KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – “Vol Calls,” the official statewide radio show of the Tennessee Volunteers, kicks off its 2022-23 season on Wednesday, Aug. 24, on location from the legendary Calhoun’s On the River in downtown Knoxville.
The one-hour show airs at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT across the state of Tennessee and is also streamed on UTsports.com/watch and via the Tennessee Athletics app. Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White and another special guest are scheduled to appear on Wednesday’s season debut, which will also include a special recorded interview with head football coach Josh Heupel.
Heupel makes his on-site debut on a special Monday, Aug. 29, show next week prior to UT’s season-opener versus Ball State on Thursday, Sept. 1, in Neyland Stadium.
Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers and UT’s director of broadcasting, serves as the show’s host and is joined by Vol Network veteran Brent Hubbs to answer questions and provide the latest news and information on Tennessee Athletics.
The show will be held outside each week during the fall on the restaurant’s massive, new, covered outdoor deck. Overlooking the Tennessee River, “The Deck” at Calhoun’s provides a new outdoor eating and show experience with big-screen televisions, new sound system, ceiling fans and a roof that fully protects fans from the elements.
Calhoun’s On the River returns as the home of “Vol Calls” for the 11th straight season. Famous for its award-winning ribs, BBQ and other delicious Southern dishes, Calhoun’s is one of Tennessee’s most popular restaurant destinations. The restaurant will give away special prizes each week during football season through its Instagram channel – calhounstn – including “Best Seats in the House” for the show, game tickets, hospitality passes and a collection of special signature sauces.
“Vol Calls” is the exclusive statewide radio show for Tennessee Athletics featuring the head coaches of the Big Orange. The show can be heard on 50-plus radio stations across the state of Tennessee on the Vol Radio Network and all over the world through UTsports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and SiriusXM.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Brian Rice, an award-winning sports talk show host and broadcaster with 10 years of experience as the highly-respected radio play-by-play announcer for Lady Vol softball, was announced Tuesday as the new voice of Lady Vol basketball.
Rice, a Knoxville native who became a Big Orange fan-favorite behind the microphone at softball games and served as a fill-in for Mickey Dearstone on two UT women’s hoops broadcasts in 2020, will handle radio play-by-play duties and host The Kellie Harper TV Show. He also will assist with other related duties in promoting the winningest program in women’s college basketball history, which enters the 2022-23 campaign ranked No. 4 nationally in ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early” Top 25.
“All of us in the Lady Vol program extend a warm welcome to Brian and look forward to working alongside him,” Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kellie Harper said. “He is so passionate about the university and the athletics department, and his combination of love and respect for Lady Vol basketball is abundantly clear. Brian built his broadcast reputation calling Lady Vol Softball and other events, and I look forward to him utilizing his talents, experience and platform to share Lady Vol basketball’s story as well.”
Becoming the third person to hold the role on a full-time basis, Rice joins the Lady Vol Network after Dearstone announced his retirement in the spring of 2022 following 23 seasons of painting a picture on the air for Big Orange followers. Current Tennessee Director of Broadcasting Bob Kesling was behind the mic at Lady Vol games for more than two decades after the legendary John Ward began the tradition by calling select UT women’s games in 1977-78.
“Brian has done a fantastic job on the radio with Tennessee softball for many years and filling in for Mickey on some Lady Vols basketball games in the past,” Vol Network General Manager Steve Early said. “His background, experience and knowledge has uniquely prepared him for this very prestigious next role, and it is very apparent how much devotion and passion he has for the University of Tennessee and Lady Vols basketball.”
Rice began calling Tennessee softball games in 2013 and has filled in for other broadcasts as well as handled public address duties for women’s basketball over the years. He also has called play-by-play for Tennessee baseball, soccer and volleyball for UTSports.com and SEC Network+.
“Brian Rice is one of the best in the business,” Tennessee Softball Head Coach Karen Weekly said. “He is most deserving of this opportunity, and I can’t think of anyone better or more prepared to be the next voice of Lady Vol basketball.”
