have the ability to apply pressure to the quarterback and break the pocket down. You want to stay out of long-yardage situations against them. On the back end, they have a bunch of new bodies to their roster with a bunch of transfers. Those guys have played a lot of football. I think they continue to get more in sync and more comfortable in their scheme. For us, we have to have balance in what we’re doing, so run game on early downs will be critical. Playing from ahead of the chains is going to be critical in this game.” 

On the importance of the bye week for younger players to reset… 
“It’s really big for our young guys to take some growth on the fundamentals and technique side of it—being very purposeful in what we’re doing and some of the things that they got during the course of practice. It’s really important for your entire football team. During the course of a game week, you get so much into the scheme of things. It’s important to reset and get back to some of those fundamentals. Those are the inches and the things that people don’t see that add up to the big things.” 

On how UT’s wideouts will compete against LSU’s secondary… 
“You’ll see press-man at times, but you see a bunch of coverage variation from them too. Hendon’s got to do a great job of identifying the rotations. Our receivers have to do the same thing. When it is man-to-man, you have to find a way to go win. You guys have seen us since we’ve gotten here. We’re going to try to put those guys in a position to win, but we also trust those guys to go win in those situations.” 

On the importance of using the bye week to mentally reset after an emotional win vs. Florida… 
“I think one of the positives about our team is that they’ve been really consistent in their approach. Huge win for our fan base (against Florida). I think our players reset last week and pushed forward in the things that we were asking them to do. This morning, we were full speed ahead on LSU. Really good energy. Bye week gives you a chance to physically reset and mentally reset a little bit. They had a couple days off. A bunch of them had the opportunity to go home, watch their high school football teams and be with their families. They came back late last night, and it’s business as usual a little bit this morning. We have to continue to grow but I think our players are excited.” 

On Cedric Tillman… 
“Cedric did have surgery. The timeline, he did that just (because) he had an opportunity to speed up the recovery process side of it. We’ll see where he’s at. He was limited, but moving around a little bit today. We’ll continue to see how it unfolds this week and see where we’re at.” 

On his assessment of Jabari Small through the first four weeks of the season… 
“He has been good without the ball in his hands, pass protection. He has been good as a receiver when we’ve asked him to. I thought last week was probably his most physical running, putting his pads down, continuing to move the pile and getting plus-two after contact. We have great trust in him, and expect him to have a huge part of this game.” 

On what specifically Cedric Tillman needs to do to show he will be available this weekend… 
“He has to be able to be a functional player and play at the level that we expect him to. The level he wants to play at, too.” 

On the team’s main focus for the upcoming schedule… 
“You’re only as good as your next one in this game. You can continue to look at college scores. Your preparation, your competitive spirit all week, but then also on game day. There’s no way in this game you can just flip a switch on Saturday, show up and play the way that you want to. Preparation is everything. Our players have gotten so much better in that, and I expect them to handle the week the right way. It’s a really good football team. It will be a great environment. It’s always tough to win on the road inside of this league, and this is our next opportunity.” 

On his thoughts on the 11 a.m. kickoff time at LSU… 
“If you ask coaches everywhere, they say give me the earliest kickoff possible. For us, it’s going to be a great environment. I’m sure it’ll be a packed house. This is a tough place to play, but it’s so much about us and our preparation (and) making sure that we handle things the right way. We have to take care of the football, we can’t have penalties. You can’t do things that hurt yourself in this football game. It’s a really good team that we’re playing.” 

On Dee Williams returning from injury and being ready to make his debut… 
“I feel comfortable as long as he’s prepared and practiced in a way that you feel comfortable with him. Dee has been ramping it up here the last couple weeks. I expect him to be able to play in this one. I expect him to play really well when given the opportunity.” 

On LSU tight end Mason Taylor… 
“Their tight end’s athletic. I think he does a really good job of finding space and being in sync with the quarterback. Targets in the middle of football field, him exiting the formation, and some of the run-pass stuff too is a huge part of what they do. We have to have our eyes on the right spot so we can cover him up.” 

On how much he has crossed paths with LSU head coach Brian Kelly… 
“I have not. This will be the first time I have played against him. He’s done a really good job everywhere he has been. His teams are well coached, they compete hard. He does a really good job.” 

