KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football interim head coach Brady Hoke and student-athletes spoke to reporters on Monday in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.
At the start of the Tennessee football noon press conference, Hoke expressed his appreciation for the strong fan turnout for Saturday’s game against LSU despite rainy and windy conditions.
“I really want, on behalf of our football team and our staff, to thank those people and our fans that were at the game on Saturday night,” Hoke said. “From the Vol Walk to the energy they had for our football team, it really got our kids pumped up and it was really great to see. For those who weathered the weather, we give them a lot of credit. It was really a great turnout and we can’t thank the Volunteer fans enough for the enthusiasm and the passion they have.”
Tennessee-Vanderbilt Rivalry
The Vols (4-7, 0-7 SEC) will close out their 2017 home schedule on Saturdayagainst Vanderbilt (4-7, 0-7 SEC). The game will feature a 4 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.
While the 2017 season has not gone the way either team has wanted it to, Hoke expects the intensity of this in-state SEC rivalry to be as high as it always has been.
“If you look at it and you are truly a competitor, you have another chance,” Hoke said of his team’s approach to this week’s game. “For some of the guys, it will be their last organized football game that they are going to play and the last game they are going to play at the college level. When those opportunities start to shrink down, I think they will be awfully competitive. I think this team will go out there and have a great week of practice and go out on Saturday and play for Tennessee and our seniors.”
Senior tight end Ethan Wolf, who ranks third on UT’s all-time tight end receiving list with 958 career yards, echoed those sentiments and said that motivation won’t be a problem for the Vols due to the tradition of the rivalry and the senior send-off.
“There is definitely going to be some fire,” Wolf said. “We are all competitors. We don’t want to lose, no matter who we are playing. We are going to come out and play as hard as we possibly can and try and end this season with a victory.”
Senior Reflect On Their Time On Rocky Top
Saturday will be Senior Day as 22 Vol seniors will make their final appearance in Neyland Stadium. On Monday, some of the seniors were asked to share some of their favorite memories from their Tennessee careers.
Senior defensive back Emmanuel Moseley said that VFL and current Pittsburgh Steeler Cameron Sutton was a mentor for him and he has tried to pass along some of the lessons he has learned to the younger defensive backs. As for his favorite memory, Moseley said that nothing tops Tennessee’s 38-28 comeback win over Florida in 2016.
“It was a great memory, just being around the team, seeing how happy everyone was,” Moseley said. “The fans were happy. It was just a good vibe.”
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Kendal Vickers said that he does not have one particular favorite memory. For Vickers, who has a team-high 37-game starting streak, the best moments are the ones he spends with his teammates.
“I just try to enjoy every day I’m with the guys in the locker room because I try not to take it for granted,” Vickers said. “This isn’t promised and it’s coming to an end, so I just try to value every moment I have with the guys from my freshman year to my fifth year. I can say that I have been doing that.”
-UT Athletics
