University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Quotes: Vols 52, Kentucky 21
November 01, 2015 | Football
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HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES
(Overall thoughts on tonight's win)
"I thought it was a very complete game. We challenged our football team all week long. This has to be a game of complimentary football. We had to play complimentary football and really complement each other in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. We were able to do it. I thought our team showed some maturity on the road."
(On resiliency of his team)
"Our players have been through a lot this year and it's kind of galvanized us as a football team and a football program. I'm really proud of them for that. We have a one-game approach. It doesn't matter who our opponent is. Whether it's Kentucky, it doesn't matter. I have a lot of respect for Mark (Stoops) and what he's building here as well."
(On improved pass rush)
"Our kids are playing with great get off. They're using their hands. We've been able to generate a pass rush, not only on the edges now, but on the inside too. That creates many opportunities. They just had a relentless approach and they're playing with a lot of confidence."
(On amount of injured players)
"We're really banged up right now. I think that's the other thing with this football team, is the amount of injuries that continue to accumulate. The next person steps up and makes plays. They're doing everything physically possible to be out there."
(On Evan Berry's kickoff return for TD)
"He had that look in his eye. He was going to bring it out regardless. We have a lot of confidence in him and our entire kickoff return unit. We invest so much time in that and every time we go out on the field to return a kick, whether it's punt return or kickoff return, everyone on our sideline expects a big play."
(On coaching adjustments throughout the game)
"Our coaching staff did a great job of making some in-game adjustments. They changed the blocking scheme and our players were able to adjust to it. That's a part of the maturation of our football program and they were able to adjust. We were able to take advantage of that."
#11 JOSHUA DOBBS, QB
(On how it felt to make a big throw to Josh Malone against Kentucky)
"It was a shot play. We got pressure to the boundary and Jalen (Hurd) did a great job picking it up and Malone went over the top, and I was able to put the ball in the right location and that really helped. It was a big spark play. Kentucky had just gone down and scored a touchdown so having an answer and being able to do it in that fashion was good."
(On what it meant to have a big throw during a game and hitting a big deep ball down the sideline for a touchdown)
"I mean, it was a touchdown, I've hit deep balls before, but it was great to complete one for a touchdown."
(On finding the playmakers on the offense)
"It's great to have playmakers on the team. We have playmakers across the board. Alvin (Kamara) keeps making big runs and guys are making crucial catches. It's great to have that across the field, when you get to have that playmaker to be able to make a good play and pick up the slack."
#6 ALVIN KAMARA, RB
On the slow start
"We started a little bit slow, but we stayed on each other, hyped each other up, told each other to focus and we locked in and made some big plays."
(On the big run in the first half)
"It looked exactly how we had drawn it up in practice. The linemen got on their blocks and I hit it."
(On Evan Berry's kickoff return for a touchdown)
"I know whenever Evan is back there and he gets the chance to catch the ball, field it, with an opportunity to come out, I call a touchdown every time. Whenever I start to see him go for it I just say, `Touchdown.' I expect it. We celebrate but I expect it from him every time."
(On a dominant win like this one)
"It's a testament to how hard we work in practice. We have to keep working harder and harder to keep stacking these wins like tonight."
#50 COREY VEREEN, DL
(On personal difference the past two weeks)
"I feel like I'm focusing on the little things day-to-day at practice. Pretty much just focusing more."
(On how he is playing like people expected him to play)
"You just have to keep fighting week in and week out. Whatever you are asked to do, you have to answer that call and play hard."
(On what it's like on the sidelines when Cameron Sutton takes it back to the house)
"It's electric. It's playing three phases of football, everyone complementing each other, the offense, defense and special teams. When you see something like that it lifts everyone's spirits."
(On consistency and making plays)
"Lately I've been finding out what works and what doesn't work so you keep doing what does work and counter off that in terms of pass rush. Other than that, just playing ball."
#29 EVAN BERRY, DB
(On if the coaches let him run the kickoff return or if he did it on his own)
"They just give me the green light to do whatever. We practice it enough and I know my decisions and how to judge the ball."
(On if he was frustrated at all because a lot of team's kick touchbacks and don't give him a chance)
"I wouldn't call it frustration. I take it as more of a compliment because if they don't kick it to me there's obviously some kind of fear they have."
(On what the return tying the record means)
"It means everything to me, a record held by Willie Gault, who actually played with my dad, knowing that he holds a record that hasn't been broken in 30 years is definitely a great feeling."
#77 KYLER KERBYSON, OL
(On what would he tribute the sloppy play early in the game to)
"I think they had a good defensive scheme being in the bear front. It is harder to run the ball against and that's what we want to do, run the ball."
(On how it felt to do a walkthrough in the Cincinnati Bengals' stadium)
"It was cool. In the past three years I have been through three (NFL) stadiums. It is pretty cool to see how the next level facilities are and where they play. It was an all-around cool experience."
(On the team's mentality after Kentucky's fumble return for a touchdown)
"Well, there have been a lot of times in games things have not gone our way and we bounced back. We just needed to have confidence in each other and know that we were going to get back out there and score."
