University of Tennessee Athletics
Worley Delivers Warrior Performance
September 14, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice NORMAN, Okla.
UTSports.com
Worley completed 21 of 44 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma Saturday night. But it was the way he reached those numbers that told the story of his night more than the stats themselves.
The senior stood tall in the face of constant pressure from the experienced Sooner front. He stood in the pocket to complete balls despite the hit he knew was coming his way. He bounced back from five sacks that would have made many players gun shy. Not Worley, not this night.
"I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow," Worley said. "But I was able to get back up and keep fighting. Our offensive line did a good job, they knew they had a tough test ahead of them with the size of those guys and I'm proud of them."
Head coach Butch Jones saw the effort from his quarterback.
"Justin has been very resilient all year," Jones said. "He stood in the pocket and made some big plays for us and I'm proud of him. He'll continue to progress and get better, but I thought he was gutsy and gritty. He wanted the ball and that showed me a lot."
Worley completed passes to six different receivers, led by Marquez North's six receptions for 67 yards. Josh Smith caught the lone touchdown of the night, a 40-yard strike in the second quarter that capped an eight play, 79-yard drive, the longest of the night for Tennessee.
The big plays and sustained drives made the result all the more frustrating for Worley
"We were right there," he said. "I knew I was going to get hit, I knew I had to sit in there while our receivers were getting open and it was my job to deliver the football."
He also looked around and saw a locker room after the game that was hurt by the loss. Jones said the hurt showed the level of investment the team had in the game, part of earning the right to win. Worley saw all of that and plenty of progress from his freshmen teammates that saw their first road action in one of college football's most hostile environments.
He also saw how that progress must continue with his eyes now focused on a trip to Georgia for the SEC opener next on the schedule, following a bye week.
"It shows how far we've come as a football team," Worley said. "With a lot of young guys playing, being on the road against the No. 4 team, you couldn't ask for any more opportunities than we got. That's where we have to learn and correct this week. I think the hurt is there because of how close we were."
