The Tennessee Volunteers are continuing to climb above the .500 mark, and now, they can say the same regarding its conference record. After Tennessee took down South Carolina on Saturday, Tennessee moved to 2-1 in SEC play through six games.
The Vols now officially have four wins and two losses (Pittsburgh, Florida) halfway through Josh Heupel’s inaugural year.
For the second straight week, Tennessee ran out of the gates firing on all cylinders. The Vols exploded onto the scene scoring 28 points in the first quarter… for the second straight week. However, it wasn’t just the offense. Tennessee’s defense was lights out as well, only giving up two offensive touchdowns. Additionally, the Vols’ defense forced two turnovers on the day. In total, Tennessee’s defense has forced nine turnovers in its last four games.
After the game, four Tennessee players spoke with the media as they reacted to Tennessee’s win. The players talked about their perspective on their side of the ball. Quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Velus Jones Jr talked about what the offense did well, while Jaylen McCollough and Brandon Turnage spoke about the defense.
Some of the Tennessee players also talked about the Vols’ new “Dark Mode” uniforms and what it meant to wear them.
“Oh man,” Jones Jr said after the game while laughing. “I felt like a nighthawk.”
Below are the full press conferences for the Tennessee players after the game on Saturday. Tennessee took down South Carolina 45-20 in Neyland Stadium as they prepare for Ole Miss next Saturday night.
Tennessee WR Velus Jones Jr & DB Jaylen McCollough
“I feel like the key to this offense, Coach Heupel is always telling us to keep our foot on the gas,” Jones Jr said. “You can’t get lackadaisical, you can’t let up, and I feel like we relaxed a little. We had some three and outs [in the second half], but really proud of us. Found a way to score at the end, the defense had a great fourth-down stop and we found a way to put it in the endzone.”
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker & DB Brandon Turnage
“I didn’t really know anything about Al Wilson until I got [to Tennessee] when we’ve talked about him in previous weeks,” Turnage said after the game. “But today, the energy they brought to the locker room after the game, I like him… I like him.”