On Warren Burrell… 
“Warren had surgery and will be out the rest of the season.”

Junior RB Jabari Small 

On how he evaluates his performance in the Florida game… 
“I think the o-line did a good job of giving me seams to run through. My main focus was just getting downhill and just hitting the hole hard. I know in the SEC those holes close pretty quickly. I was just ready to get back on the field. I was just happy to be back out there.” 
 
On LSU… 
“They’re a good team. They’re a good front seven. Very physical, SEC type of an opponent. I think we saw a good bit of that against Pitt and Florida so it’s just a unique challenge. We can’t think too much about it. Just play and compete to the highest level.” 
 
On the gauntlet of the schedule… 
“I’ve learned to embrace it. I think last year, I noticed we had a pretty tough schedule. That’s just how Tennessee is, we play the best teams every year. Nothing is easy about our schedule, nothing is easy about how we win. We have to earn everything. I am very excited about it, and it’s a challenge.” 

Senior OL Jerome Carvin 

On the bye week and coming back to focus on LSU… 
“The bye week was good. It did come at a good time. We had some guys banged up. We had some guys get healed up and just get a mental break from college football. I got to sit back and watch some games, so it was all good. Now, we are in the thick of it. We are now going into a stretch, going into a lot of conference play, so we are ready to rock and roll.” 
 
On LSU’s defense forcing turnovers and being strong up front… 
“On film, they are big, long guys. They play really hard. The previous game they played at Auburn, they were down really late. They came and fought back, came back and won that game. They play really hard, extremely hard. They are big up front and really smart on their back end. It is going to be a huge challenge for us especially on the road, especially going to their place. It is going to be tough, but we have to come and accept the challenge.” 
 
On some of the players playing in Baton Rouge for the first time… 
“I think it’s awesome. Me growing up as a kid, I loved watching SEC football. That’s all I watched. You see the (big games) on TV, and you actually go get to do it now. As a player, it’s amazing. A little bit about me – my whole family is from Louisiana, so I am excited to go down there, see my family and just play in that stadium. As well as for the young guys, young guys get to go check this off the list of stadiums they have been to. That’s amazing. It’s a great conference. You go against great players, and these programs that we play at and play against, they’re big programs. It’s just some lifelong things that you can always remember and tell your kids, family and friends that you played there, so it’s amazing.”

-UT Athletics

Game benefiting The McLendon Foundation presented live on pay-per-view

PPV.COM Order Link

Powerhouse programs Tennessee and Gonzaga, both of which project as preseason top-10 programs heading into the 2022-23 season, will play in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic, a charity exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game is set for 9 p.m. ET, and iNDEMAND – the largest distributor of PPV and on demand programming in North America – will serve as the exclusive streaming and TV distributor of the event. Proceeds from the event will benefit the McLendon Foundation.
 
iNDEMAND will carry the game in the U.S. and Canada on its streaming service PPV.COM, and through cable, satellite and telco PPV providers. Fans can stream the game live online at PPV.COM, the first PPV streaming service to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports events. PPV.COM‘s ground-breaking digital video technology allows fans to engage in live chat with other fans and experts, as well as post fan-react videos and other activities. Customers can also order the Legends of Basketball Classic on TV through their cable, satellite or telco providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Dish, Verizon Fios, Altice and other leading providers. The suggested retail price will be $9.99 on all PPV platforms.
 
The McLendon Foundation was established in 1999 by NACDA to honor the legacy of Hall of Fame coach John McLendon who was a pioneer in the field of athletics, the game of basketball, and the civil rights arena. The McLendon Foundation’s mission is to empower and develop minorities who aspire to be principled leaders in athletics administration by providing educational resources and access to a life-long community of mentors. All organizational planning for the Foundation directly aligns with the values of Coach McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership and Mentorship.
 
Intersport, a sports marketing and events agency that will also manage the Brew City Battle, Shamrock Classic, Fort Myers Tip-Off, Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, CBS Sports Classic and Legends of Basketball Showcase during the non-conference college basketball season, will handle all ticketing, game operations and event production for the exhibition. The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) will serve as the title partner for the charity exhibition. Founded in 1992, the NBRPA serves former professional basketball players in their transition into life after basketball. 
 
