University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Tennessee 9, South Carolina 15
October 14, 2017 | Football
Tennessee Head Coach Butch Jones Quotes
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Opening statement:
"I'm really proud of our players. I thought they showed some resolve, some resiliency. We had an opportunity to win the football game and obviously came up short. I think you could point to the last drive and where the ball was, but there were some things in the second half in terms of situational football. First of all, in the first half, red zone offense, we've got to score touchdowns. We can't kick field goals. Then in the second half, it was a tale of situational football. Third down defense getting off the field, third down offense maintaining the sticks. First down efficiency was not very good offensively. I thought one of the two key plays was a third-and-one, and then obviously the coming out situation when they're on the minus-3, and we need to generate a three-and-out. It changes field position, and it changes the dynamic of the game. But I am proud of our players, and they hurt, but I think they showed their character, and we'll continue to show our character."
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On performance of redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano on the last drive:
"It's a difficult situation, obviously. One minute drill, no timeouts. I thought he was very poised, very calm. He made some plays with his legs. I'm very anxious to go back and watch the video. But in terms of showing poise and making your first start, I think there are a lot of things positively to build upon. Quinten (Dormady) was ready a number of times and made a big play for us as well, going into the game when Jarrett's helmet came off. I was encouraged by what I saw, and I'll know a little bit more when I speak to you all on Monday."
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On what needs to be done to create more big plays for the wide receivers:
"The other storyline was that we didn't have many big plays. Against that defense or any defense, you need big splash plays, and we weren't able to generate any. We've just got to keep working. We'll look at some different schemes, and how can we free them up on the perimeter. But also, there was a number of times we had some things, but then we broke down in protection and were not able to throw the football. There was a number of times on the headsets where a guy was wide open, and we weren't able to get him the football. So again, it's not just the receivers, it's everyone."
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On what changed or limited the running game in the second half:
"I thought that was one of the tales of the second half. We ran the ball effectively and efficiently in the first half, particularly in the first quarter. Jarrett was able to make some plays with his legs. That's the thing, you throw a pass and he was able to get you four or five yards if it wasn't there. The second half we were not able to run the football, and when you become one-dimensional, you're not going to have much success."
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On the final play of the game:
"We have to make that play, and it comes down to making plays in critical moments. Our kids fought and put ourselves in an opportunity to win the football game. I'm proud of them for that, but it gets back to situational football and being able to master that."
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On whether or not to spike it near the goal line:
"We only lost a couple of seconds because we lined up fast. We were going to clock the ball, but we liked that play call and got the play call in, and we got it snapped. That had no bearing on anything."
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On the preparation for this game coming off a bye week:
"Well, did we not play a good football team? That's a good football team. We got better, and unfortunately, we came up short. We had the opportunity to win the football game. That's a good football team. Did we think about handing the ball to John Kelly (on the final play)? Yes, we did. But with the four seconds, that's when we thought about it, and if you run the ball and don't get it, then that's the final play. Then you're sitting in here and asking me why we handed the ball off. We had an opportunity. It was a run-pass option, so they were playing some different things coverage wise, bracket wise and man coverage on the goal line, so we liked it. Jarrett had the opportunity to run the football, and that's what we decided to call. We didn't execute it, and it's very disappointing. We didn't make the play, and we will move on. It hurts, it stings, and I don't know what else I can tell you."
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On how often the defense was on the field in the second half:
"We had way too many three-and-outs in the second half. Our defense was on the field a lot, and again we were not able to run the ball efficiently and effectively in the second half. That was obviously one of the storylines. We have to be able to run the football, and obviously when you run the football, your RPO's, your play-actions come off of that. We weren't able to run the football, and that was a byproduct as well. We need to stop the run, but holding them to a field goal gave us an opportunity to go down and win the game and our kids didn't flinch. We put ourselves in the position to win the football game, and unfortunately weren't able to do that."