In addition to his play-by-play work, Rice is a well-known on-air personality in Knoxville, serving as the co-host of The Erik Ainge Show that originates on the flagship station of the Lady Vol Network, 99.1 FM/AM 990. Rice was named the Knoxville News Sentinel Knox Stars Best of Knoxville in the Favorite Local Radio Personality category in 2020 and 2021. He also hosted a nightly sports television program simulcast on FOX 43 TV and 99.1 FM that covered local stories as well as the biggest national headlines.
From 2014-16 Rice was employed by the University of Tennessee, filling a role as a writer and broadcaster for the athletics department within the media relations office. He served as a writer/content creator for UTSports.com, producing features, blog posts, recaps, columns and historical reflections. He also handled soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball and tennis broadcasts as assigned by UT prior to the launch of the SEC Network+.
“Serving as the voice of Lady Vol basketball is an important role in support of one of the most storied programs in college sports,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. “As fans who have followed Tennessee softball in recent years can attest, Brian is well prepared for this unique opportunity. As a UT alum and lifelong fan, Brian is well versed in the history and tradition of the program and is passionate about sharing its stories from the past, present and future.”
A two-time UT graduate, Rice possesses a degree in sport management in 2005 and a master’s in sport studies in 2007. The graduate of Knoxville Catholic High School cut his teeth serving as a P.A. announcer at Fighting Irish sporting events.
“I am honored to be chosen to represent the most powerful brand in women’s college athletics in Tennessee Lady Vol basketball,” Rice said. “I am incredibly excited to get started and share the stories of our student-athletes while painting a picture of the action for our loyal fans on the Lady Vol Radio Network.
“The list of names that have called games for this program represents an elite group that I am humbled to be given the opportunity to be a part of. Lady Vol basketball has been broadcast by legends of the business as well as heroes of mine and every other Tennessee fan that grew up listening across the state and around the world.”
The Lady Vol Radio Network is one of the largest collegiate women’s basketball radio networks in the country and one of the first radio networks to build an expansive affiliate list.
Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of the September 1st 2022 season opener vs. Ball State in Knoxville.
Vols OC-TE Coach Alex Golesh / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh spoke to the media on Tuesday ahead of the September 1st 2022 season opener vs. Ball State in Knoxville.
Vols OC-TE Coach Alex Golesh / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The formal portion of preseason camp is complete for Tennessee football. After three weeks of practices, the Volunteers will now shift their attention to game planning with the start of classes next week.
Tennessee practiced in pads on Friday morning with kickoff less than two weeks away.
“Obviously, we’re on the backend on training camp here with another day to go, but I thought we got some really good work today,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “Special teams is starting to come together. We’ve gotten into more unit work. You can see a lot of young guys are going to have an opportunity to play a bunch of football.”
Depth Growing There is no shortage of capable players on the defensive side this fall compared to last. With an influx of freshmen, particularly on the defensive line, and multiple transfer defensive backs, Tennessee will be strong in numbers. Freshmen defensive linemen include Joshua Josephs, James Pearce Jr. and Tyre West.
“Just in pure numbers, athletically, movement and skillsets, we’re much deeper—in particular on the defensive side of the football,” Heupel said. “It’s evident in some of the skill spots offensively, too. Those young guys that are a part of what I’m talking about still have to push and get themselves ready to go play on gameday. There are some things that we have to clean up—gameday management, those guys operating and some of those guys on special teams. I feel like we are a much deeper football team than we were a year ago.”
Dynamic Duo Quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Cedric Tillman form one of the top duo’s in college football in 2022. The two connected for 10 touchdowns through the air a season ago and have made that a habit in practice. Both were ranked among the top 60 in ESPN’s 100 best players in college football this season. Tillman has displayed exceptional athleticism in camp with highlight-reel plays.
“Through the course of training camp, we’ve gotten here on the back half, we’ve been able to push the ball down the field and win more of those one-on-one situations,” Heupel said. “The consistency of throw and catch between those two has continued to get better. I feel like they both are playing at a really high level right now.”
