KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football interim head coach Brady Hoke spoke to reporters at Wednesday’s press conference in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.
“This is an important Wednesday for us with how we come in, our meeting attitude and our focus and intensity,” Hoke said. “They had it yesterday so it’s about having the consistency to have it today.”
The Volunteers (4-6, 0-6 SEC) have three practices left this week before hosting the No. 21-ranked LSU Tigers (7-3, 4-2 SEC) at Neyland Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
“I have a lot of respect for Ed Orgeron as a coach and how he has done things,” Hoke said. “He has a very good football team. He has a very athletic team. I think they have won the last four out of five or something like that. He has done a good job bringing that team together.”
As Tennessee prepares for Orgeron’s Tigers, Hoke hopes to see more physicality and a high level of competitiveness from the Vols.
“We have to make sure we come in as coaches, because it’s up to us and the players to be the best Tennessee team we can be,” added Hoke.
1997 SEC Champs To Be Honored
The 1997 SEC Champion Tennessee team will be honored on the field on Saturdayduring the first quarter.
Coached by Phillip Fulmer and led by quarterback Peyton Manning, defensive end Leonard Little, linebacker Al Wilson, running back Jamal Lewis and wide receiver Marcus Nash, the 1997 Vols finished 11-2 and overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Auburn 30-29 in the 1997 SEC Championship Game.
Navy Captain Stan Jones and Air Force Captain Leigh Smith To Provide VFL Flyovers on Saturday
A pair of VFLs will lead military flyovers prior to this Saturday’s game versus LSU.
At 4:45 p.m., Air Force Captain Leigh Smith will pilot one of five F-15 jets for a flyover during the Vol Walk. Smith was a three-time All-American and a 2008 Olympian in the javelin.
VFL and former Tennessee football player Capt. Stan Jones will fly an F-18 Hornet over Neyland Stadium before the start of Saturday’s game at 6:55 p.m. at the end of the national anthem.
Capt. Jones joined the Vols as a walk-on and was on the team during the 1985 and 1986 seasons.
Capt. Jones earned a bachelor’s of science in industrial engineering and a master’s of science in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. He has accumulated over 3,000 flight hours and 623 carrier arrested landings and he has flown 30 different aircraft types. His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medals (three), Strike Flight Air Medals (three), Navy Commendation Medals (two), Navy Achievement Medal (two), and various campaign and unit awards. Capt. Jones joined the Navy and entered Aviation Officer Candidate School at Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, in April of 1991 and earned his wings in January of 1994.
On Friday, the public can meet Capt. Jones and view the F-18s at McGee-Tyson/TAC Air from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Additional Quotes
Tennessee Interim Head Coach Brady Hoke
Opening Statement:
“Number one, as we progress forward the attitude of the players seems to be very good. I think what we got accomplished Monday was important. We got in the weight room and started LSU preparation. Obviously, there is always a little bit of a healing period, if you want to call it that. I think yesterday was a very good day in how we handled practice. Obviously, I think I told you on Sunday or Monday, that we would tweak a couple of things and we have done that to fit more of my style and where we are at as a team. The players did a nice job, but that was one day. This is an important Wednesday for us with how we come in, our meeting attitude and our focus and intensity. They had it yesterday so it’s about having the consistency to have it today. As for our football team, I like where they were at yesterday. It goes day-by-day, competition, day-by-day. We have to make sure we come in as coaches, because it’s up to us and the players to be the best Tennessee team we can be.”
On the tweaks being on philosophy or personnel:
“It’s more about how you like to practice, how you form your practice, the physicality you want to have and the competition piece of it is huge. Not that we didn’t do a lot of those things, but there are ways to do things differently like doing goods-on-goods and one-on-ones, getting a good second group and the number of plays you get them to run on both sides of the ball.”
On injuries and the quarterback situation:
“I promise you all that I will get to all of the injuries, probably more towards the end of the week. I will tell you that both quarterbacks were at practice yesterday. Having Jarrett Guarantano healthier than he was is a plus.”
On his relationship with LSU head coach Ed Orgeron:
“Obviously, he is a fellow D-Line coach so through recruiting, through conventions, through whatever, I have a lot of respect for Ed Orgeron as a coach and how he has done things. He has a very good football team. He has a very athletic team. I think they have won the last four out of five or something like that. He has done a good job bringing that team together.”He is a very personal guy. I think our bond—if you want to call it that, I don’t know if Ed would call it that—is that we are both defensive line coaches.”
On how hard is it to do one-on-ones with only five scholarship offensive linemen and does he expect to get any offensive lineman back this week:
“I think we are trending it that way. I think we are progressing.”
On whether Will McBride did well enough to classify the QB position as a competitive position:
“I think number one; we have a competitive position at the defensive end position. There are three guys there that are pretty good football players. I think that transcends, that might not be the right word, the whole team. Especially since we do not have a full complement that we would like to have at some positions, but the same time, it has to be competitive. We will let this thing play out. Like I said, we have only had one practice. We will obviously practice today and tomorrow. At the end of the week I’m sure there will be some communication.”