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On running the ball after the first quarter and the impact of sacks on the game:
"Way too many negative yardage football plays, whether it's penalties or sack yardage. In terms of not being able to run the ball, I'll know a little more when I watch the video. A lot of times football comes down to winning your one-on-one match-ups."
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On if Jarrett Guarantano's sacks were due to holding on too long:
"I'll know a little more when I watch the video. You can only see so much from the sideline. My gut from what I saw from the sideline is probably a combination of both."
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On moving forward to the Alabama game:
"Next game. Your character is being tested, competitive character. I'm proud of this football team. We had two very, very good weeks of preparation, and two very good weeks of practice. That was a football team that laid it on the line today against a good football team. They laid it on the line, and we had an opportunity to win a football game. There were opportunities where we could have given up, but it's the small details of what it takes to play winning football. From penalties, from third down conversions, from red zone, the coming out situation - all those things add up to playing winning football. We didn't turn the football over. A young man made his first start at quarterback; I thought he did some good things. I thought he showed some poise, he was never rattled, and he was always in the defensive huddle when they were on the field. I liked a lot of things that we saw to build upon, and we have to continue to get better. We just have to go back to work. All those situations in mastering situational football and understanding that it's accumulation that adds up to winning and losing."
Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Jarrett GuarantanoÂ
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On moving the ball down the field on the last drive:
"A big focus of ours is the one-minute drill. We practice it two or three times a week. When we are up and rolling, we are really good at it. We were able get rolling and hit some plays down the field. We established the pass and put together a good drive."
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On settling down in his first start:
"After the first snap, I was good. I felt very comfortable out there, and I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it. I can only go up from here."
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On staying patient until he was named the starter:
"Just from being a competitor, there were some times when I was distraught, and it was visible, especially in the first game. From that point, I understood my role and kept working to get better. Of course it hurt, I went home upset at times, but I think it was for the better."
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Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Brett Kendrick  Â
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On how he thought Jarrett Guarantano handled his first start:Â Â
"I thought he was incredible. I don't know what else he could have done. What else can we ask him to do? He ran the ball when we needed it and took some hits. I thought his poise was incredible right there at the end of the game. He's special. He's got a lot of talent. I thought he was huge for us."Â Â
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On pinpointing the issue with not scoring a touchdown in 10 quarters:Â Â
"We can't have negative-yardage plays when we get down in the red zone. We were down inside the 5-yard line twice, maybe three times, and we didn't put it in. We gave up the sack down there and had two negative yardage runs on our first trip down there. You just can't do it. It's on the offensive line, it's on the receivers, it's on the quarterback. You just have to score."Â
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Junior Defensive Lineman Kyle PhillipsÂ
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On change for defense between the first and second half:Â
"They came out with more energy, and I think that we got a little winded in the second half. Plays where we should have got off the field, we didn't, and that really impacted the rest of the drive. First half, I felt like we were getting three-and-out, three-and-out, and three-and-out. We were fresh and well rested, and the offense was moving the ball really well, giving us a lot of rest on the sideline. Second half, they came out with more energy. Their defense played really well in the second half also. That's one thing we have to work on, sustaining that energy for the full 60 minutes."Â
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On having to play almost every defensive snap:Â
"Jonathan Kongbo and I knew we were going to have to take most of the snaps today, and moving forward, we have to make sure that our conditioning is good and that we are taking care of our bodies. We are going to have to take the majority of the snaps the rest of the season. Today was a tough loss, but we have to get it corrected and go from there."Â
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On if playing so many snaps impacted his play later in the game:Â
"Second half, a couple drives I was a little winded. I think I got out like two plays in the first half, but, like I said, we just have to make sure our conditioning is good for the upcoming season. We know we have to take most of the snaps."Â
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Junior Defensive Back Micah Abernathy Â
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On if the mindset of the defense changes when offense does not produce:Â
"No, that doesn't change anything. We are going to play as hard as we can as a defense regardless of what our offense is doing. That doesn't really affect us. We know our mentality and our mindset, so we just have to go out and play."Â
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On how the defense was able to keep the ball from South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst:Â
"We knew that he was their number one target in the pass game, and he is a very good blocker. We knew that he is where they would be trying to get the ball, so whatever coverage we were in, we made sure we knew where he was."Â
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Opening statement:
"I'm really proud of our players. I thought they showed some resolve, some resiliency. We had an opportunity to win the football game and obviously came up short. I think you could point to the last drive and where the ball was, but there were some things in the second half in terms of situational football. First of all, in the first half, red zone offense, we've got to score touchdowns. We can't kick field goals. Then in the second half, it was a tale of situational football. Third down defense getting off the field, third down offense maintaining the sticks. First down efficiency was not very good offensively. I thought one of the two key plays was a third-and-one, and then obviously the coming out situation when they're on the minus-3, and we need to generate a three-and-out. It changes field position, and it changes the dynamic of the game. But I am proud of our players, and they hurt, but I think they showed their character, and we'll continue to show our character."
