University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes: #7/8 Georgia 41, Vols 0
September 30, 2017 | Football
Tennessee Head Coach Butch Jones
On team's level of preparation before the game:
"I thought we had a good week of preparation. I thought our kids were ready to play. I think it's an accumulation effect. When you have opportunities to make plays relatively early in the game, and you don't, you lose those opportunities. We had some opportunities to make some big plays on offense, we dropped a couple of interceptions, and I think everything snowballed from there. When you're playing a team as good as Georgia, every opportunity you have to make a play, you have to make a play. You're not going to win very many football games when you turn the football over four times. Situational football we did not excel in - turning the football over, red zone defense. I thought a couple times we stepped up, but overall, third downs on both sides of the football, and offensively we were one out of 12. We knew coming into the game that we had to excel in the 50-50 ball on the perimeter, and we weren't able to do that. Right now we're being tested. That's what I told our football team - our character is being tested, everything about us. But, there's no excuses. There's no hiding behind it. We're going to find out who the true leaders are, and we're going to find out who the true competitors are. The bye week is coming at the right time. We're 3-2 with a lot of football left to be played, and we're going to find out what we're made of each and every day moving forward."
On how concerned he is about the offense:"Very concerned. We never established any rhythm. We did not establish any tempo. I don't think we had any explosive plays. We have to up the tempo. We need explosive plays, and we need consistency when running the football. It was as bad of an offensive performance as I've ever been a part of, and it's inexcusable."
"Win. To win every single game. That's the number one goal. We have seven opportunities left that we're guaranteed, and that's always the goal is to win."
"I'll know more when I watch the video. Our defense was out on the field a long period of time. We weren't able to control the football. We were behind in field position most of the game, and we got a great opportunity on a turnover then we turned the ball over ourselves. When I talk about the accumulative effect, that's what I'm talking about. When you have a team as good as Georgia, and you get the ball on a turnover in that field position, you have to come away with seven points. I'll know more when I watch the tape, but again, we weren't able to sustain drives and our defense was on the field long periods of time against a very physical and good football team."
On what led to Tennessee's offensive struggle:
"We knew obviously that they are a very good defensive football team, but we expect to score points and move the ball on anyone. It comes to 11 individuals coming together and working as one. That might sound coach speak, but it's true. You have 10 individuals do the right thing, and then one individual has a breakdown or a missed assignment, and that doesn't give you an opportunity. I'll know more when I watch the video, and that's one of the things we talked about, being detailed and paying attention to everything. We need some people to step up. Right now we're having to play perfect, and you can't play perfect. You need big chunk yardage football plays and we're not getting that right now."
"They understand that their performance was unacceptable, and they don't need to be told that again. The only thing you can do in life is when things go wrong and don't go according to plan, you get back up and you go back to work the next day. You have to be more driven than you've ever been, and it's a check of everyone. There's a lot of football left to be played, and we just have to work. That's the only way I know how to do it. You can't feel sorry for yourselves, no one is going to feel sorry for us, so it should not start with us. We have to be real with ourselves and look ourselves in the mirror. It's gut check time. We have to work to get better. That's the only way you can do it."
"Every position is up for a look in the bye week, so we have no starting positions. We'll compete during the bye week, and the individuals who have the best week of practice and the best week of preparation for South Carolina will be the ones that are on the field first."
"It's just who gives us the best opportunity to win and has consistency with the offense and what we're doing. Again, we'll compete every single day during the bye week, and who we feel gives us the best opportunity to win will play. It's not just the quarterbacks, it's every position."
"He's done a good job with that in practice, with his decision making. The first throw was a three-step, and we were late on it. We have to get the ball out, so we'll go back and look at all that, but no, we don't see any of that in practice."
On Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson being held to no catches:
"They were targeted, and a lot of the play calls were towards them, so I'll know more when I watch the video."
