University of Tennessee Athletics
Phillip Fulmer Press Conference Quotes
September 21, 2004 | Football
Coach Fulmer
Coach Fulmer | Coach Chavis| Coach Sanders | Burnett | Simon
Comments of University of Tennessee Head Football Coach Phillip Fulmer: "We are very, very excited about the win last week over Florida. As I told the team yesterday, I am more excited about the improvement we can make as a football team. There's much to do for us to become a complete football team. That includes every position. The wide receivers, running backs and offensive line can do better. Every day is a new experience for the quarterbacks. Defensively, it's the same thing. The defensive ends have room for improvement. We need to work for improvement with the defensive tackles, the linebackers and in the secondary.
"I'm looking for them to work on the practice field and see that improvement. There's probably no better example how the young guys need to continue to improve than with the loss of Kevin Simon. The opportunity is sitting right there for young guys to have a chance to help this football team, not only as starters and second-teamers, but depth. As we work, we need to get better.
"I expect to see it on the practice field. We had very good intensity and focus yesterday as we got back to work. We paid much closer attention to detail. I told the team and the media I really like the attitude of this team. They're fun to coach and are obviously mentally and physically tough. I don't think we're playing at 100% of our talent level yet. We have a big challenge this week with Louisiana Tech and the rest of the season to continue to work and improve.
"Louisiana Tech is a darn good football team. Their running back is as good as anyone we have played to this point. The quarterback is a fast, mobile, hard-to-hem-up kind of guy who can just cause all kinds of problems. We have to do a great job of managing that. He has an excellent arm and they don't mind going downfield with the ball. We have our work cut out for handling all that. They have a big, physical offensive line and the speed they bring. Our defense has a big challenge.
"Defensively, they have 14 sacks in three games. That's not an accident. Their defensive line is good and does a lot of different things to get after protections and quarterbacks. There's a lot to do from that standpoint.
"You know the recent history. They've beaten Alabama twice and beat Michigan State last year. They've beaten Mississippi State in the last eight years or so and took Auburn into overtime. They beat Cal and Miami and had to fight like heck a couple of years ago to get a 42-33 win. They have a fabulous tradition on offense and a tough defensive scheme and players. They are a very veteran football team. There are a lot of challenges there. Everybody says `how can you get your team ready and come down off the Florida win?' I told the team how could you not. You have so much to look forward to and so much at stake. You have 11 games we're guaranteed to play and this is one of them. I'm expecting us to go out and play better football as we go through the year.
"This team is young and I think they're having fun playing. It's been great to watch. Our seniors have been really great leaders. Our captains and our junior class have really shown a lot of character and work and leadership as well. I'm expecting all those guys, along with the coaching staff and me, to lead this team in the right way. It should be a heck of a weekend and I expect us to be taking the challenge we have in front of us. That's to be the best team we can be."
More Questions and Answers from Coach Fulmer:
1. Explain how both quarterbacks, Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge, contributed to Saturday's victory over Florida.
A- "I thought both of them had key plays in the game. Erik's heroics in the second half were extremely good for a freshman quarterback, but Brent also made some plays in the first half that allowed us to change the field position and do some good things. However, both of them had turnovers, both had dropped snaps and both have a considerable amount of work to continue to do. It's important that we all remember they are freshmen and there will be growing pains. The rest of the team will have to continue to lift them up."
2. How will you patch up the defense to help offset the loss of standout linebacker Kevin Simon, who was injured Saturday and is probably out for the season?
A- "That's a big challenge for us. You're talking about the guy who was our returning leading tackler on our team. We will look at a couple of different things during the course of the week. We're going to work Jason Mitchell at Mike linebacker along with John Poe and make a move with Ellix Wilson, a really good football player, to Sam linebacker to help our depth at that position. In a lot of ways, that position is like a glorified strong safety. The loss of Kevin and Marvin Mitchell has been quite devastating to that group. It's still a solid group that Kevin Burnett leads and those other guys have followed suit very well."
3. Tell about the depth and quality of the receiving corps, who collectively had a brilliant game against Florida.
A- "They did collectively have a very good game. The plays they made in clutch situations were obvious. Less obvious were the blocking, handling all the formations and doing a good job of making Florida continue to respect their abilities. As long as we can continue to do that, that's directly affecting our ability to run the football and operate smoothly as an offensive football team."
4. How will the Tennessee defense cope with Louisiana Tech's running game, which features tailback Ryan Moats?
A- "We're in the planning stages this early in the week. It's a big challenge. He's a heck of a back and they do a good job in their offense of getting him the football. That goes along with their multiple attack and their abilities at quarterback and wide receiver. They have a big, physical offensive line. That will be a big challenge for us we prepare for Louisiana Tech."
