KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After an offseason of anticipation, game week has finally arrived for the 2024 Tennessee Volunteers football team as it prepares to host in-state foe Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium.
“Talking season is over, and we get to go play ball,” head coach Josh Heupel said to open his Monday press conference. “Looking forward to seeing all of our fans inside of the stadium. It’s been a long time.”
The 15th-ranked Vols will look to improve to 4-0 in season openers under Heupel when they square off against the Mocs on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Chattanooga opens the year ranked No. 8 in the FCS Coaches Poll after returning 14 starters and 47 letterwinners from a team that advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2023.
“Facing a Chattanooga team that’s a really good opponent, preseason ranked top 10 in their division,” Heupel said when asked about the Mocs. “They return a lot of really good players.
“(They have a) veteran quarterback that has played at a really high level. Smart with the football. They have playmakers on the outside. For us offensively looking at them, they have explosive playmakers up front, and we have to do a really good job handling the line of scrimmage.”
UT players Andre Turrentine, Javontez Spraggins and Squirrel White also met with the media on Monday afternoon and voiced their excitement about this weekend’s season opener.
Turrentine, who showed major growth towards the end of last year and throughout the offseason, talked about becoming more comfortable within the program and taking on a leadership role within the Vols’ revamped secondary.
“In this past year I feel like I’ve grown tremendously as a leader,” Turrentine said. “I feel like I already have that instilled in me to be a leader but just understanding that it’s not only on the field that I have to lead these guys, I have to leave these guys off the field.
“So, just getting these guys together, building a relationship off the field. Whether that’s going out to eat on the weekends and just on a normal weekday getting together and watching film and hanging out. Just building that aspect of trust in the relationship and everything on the field has taken care of itself.”
“The Volunteer State” Smokey Grey Uniforms Set to Debut on Saturday
Saturday’s contest will also mark the debut of the newest edition of Tennessee’s Smokey Grey uniforms. “The Volunteer State” uniform, an ode to the state and Tennessee’s status as the flagship university, is the second concept of the new Smokey Grey series.
For more information on the Vols’ Smokey Grey uniforms, click HERE.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening statement…
“Good afternoon everybody. I’m excited. Talking season is over, and we get to go play ball. Looking forward to seeing all of our fans inside of the stadium. It’s been a long time. Unique kickoff time for us, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the Vol Walk at 10:30. You guys know, this week we’ll wear the Smokey Greys and wear the (Volunteer State) design for the first time. Facing a Chattanooga team that’s a really good opponent, preseason ranked top 10 in their division. They return a lot of really good players. At the end of the day, this is the first step in our journey. Looking forward to going and competing with this group.”
On his assessment of the state of the program entering year four…
“We continue to build our roster, certainly. We’re not quite at a full roster yet, but we really like the group that we have. As we continue to recruit here during the different cycles, length, athleticism and physicality are traits that we are looking for on the field. Competitive makeup, all of those things. I really like this team, and we have to continue to grow throughout the course of it. What they’ve done throughout the course of training camp, they’ve handled it really well. We have to handle game week preparation extremely well this week too.”
On what veteran players can do to make Nico Iamaleava’s job easier…
“For every quarterback, not just young ones, the guys around him playing at a really high level and execution are really important. That can be your offensive line in pass protection, being efficient in the run game and staying out of third-and-long situations. Your skill guys being where they need to be in the pass concepts or protection; all of those things tie into it together. At the same time, the quarterback has to make everybody right too.”
On what will make a successful season opener for Nico Iamaleava…
“Play smart football, take care of the football, manage the game extremely well, communication, play within himself and at times when they present themselves, make plays. He’s had the opportunity to start the bowl game, and I think that was a great experience. It helped propel and create urgency within the offseason. He’s handled himself extremely well here during the course of training camp too. Young quarterback. He’s going to get better as we go through the season. I say that meaning that every rep you can get at that position on game day helps you as well.”
On the challenges Chattanooga presents…
“Veteran quarterback that has played at a really high level. Smart with the football. They have playmakers on the outside. For us offensively looking at them, they have explosive playmakers up front, and we have to do a really good job handling the line of scrimmage.”
On the implementation of a two-minute warning in college football…
“The two-minute warning obviously has a chance to change the sequencing of things at the end of both halves. We spend a bunch of time on that and hopefully, we are prepared the right way.”
On Nico Iamaleava‘s first start at home in Neyland compared to his first career start as a player…
“I have not talked to him about that. I talk to our team every week about really enjoying the journey leading up to kickoff. The Vol Walk, your experience at the hotel, hanging out with your teammates, seeing your family there in town and certainly running through the ‘T.’ So, to soak all those things in, it helps you enjoy the journey and makes you better for the next week. For him (Nico), at the end of the day it’s 11-on-11 and when you get between the white lines, go play ball.”