"We're not running the quarterback, we're letting him see the field in the gun, and we're running a pro-style type offense, so I do think we're fitting his style. Again, all eyes look towards the quarterback, but the quarterback is a by-product of everyone around him too. Everyone wants to point to the quarterback, but I think it's more than that. I think it's everyone. It starts up front, it's a line of scrimmage game, it's wide receivers and tight ends winning their one on one matchups. Football is the great team sport, but it really comes down to 11 individual battles one on one. And everything points towards the quarterback, he has to take care of the football, but I think it's also a by-product to everyone around them as well."
On where the team is mentally:
"Well first of all, everyone should hurt. If it doesn't hurt, then that shows that you're not heavily invested. If you're invested, you hurt. This one stings. And it's going to take a while. And like I told our team, if you don't feel like coming to practice, you better remember how you feel right now. And if that's not motivation, I don't know what is. But also, we have a group of individuals that understand our expectations here at Tennessee. And especially when we play in Neyland Stadium. There's a tradition of excellence that we expect and that we demand. So, to me, if you're a competitor, you can't wait to get back to work. And again, it starts with us as coaches, of holding everyone accountable. It starts with us, and it starts with everyone in our organization. And I know we get tired of hearing it, but it is what it is. But if you're a competitor, I don't expect it to bother their psyche."
"Everything is about turnovers and turnover margin, and you can't turn the football over four times. Like I said, football is a game where you create breaks for yourself, and you create momentum, and we do a great job defensively, we have an interception, and then we turn the ball over offensively, and all of the sudden, they step up. So you're exactly right, you cannot turn the football over, and expect to move the football and win football games."
On the early turnovers contributing to the final result:
"Everything is about turnovers and turnover margin, and you can't turn the football over four times. Like I said, football is a game where you create breaks for yourself, and you create momentum, and we do a great job defensively, we have an interception, and then we turn the ball over offensively, and all of the sudden, they step up. So you're exactly right, you cannot turn the football over, and expect to move the football and win football games."
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Tennessee Junior Quarterback Quinten Dormady
On where his confidence level is heading into the bye week:"It's just you do not want to lose like that. We will get back and look at it, and that is the only thing we can do at this point."
On the struggle of offense last week vs. UMass and this week:
"Like I said earlier in the week, it comes down to execution, and we are not executing right now. That is what we have to get corrected." On what makes Georgia's defense effective: "They got a lot of guys that they can sub in, and they are pretty deep. They just out played us today; that's what it comes down to. We have to execute, and if you don't execute and turn the ball over, you do not stand a chance against a quality SEC opponent."
Tennessee Senior Linebacker Colton Jumper
On leadership standpoints and finding out whose who:"I think this is really when you found out who you really are. I think everybody's true character come about. We are going to be to go back and watch film and see what guys are fighting till the end. Leadership standpoints, that is just something that's got to pick up. We need more vocal leaders, and that starts with us two (referring to him and Dormady)."
On how Georgia came out fast and how much it effects the team:
"I think they do a really good job on hopping out quick on opponents. They ran the flea flicker against Mississippi State, and the short field position with the field goal right off the bat against us. That is something we need to work on too, something we need to work on is coming out faster."
Tennessee Junior Defensive Back Micah Abernathy
On does a game like this shake the team's confidence:"No, I would not say it shakes the confidence. I really feel like we need to lock in more, and I think we know that now and go into the next game positive." On if depth was an issue during the game: "I would not say depth was an issue. We just need to be more physical at the point of attacks and hold our gaps."
Tennessee Redshirt Senior Defensive Lineman Kendal Vickers
On the mentality of the team: "This week is going to show a lot about everybody's character and what type of men we have in that locker room. We've got guys that are going to go and look at the film and look at their identity on film and come in this next week and work. It's not an off week, it's a work week. We got to learn from our mistakes. We have to get better. That includes everybody, including me."