On the healing process:
“Number one, on Sunday night I kicked the coaches out of here at 7:00 p.m.because there are a lot of them that have young kids. Like it or not, I have been through this situation and it stinks. I wanted them to get home and be with their families. The same thing with the players. We didn’t do our normal practice on Monday. Part of that is because we had a long team meeting. I met the 21 Club, which is any kid over 21, because I think those guys have been here. They know the experience. They have invested themselves. As we have met, and as we have gotten through the week, the only thing that I can judge is their attention in the meetings, their intensity on the field and their focus on the field. I think they have done a really good job at this point.”
On his opinion of the Big 10, PAC 12, and the SEC:
“I think they are all competitive. I believe that. I think this is a tremendous conference. When you look at the different teams and the established teams, there is great competition. There is great competition. You all probably know it better than I do. At the same time, I think there is great competition in the PAC 12. Especially with those teams up near the top, knocking each other senseless. I think the same of the Big 10, with the teams that have been traditionally seen at the top. You can talk about the different leagues, but I think there are a lot of quality football programs around this country.”
On changing Friday practices:
“Yeah, we are changing Thursday and Friday. Friday now becomes our Thursday, and Thursday now becomes our Friday in how we will do things.”
On freshman offensive lineman Trey Smith at the tackle position and whether he will continue to move around:
“We will see. By the end of the week we will know if it will continue. I talked to Trey a little bit and I asked him how he liked it. He said that it was a little more challenging and difficult, but he is 100% into whatever position or whatever we need him to do so the team can win. He is kind of a special guy in a lot of ways. He handled it well.”
On what the team can do to avoid the lag on defense that happened last season due to injuries:
“That’s a really good and fair question. I think it’s been kind of the opposite this year from what I understand. I know that Shy Tuttle and Reginald McKenzie Jr. and a lot of those guys were out at the end of the year. Kyle Phillips is in there playing the three and losing Danny O’Brien and all those things. It has kind of been the opposite this year and been the offense. Defensively, we have to play better. We have to coach better, that’s on us. I think we truly want to play complementary football any chance we get which means we have to take care of the ball. We have to grind out some first downs, from an offensive standpoint. Our special teams have to separate us from our opponent. I’ll go back to where we practiced yesterday and what we did, I think the guys understood that. What is the philosophy to win this football game? Then next week there will be another philosophy.”
On the offensive line changes last week and how they worked for the team:
“I think it worked out pretty well for us. When you go back and you look at the tape and all of those things, I think the guys handled it pretty well. I think Walt Wells and Larry Scott did a nice job. I think it was an important part of our game plan.”
On coaches changing in-game locations:
“I think Larry Scott is going to come down. Nate Ollie is going to come down because Nate and I have worked together with the defensive line. I think there will be times when I might not need to be with those guys on the sideline or handling substitution patterns.”
On whether or not he will be wearing a headset:
“That’s funny, I was just about to tell you that I am going to be wearing a headset. I swear I was.”
On wearing a head set and the chemistry of the staff:
“I am going to wear a headset. I think there is chemistry through the whole offensive staff. I think you look at what Robert Gillespie brings to the table, what Walt Wells brings to the table, KB (Kevin Beard) brings to the table, but, obviously, Larry Scott is the coordinator. I have been in the offense meetings. I have probably spent more time down at the offensive side of the field then I have in my career to some degree, but I think the plan that we have is one that is beneficial for us to be successful.”
On Larry Scott being on the sidelines:
“Larry came up and said, ‘Coach, what do you think about me going on the sideline?’ I asked him if he had done that before and do you like controlling the offense that way from the sideline and he said he would like to. I have a lot of trust and I think Larry Scott is a very good football coach. I think it if it’s good for him to some degree, it will also be good for our players.”
On who would go up to the box:
“I’m not sure who would go up. We have pretty good eyes up there, so that part of it we haven’t gone all the way through. Walt Wells needs to be on the field. Robert Gillespie, I believe, needs to be on the field. KB (Kevin Beard) we may go and put him up, but that’s something that we haven’t finalized yet.”
On the possibility of Mike Canales going to the box:
“Possibly, but that position is so special on any football team. If he needs to be on the sideline to look in the quarterback’s eyes to make sure they understand the technique and fundamentals, I think it’s important for him to be where he can be the most beneficial for that kid.”
On if Bob Shoop will continue to call the defense:
“Bob Shoop will continue. I will have suggestions, which I have had all year anyway. I don’t think that’s much different. Bob will keep coaching those guys up with Charlton Warren, Thig (Tommy Thigpen), myself, and Nate Ollie, so he’s well equipped.”
-UT Athletics
