University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee vs. Kentucky Quotes
November 27, 2004 | Football
Nov. 27, 2004
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TENNESSEE QUOTES
Head Coach Phillip Fulmer: "I love these guys but they are making an old man of me and the rest of the staff. They have a lot of pride and heart and they fought through a lot to be the Eastern Division Champions. Now we've got to get them healthy to play Auburn. We gave Rick Clausen a game ball. He did just a great job for us. Rick gave us an incredible effort and I can't say how fortunate we are to have a man step in and do the job the way he does.
"We haven't played with the passion we need to lately, but we got it done. I thought we would be struggling with the offense, not with the defense, but it has been the other way around. Randy Sanders has done a tremendous job getting our quarterbacks ready. Clausen has his niche. Randy always works really hard. What he tries to do is be careful with the football and at the same time be creative.
"We've been practicing that pass by Fayton, for what seems like forever. We have two or three players that have the background to throw the ball in that situation, Fayton and Chris Hannon to name a couple.
"On the blocked kicks, we need to get the ball up better obviously. We moved the ball back a little bit hoping that would help, but Lonnell Dewalt is a tough man to handle. Obviously we are kicking the ball to low-not too low in general, but too low for Dewalt.
"You know, defense is a game of passion, emotion, and flying around. You can't be afraid to give up big plays. In our defense we must be good at corners. We're growing but we're not there yet. We now need to score thirty-something points to get a win and that isn't good. Auburn is a very talented team, on a roll, with something to prove. We'll have to play very well against them. We need to get some guys healthy before we face Auburn.
"Meachem had a big game. It's been coming for him. He's a big time receiver."
TB Gerald Riggs: "We had to get a touchdown because of the way the flow of the game was going. The play we called could have gone inside or outside depending on the defense. Our intensity level has been down the last couple of games. It's safe to say now that we've been looking forward to the next week [SEC title game]. Fortunately we're a talented enough team to win and not play with full intensity. I don't think that will be a problem this week."
WR Robert Meachem: [On 53-yard reception from C.J. Fayton] "It was designed in practice. We've gone over it for a while but not sure if we were ever going to run it. We saw it was open. All the receivers came together and helped Rick out. I haven't had a big game since high school. You've got to feel like you're coming back. You've got to stay humble and keep your head. At practice, we all know Rick is a veteran."
C Jason Respert: "[It was a] hard-fought game. We wanted to make sure the fans didn't leave early today. For the most part we executed Coach Sanders' game plan. I think coming into the game he told us certain formations we would be in. We spread them out and had the numbers game inside. He caught his rhythm early and stayed in it."
DB Jason Allen: "It was a hard-fought ballgame. Like Coach Fulmer always says, you have to play 60 minutes. I thought the defense came out pretty dull. In the second half we caught fire. [On rematch with Auburn] I feel like we're a different defensive ball team and different offensively, too. Our team, I feel like we're best when we're underdogs. I tip my hat off to Kentucky. We just have to go out there and make plays."
DE Karlton Neal: "To me, I just thought I've got to find a way to make a big play. The defense came out with a better attitude in the second half. From my standpoint, the defense hasn't gotten to where it should be in the last two weeks. I take nothing away from Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Obviously we have to come out with more fire and in the first half. It's up to us. That's what Coach Chavis is looking for."
KENTUCKY QUOTES
Head Coach Rich Brooks: "I'm obviously very disappointed. I thought we played hard. We came in here and were this close to doing something no Kentucky team had done in 20 years. It was a heck of a game and the wrong team one. I'm disappointed for our seniors. We had a chance to leave here with a significant win. We didn't get it and Tennessee, give them credit, got it.
"We kept Tennessee off-balance for a while, but when they pinned their ears back, we couldn't block their front four.
"A loss is a loss is a loss. Some are better than others. It could have been a huge win, but will be another asterisk in the tough games that got away category. I really feel bad for our players. I thought Shane Boyd had a great game. He competed. We were going well and he was going well, so I decided to go with him. He had a heck of a game.
"Joker Phillips, Paul Dunn and I called the plays, with the calls being fairly evenly divided. I'm not sure Tennessee was totally stoked to begin the game and we were. I think I made a couple of calls that worked.
"This team wasn't rewarded. They played their hearts out. It's really a game of inches. A few inches here, a few inches there, and the game is ours. I thought the momentum of the game changed with the facemask and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Our player complained about the call and they called unsportsmanlike conduct. I have no idea if it was the right call. Our player said he used no profanity, but you can't get into the official's space and complain.
"On our last three possessions, we were three-and-out. We get the first downs there and we win the game. It was interesting we had 13 penalties and they had five. I guess the underdog is supposed to get the penalties.
"I thought Lonnell Dewalt was a force. He blocked an extra point and a field goal. We were hoping to force them to kick a field goal. On the touchdown, we had a great defense called. There's no way they should have scored.
"I give Sweet Pea Burns credit for being out there. His ankle is still not healed. Injuries are a part of the game and you play with what you have. We've had a whole bunch of injuries this year, but nobody really cares, really."
Ricky Abren, DL: "On the interception return for a touchdown: "I was just trying to get to the quarterback and (Raymond) Fontaine tipped it and I caught it. I was just hoping that nobody could catch me."
Draak Davis, TB: "It hurts. We played our hearts out. We came so close and just lost it there at the end. It hurts."
Thoughts about the offenses execution: "We said all week that this (loss of offensive coordinator) was not going to be an excuse. Coaches said this was not going to be an excuse. We had a good week of practice and we came together. The coaches came together and we just played out hearts out, but we came up a little short. It is something to build on for next year."
Matt Huff, C: "We thought we had it there until the end. But I am real proud of the way we played. We kept going and playing hard. Tennessee is not a team that is going to lie down and let you win a game, and that is why they are a top 20 team."
Thoughts about the offensive play: "We had nothing to lose. This was our bowl game. We did not have to think about last week, how we were going to grade out or watching film. I know for me personally I just wanted to go out there and give it everything I had, because it was the last time."
Dennis Johnson, ILB: "Differences between first half and second half: "The first half it was a little slow. They were basically letting us control the tempo of the game. We were able to control the line of scrimmage. But in the second half they turned up the tempo and ran right at us. They took advantage of the situation we had at linebacker, because they kept running the ball. I guess they knew we were down a couple of linebackers because they were able to change the tempo, compared to the first half. They were running a bit more no huddle and getting the plays in faster, trying to catch us off guard."
