#7/8 Vols Seize Next Opportunity With In-State Rival Vanderbilt

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With a Thanksgiving weekend, in-state rivalry tilt with Vanderbilt on tap for Saturday, the No. 7/8 Tennessee Volunteers look to close the regular season strong against a formidable Commodores squad. The road contest is set for a noon ET kickoff on ABC at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.

After the Vols hit the practice field Tuesday morning, a pair of Tennessee assistants spoke to local media to preview the contest. Running backs coach De'Rail Sims discussed Dylan Sampson's historic season thus far and the emergence of freshman Peyton Lewis, while secondary coach Willie Martinez heralded rookie standout Boo Carter's versatility and development in addition to comments on his elite cornerback duo in sophomores Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III.

Sims' first season on staff has seen Sampson produce a record-breaking campaign. His 22 rushing touchdowns lead the SEC in 2024 and are the most scored by a Vol in a single season in program history, while his 1,307 rushing yards top the conference this fall and rank sixth all-time at UT.

Beyond the stats, Sims recognized Sampson's ability and eagerness to lead the offense, set an example and pour back into his teammates – particularly his fellow running backs.

"The biggest deal is that it's been a blessing to coach him, see his progression all year long and how hungry he's been," Sims said. "Not hungry from the standpoint of being on the field and wanting to be a playmaker, but also the understanding of wanting to be a leader and wanting to bring the younger guys along in the room, even during practice. Watching him coach up the younger guys has been phenomenal. I think the number one deal is they see the traits that he has. They see his leadership characteristics and they see what hard work does for him. He's a prime example of that, which has been good."

Martinez's secondary has thrived this season, aiding one of the top overall defensive units in the FBS. The Vol defensive backs have combined for nine interceptions from five different players in 2024 and allowed the second-lowest passing efficiency rating (111.07) of any secondary in the Southeastern Conference.

Focused on the task at hand, Martinez wants his position group to remain locked in on the details and preparation ahead of Saturday's regular season finale.

"I just kind of concentrate on how to keep them level-headed and just work," Martinez explained. "There is always going to be that outside noise or whatever is being said outside the building. We pride ourselves on it's all going to be about us. How we work, how we work with each other and how we hold each other accountable."

Full comments from Sims and Martinez can be viewed below, along with select quotes from redshirt junior safety Andre Turrentine and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins.

Tennessee Football Press Conference | Nov. 26, 2024

Running Backs Coach De'Rail Sims

On the development of Peyton Lewis and how Dylan Sampson is holding up with the workload he has been given…
"I think Peyton is a lot further along now in terms of confidence, in terms of him going out there and playing. I think you see him now from a physicality standpoint that he's not hesitant whatsoever. He's going to attack every time he runs the ball. I think the biggest deal now for us is continuing to teach him to grow that next aspect of the game, in terms of running with your pads and making people miss. You don't have to be a bowling ball every time. I think he's done a really good job from a developmental standpoint to where he is now. Dylan (Sampson) has been good from a workload standpoint. I know last week was not as heavy as it's been in the past, but he's done a really good job of controlling what he can control and taking advantage of opportunities. He's done a phenomenal job with the reps that he's been given."

On Dylan Sampson breaking school records in his first season coaching here and how he would approach a close game if a guy was close to breaking a school record…
"It's one of those situations where you have to cross that bridge hopefully when you get there. The biggest deal is that it's been a blessing to coach him, see his progression all year long and how hungry he's been. Not hungry from the standpoint of being on the field and wanting to be a playmaker but also a hunger standpoint in terms of wanting to be a leader. Wanting to bring the younger guys along in the room, even at practice. Watching him coach up the younger guys has been phenomenal. I think the number one deal is they see the traits that he has. They see his leadership characteristics and they see what hard work does for you. He's a prime example of that, which has been good."