On Deck Tennessee will walk through on Monday before holding padded practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. Classes begin Wednesday on the UT campus. Both offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and defensive coordinator Tim Banks will meet with the media next week to give an update on the progress of camp. The Vols open the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Ball State in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Head Coach Josh Heupel Media Availability Aug. 19, 2022
Opening Statement “I hope everybody’s having a great morning. It was a good day of work out there. Obviously, we’re on the backend on training camp here with another day to go, but I thought we got some really good work today. Special teams is starting to come together. We’ve gotten into more unit work. You can see a lot of young guys are going to have an opportunity to play a bunch of football. A couple of guys who have been nicked up are starting to get back healthy. It’s good having them back on the grass. I’m pleased with a lot of things that we’re doing and looking forward to getting rolling here next week, too.”
On Tennessee’s depth this season compared to last year… “Just in pure numbers, athletically, movement and skillsets, we’re much deeper—in particular on the defensive side of the football. It’s evident in some of the skill spots offensively, too. Those young guys that are a part of what I’m talking about still have to push and get themselves ready to go play on gameday. There are some things that we have to clean up—gameday management, those guys operating and some of those guys on special teams. I feel like we are a much deeper football team than we were a year ago. That’s going to play out as you inevitably have some injuries during the season. I think, in particular on the defensive side of the football, you’ll see more rotation and a lot of guys playing.”
On which unit has impressed him the most during fall camp… “I don’t think that there’s one unit that’s impressed me the most. There are things in every unit, every position group that we have to clean up before we get to gameday. I think with our special teams, there are some really positive things with some young guys on those units. We have essentially two weeks before we get to kickoff. We’ll get into some game prep mode late next week probably. There are a ton of positives from every position. There are some things we have to work on, too.”
On what indicators tell him the younger members of the team are ready to play… “Body language matters and being able to reset from the previous play, go compete and execute on the next one. This is a game where every play makes a difference for all 11 that are on the field. You’re not going to win every battle, but you have to be able to reset to the next play. The ability to handle that, handle the coaching, not making the same mistake and continuing to progress. Being 15 practices in right now, you’ve seen some of that from those guys. From scrimmage one to scrimmage two, a big tell is just the jump that those guys are able to make. Take some of the things that they saw in a real, live situation in the first scrimmage and apply it in scrimmage two. We’ve seen that from a bunch of those guys. There will be some young guys that in week one are going to play a bunch of minutes. There are going to be some young guys that will continue to earn that playing time as they go through the season, too. So, it’s a constant race against yourself to become the best that you can.”
On where the receivers are in terms of beating press coverage… “It’s something that we’ve been intentional at dating all the way back to spring ball, being able to work releases against press coverage. We spend a bunch of time doing that in ‘good-on-good’, through our one-on-one’s too. Our guys have grown a bunch in understanding how to attack different techniques that they’re going to see on the other side of the line of scrimmage. I feel like the tools that those guys have incorporated into their game – and some of them are a little bit different than others in who they are and they’re body types – I feel like those guys will be able to manage and to find a way to win and get off the line of scrimmage quickly. “
On if he thinks Tennessee will be a better pass rushing team this year… “I do just from their functional movement individually, their ability to bend, explosiveness out of their stance, the fundamentals that coach Garner and coach Ekeler have helped develop all offseason. And there are some young guys that have come into our program too that we believe as the season unfolds, we’ll be able to have that help us in some of those situations. The depth and the growth of them individually, some young guys coming in, I do believe that we’ll be better being able to apply pressure to the quarterback without using pressures to do that.”
On if he ever hit a wall as a player during fall camp… “Training camp back then was a little bit different. It was like 12 straight days of ‘two-a-days’.”