Â
On performance of redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano on the last drive:
"It's a difficult situation, obviously. One minute drill, no timeouts. I thought he was very poised, very calm. He made some plays with his legs. I'm very anxious to go back and watch the video. But in terms of showing poise and making your first start, I think there are a lot of things positively to build upon. Quinten (Dormady) was ready a number of times and made a big play for us as well, going into the game when Jarrett's helmet came off. I was encouraged by what I saw, and I'll know a little bit more when I speak to you all on Monday."
Â
On what needs to be done to create more big plays for the wide receivers:
"The other storyline was that we didn't have many big plays. Against that defense or any defense, you need big splash plays, and we weren't able to generate any. We've just got to keep working. We'll look at some different schemes, and how can we free them up on the perimeter. But also, there was a number of times we had some things, but then we broke down in protection and were not able to throw the football. There was a number of times on the headsets where a guy was wide open, and we weren't able to get him the football. So again, it's not just the receivers, it's everyone."
Â
On what changed or limited the running game in the second half:
"I thought that was one of the tales of the second half. We ran the ball effectively and efficiently in the first half, particularly in the first quarter. Jarrett was able to make some plays with his legs. That's the thing, you throw a pass and he was able to get you four or five yards if it wasn't there. The second half we were not able to run the football, and when you become one-dimensional, you're not going to have much success."
Â
On the final play of the game:
"We have to make that play, and it comes down to making plays in critical moments. Our kids fought and put ourselves in an opportunity to win the football game. I'm proud of them for that, but it gets back to situational football and being able to master that."
Â
On whether or not to spike it near the goal line:
"We only lost a couple of seconds because we lined up fast. We were going to clock the ball, but we liked that play call and got the play call in, and we got it snapped. That had no bearing on anything."
Â
On the preparation for this game coming off a bye week:
"Well, did we not play a good football team? That's a good football team. We got better, and unfortunately, we came up short. We had the opportunity to win the football game. That's a good football team. Did we think about handing the ball to John Kelly (on the final play)? Yes, we did. But with the four seconds, that's when we thought about it, and if you run the ball and don't get it, then that's the final play. Then you're sitting in here and asking me why we handed the ball off. We had an opportunity. It was a run-pass option, so they were playing some different things coverage wise, bracket wise and man coverage on the goal line, so we liked it. Jarrett had the opportunity to run the football, and that's what we decided to call. We didn't execute it, and it's very disappointing. We didn't make the play, and we will move on. It hurts, it stings, and I don't know what else I can tell you."
Â
On how often the defense was on the field in the second half:
"We had way too many three-and-outs in the second half. Our defense was on the field a lot, and again we were not able to run the ball efficiently and effectively in the second half. That was obviously one of the storylines. We have to be able to run the football, and obviously when you run the football, your RPO's, your play-actions come off of that. We weren't able to run the football, and that was a byproduct as well. We need to stop the run, but holding them to a field goal gave us an opportunity to go down and win the game and our kids didn't flinch. We put ourselves in the position to win the football game, and unfortunately weren't able to do that."