5. After the exciting and rewarding game against Florida, what will the Vols need to work on specifically to improve when they play Louisiana Tech on Homecoming?
A- "There's not one place on the team that doesn't have a considerable amount of work to do to be better. We're still young in many places and in many places not where we need to be from a fundamental standpoint. Once they see the film, the players will certainly understand that we played with great character, heart, fight, toughness, and a mental and physical commitment to get that win. There's a lot we have to do as a team, specifically fundamental things like lining up and tackling better. Offensively, it's not having the turnovers we had and not putting the defense in bad situations. There's a lot to do to be the kind of football team that will continue to progress and win football games."
Comments of Louisiana Tech Head Football Coach Jack Bicknell III:
Q. Talk about your opening schedule that includes games against Miami, Tennessee, Fresno State and Auburn.
A- "There is nothing easy about it. There are some great football teams out there. Once you start getting the top 10 and top five teams like Miami, Tennessee, Auburn and even Fresno (State), which has a good program this year, there is just a difference between them and everybody else. It is an extremely tough challenge, but what can we do about it?
"We are excited about it and we are looking forward to coming to Tennessee. We are going to do the best we can and take it one game at a time. We are not going to look to far ahead, and right now it is Tennessee. It is going to be a huge challenge for us, but it is going to be exciting also."
Q. Talk about switching your defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
A. "We decided to go to a three down front based on personnel more than anything. To me, in order to get pressure on the passer, you better have some great defensive ends, and it is hard for us to find those guys. I guess I got tired of trying to find them. I think a lot of those guys end up going to Tennessee, Miami and Auburn and places like that.
"We felt that a 3-4 might give us an opportunity to hopefully put some pressure on the quarterback. I never really liked it when I was an offensive line coach. I just felt like it caused some problems protection wise. So we decided to give it a shot and go with it. Also, I ended up hiring Tim Rose, our defensive coordinator, and he had a lot of experience with it. He agreed with me that this was something he would like to do also. It just kind of came together and we decided to make the switch."
Q. Talk about what your running back Ryan Moats offers to your offensive unit.
A. "He certainly is a good runner. I think he has a great combination of power even though he is not very tall at 5-8 and weighs probably 205 pounds. He is tough and runs powerfully, and then he also has the speed to bounce it outside and pick up some yardage there. I think one of his biggest assets is his quickness. It seems like just when somebody is about ready to grab him that he can burst out of there and get away from them. He has been a fantastic running back for us. But obviously we are getting to the stretch of our schedule where we can't just rely on the running back. We have got to get to the point we can open up our offense a little and take some pressure off of him."
Q. What are your thoughts on your two young QBs in Donald Allen and Matt Kubiks?
A. "We are going to go with Donald Allen. I explained to both of them that I don't want to be locked in who we are going to play whenever. Right now Donald Allen is the starting quarterback, but I have a lot of confidence in Matt Kubik. If the situation presents itself, we will put him in the game. As of right now, Donald will start and we will see how it goes."
Q. You also have some young kickers, as both your punter and placekicker are true freshman. Talk about their play thus far in the season.
A. "I guess that is right, but I don't think they are true freshman anymore. They have been to Miami and they have been out there, so I always tell them `you are know longer a true freshman.' I think they are doing a good job for us. It has been a situation where I felt like our punter, Matt Butler, did a great job, but we didn't cover punts last weekend against Miami. But it wasn't his fault. He was kicking the ball well. He is kind of a free safety type anyway. He is a tough kid to begin with anyway, and he did a nice job.
"Our placekicker, Brad Ostreicher, is doing a nice job also. It is still early to know exactly how effective they will be, but thus far they have been doing pretty well."
Q. What do you and your staff see as you come in here to face Tennessee?
A. "It is basically a nightmare. When you look at their offense, the thing that jumps out at me is their offensive line. To me, that is about as good as an offensive line that I have seen since I have been here. Of course, Miami was pretty good last week, too. But their offensive line to me looks pretty awesome. Their running backs are powerful, and they will run you over. Their quarterbacks are playing extremely well. They both have different styles, but they are both outstanding quarterbacks. They have some great looking receivers out there too. Probably their receivers have not had the chance to go out and show what they are going to be able to do. I think they too are some outstanding players. They are really starting to come on. Offensively, I just think they do a great job.
"Defensively, they again do a great job. They like to give you a lot of looks. Not like Miami, which pretty much could settle into a couple of looks, but Tennessee gives you a lot of different looks, a lot of different things to think about and things that you have to try and prepare for. They have the same type of athletes. It is just a big time top five, or whatever they are a top eight, or whatever type of program and they have great players. It is going to be a huge challenge, but we just have to do the best we can and see what happens."