On if he hits a wall as a coach during fall camp… “I think just the way we structure it – and the player loads that we try to manage with them when we time up our off days and when the scrimmage days happen. We try to keep them fresh physically, but also on the mental side of it and make sure they’re intentional. There’s a grind and stress to training camp. I think part of that’s necessary just to get yourself prepared for the season. The offseason is one thing in June and July in strength and conditioning, but you need some of the physicality and the stress during the course of training camp to prepare yourself for what the season’s going to be like and what those fourth quarters are going to be like. Our practice habits are a lot better than they were a year ago. In some ways we’ve been able to play and practice cleaner. We’ve got to do that here the next couple of weeks to make sure we’ve got everybody healthy when we kick off on Thursday night.”
On progress defending mobile quarterbacks on third down… “I think that’s one of the hardest things to replicate during the course of training camp with the quarterbacks not being live. You also want them to stay away from the fray. Those quarterback’s hands are coming through, so trying to keep those guys in the red jerseys healthy. Rush integrity and understanding the design of the scheme and what your job is in it. That’s the front four guys and some of our twist game, it’s also our pressures. There are times where we’re bringing the linebacker or our safety off the edge, so being able to manage those situations is going to be critical. We’re going to do a couple things that are different this year. There were some opportunities where some of the younger guys – we put them in a live situation with the quarterback. I think those little things will add up to us handling the quarterback in a better way when we kick off.”
On if Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman were surprising in fall camp… “I don’t think surprised would be the right word just because of how they’ve worked all offseason and their growth and what we’re doing. It’s a little different than where we were a year ago at this point. Just a better understanding of what gameday is going to look like, how to function inside the system and obviously they both grew. Through the course of training camp, we’ve gotten here on the back half, we’ve been able to push the ball down the field and win more of those one-on-one situations. The consistency of throw and catch between those two has continued to get better. I feel like they both are playing at a really high level right now.”
On what it’s like for himself to be in year two… “The continuity that we’ve had inside of our building, really our entire staff, young and old coaches coming back. Obviously, Kelsey (Pope) stepping into the full time role at the wide receivers spot. For our players, from the first day they got back in January, it’s not about a question of feel or look inside of the meeting room. The communication pieces. Just being about going and competition and becoming your absolute best. For us as a staff, more in sync, clear lines of communication, understanding the expectations. The layout of training camp, how that unfolds. Being able to grow from year one to year two and just some of the situational football. How we practice to help our players, for it to be more game like. Be prepared when kickoff happens. Some of those small things that we’ve changed and grown in pay huge dividends in the leadup to kickoff and the preparation for our players.”
On if there is a point in fall camp where you can’t do much until real game situations… “You play more guys because they’ve earned it. I do feel like we have more guys who have been earning it. Just from our scrimmages and then the way that they’ve practiced. You’re going to find out a lot more about your young guys, guys that haven’t done it, when the lights come on, for sure. Is the stage too big, is it not? Are they able to cut it loose and go implement and incorporate all the fundamentals and technique, understanding of scheme and go make plays? We try and put them in those stressful situations. At the end of the day, gameday is its own thing. We’ll find out a little bit more about those young guys for sure. Our veteran guys have been playing. We have a pretty good understanding how they are going to react to those situations.”
On Bru McCoy’s pending eligibility… “Obviously, getting him prepared, being able to rep him, you’d like that before you start your regular game plan week. Essentially seven days before kickoff. That’s best-case situation where you are able to work him, incorporate him and play him for what it’s going to look like when we run out of the tunnel. Our administration has done everything that they possibility can. They’ve been great throughout the entire process from the very beginning. They’re still working as hard as they can to give him the opportunity to play. I don’t have an answer on that (when eligibility decision would be). There are some things that are out of my control, Bru’s control and our administration’s control in this process. Everybody on our side is working as hard as they possibility can to make sure that we come to a resolution as quickly as possible and give the kid an opportunity to go play.”
