We have a two-for-one special this week on Know Your Enemy! I had the opportunity to speak with both Jason Wyrick, the executive producer of Rock Solid Sports at UT’s student radio station, WUTK Radio, and Josh Lane, the sports editor of the Tennessee’s student newspaper, Daily Beacon. With Florida’s fourth game of the season against Tennessee on Saturday in The Swamp, here’s what they had to say about the Volunteers.
What has impressed you most about this year’s UT team? What is most concerning to you?
Wyrick: As sad as it is, the most impressive thing about this year’s Tennessee team to me is the belief they exhibit in themselves to compete. During the Pruitt era and especially in 2020, the team often looked defeated before they even took the field, and it only got worse when plays did not go their way. Under Josh Heupel, this team has made a complete 180. The team looks poised and shows a palpable belief in themselves to compete.
As far as football specifically, I think the most impressive aspect is the rushing attack of Tiyon Evans and Jabari Small. After losing Eric Gray and Ty Chandler to transfers, I don’t think anyone expected the Tennessee run game to look as promising as it has through three non-conference games. However, I would venture to say the run game actually looks better than in 2020, even with a drop in talent. That is a testament to the Josh Heupel offense, and that is one of the pieces of tangible progress that has Tennessee fans cautiously optimistic that the offense will translate from UCF.
The most concerning aspect so far has certainly been the unreliability of the deep ball. Heupel’s offense is predicated on tempo, and the home run ball and starter Joe Milton’s deep ball accuracy has been wildly inconsistent while backup Hendon Hooker’s arm strength just is not conducive to the home run ball’s success.
Lane: The most impressive thing to me has been the aggressiveness of this defense. New defensive coordinator Tim Banks has this defense looking like a totally different group than under Pruitt (though with all the transfers, that's probably the case). They're playing fast and physical, and putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Only recently did it result in turnovers (4 vs TTU) but the group has impressed thus far. The most concerning thing to me has been the speed at which the offense has run plays. When they score, Heupel looks like a genius, but they have some of the fastest three-and-outs I've ever seen. Not good for UT's defense, especially with Florida and it's good run game looming.
How has Josh Heupel’s first year as HC gone so far? Do you see the progress you should be seeing?
Wyrick: “So far, so good” seems to be the sentiment among Vols fans about Josh Heupel. The primary concerns fans had with the hire were if he could recruit at the SEC level, if he could lead a team with a solid defense and if he could translate his offense from UCF into something that would work against Power 5 opponents. He has seemingly answered two of those questions, immediately hiring a promising, up-and-coming defensive coordinator in Tim Banks from Penn State and getting several high quality recruits to commit to he and his staff within the first six months or so. The offense has shown flashes of brilliance so far, and while far from a polished product, it certainly has fans cautiously optimistic that the offense will translate from UCF into SEC play. Those improvements, on top of the confidence the players show in each other and in themselves, represent bits of tangible progress that are key to judging a new staff so soon. Of course, it takes a few years to fully implement a vision, but that time will only be granted if there are pieces of tangible progress along the way.
Lane: I do think Heupel's first season has started well enough, even with the loss to Pitt. One of the biggest changes he's made has been a shift in the culture. His players seem to really love coming into work and playing for Heupel. I think that was especially evident after the loss. It was against a bad Tennessee Tech team, but the Vols cleaned up a lot of the problems that plagued them early in the season. They cut down on turnovers and the unnecessary penalties. I think Heupel is definitely making progress. We knew it would be a long first year in some regard — they're not winning 9 games in his first season, but Heupel is moving in the right direction.
Who has the upper hand in the quarterback controversy? Will both play Saturday? If so, who presents the best chance for the Vols to beat the Gators?
Wyrick: My sources have indicated they expect Milton to be ready to play Saturday, but with that being said, there is still a question to the degree of his recovery. If Milton is viewed as healthy enough to play, he will be the guy to start for the Vols at quarterback, but I would still expect Hendon Hooker to get opportunities as well. I also believe Hooker to be the guy who presents the best chance for Tennessee. Hooker has been more mobile and effective running as well as more accurate throwing the football, despite not having the home run arm strength. Joe Milton has a cannon, but has struggled to connect on those deep throws, constantly overthrowing his receivers. Against a defense in which the secondary is the weak link, the passing accuracy Hooker has shown tells me he is the guy who presents the best chance for Tennessee.
