University of Tennessee Athletics
#MediaMonday: Jones Talks Outback Bowl
December 07, 2015 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones met the media on Monday in his first press conference since learning that his Volunteers will face #14 Northwestern in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2016.
Tennessee rides a five-game winning streak into the bowl after posting an 8-4 regular-season record. The win streak and the regular-season win totals are the most since the 2007 season when the Vols also appeared in the Outback Bowl. Tennessee heads into the bowl ranked #23 in the College Football Playoff poll.
The Vols and Wildcats have played once before with Tennessee posting a 48-28 win in the 1997 Florida Citrus Bowl led by Peyton Manning's 408 passing yards and four touchdown passes.
This is the Vols' fourth all-time appearance in the Outback Bowl (previously known as the Hall of Fame Bowl). The Vols are 2-1 all-time in those games, winning their last appearance in the bowl, 21-17, over Wisconsin on Jan. 1, 2008. Tennessee also beat Boston College in the 1993 Hall of Fame Bowl, 38-23. The Vols lost the 2007 bowl to Penn State, 20-10.
In playing on New Year's Day, Tennessee is playing in its 33rd January Bowl game and second in a row.
The 30th edition of the Outback Bowl will kickoff at 12 Noon ET and air on ESPN2 live from Raymond James Stadium.
Jones Opening Statement
"Good afternoon, it's great to see everyone. We've been working around the clock, but anyways, we're excited. Obviously here today to talk a little bit about the Outback Bowl, excited to be a part of the 30th Anniversary Outback Bowl and Jim McVay and the Tampa Bay Bowl Association, would like to thank them but also our administration for doing such a great job. The University of Tennessee is back to being a commodity when it comes to bowl games and that's a tribute to our players, to our entire football organization and our entire athletic department so obviously we're excited.
"It's kind of a balancing act right now in terms of recruiting and finishing up final exams and trying to balance this recruiting class. Our players will have off this week to excel in the classroom and we'll get back to really more bowl preparation this weekend.
"So what I can tell you is very familiar with Coach Fitzgerald. Pat's done a tremendous job there. As you all know, 10-2 football team, won their last five games, ranked in the top-15 in every major defensive category that's out there. That'll make this year, I think we've faced five of the top nine defenses in the country. They're the least penalized team in the Big 10 which tells you about their discipline as a football team and as a football program. They start 11 seniors and they're the 12th ranked football team in the country so another great challenge but again, we're just ecstatic and excited to be playing in the Outback bowl."