On what he likes about the team’s work habits going into the season…
“I challenged our veterans in each position room today. The preparation and urgency that you have to have, not just when the coach is in there but outside of those times. Making sure that our young guys understand what that process looks like each day of the week. A Monday looks different than a Tuesday or Wednesday as we get closer to kickoff. Our best men do a good job of leading the young guys. This group, you have heard me say it, post spring ball I thought they were extremely competitive and intentional. They were that way during training camp. The comradery and chemistry that we have as roles get defined and roles change each week, keeping that a part of our team locker room is going to be really important.”
On fixing red zone issues and pre-snap penalties that affected the team last year…
“We have done a good job throughout the course of training camp. I thought we got better in the second half of training camp, in particular on those things, which is typical as you go training camp with a lot of young guys learning how to play. Red zone, we spend a bunch of time on it, and we have to go out and execute in both areas offensively and defensively.”
On how he feels about his first five on the offensive line and the depth behind them…
“A couple of guys got built throughout the course of training camp, and that allows you to play more guys together. You don’t have just five guys playing together. Throughout the course of the lead-up to this point in the year, I really like where that group is at. They push each other. We will play more guys and need to, but I really like where that group is at right now.”
On if the College Football Playoff format has changed his thought process…
“At the end of the day at this point in the season, it is about one week, winning every day and putting yourself in a position to go play your best football on Saturdays. It is a ‘1-0’ mindset at this point.”
Senior OL Javontez Spraggins
On how to stay motivated coming back after an injury and rehab…
“The motivation was already there the day I had surgery because it wasn’t a thing of getting back, it’s getting better than what I was. Every day it was a mental game of being the best at whatever I do whether it’s this exercise, that exercise, coming first in sprints when it was time for me to get back to where I want to be. I took everything as a challenge and I’m ready to go present myself this last season.”
On how the chemistry is with the starting offensive line unit…
“One hundred percent. I mean you have veteran guys coming in and new guys coming in to fill spots, and it’s a camaraderie in our room. We’re all here to help each other, we’re all here to get better. So, every day whether it’s tests, quizzes, footwork, whatever we’re doing we try to be the best at it, try to get better at it if something is wrong.”
On how Nico Iamaleava has developed a command of the offense…
“Every day. He’s a kid that comes in and wants to work and wants to be that guy. That’s what everybody expects from him. So, for him to come in and have that motivation already, have that mental standpoint, it just makes us even more connected as a team and ready to go out and fight for him.”
RS-Junior DB Andre Turrentine
On growth since arrival in the past year and camp…
“As a leader. I felt like coming in here I was one of the younger guys transferring in from another school. In this past year, I feel like I’ve grown tremendously as a leader. Being able to lead by example and also lead vocally. Showing these guys how it’s done and bringing the group closer together and ready for the game.”
On observing the pass rush impact in the back end of the defensive line…
“Practice is a little bit different because we are allowed to finish plays. We allow the plays to keep going so we can work on the back end. But just looking at film and just looking at how the pocket is distorted within the half a second or one second the quarterback is out and already running. So just being able to understand how that’s going to translate to the game is going to help us tremendously in the back end. Being able to understand the ball is going to come out fast and where it’s going to come out.”
On becoming a leader for new guys in the secondary…
“First and foremost, it was really important for me to step up as a leader. I feel like I already have that instilled in me to be a leader but just understanding that it’s not only on the field that I have to lead these guys, I have to leave these guys off the field. So, just getting these guys together, building a relationship off the field. Whether that’s going out to eat on the weekends and just on a normal weekday getting together and watching film and hanging out. Just building that aspect of trust in the relationship and everything on the field has taken care of itself.”
Junior WR Squirrel White
On Boo Carter being college ready…
“He seemed college-ready ever since he stepped foot on this campus in the spring. Making plays out there on the defense, but even in the fall camp by speaking up and being vocal out on the field.”
On the depth of the receivers and everybody making plays…
“Definitely, you got to go make one yourself. If you see somebody making plays, you want to go make that play. But you’re also excited for them, and happy for them making that play.”
On what he’s seen from Chris Brazzell II this offseason…
“Chris is funny, in the receiving room he can get the room pumping. Out on the field he’s crazy, making plays, he’s going to catch the ball regardless of where he’s at on the field. He’s pretty fast. I’m excited to see him play this season, too.”
