Tennessee receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with the local media on Tuesday morning before the Vols face Kentucky in a border rivalry matchup on Saturday night in Knoxville.
Pope discussed the banged up Squirrel White, what Tennessee’s receivers can do to be more consistent in the down field passing game and much more. Here’s everything Pope said.
More From RTI: A Deep Dive Tennessee Football’s Path To The College Football Playoff
On Squirrel White playing through injury for Tennessee and where to draw the line between trying to continue playing and holding him out
“Yeah, I think that’s a fine line you got to draw. I think what best gives you an idea of that is how he handles it in practice. I think every plays got kind of a lifespan of their own with guys like that. I think you’ve got to be in tune and be intentional with how they look, how they’re responding. So I think each player, you assess exactly where you are as far as how comfortable those type of guys are out there.”
On Tennessee receivers getting open downfield in recent games, if it’s better route running or scheme against opposing defenses
“I think it’s a little bit of both. Man, I think on the perimeter we see on the film every week how close we are to connecting on those big ones, right? They won’t always happen, but I think showing guys each week a man we’re a depth here away or we’re a ball location here away or we’re a constant concentration catch away. And I think showing those guys how close we are, I think better emphasizes that we have to continue to do what we’re doing and it’s only a matter of time before you connect on those. And I think ultimately when we do we’ll feel a lot different.”
On how much work can Tennessee can do on downfield passing and timing during an open week
“Any practice is extra reps, to be able to get timing and be able to get experience with quarterbacks. Guys been staying after practice all season long, but being a lot more intentional in that stuff as of late. And I think to what I alluded to before, I think guys are hungry because they sense how close we are. And I think they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make sure, going down the stretch, that we finish strong and we end up making those plays.”
On how much that game-winning touchdown against Alabama could jumpstart Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell
“Yeah, I think any time you make plays in a game like that, big-time play in that type of atmosphere, naturally you gain confidence. And I think when you go back and look at the film, you see all the things you did great. But you combine those with, man, I could have cleaned this up here or I could have had another two or three here. I think that gives you more fuel, paired with that confidence, to continue to work and really check off those boxes. So absolutely that play gives you confidence, but more importantly we got to channel that in the right way and detail the things we need to detail to make more plays like that.”
On what goes into the missed connections downfield in recent games, what Tennessee is doing to get it fixed moving forward
“I think the best athletes, regardless of whose fault, like who could we point the finger at, I don’t think that’s the case. I think the best athletes take accountability in every sport, right? Like what could I have done better to make that play? I played the position and my response was always, I’m not going be the one to be responsible for an incompletion. And that’s been my message to these guys. No matter what location, the ball is low or not thrown, it don’t matter. I got to be available and I got to be ready to make a play whenever that time comes. That’s ultimately why we play wide out, is you got to be a playmaker. That’s just a part of our job. So that’s kind of the message, not to necessarily point the finger of who is fault, but what could I have done to get the job done a little bit better?”
On if Tennessee offense and passing game left the Alabama game with added confidence after making big plays in the second half
“Yeah, I think, first half we didn’t didn’t score at all, and then second half you come out and you finally get it started on offense. I absolutely think you gain some confidence leaving that game, leaving a couple games this year, though we still hadn’t seen our best be put on tape yet. And I think what’s unique about this team is most offenses, most players feel that and they tend to pull up or isolate themselves or paralyze themselves. And I truly feel like these guys are hungry to go get things fixed every week. You got no idea of knowing when exactly that thing’s going to get turned over, but you give yourself a chance as long as you continue to work at it and as long as you’re intentional with that work. And that’s what these guys have been doing.”
On what he thinks Tennessee freshman receiver Mike Matthews can do the rest of the season
“Mike, he has flashed at times. He’s got a really bright future here. I think a lot of stuff comes with experience, right? Like (being a) freshman in this league is hard. There’s growing pains in this league. I think as long as he continues to do what he’s doing, he’s staying positive, he’s working his butt off. I think as long as he continues to do those things, it’s only a matter of time before he starts to see the plays being made that he wants. And that’s the thing, he wants to make plays, he wants to be on the field in critical situations and he wants to get better. And his attitude as of late has been awesome and that’s what he’s working towards.”
On if he uses Tennessee’s veteran wide receivers to talk to freshmen about playing time and how it can take time to get on the field
“Yeah, I think older guys are critical in those type of situations. Like this age we live in now, everything is visible. Like you can see everything all across the country right at the blink of an eye. That absolutely has an effect on (young players). But what these guys got to learn at a young age is, man, I got to run my own race, right? Like my race is different from this guy playing here or this guy playing here. You ultimately don’t know where you or them will end up. But what happens is if I’m looking at someone else’s plate, and I’m not looking at my own food, then my food gets cold and I’m not able to take advantage of my own opportunities. And what that kid has done, he’s done an incredible job of not paying attention to outside factors. He could be, but around me, around this building, he’s dialed in, he’s got a great attitude, he’s hungry. That don’t mean he’s not frustrated, he’s hungry and that’s all I can ask for. Like I said, he’s got a really bright future here because he’s got the attitude and it’s only a matter of time before he starts to make those plays.”
On what Tennessee wide receivers need to do to settle in earlier in games
“I think don’t press. I think these guys, they understand we got to make more plays as an offense, not just a receiver room. But I think once you start to press that creates anxiety and then I’m not being natural in playing football. I think all these guys got to focus on is how do I do my job to the best of my ability? It’s that simple. And if we do that at every position, every play, man, we’ll continue to roll and you’ll start to see explosive plays, you’ll start to see more of the high- powered stuff that these guys are wanting to see.”
On the most encouraging thing he’s seen from Dont’e Thornton
“His positivity. I spoke to it, I alluded to it this offseason. He’s had every reason to go the opposite way. He’s dealt with injuries, he’s had tough spurts at times in his play between this year and last year. And what that kid has done, he responds to adversity, he responds to success the same way. He goes and works hard. He’s positive and that’s why good things continue to happen to him. He comes in the building with a great attitude every day. That’s all you can ask for. So for him, the refreshing thing as his coaches, you see a guy that’s continuing to respond no matter what happens. And as a coach, that’s all I can ask for.”