On Hendon Hooker’s ability to throw on the run… “Accurate. He’s doing a much better job than early last year keeping his eyes down the football field. You guys have probably seen it out at practice. We’ve put a huge emphasis on when he breaks the pocket, it being a pass play, not a run play. Our guys understanding out on the perimeter where they need to get open, understanding space and how to function once the original play call breaks down and you go into the second design of the play. That can and needs to be a big part of our game. There are going to be times where he pulls it down too and he’s got to do a great job with his feet, take care of the football and make sure that we’re continuing to get to the next set of downs but also take care of himself, too.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The formal portion of preseason camp is complete for Tennessee football. After three weeks of practices, the Volunteers will now shift their attention to game planning with the start of classes next week.
Tennessee practiced in pads on Friday morning with kickoff less than two weeks away.
“Obviously, we’re on the backend on training camp here with another day to go, but I thought we got some really good work today,” head coach Josh Heupel said. “Special teams is starting to come together. We’ve gotten into more unit work. You can see a lot of young guys are going to have an opportunity to play a bunch of football.”
Depth Growing There is no shortage of capable players on the defensive side this fall compared to last. With an influx of freshmen, particularly on the defensive line, and multiple transfer defensive backs, Tennessee will be strong in numbers. Freshmen defensive linemen include Joshua Josephs, James Pearce Jr. and Tyre West.
“Just in pure numbers, athletically, movement and skillsets, we’re much deeper—in particular on the defensive side of the football,” Heupel said. “It’s evident in some of the skill spots offensively, too. Those young guys that are a part of what I’m talking about still have to push and get themselves ready to go play on gameday. There are some things that we have to clean up—gameday management, those guys operating and some of those guys on special teams. I feel like we are a much deeper football team than we were a year ago.”
Dynamic Duo Quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Cedric Tillman form one of the top duo’s in college football in 2022. The two connected for 10 touchdowns through the air a season ago and have made that a habit in practice. Both were ranked among the top 60 in ESPN’s 100 best players in college football this season. Tillman has displayed exceptional athleticism in camp with highlight-reel plays.
“Through the course of training camp, we’ve gotten here on the back half, we’ve been able to push the ball down the field and win more of those one-on-one situations,” Heupel said. “The consistency of throw and catch between those two has continued to get better. I feel like they both are playing at a really high level right now.”
On Deck Tennessee will walk through on Monday before holding padded practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. Classes begin Wednesday on the UT campus. Both offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and defensive coordinator Tim Banks will meet with the media next week to give an update on the progress of camp. The Vols open the season on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Ball State in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Head Coach Josh Heupel Media Availability Aug. 19, 2022
Opening Statement “I hope everybody’s having a great morning. It was a good day of work out there. Obviously, we’re on the backend on training camp here with another day to go, but I thought we got some really good work today. Special teams is starting to come together. We’ve gotten into more unit work. You can see a lot of young guys are going to have an opportunity to play a bunch of football. A couple of guys who have been nicked up are starting to get back healthy. It’s good having them back on the grass. I’m pleased with a lot of things that we’re doing and looking forward to getting rolling here next week, too.”
On Tennessee’s depth this season compared to last year… “Just in pure numbers, athletically, movement and skillsets, we’re much deeper—in particular on the defensive side of the football. It’s evident in some of the skill spots offensively, too. Those young guys that are a part of what I’m talking about still have to push and get themselves ready to go play on gameday. There are some things that we have to clean up—gameday management, those guys operating and some of those guys on special teams. I feel like we are a much deeper football team than we were a year ago. That’s going to play out as you inevitably have some injuries during the season. I think, in particular on the defensive side of the football, you’ll see more rotation and a lot of guys playing.”
On which unit has impressed him the most during fall camp… “I don’t think that there’s one unit that’s impressed me the most. There are things in every unit, every position group that we have to clean up before we get to gameday. I think with our special teams, there are some really positive things with some young guys on those units. We have essentially two weeks before we get to kickoff. We’ll get into some game prep mode late next week probably. There are a ton of positives from every position. There are some things we have to work on, too.”