Lane: This is a tough call, I wish I had a good answer. Joe Milton struggled to start the season, but Heupel stuck with him until the injury. He won the starting job in the fall, and I think Milton is Heupel's guy. But Hendon Hooker has been really nice in relief. Most of his success was against TTU, but the numbers are hard to argue with. It'll all depend on Milton's health, which Heupel has yet to update us on (he's got a presser Thursday so maybe then). I've got this feeling in my gut that Heupel goes back to Milton if he's cleared. He's obviously got the talent, with that strong arm and the ability to run. But Heupel's talked a lot about the strength of each position, not resting on one guy alone. They're both really talented quarterbacks. I don't think Tennessee could necessarily go wrong with either, it'll come down to play.
What position group will make the biggest difference Saturday and why?
Wyrick: I think it will be the offensive line. Tiyon Evans and Jabari Small each have shown the ability to run effectively, but the Florida run defense will be the stingiest faced by far. It is integral to attack the weak spot on the Florida defense, which is the secondary, and with an uncertain quarterback situation, it is even more integral to open up the passing game by pounding the football on the ground first and not letting the Gators sit back with DB heavy packages.
Lane: The position group that can make the biggest difference Saturday is Tennessee's defensive line. They've been one of the top run-stopping lines in the nation so far. Granted, it has come against three teams with weak run games. Florida will be UT's first real test in that department. Between its three good running backs, and even quarterbacks who can run, Florida will show if Tennessee's run defense is for real or not. If Tennessee has any chance of an upset, it'll be by shutting down the Gators’ run game.
Who is one X-Factor on either side of the ball for Tennessee that Florida fans should watch out for?
Wyrick: Overall, it is Theo Jackson on defense out of the secondary. He has as many tackles accounted for as any two other players on the Vols’ defense with 25 (the next two have 13 and 12.)
On offense, it will be Tiyon Evans. The offense’s success will be largely on the back of the dirty work Evans does on the ground.
Lane: On offense, I would say the X-factor is Cedric Tillman. He's a receiver with great speed, but the numbers don't jump off the page because he's probably been the biggest victim of Milton's overthrows. But he's consistently beat defenders on his routes, so if UT's QB can finally connect with him, big things are in store. On defense, I'll say Byron Young. He just played his first game Saturday after being ineligible for the first two. He was slowly working his way back into action against TTU, so his one-game numbers weren't super special, but he was one of the top prospect transfers out of JUCO. He can definitely get after the quarterback, so it'll be interesting to watch him in his second game back.
Obviously, this team is 2-1, but it lost its first real challenge of the season against Pitt. What are your expectations for this Tennessee team the rest of the year, and how can they meet those expectations?
Wyrick: Opening the season, I expected this Tennessee team to hover around .500 and declared 6-6 as my optimistic, but very attainable goal. So far, this team has shown it can compete with a sneaky good Pittsburgh team, and I expect more of the same heading into SEC play. The Vols might not win many in the SEC, but as long as they limit turnovers and continue to compete with a belief they can win, I expect this team to be a very tough opponent who can win the games they should and potentially pull an upset here or there.
Lane: At this point in the year, especially having lost to Pitt, I think a realistic goal would be for Tennessee to finish at .500, at least. There's some winnable games left on their schedule, even in conference if they can play clean, fundamental football (Mizzou, SC, Kentucky), but I don't expect much more than that from this team.
Game and score prediction.
Wyrick: I expect the game to be reasonably close throughout. I don’t necessarily think it will be a back and forth dogfight, but I do believe Tennessee will remain within reasonable striking distance for a while before Florida ultimately pulls away towards the end of the game. I expect Florida to win by about 10-14 points.
Score prediction: 38-27, Florida
Lane: Heupel will have his guys in the right mindset and playing hard, but I don't think they have enough to upset Florida in the Swamp. Gators win 28-20.
Michael Hull is a fourth-year journalism sports & media major and a sports writer at The Alligator. He hosts the weekly sports podcast and has worked on staff for five semesters. In the past, Hull has served as the sports editor, the men's and women's golf beat writer, the volleyball beat writer and the football beat writer.
