Tennessee football capped off their 2023 regular season win with a 48-24 win over Vanderbilt, as the Vols doubled up their in-state rival en route to their eighth win of the season.
Multiple Vols were crucial in the win, including Joe Milton III, Ramel Keyton, Jacob Warren, Jaylen Wright, James Pearce Jr., Tyler Baron and others. A handful of the significant performances from Tennessee’s side of the ball came from seniors, as it was a big night for several seniors in their final game inside Neyland Stadium.
Following the win, five seniors (QB Joe Milton III, TE Jacob Warren, LB Aaron Beasley, TE McCallan Castles, WR Ramel Keyton) spoke to the media. The seniors talked about their performances and reflected on their Tennessee careers.
See what the five players said during the post-game press conferences below.
Joe Milton III
On ending his final game in Neyland with career highs…
“You go out with a bang. Every game you try to do that and the most important one is the last one inside the stadium. You show a team that that’s how we play when we get inside this stadium. That’s the legacy that I am going to hold on to and leave it on to my guy Nico [Iamaleava].”
On his emotions over Senior Day…
“I got mine out Friday at my throwing session here before we played on Saturday. Walking down the tunnel by myself Friday, I kind of started crying, but my coaches were in front of me so I had to show that I’m tough. But just playing inside this stadium one last time was amazing. I wish the guys that come up after us take it as seriously as us. We left a legacy here that there is only one way we play when we get inside that stadium and that’s hard. There’s only two things you can control and that’s your effort and your attitude, so once you get inside that stadium and you put those jerseys on I hope you have [that].”
On what made him so effective on the field…
“These guys, pretty much the whole offense. Joe can’t be Joe without the other 10 guys, so whatever they do and how they do it. The preparation throughout the week, the film study and asking me questions throughout questions. Asking me how the ball is going to be and all the small details is pretty much what we ask for. Those six touchdowns wouldn’t have happened if those other 10 guys weren’t doing their job.”
Ramel Keyton
On having two touchdowns on Senior Night…
“It’s a good moment, last time in Neyland going out like that.”
On fighting injuries earlier in the season…
“I had a bone bruise in my foot after the first game. Then I had to battle through that. It kind of didn’t really heal all the way until maybe three or four weeks after that. When we got the bye week everything got a little better. It’s just regular soreness and all of that that comes with being a receiver, so it wasn’t that bad. I was good enough to go.”
On if the tight ends being so active changed how he played the last couple of seasons…
“It just makes us, as a group, better offensively, knowing the tight ends can step up and contribute in the passing game. We’ve got good running backs too, so it just makes the offense more even, so you can’t really focus on one particular person. You can’t focus on one receiver or one tight end or one running back. It makes us good. It makes us all even.”
On what he thinks of this season overall…
“It’s been up and down, but we’ve raised the standard and expectation of this program. I feel like us as a senior group, even last year we did a good job of that. It’s not like Tennessee is expecting to win eight games even though that may be good for other schools, but we roll with the standard. Our expectation is national championship, SEC championship. Even though we didn’t get it this year, that’s still the expectation. I’m pretty sure next year (will be better), so that’s good.”
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Aaron Beasley
On the heightened tensions during the second quarter…
“I don’t know what happened. I know it was a bunch of chaos going on. I thought it was funny, but I felt like we regrouped well and we stopped them.”
On if he knew that player ejections during the second quarter would lead to a suspension for the first half of the bowl game…
“The coaches were yelling that at us. We realized that we couldn’t get kicked out. It is what it is. We weren’t trying to get kicked out.”
On if it was a problem to manage his emotions…
“I feel like it was harder during the week leading up to this point. Once we got to the Vol Walk, I was soaking it all in and embracing it. It wasn’t too hard to keep my emotions in, I feel like I did a good job. Leading up to this week, it was kind of tough for me.”
McCallan Castles
On his touchdown reception in the first quarter…
“It’s a play we’ve had for a couple of weeks on the back end, kind of holding onto it. I just get up and the whole time at practice they’re saying it’s going to be up and down. That guy is going to be around you and (Joe Milton is) going to just throw it right on his head. He threw a perfect ball, I just had to make a catch and the rest is history; touchdown.”
On what he took away from his year on Rocky Top…
“Obviously I wasn’t here for the whole time. I came here for the football, but I’ll always remember the people. It’s been the best college football experience I’ve ever been a part of. This (Jacob Warren) is my best friend right here, spending every day with him just grinding. I never felt like I belong more in a college football space than here and I’ve made multiple stops. So, I think it just speaks to the culture these guys have built here with (Josh) Heupel. It’s a great place; Tennessee is where you want to be to play football.”
Jacob Warren
On his emotions and overall thoughts on his last game in Neyland Stadium…
“Yeah, I think I did a pretty good job of holding it together. I think pregame, I saw my mom. She was emotional and crying a little bit so that kind of got me. I held it in for the most part. Then we got done with the alma mater and started walking back to towards the locker room, I saw all the people that mean a lot to me. Walking by him (McCallan Castles), Joe (Milton), and walking by a lot of people that have played a big part in my development but also my enjoyment in this whole process during this last year. So that was definitely what got me. It is good to be emotional, when you let it out a little bit, it just shows that you care. It has really meant something to me and a lot of people around me.”
On what kind of legacy this senior class has left…
“I think this class kind of represents what it means to just have pride. There were a lot of opportunities for people to jump ship, for people to leave and for people to chase other things which is great for those who did. The ones that stayed and stuck around especially the ones that are in their sixth year. Not to talk about the past, but this program has come a long way. Just the way we play the game has changed a lot since I have been here so that is something that I am very proud of that I had a hand in. Regardless of how many plays I made or how big of an impact I had. Off the field, I feel like I have made a lot of change and really grew a lot.”
On what it means to see Jaylen Wright achieve 1,000 rushing yards how it impacts the offense…
“Yeah, it’s huge man. Jaylen Wright is one of the most talented guys I have been around. Just his work ethic and the way that he has changed his body. Just how he looks, he is a freak. He has done a really good job, the offensive line has done a really good job. I think that just being around someone that doesn’t necessarily get pointed out enough is the work that McCallan (Castles) and I do. Whether it is just inserting, cutting off the backside, or just making things right when they fall apart. That leads to a lot of those gains. Again, not saying that it is all me but I am proud of myself and of him (McCallan Castles) and of our running backs. Just going out there and competing every single week. Regardless of what’s going on like injuries on the line, or whatever it was, he (Jaylen Wright) would always go and compete. We know he always gives his all for us.