On what he's thankful for this holiday season…
"Being able to be here. I'm thankful that God has blessed me and my family with the opportunity to be able to come to this university and be a part of this program, it's been phenomenal. I'm thankful for the family that I have inside of this building. I'm thankful for my family that I have at home. I'm thankful to be here and to be alive to be honest."

On Peyton Lewis getting experiences in big-time games like at Georgia…
"I think that experience when he went out there and he was able to make the plays and gain the yards that he did, you could see his confidence rise to another level. He's always been confident in himself, but to be able to do it in that environment and on that stage gave him another level of confidence. You saw it grow tremendously. Everything about him now, you have 20 practices, nobody how many practices you get against your own teammates, to be able to go do that on that environment and that stage. That gives you tremendous confidence when you go out there and have success, so it's really good."

On how Dylan Sampson stacks up against the other great running backs in the country…
"He's the best back in the country in my opinion. In terms of production, and he's been able to produce especially in this league and conference. Being able to be with him every single day, the way that he goes and attacks the process. The things that he's been able to do from a tenacity standpoint in terms of when the team needs a spark plug, he's able to be that guy that jumps us. Coach (Josh) Heupel always talks about it, but it only takes one match to start a fire. A lot of times we get in a critical situation and he's that guy that jumpstarts the fire and gets us rolling in the right way. In my opinion, he's the best back in the country."

On what the chemistry is like between the coaching staff…
"It's really good. It's a competitive environment in terms of everyone is trying to push each other to continue to grow. I think the thing that you see is there are no egos in the room. That's on offense, defense and special teams. Everybody is working together to make each other better, which has been tremendous. I think you see that pour over into our whole entire team. There is no separation whatsoever; everybody is locked in ten toes down together, and that's been phenomenal. The thing about it is each coach who sits around that table, they pour into each other. It's one of those situations where you're learning from each other, and I think that's why from this point that we are at right now in the season, it's kind of been that way the whole season in that we have continued to get better and better week-in and week-out. I may see something that another coach is doing and vice versa and we are giving each other tips and pointers from that standpoint, so it's awesome."

On how Peyton Lewis' practice approach effects the number of touches he gets on the field…
"It's been a big help for him. I think with Peyton, as he goes about his life and the way he approaches the meeting room, he carries that over into practice. He's not a guy who comes out there and is about fun and games. This is about business when he steps on the field. His mentality changes totally. When he steps between the white lines, his face goes stone cold. He's about his business. He's critical on himself. Early in the game on Saturday, he missed one cut and he was critical on himself. I said, 'Man, listen. It's going to come back to you. Just calm down it's going to come back to you.' And it did later in the game. That was awesome."

On if anything about Dylan Sampson surprised him when he arrived at Tennessee.
"To be honest, the physicality portion of it. To be able to see him go in there, you see him now going in from a pass protection standpoint; when he goes in there, he is aggressive and he's attacking. As many tackles as he breaks when he's running the ball, you always know about the explosiveness aspect. You always knew about him being able to make people miss. When you see him inside the line of scrimmage and the box, as many tackles as he breaks and as many yards as he's gaining after contact, that's the part about his game where I knew that he was taking his game to another level. Anything else from a personality standpoint, a work ethic standpoint, I already knew about that. He's awesome."

On if the country recognizes how good of a back Dylan Sampson is and the challenge of running the ball against Vanderbilt…
"I do think the rest of the country understands that about him. Everybody sees week-in and week-out the production and consistency that he's been able to have, so I think they recognize that. With Vanderbilt, I think the number one deal is they're going to play physical, they're going to play tough. You sit up there and look at their front seven, they do a really good job of being able to get on and get off blocks. They're physical in terms of those front four do a phenomenal job of playing directly into the offensive line. The linebackers do a really good job of playing downhill. Everything they do is textbook-wise in terms of how they fit the gaps versus the run, whether it's zone runs or gaps schemes. The secondary ties into that as well. You see the defensive personality of their head coach. You see it from a cerebral standpoint in terms of how they line up schematically. You see the physicality portion in terms of how they attack people running the football. They've done it all season long. There has not been a drop-off. You see that consistently with them, no matter what the structure is, they are going to attack and they're doing a really good job of it."