Â
On running the ball after the first quarter and the impact of sacks on the game:
"Way too many negative yardage football plays, whether it's penalties or sack yardage. In terms of not being able to run the ball, I'll know a little more when I watch the video. A lot of times football comes down to winning your one-on-one match-ups."
Â
On if Jarrett Guarantano's sacks were due to holding on too long:
"I'll know a little more when I watch the video. You can only see so much from the sideline. My gut from what I saw from the sideline is probably a combination of both."
Â
On moving forward to the Alabama game:
"Next game. Your character is being tested, competitive character. I'm proud of this football team. We had two very, very good weeks of preparation, and two very good weeks of practice. That was a football team that laid it on the line today against a good football team. They laid it on the line, and we had an opportunity to win a football game. There were opportunities where we could have given up, but it's the small details of what it takes to play winning football. From penalties, from third down conversions, from red zone, the coming out situation - all those things add up to playing winning football. We didn't turn the football over. A young man made his first start at quarterback; I thought he did some good things. I thought he showed some poise, he was never rattled, and he was always in the defensive huddle when they were on the field. I liked a lot of things that we saw to build upon, and we have to continue to get better. We just have to go back to work. All those situations in mastering situational football and understanding that it's accumulation that adds up to winning and losing."
Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Jarrett GuarantanoÂ
Â
On moving the ball down the field on the last drive:
"A big focus of ours is the one-minute drill. We practice it two or three times a week. When we are up and rolling, we are really good at it. We were able get rolling and hit some plays down the field. We established the pass and put together a good drive."
Â
On settling down in his first start:
"After the first snap, I was good. I felt very comfortable out there, and I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it. I can only go up from here."
Â
On staying patient until he was named the starter:
"Just from being a competitor, there were some times when I was distraught, and it was visible, especially in the first game. From that point, I understood my role and kept working to get better. Of course it hurt, I went home upset at times, but I think it was for the better."
Â
Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Brett Kendrick  Â
Â
On how he thought Jarrett Guarantano handled his first start:Â Â
"I thought he was incredible. I don't know what else he could have done. What else can we ask him to do? He ran the ball when we needed it and took some hits. I thought his poise was incredible right there at the end of the game. He's special. He's got a lot of talent. I thought he was huge for us."Â Â
Â
On pinpointing the issue with not scoring a touchdown in 10 quarters:Â Â
"We can't have negative-yardage plays when we get down in the red zone. We were down inside the 5-yard line twice, maybe three times, and we didn't put it in. We gave up the sack down there and had two negative yardage runs on our first trip down there. You just can't do it. It's on the offensive line, it's on the receivers, it's on the quarterback. You just have to score."Â
Â
Junior Defensive Lineman Kyle PhillipsÂ
Â
On change for defense between the first and second half:Â
"They came out with more energy, and I think that we got a little winded in the second half. Plays where we should have got off the field, we didn't, and that really impacted the rest of the drive. First half, I felt like we were getting three-and-out, three-and-out, and three-and-out. We were fresh and well rested, and the offense was moving the ball really well, giving us a lot of rest on the sideline. Second half, they came out with more energy. Their defense played really well in the second half also. That's one thing we have to work on, sustaining that energy for the full 60 minutes."Â
Â
On having to play almost every defensive snap:Â
"Jonathan Kongbo and I knew we were going to have to take most of the snaps today, and moving forward, we have to make sure that our conditioning is good and that we are taking care of our bodies. We are going to have to take the majority of the snaps the rest of the season. Today was a tough loss, but we have to get it corrected and go from there."Â
Â
On if playing so many snaps impacted his play later in the game:Â
"Second half, a couple drives I was a little winded. I think I got out like two plays in the first half, but, like I said, we just have to make sure our conditioning is good for the upcoming season. We know we have to take most of the snaps."Â
Â
Junior Defensive Back Micah Abernathy Â
Â
On if the mindset of the defense changes when offense does not produce:Â
"No, that doesn't change anything. We are going to play as hard as we can as a defense regardless of what our offense is doing. That doesn't really affect us. We know our mentality and our mindset, so we just have to go out and play."Â
Â
On how the defense was able to keep the ball from South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst:Â
"We knew that he was their number one target in the pass game, and he is a very good blocker. We knew that he is where they would be trying to get the ball, so whatever coverage we were in, we made sure we knew where he was."Â
South Carolina Head Coach Will MuschampÂ
Opening statement:
"That was a heck of a football game. It was a hard fought game on both sides and Tennessee played their hearts out. They came out in the first half and gave us a lot of issues defensively with some different things they did. They game-planned us extremely well in my opinion.