On what indicators tell him the younger members of the team are ready to play… “Body language matters and being able to reset from the previous play, go compete and execute on the next one. This is a game where every play makes a difference for all 11 that are on the field. You’re not going to win every battle, but you have to be able to reset to the next play. The ability to handle that, handle the coaching, not making the same mistake and continuing to progress. Being 15 practices in right now, you’ve seen some of that from those guys. From scrimmage one to scrimmage two, a big tell is just the jump that those guys are able to make. Take some of the things that they saw in a real, live situation in the first scrimmage and apply it in scrimmage two. We’ve seen that from a bunch of those guys. There will be some young guys that in week one are going to play a bunch of minutes. There are going to be some young guys that will continue to earn that playing time as they go through the season, too. So, it’s a constant race against yourself to become the best that you can.”
On where the receivers are in terms of beating press coverage… “It’s something that we’ve been intentional at dating all the way back to spring ball, being able to work releases against press coverage. We spend a bunch of time doing that in ‘good-on-good’, through our one-on-one’s too. Our guys have grown a bunch in understanding how to attack different techniques that they’re going to see on the other side of the line of scrimmage. I feel like the tools that those guys have incorporated into their game – and some of them are a little bit different than others in who they are and they’re body types – I feel like those guys will be able to manage and to find a way to win and get off the line of scrimmage quickly. “
On if he thinks Tennessee will be a better pass rushing team this year… “I do just from their functional movement individually, their ability to bend, explosiveness out of their stance, the fundamentals that coach Garner and coach Ekeler have helped develop all offseason. And there are some young guys that have come into our program too that we believe as the season unfolds, we’ll be able to have that help us in some of those situations. The depth and the growth of them individually, some young guys coming in, I do believe that we’ll be better being able to apply pressure to the quarterback without using pressures to do that.”
On if he ever hit a wall as a player during fall camp… “Training camp back then was a little bit different. It was like 12 straight days of ‘two-a-days’.”
On if he hits a wall as a coach during fall camp… “I think just the way we structure it – and the player loads that we try to manage with them when we time up our off days and when the scrimmage days happen. We try to keep them fresh physically, but also on the mental side of it and make sure they’re intentional. There’s a grind and stress to training camp. I think part of that’s necessary just to get yourself prepared for the season. The offseason is one thing in June and July in strength and conditioning, but you need some of the physicality and the stress during the course of training camp to prepare yourself for what the season’s going to be like and what those fourth quarters are going to be like. Our practice habits are a lot better than they were a year ago. In some ways we’ve been able to play and practice cleaner. We’ve got to do that here the next couple of weeks to make sure we’ve got everybody healthy when we kick off on Thursday night.”
On progress defending mobile quarterbacks on third down… “I think that’s one of the hardest things to replicate during the course of training camp with the quarterbacks not being live. You also want them to stay away from the fray. Those quarterback’s hands are coming through, so trying to keep those guys in the red jerseys healthy. Rush integrity and understanding the design of the scheme and what your job is in it. That’s the front four guys and some of our twist game, it’s also our pressures. There are times where we’re bringing the linebacker or our safety off the edge, so being able to manage those situations is going to be critical. We’re going to do a couple things that are different this year. There were some opportunities where some of the younger guys – we put them in a live situation with the quarterback. I think those little things will add up to us handling the quarterback in a better way when we kick off.”
On if Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman were surprising in fall camp… “I don’t think surprised would be the right word just because of how they’ve worked all offseason and their growth and what we’re doing. It’s a little different than where we were a year ago at this point. Just a better understanding of what gameday is going to look like, how to function inside the system and obviously they both grew. Through the course of training camp, we’ve gotten here on the back half, we’ve been able to push the ball down the field and win more of those one-on-one situations. The consistency of throw and catch between those two has continued to get better. I feel like they both are playing at a really high level right now.”