On how the team handles College Football Playoff predictions with their final regular season game this week…
"Being able to control what we can control. The number one deal is how we go out there and attack practice. The biggest deal is how we go out there and execute in games. Everything outside of this building is going to take care of itself. We have to be able to go out there to go out there and control our execution in terms of how we operate and also the efficiency that we are doing it with. Going out there and having fun, you have to enjoy this moment. The biggest deal is, it's Thanksgiving weekend and you're playing on the national stage in a big game that we earned the right to be in. There is nothing better than that. We control what we can control inside of this building, which is our attitude and effort. Everything outside of that will take care of itself."

Secondary Coach Willie Martinez

On Boo Carter's development from August until now…
"Obviously he's done a really good job. We've had him since, not just August, he's been here since last December and going through our bowl practices. Obviously, we knew who Boo was in high school and how talented he was and athletic and some of the versatility that he has, you can see that now. He's obviously grown in our package on defense. He knows our defense a lot better now. You can see that with all the confidence going back to his pick that he had a couple of weeks ago. That was really just an investment of time and understanding and what's about to happen here in this formation and this situation. He's come a long way. Obviously, he hasn't arrived yet, nor do we think anybody would. He's in his first year, but we don't see him as a young player anymore. We told them that they had to grow up as soon as they stepped on this campus because they're talented and we needed their productivity. He's just got to continue to grow in the position but also grow as a student-athlete both on and off the field, which he's done."

On if Boo Carter's instincts translated from high school to college…
"That's a great question. You'd like to get the instincts right from the get-go, right? That's what we talked about—versatility, football instincts. He always has had that, so obviously that's a natural gift you have, not that we can't coach certain things schematically and what to look for, but he has a natural gift. He has a good feel for it. I think he's played sports his entire life. You can see that. We call it transferable skills. Whether you are playing basketball, baseball or whatever sport that is, he is very competitive. We are not surprised in the things that he can do. The thing about the STAR position though is that he's got to set the defense. That's where he's really grown. He's got to set it up, the alignments. He's getting a lot more comfortable in doing that. We've actually been diving into the package even further and more into it with him where we have been very careful early on. That's the great thing about it. We have all grown on defense, so to speak. There are some other guys too that are playing, new guys, first years here with us. So, he's doing a great job. He's playing a lot more confidently. You can see it. He could see the formation right now and dive into a situation and he's on it. He knows what kind of play is coming."

On Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III having a goal for themselves to be the best duo in college football and what he has seen from them…
"That's good that they feel that way. I just kind of concentrate on how to keep them level-headed and just work. There is always going to be that outside noise or whatever is being said outside the building. We pride ourselves on it's all going to be about us. How we work, how we work with each other and how we hold each other accountable. That's what they are doing there. They are trying to push each other along with the rest of the secondary because I think it's very competitive. I sat up here in August and said I had a group that was young and inexperienced, but talented. We were going to play a lot of guys, and you can see they have been pushing each other. With them two, it's good to see. Rickey has really come on the last couple of weeks. The last three or four ball games you can see the confidence being built. Obviously, Jermod is doing the same thing. So, it's good to push each other."

On what has impressed him about Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia…
"He's such a great player. He's so savvy, instinctive. Us defensive coaches, you look at something and when you have a quarterback that's really good off schedule, when there's pressure brought on him, he has a knack of making the right decisions, avoiding that pass rush, moving out of the pocket. He can run it, but he's also pump faked and made some great plays. His eyes are down the field. He's a competitor. You can see that. Any time the guy is touching a ball on every play and it's that guy – we all know we've seen it, whether it's the NFL, major college football or any level – when the quarterback is touching the ball every time and you have somebody that is that talented, that gifted and can play off schedule really well and make good decisions. They don't turn the ball over. You can see that. He does a great job of commanding the offense. We have to be really disciplined and really good in communication and doing our job. He is a great creator once things don't go right."