"That was a heck of a football game. It was a hard fought game on both sides and Tennessee played their hearts out. They came out in the first half and gave us a lot of issues defensively with some different things they did. They game-planned us extremely well in my opinion.
"Along the perimeter, we did not tackle very well in the first half. We really settled down in the redzone. We made stops in the redzone. When you play a good redzone defense, it's going to give you a chance to win ballgames. We made some really good adjustments offensively in the second half: a nine-minute scoring drive and a six-minute scoring drive. We ran the ball extremely well in the second half against a front that is very difficult to move inside. They've got really good inside players so I'm extremely proud of that with three linemen down. The heart of our football team shows up again, the culture of our program and the way those guys continue to fight and willed it out. We busted coverage on the long pass there at the end. We need to stay in the middle of the field. If we don't, the quarterback is able to buy time, get the ball down the field and then we go up and make a stop down there in the redzone.
"We're a beat up football team. The open week is coming at the right time. Rico Dowdle has a fibula fracture exactly like Deebo Samuel and K.C. Crosby and it's completely amazing. I've never been around anything like this before. Chad Terrell has a little bit of a sprained ankle. We're just really beat up. Zack Bailey probably could have played in an emergency today so he definitely will be up for our next ballgame. Cory Helms will definitely be back for our next ballgame. Malik Young we feel like is going to be back for our next ballgame. Terry Googer will be back for our next ballgame. I'm uncertain on Chad right now, but I think it's probably just a 10 or 12 day thing. Rico will be done for an extended time. I hate that for that young man. It's the first time that he's really been healthy these last two weeks. Getting him back was huge for us, but Mon Denson did a fantastic job of stepping in there. A.J. Turner made some tough runs and Ty'Son Williams made some tough runs. We had some guys step up. Our guys continue to fight. It wasn't always good in the first half, especially on the defensive side on the ball. We weren't very crisp in our tackling. I was frustrated with that, but I think they had about 150 yards in the first quarter and they ended up with about 250 and probably 80 of them in the last drive. We took over the game in the second half."
South Carolina Sophomore Wide Receiver Bryan Edwards
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On the slow start in the first quarter:
"It's a combination of small things that we need to touch up and it's gotten to us a couple times. I think we just need to go to the drawing board and be a little more detailed in what we need to do. It's the little things and the big things we are taking care of, but it's just the little things we need to improve on."
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On what a win heading into the open week does for South Carolina:
"Anytime you get a win, especially like that, it takes the weight off of your shoulders and then you feel a lot more confident. We can go into the open week with a good feeling and get a good week of practice in and come out next week ready to play."
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On the offense's viewpoint of Tennessee's final drive:
"We were there talking to each other, getting together what we would do if we got another chance to be on the field. Then, it came down to the one second and I was just sitting there hoping, which is all that you can do is watch."
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On the three-second play by Tennessee:
"No, the whole last drive was pretty unbelievable, especially with them having a freshman quarterback in there and able to get down the field like that. You tip your hat to those guys, but our defense stepped up and that is all that matters."
Players Mentioned
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DL
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