University of Tennessee Athletics
Power Of One In The Win Column
September 23, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
UT gets that chance on Saturday in Athens, Georgia, where putting a "1" in the win column in the SEC standings is the goal. With the other results in the league so far, a 1-0 start would put UT in a prime position. But starting the conference slate with a victory has been something hard to come by in recent years, the last one coming in 2004.
"It's all about SEC play, divisional play and starting out 1-0," head coach Butch Jones said. "We start that out with the No. 12 football team in the country. It's a great challenge going on the road and our young football team understanding what it takes to play winning football on the road."
The opportunity goes deeper than just a 1-0 start for senior Justin Worley, it represents the chance to get a head start in a wide-open divisional race.
"It's been hectic so far," quarterback Justin Worley said of the early SEC race. "I think everyone has seen that, it's been hectic all over the SEC. To go in there and get a win would be huge for us to get SEC play started on the right foot."
The youth that has been a theme throughout the season could be a blessing in this case. Worley is one of just 11 members of the Tennessee travel squad for Saturday's game that has played in Sanford Stadium. The nine straight seasons of an 0-1 SEC start bring no negative memories or trends to those players. Nor does the sting of a close loss in a shootout there two seasons ago.
"We haven't really talked about it much," running back Jalen Hurd said of the environment in Athens. "Coach showed us a video, but I'm not really worried about the atmosphere, I'm worried about our plays and our assignments. I'm excited, it's going to be awesome."
Going on the road to get to 1-0 makes the task even more difficult. Tennessee is looking for its first road win over a ranked opponent since a 2006 trip to Athens produced a 51-33 victory.
"We did our road focus and talked about Sanford Stadium and the great environment, the great atmosphere they're going to play in front of," Jones said. "They're going to have to grow up in a hurry, but we're excited about the opportunity."
For Worley, the plan is simple.
"We need to go out there and execute and stack some good days on top of each other," he said of the preparations. "Then, go out there and get a win."
