University of Tennessee Athletics
Head Coaches' Press Conference Transcript
November 14, 2000 | Football
Comments from Tennessee Head Coach
Phillip Fulmer:
"I'm pleased with and proud
of the win versus Arkansas. I'm proud of the progress our team has made. Our
biggest challenge is to continue on that track of progress and grow on both
sides. It was very encouraging to see us be able to use the entire field offensively,
run more of our offense and connect on some big plays.
"Defensively, we continue to do a great job in a lot of areas. We will be seriously challenged this week when we play Kentucky, who has the No. 1 offense in the conference. That's very much a challenge for our team, particularly our offensive team to score points, help keep Kentucky off the field the best we can and help our defense.
"Kentucky has an outstanding passing attack, which is obvious from the numbers they've put up. They have big-play people all over the field and do a really good job of protecting. I know they're disappointed in their record, but, if you go back and look at it closely, they took Georgia and South Carolina to the wire and scored 31 points on Florida. They are certainly a capable football team.
"Our team will have to prepare in a very serious manner to get themselves ready to play. The Kentucky game is always a hard-fought battle, a rivalry that has very deep roots. It has been special to both sides for a long, long time. I'm excited about the chance to honor our seniors before their last home ball game for all they've accomplished.
"I hope the fans will come out and support them on the "Vol Walk" and in pre-game before they run through the T' for the last time. I'm proud of these seniors on this team; a good portion of this class left early for the National Football league. The kids who have stayed have really gone above and beyond the call of duty, trying to be outstanding leaders and examples to our team. I appreciate them very much and hope we can finish this season in a manner they can be proud of."
- What role can the national rankings play in
providing an incentive for finishing the season on a winning note?
"That's something we've managed to do pretty consistently, to place somewhere in the national rankings. We take pride in being ranked. The question now is: How high can we finish? The answer will come in the games that lie ahead, starting with Kentucky this Saturday. The most important thing, what matters most, is how much we improve and how well we play the rest of the way." - As playing time increases for reserves, where
can you see the emergence of young talent with a bright future at UT?
"We've had the opportunity to play some young people, partly out of necessity but also in some games we've had the chance to play more people. Jason Witten is going to be an impact player for us. Rashad Baker and Jabari Greer have done well. Kevin Burnett, Tony Campbell, Robert Peace and Troy Fleming are just a few of the players who have caught our attention with good play in game action." - As the season moves along, what factors allow
a developing offensive line to show its maturity?
"Mostly, it's time spent in working on the fundamentals. But there is nothing like game experience, getting used to the speed of the game. At times we haven't played to our capabilities. But we are improving, and that's encouraging." - How concerned are you with Kentucky's tactic
of employing the unexpected as an adjunct of its offense?
"Kentucky does a lot of things well in the passing department. You can't let them be two-dimensional. Their standard approach has been to use fourth-down plays and do things that employ the surprise element. We need to keep Kentucky's offense off the field by making sure our own offense is cranked up and producing." - It's been said: "Throw out the record book
when the Vols and Wildcats meet." Comment on the excitement of the rivalry.
" It's a natural rivalry that goes deep into the emotions of fans from both schools. I've never played or coached in an easy Kentucky game. This won't be any different. There have been great showcase football games between the two schools. Bragging rights are at stake. We want to continue to improve our ranking."
Comments from Kentucky Head Coach Hal Mumme:
- Comment on the play of freshman quarterback
Jared Lorenzen:
"He's done pretty well. He's second in the nation in total offense. He throws the ball real well and sees the field pretty well. Obviously, we haven't had the type of season we wanted to have, but I think Jared has played pretty well for a freshman." - Comment on youth of offense in general:
"We have a lot of freshmen that are playing in addition to Jared. Chad Scott, our running back, is our leading rusher and has played very well when he has been able to stay on the field. He's been injured in several games. Antonio Hall, our right tackle, is a true freshman who is doing a great job. Derek Abney, our split end, is a redshirt freshman, Derek Smith, our tight end, is a sophomore and our slot, Bobby Blizzard, is also a sophomore. We have a lot of young kids playing and they are playing pretty well. We haven't made the plays we've needed to in order to win some games, but we've been close in a lot of them. I think the youthfulness has hurt us down the stretch in a lot of games." - Are you satisfied
playing young players to build for the future?
"After we were out of the bowl hunt, we decided to play them on defense. Offensively, we've been doing that all year. Defensively, we've done that, particularly in the secondary and mainly because we were out of the bowl hunt and just wanted these guys to show us what they can do." - Comment on the play of senior linebacker Marlon
McCree:
"Marlon has been a leader around here for three years and has done a great job. He's helped us get to two bowl games. This season has been a disappointment to him, but he is still playing hard. I'm real proud of him. He's a great kid, he's already graduated and is just a fine person." - Comment on the defensive situation and mood
after the recent announcement of resignation of your defensive coordinator:
"Our defense hasn't been very happy all year. We just haven't played well over there. Coach Major and I have been together a long time and he's going to move into the Director of Operations job on our staff. He's a great person, has been a loyal friend. He came to me about halfway through the season and told me he believed we needed to get some new blood on the defensive side of the ball. He wasn't happy with the progress and, of course, nobody else was either. He came and offered to do that, so that's what we are going to do. This will be his last time out as the defensive coordinator." - Comment on the challenge of playing at Tennessee:
"They are like all the Tennessee teams I've seen since I've been at Kentucky. They are very athletic, they have got great players and it is always a challenge to go down to play in Knoxville. They have a huge crowd and a very loyal following, so it is like going on the road at any SEC stadium. It is just a tough place to play. They have had an outstanding defense all year; it just looks to me like they've settled on a quarterback and he has helped them move the ball better." - Comment on the difference Casey Clausen makes
for UT offense:
" We thought both quarterbacks were good players. It just looks to me like Clausen has been a little more comfortable with the things he's been doing. Sometimes, that is just a maturity level and sometimes it is just a matter of being able to stand on the sidelines and watch for a while before you have to go do it." - Comment on the abilities of Travis Henry:
"He's a hard-nosed guy. When you think about Tennessee's offense, he is the first guy you have to contend with. He's really the guy that makes them go. If he gets to running on you, it is going to be a long day. He's a big back, he's strong and he has enough speed to run away from you if you don't wrap him up. He's certainly one of the best guys in our conference." - Comment on the reasons behind Kentucky's struggles
this season:
"We didn't play well on defense at the beginning of the season and we were counting on doing that. Offensively, we are real young. We are starting four freshmen and four sophomores and that is a tough chore to do in the SEC. It's hard enough to start a freshman quarterback, but, when you have to surround him with a bunch of young guys, it makes it even tougher. I think we've played well in spots. We are leading the league in total offense. We just haven't played real well when we needed to. A lot of that is just experience."