On what it’s like for himself to be in year two… “The continuity that we’ve had inside of our building, really our entire staff, young and old coaches coming back. Obviously, Kelsey (Pope) stepping into the full time role at the wide receivers spot. For our players, from the first day they got back in January, it’s not about a question of feel or look inside of the meeting room. The communication pieces. Just being about going and competition and becoming your absolute best. For us as a staff, more in sync, clear lines of communication, understanding the expectations. The layout of training camp, how that unfolds. Being able to grow from year one to year two and just some of the situational football. How we practice to help our players, for it to be more game like. Be prepared when kickoff happens. Some of those small things that we’ve changed and grown in pay huge dividends in the leadup to kickoff and the preparation for our players.”
On if there is a point in fall camp where you can’t do much until real game situations… “You play more guys because they’ve earned it. I do feel like we have more guys who have been earning it. Just from our scrimmages and then the way that they’ve practiced. You’re going to find out a lot more about your young guys, guys that haven’t done it, when the lights come on, for sure. Is the stage too big, is it not? Are they able to cut it loose and go implement and incorporate all the fundamentals and technique, understanding of scheme and go make plays? We try and put them in those stressful situations. At the end of the day, gameday is its own thing. We’ll find out a little bit more about those young guys for sure. Our veteran guys have been playing. We have a pretty good understanding how they are going to react to those situations.”
On Bru McCoy’s pending eligibility… “Obviously, getting him prepared, being able to rep him, you’d like that before you start your regular game plan week. Essentially seven days before kickoff. That’s best-case situation where you are able to work him, incorporate him and play him for what it’s going to look like when we run out of the tunnel. Our administration has done everything that they possibility can. They’ve been great throughout the entire process from the very beginning. They’re still working as hard as they can to give him the opportunity to play. I don’t have an answer on that (when eligibility decision would be). There are some things that are out of my control, Bru’s control and our administration’s control in this process. Everybody on our side is working as hard as they possibility can to make sure that we come to a resolution as quickly as possible and give the kid an opportunity to go play.”
On Hendon Hooker’s ability to throw on the run… “Accurate. He’s doing a much better job than early last year keeping his eyes down the football field. You guys have probably seen it out at practice. We’ve put a huge emphasis on when he breaks the pocket, it being a pass play, not a run play. Our guys understanding out on the perimeter where they need to get open, understanding space and how to function once the original play call breaks down and you go into the second design of the play. That can and needs to be a big part of our game. There are going to be times where he pulls it down too and he’s got to do a great job with his feet, take care of the football and make sure that we’re continuing to get to the next set of downs but also take care of himself, too.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Nike’s “Smokey Grey” uniform makes its triumphant return to Rocky Top in 2022. The fan-favorite, alternate design will serve as a uniform option for Tennessee football this fall as part of the new Smokey Grey Series.
The new initiative will see the Volunteers wear Smokey Grey uniforms for at least one game for each of the next four seasons (2022, ’23, ’24 and ’25), with the potential to scale beyond those years.
The “OG,” Nike’s original Smokey Grey uniform and helmet, return to kick off the initiative this season for a game to be determined. First worn in 2015, the two-toned grey jerseys feature orange numerals, while the grey pants sport an orange stripe down the side that finish with a checkerboard pattern. The helmets feature the familiar orange Power T, a mountain design in shades of grey and an orange stripe down the middle that culminates with a checkerboard pattern on the lower back of the helmet.
Tennessee owns a 3-1 record wearing Nike’s Smokey Grey uniform, including a pair of 21-point comeback wins (2015 – vs. Georgia and 2016 – vs. Florida) and a 38-24 victory over Nebraska in the 2016 Music City Bowl that saw Derek Barnett break Reggie White’s UT career sack record. The Volunteers will don the uniform for the first time since Sept. 30, 2017.
Tennessee Athletics in partnership with Nike will unveil a new Smokey Grey uniform design each season beginning in 2023 and continuing through at least 2025. The concepts will honor the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future of Tennessee football.
The “OG” Nike Smokey Grey jersey will be available at shop.UTsports.com and other local retailers in September. The Smokey Grey Series will also feature exclusive Tennessee gear debuting in stores.
New season tickets for the 2022 Tennessee football campaign are on sale now at AllVols.com or by calling (865) 946-7000.