On how being on special teams has helped Boo Carter elevate his game…
"That's a great point. A lot. That's the one thing, it's not just Boo, it can be anybody. Without naming any names, because there's a lot of them, there really is on the back end. It's a space play. They're defensive backs. Wide receivers and defensive backs deal with space whether they have to avoid it or they have to close it. It's not easy, but you have to have a gift, you have to have talent to run down on a kickoff. Do your job. It's not really complicated. You could be a contained player or a fold player, a ball guy, a safety, so to speak. You're getting the same teachings you would get on defense, the code words. Don't trade one for one. On defense, you can't trade a blocker for a blocker. You have to get off the block. You're hearing that on special teams so it's a carryover. The verbiage is the same. Our verbiage on defense is the same as coach Ekeler and the special teams' staff. The more he hears it, the same thing over and over and over, the more confidence you get. It translates perfect. It's what we call transferable skills. Whether you're an offensive or defensive guy, it's helped a lot. Obviously, his gift of catching the football and after catching it, what he does, he has a great knack for that and great instincts."

On the guys being able to play fast but also still be aware of things Vanderbilt does…
"When you go into every week, you have different offenses and different schemes. So, focus on the job itself first. 'What's your job? How are we going to do this? How are we going to defend this scheme?' To play fast, you have to know what to do. Bottom line, that's what it is. There is a little more to it now. We are facing an option team, triple option, and you also have the passing game off of it. There's different types of formations and motions. So, just doing your job and doing it very confidently, there is a lot of carryover throughout the year. We're careful as coaches. 'Let's not give them too much. Let's call this. This is exactly how we play this.' So, we're just going to tweak it a little bit. Knowing your job builds you the confidence to go ahead and do your job at a fast pace, so to speak. But, you have to do it with great eye discipline. We say it every day. That's going to be really big for us on Saturday."

Redshirt Junior DB Andre Turrentine

On how challenging Vanderbilt's offense is as a safety…
"Vandy is a very good team. They play very hard. We have to play option sound football with everything they do with the quarterback and using the tight ends and receivers as well with their offense. So just reading our keys with our eyes."

On he keeps everyone focused on the main goal as a team leader…
"All year has been a playoff race. So just taking one game at a time has been the standard all year from Coach Heupel to the defense and to the offense as well. To the special teams. Just understanding that every game is the biggest game and that every game is going to get bigger. We have taken that to heart as a team. We have just been focused every week on being the best that we can be."

On if there is any extra meaning with this game being in Nashville and what he is thankful for…
"It being in Nashville is an extra confidence booster and some motivation. Knowing that my family will be there and knowing that it's Thanksgiving weekend. I'm thankful for all the opportunities and gifts I have been blessed with from the Lord and my family, my mom and my dad. It's huge to have them there this weekend on such a special weekend."

Redshirt Sophomore DL Jayson Jenkins

On the challenges for a defensive lineman when facing Vanderbilt's offense...
"The challenge is just staying disciplined with your eyes. Just making sure you are being assignment sound. Just doing your 1/11^th and maintaining, whether it's the edge or slanting inside. Just doing your job with that option football. That's really important to do your job."

On the team's focus with all the outside noise about this game...
"As a whole team, we really tend to not look at all the stuff going on outside of the building. We kind of just hone in and just key in on what we are doing here. We understand that it's a big rivalry game, and it's a big game. It's a battle for the state of Tennessee, so we are going to carry our same approach we have had going into every game this year. Just locking in on the details and playing our brand of football."

On what it was like to see his teammates go through Senior Day...
"It's definitely surreal. Those are guys that took me under their wing as I came in as a freshman. Just seeing them go on, or about to go on to transition in their professional careers, it was definitely surreal. I am so thankful for those guys. I mean those guys, they are lifelong relationships that I will have forever. I will forever cherish those guys, for sure."

University of Tennessee Athletics