University of Tennessee Athletics
Head Coach Lane Kiffin's Media Day Comments
September 01, 2009 | Football
Sept. 1, 2009
"Obviously, we have a very exciting weekend (ahead). Yesterday we had our first full practice for Western Kentucky and today we will go to third down and red zone. We have so much work to do.
"Someone asked me yesterday, `Do you feel like the hay is in the barn, because you have had a long and grinding camp?' Not even close. We are a long ways away and we will still be a long ways away Saturday morning. Until that kickoff, we will keep going all the way through the last play.
"The mentality of our team is a daily battle because we have not been with them so they don't know exactly what game day will be like, exactly what a Thursday will be like. As much as we have rehearsed every day leading up to it, it is still different once you get to it.
"We have a ton of work to do and I am excited by our players' effort. It was a very physical and mentally draining camp on them; all of that was on purpose. I thought they responded extremely well. Our defense was back with everyone practicing yesterday on our entire roster, which was great to see. On offense we're a little beat up, but we continue to get guys back.
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"I am happy where we are mentally and physically. Now we have a lot of work to do as far as this exact game plan. This will be a very difficult opponent. They are very challenging offensively and defensively, and on special teams. They are very unique in their punt. They have a great kickoff return; I believe they were fifth in the country last year. Their defense can really mess with your protections because they do so many things out of multiple fronts and out of moving personnel and shifting them around on an offense. Anytime you have a quarterback that is a running quarterback who can move around like this guy can and playing the spread, it can be really difficult.
"And then you combine that with two new coordinators who were not calling the plays last year, you don't really know what to expect. Without a spring game on television, we are going in and preparing everything we can, but at the end of the day it will be about us. We don't really know what they are going to do, and it will always be about us playing extremely well and playing real physical."
On learning to prepare his team to play heavy underdogs while at Southern California:
"It is a very difficult thing to do. We're not in that situation because we are not very good yet because have not won a game. There will come a day when we will be in that situation because of our success. Right now, if we have any players overlooking Western Kentucky, we have a big issue because there is no way we are good enough to do that. We have not played one game together and we haven't won a game together. We haven't done anything; we haven't made a first down. I think our guys will be extremely focused. They understand that if they don't come to play, it won't matter what conference you are in or how much you are favored. That means nothing. We have to come out and be ready to play, be focused and play extremely physical.
"As I said, it is a very difficult opponent. It is not a normal schematic defense or offense when you consider what you call a normal NFL-style offense or defense, which for us is a challenge because we go against an offense and defense that is more NFL-style every day, for all of camp. Now all of a sudden we have to switch and go to an offense and defense that is nothing like what we do."
On if he plans to decrease the physicality of practices during game week:
"It is very critical for us because of our lack of depth with our scholarship numbers and with our healthy players on offense. The last thing we want to do is be tired, period; but especially have our backups be tired. We are going to need everyone in this game. We are anticipating it being hot, not real hot, but we are going to need to rotate guys in and we are going to need a lot of guys to play and we will play them early. We won't wait for them to get tired to play the second team guys. A lot of guys will play in the first half and that has nothing to do with the opponent we are playing, that has do with the time of kickoff."
"We have got to make sure we are fast and ready. It is a 12 o'clock kickoff, which is early so the last thing we want to do is beat them down late in the week."
On if the team is ready to finally play another team:
"To figure out exactly how good we are, we need to play other people, because we don't know. Like I said, this is going to be a challenge because we don't know what our guys have faced. The techniques up front on the defensive line will be different. The schemes on offense are completely different, so it is a challenge.
"We have to spend a ton of time on service team this week, coaching those guys to play exactly the style that these guys play. It will be very challenging for our staff."
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR SATURDAY'S OPENER
Tickets for Saturday's 2009 football season opener are available through the UTtix.com and UTsports.com Web sites. Orders also can be made by calling the Thompson-Boling Arena ticket office at (865) 656-1200, or (800) 332-VOLS (8657) inside the state of Tennessee. Ticket prices are $40 or $43, depending on location.
Other home games available at those prices are Ohio on Sept. 26, Memphis on Nov. 7 and Vanderbilt on Nov. 21. Tickets to the Sept. 12 home game against UCLA are available for $60 or $63, depending on location. Tickets also are available for Tennessee's Nov. 28 game at Kentucky for $40.
