Butch Jones addressed the media on Wednesday, updating the status of a few injured players and analyzing his offense.
Here are our notes from what he had to say.
Injury Update
Jones started with an injury update, and it was a mixed bad for Tennessee fans.
Sophomore cornerback Baylen Buchanan will be out for Vols’ game against Kentucky, but Aaron Medley and Austin Smith will both be available.
All-American kick returner Evan Berry is progressing back to health. But he’s still not completely ready for Kentucky at this point.
“Evan Berry continues to make great progress, but we’ll still consider him day-to-day,” Jones said.
Although Medley is back to health, Brent Cimaglia will still be the starting kicker on Saturday.
Previewing the Wildcats
Kentucky has always leaned on the “wildcat” package with it has played Tennessee.
This year is no different.
Running back Benny Snell is the signal caller of that look this season, and Jones is prepared for it.
“They’ve had a lot of success with the wildcat package. The thing that’s different is they’ll throw the football out of it,” Jones said. “The other thing, with that package…you get a number of personnel groupings and that makes it even more challenging.”
He was complimentary of Kentucky’s season so far, giving the Wildcats credit for their 5-2 record.
“Each year is different. You look at Kentucky, they’re 5-2 right now and they’re a really, really good football team. I think Mark (Stoops) has done a very, very good job there,” he said.
While there is an expectation to beat Kentucky every year at Tennessee, Jones isn’t worried about the history of the rivalry. He’s simply focused on getting an SEC win.
“When you watch their football team play, they play with a hard edge. They play with great energy and very good toughness, and they have playmakers. They’re an older, veteran group and they’ve been through the process. They’re a very, very good football team,” Jones said.
Cleaning up the details
A big reason why Tennessee hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in 14 quarters is a lack of attention to detail. That’s what quarterback Jarrett Guarantano said on Tuesday.
Butch Jones echoed those comments in his press conference.
“When the season began, we talked about details, accountability and toughness,” Jones said. “That’s not just a fancy slogan or a marketing ploy, that’s what we felt this football team needed.
“It’s the ability to make good choices and good decisions in the heat of the moment. The details and accountability go hand in hand, and that’s something we talk about every single day. We continue to demand the details.”
The Vols will face Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday for a 7:30 pm ET kickoff.