On the difference from the first quarter to the last three:
"They did some other things in the second, third, or fourth quarters. I noticed when they got a first down or something like that, or a medium six or seven yard gain, they went fast. I mean it's not like we haven't seen that before, so we just have to be able to adjust to that in the future."
Tennessee Redshirt Senior Offensive Lineman Brett Kendrick
On the mentality of the team:"Our mentality hasn't changed - just come back and keep working. We've got a lot of places we can improve, so this next week is going to be huge for us. This is only game five, so we've got seven games left and then an eighth one. We've got a lot of season left. There's a lot of room for us to grow, but there's also opportunity left for us."
On the struggles of the passing game:
"We had some pressure back there first off. Then, I think, we had some balls that hit us in the hands that we didn't bring down. We had a tipped ball they ended picking right there, so it was a combination of a lot of things. We've got to give Quinten (Dormady) or Jarett (Guarantano) or whoeever's in there, we've got to give them more time, so he can set his feet and make the throw and follow through and not be throwing off his back foot. I think there is a lot of stuff that went into that."
Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart
"I really thought we had a good week of practice, first of all. I thought we had a good practice Tuesday and Wednesday - first time that I've really felt comfortable that we were ready to play. Of course, not knowing the environment that we were coming into, you never know, but our team is starting to buy into the [idea] that if you form good habits, good habits start to form you. If you form those in practice, they start to carry over into games. They are starting to do that with a little more confidence. There are certainly a lot of things we can improve on – communication skills back and forth, huddle environment, some missed tackles on defense – but I'm proud of the way the guys competed. I'm really proud of the special teams, which we challenged over and over this week because I have immense respect for Tennessee's special teams. They really won that battle last year, and I thought we dominated that today, which was big. And then, give credit to Nick Chubb. He talked to the team on Friday, and I didn't have to say a whole lot. When he speaks, they listen."
On shutting out Tennessee at home and overall defensive play in recent weeks:
"Yeah, that's not my defense. Coach (Mel) Tucker does a tremendous job with that defense. They play hard for coach Tucker. During halftime I didn't need to go over there and see the defensive players. They had it under control. They were doing the adjustments. They were doing a really nice job, so give credit where credits due. The kids play hard. They bought in to playing with toughness and practicing that way. I think we get the best look in the country from our scout team, because, number one, Stetson Bennett is over there, we have five scholarship offensive lineman over there, and we've got good back over there to practice against. It's valuable and it pays off in games like today."
On win number 800 for Georgia in program history:
"It's awesome. I think it's great. I think Georgia is one of the greatest programs in the country. I don't know what we are in wins, 10 or 11, but we just got to keep chopping wood. Let's get some more."
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Georgia Sophomore Defensive Back Tyrique McGhee
On interception on opening play:
"That was pretty much just film study and practice. Just reading the keys and breaking on the ball and making a play for my team."
On Quinten Dormady frequently targeting his receiver:
"Just be on your toes every moment you're on the field. That's pretty much my mindset when I'm on the field: just think that the quarterback is coming for you each and every time."
"That's in the back of our mind at the end of the game, but when we come in, we come in … to carry out each and every game plan that we have for the offense. It feels good. I'm not going to stand here and lie and say it doesn't feel good to shut out our opponents, but that's the mindset we come in though."
Georgia Senior Lorenzo Carter
On team shutting down Tennessee running back John Kelly:
"Game plan. Coaches do a good job. We practice hard. We've got great scout players; we've got the best scout team in the country. So we come out each day and try to get better. … Stop the run. That's our No. 1 goal. Stop the run and everything else will fall in place."
Georgia Senior Tailback Sony Michel
On if team has "served notice" to rest of conference in recent games
"I think so. It can be a negative. It's almost like a distraction. You want to keep the guys on the team poised knowing every week is a challenge for us. It's tough to have something that everybody wants because everybody wants to take it from you. I think that's the hard part. You have to grind day in, day out, even the days you don't want to. The days you think you need a break, that's the day you have to go extra hard. When you're winning, people want to take it from you."
