University of Tennessee Athletics
Butch Jones Transcript (9/23/14)
September 23, 2014 | Football
(Opening Statement)
"I thought a very good start to the week with the Tuesday practice. Again, it's great to be back in the flow of game day. In our team meeting, speaking with the team, about what it takes to go on the road and win in the SEC in a hostile environment versus a very very good football team and all the things that go in to playing winning football. Out of our 70 that we'll take on the road to the University of Georgia, only 11 have ever played in a game at Sanford Stadium. To do the math for you, that's about 16 percent, if my math skills serve me correctly, never been a part of anything like that. Again, that's part of the growth and maturation of this football team as we continue to grow and develop."
(On the team's discipline)
"Well, we spent a lot of time on that. We talked about our plan to win is we can't beat ourselves. It starts with penalties, the focus. We've really stressed what we call mental penalties. Those are pre-snap penalties. Those are things that your focus, your concentration, your overall discipline as a player controls. Our players to this point in time have done a very very good job of that. Obviously, we're going to be challenged with the noise and the crowd going on the road against Georgia this Saturday."
(On how he gets the discipline point across)
"Well, it's something that we call out. It's something we stress in every team meeting. Our officials we have come work practice do a very good job. I get a penalty report after every practice. We review it as a staff. We try to see if there's a pattern, a behavior that's starting to develop. Again, we spend a lot of time talking about the overall discipline, the plan to win. Being a team that doesn't beat itself by untimely penalties, costly turnovers, executing in the red zone, winning the field position battle, all those things that it takes to win football games and win championships."
(On if he would like to see Justin Worley keep the ball more)
"Yeah, we would but what I'm going to do is hold a free media clinic on the quarterback reads and pulls because so many times, to the observer out there the naked eye, you think it's zone read and it's not zone read. It may be a gap scheme. It may be a power scheme and when you flat and hinge the backside, you don't ask the quarterback to read. Also, a lot of times when it looks like it should be a zone read keep; really it's just the defensive end closing, making a great play. When the decision point in time comes it's not there. There have been a few occasions when he can. We worked exceptionally hard in the work week to get that corrected and actually teaching how to get down and get four or five yards for us. So, we would but also there are some things that we're not asking him to read it as well. So, it's a combination. I think this is the first time you guys have been at a loss for words."
(On last year's Georgia game being a step forward for the program)
"Well it was, but I'm going to go back to my first statement. Sixteen percent played in the game at Georgia and I'm guessing I would say probably about thirty percent played in the game here last year. Most of them were on their recruiting visit, but I thought it was a step forward. Again, we came up short and at the end of the day it's all about winning football games. I thought it did help in our overall development because I thought our team showed some perseverance. I thought we battled adversity. I thought we made some critical plays; some fourth-and-one plays at critical stages of the game to put us in a situation to win the football game. Again, this football team is brand new, over half of it. Same thing with Georgia, but you do rely on it. I think it does help our confidence, but there's a difference when you go on the road. They're a different football team as well."
(On Todd Kelly Jr.'s progression during the bye week)
"Well, it's been great for TK. TK is an individual who takes great pride in his performance and he works his craft. He has been in doing extra film study, he knows when he makes the mistakes and is moving forward and you'll see his playing time continue to increase. But we've been really pleased with the play of LaDarrell McNeil. He's been really playing and performing at a high level for us. Now, what he's done two weeks ago and the previous weeks doesn't serve him anything moving forward into this week. Obviously we're going to be challenged with their stable running backs and with their play action pass and their skill out on the perimeter but you know, Brian Randolph has been consistent like he always has been. But TK has done a really good job for us. We're really pleased right now with where he's at and we need him to continue to mature and grow and develop."
(On stressing the importance of play action against Georgia)
"Oh, it's there. It's the eye discipline, which we talk about, and reading your keys and being able to play the ball in the air. They do a great job with the fade stop and the back shoulder throws, not only in the red zone but to the open field as well when you're in press-man coverage. So they do a lot of things that really challenge your discipline and you know, we call that `finding the blind spot' for the corners. Finding the ball with the back shoulder throw and all of those things are going to challenge us and we know that."
(On his initial reaction to Ethan Wolf's injury)
"Well anytime one of your players goes down, you're obviously very, very concerned and with the way his reaction was, you know, yeah. To his tribute, he has battled back and Jason McVeigh has done a great job of getting his game-ready as well and as we all know, the tight ends are active members of our offense. We need to be able to go 12 personnel and 13 personnel and 22 personnel with some different things like that in order for our offense to really play at a high level. Again, it's a tribute to him when he went down and to Jason McVeigh and to everyone involved."
(On opportunities to play man coverage against Georgia)
"Anytime you can have the luxury of playing man-to-man coverage, it helps your overall defense. It helps being able to stop the runs but it puts them on islands, as well, and your corners have to be the mentally toughest players on the field because everyone is coming after them on every, single snap. There is great skill set that goes along with that and to this point in time, Cameron Sutton has done a tremendous job. He has really developed as one of the leaders on our football team, he has great consistency in his performance each and every day and we're very pleased. But again, we're going to be challenged again this week."
(On Derrell Scott and Trevarris Saulsberry)
"Derrell Scott had a very,very good day of practice. We gave him a great volume of repetitions. His work capacity has continued to grow. He brings another element, another depth, another point of depth at the running back position, so he will make the trip and he will be ready to go. Right now if we were to make the trip right now to Athens, [Trevarris] Saulsberry would be on the trip as well. So they continue to improve."
(On Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins)
"They are very dynamic. They can change the game in a hurry. They are great in pass drops as well, getting hits on the quarterbacks, impacting the quarterback, they play on special teams. So again, that shows you their diversity, their athleticism, they are very,very talented players."
(On what he wants Jalen Hurd to gain from watching Todd Gurley film)
"I think just an overall toughness, yards after contact, durability and being a complete running back."
(On Jacob Gilliam running around at practice)
"Jacob [Gilliam] is an individual, as we all know, that is extremely competitive. This football team means everything to him and we will continue to progress. He still has a dream in the back of his mind of still playing. So we will see how he progresses."
