University of Tennessee Athletics
Looking to erase memories of 59-20
September 18, 2008 | Football
Sept. 18, 2008
BY Jonathan Crompton For SN Today
This is just a little bit of a big game this weekend. It's the SEC opener, which we've been looking forward to. And with it being Florida, it just makes it that much more exciting. When you come to Tennessee, you know about the big SEC games, and you certainly know about Tennessee-Florida.
Last year's game against Florida is still in the back of our mind. We remember that. That's one of our motivations this week. We're going to practice our tails off the whole week. We've done a good job so far. We're going to do everything to make sure we're at the right spot at any given moment, so we can have a better memory than 59-20.
The Gators have a very athletic defense. That's how it's going to be every week in the SEC, no matter who you play. They're very well coached, and we're very well coached. Both teams are probably equally athletic. So those factors kind of cancel each other out. It's going to be a matter of who comes out and executes the plan better than the other team. That's what we're doing; we're trying to practice our game plan as well as we can so we're as prepared as possible for the game.
Offensively we started to come together a little bit more last week against UAB. We're playing in the system more, and we're getting more comfortable with each other. We'll need to come together even more this weekend, and that's the goal--to get better each week.
Our offensive line does a great job with our running game. We have great confidence in their ability, and I commend them for how hard they're working. Our running backs do a great job of seeing holes and trusting the offensive line to block the way they do, so I think we can rely on our running game for great balance this weekend.
-- As told to Benson Taylor
Other Crompton diary segments:
'Neyland Stadium is going to be packed'
OT loss to UCLA was hard way to start season
Tennessee vs. UCLA: 'The whole country is going to be watching'
My summer vacation