“This is going to be great,” Intersport Founder and CEO Charlie Besser said. “In partnering with the nationally renowned Gonzaga and Tennessee basketball programs, along with content industry leader iNDEMAND, we are going to bring a March-like atmosphere to college basketball’s preseason. We love building innovative events in the college basketball space – we’ve been doing it for decades. In this case it’s especially meaningful because it benefits the important work of the McLendon Foundation.”
 
Mark Boccardi, SVP, Programming & Marketing for iNDEMAND & PPV.COM, said, “This will be the first opportunity for Gonzaga and Tennessee fans to see their teams in action this season. We’re proud to be a part of this benefit for the McLendon Foundation, and looking forward to delivering a viewing experience that’s easy to order and great quality.”

Gonzaga returns All-American and Player of the Year candidate Drew Timme along with a bevy of contributors, including starters Rasir Bolton and Julian Strawther, from last season’s team that went 28-4 and spent nine weeks at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. In addition, the Bulldogs welcome one of the country’s top transfers – SoCon Player of the Year Malachi Smith – to Spokane this season, along with 7-foot LSU transfer Efton Reid III. Head coach Mark Few is the nation’s winningest active coach by percentage at .836, carrying a 657-129 record in his 23 seasons with the program.
 
Tennessee returns four of its top-five scorers from last season’s team that finished 27-8 overall, won the SEC Tournament and made a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Vols return first-team All-SEC guard Santiago Vescovi, upperclassmen starters Josiah-Jordan James, Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic, and also bring in a highly touted recruiting class highlighted by McDonald’s All-American Julian Phillips. Head coach Rick Barnes, entering his 36th season as a head coach and eighth with the Vols, is one of six active coaches with more than 750 career wins.

Tickets for the Classic will go on sale Friday and can be purchased by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Comerica Center box office. Fans interested in attending the game can register to receive direct email alerts regarding ticket news and other event updates by visiting www.legendsofbasketball.com/classic. Those who register for these ticket alerts will be eligible for access to an exclusive one-day presale beginning on Thursday. The Comerica Center opened in 2003 and is the home of the NBA G-League’s Texas Legends and the Lone Star Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
 

HOW TO WATCH THE LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL CLASSIC ON PPV

Suggested retail price: $9.99
Online/Streaming: PPV.COM (no subscription needed)
TV: Available to order through major cable and satellite systems, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, DISH (Channel 461), Verizon Fios, Altice and others

• In Knoxville: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
• In Nashville: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
• In Chattanooga: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
• In Memphis: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
• In Spokane: Xfinity channel 1201
• In Seattle: Xfinity channel 1201

 
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Retail Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Property Creation, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps its clients engage consumers with compelling ideas, content and experiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
 
About iNDEMAND and PPV.COM
iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership between three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.—Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 80 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 150 companies. In December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.COM, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports. With the addition of PPV.COM to its existing cable PPV infrastructure, iNDEMAND has consolidated all forms of PPV distribution under one roof, making the company the only provider of turn-key PPV solutions for both industry partners and consumers. For more information, go to indemand.com and PPV.COM
 
About the National Basketball Retired Players Association
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA and WNBA. It is a 501(c) 3 organization with a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson. The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Legends Care is the charitable initiative of the NBRPA that positively impacts youth and communities through basketball. Scott Rochelle is President and CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Johnny Davis, Vice Chairman Dave Cowens, Treasurer Sam Perkins, Secretary Grant Hill, Thurl Bailey, Caron Butler, Jerome Williams, Shawn Marion, Charles “Choo” Smith, Sheryl Swoopes and Robert Horry. Learn more at legendsofbasketball.com. 
 
About the McLendon Foundation
The McLendon Foundation, established in 1999, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded and administered by NACDA. Through the scholarship program and leadership initiative, the McLendon Foundation provides minorities educational resources, practical experiences and serves as a vehicle for networking, career advancement and advocacy on behalf of the profession. More information regarding the McLendon Foundation can be found at minorityleaders.org.

-UT Athletics