Vols Ready to Kick Off SEC Opener Against Georgia

Said head coach Butch Jones,"Our young football team is going to find out what life is like in the SEC with the grind we are about ready to embark on."

  The SEC grind begins against 12th ranked Georgia, and their lethal backfield led by Todd Gurley.

Said Jones,"I think there’s no secret that when you think of the University of Georgia, you think of their stable or running backs. And it is a stable."

Added linebacker A.J. Johnson,"We see good running backs every week in the SEC. It ain’t really about what they do. It’s about how we do it on defense. We do our job right, and we’ll have a successful night."

   Tennessee’s defense had their moments against a high-powered offense in Oklahoma.

But Coach Jones is ready to see the defense take it to a new level.

"We need to start generating more hits on the quarterback. More of a pass rush and more ball disruption. It’s getting population to the ball. So you get population to the ball where we’re running to the football, and that’s when good things happen. That’s when you can create turnovers. You look at a lot of interceptions, and they’re generated off tipped footballs. You may not even tip the football, but what you do is you impede the vision of the quarterback, and he has to reset more in the pocket. So there’s so much that goes into it. We have to practice it and live it each and every snap. It has to be in our DNA of our defense."

   Injured receiver Von Pearson will not play against Georgia, and fellow receiver Josh Smith could sit as well with a high ankle sprain.

Said Jones,"We have capable players. Its going to come down again. Football is a game of one-on-one matchups whether it’s up front or out on the perimeter."
Kickoff is set for noon, and the game will be televised on ESPN.