Postgame Quotes: South Carolina 24, Vols 21

Oct. 30, 2016

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Tennessee head coach Butch Jones

(Opening statement)
"Okay. You talk about owning it, we've got to own it. Unacceptable. The small details, the turnovers. You go on the road, you can't turn the football over. There was a lack of explosive plays, missed tackles, too many penalties on special teams when you do a good job of getting the ball out on some returns. Those are momentum-killers.

"Again, it starts with myself, it starts with the coaching staff. You talk about being a determined football team. Some leadership needs to step up on this football team. It starts with myself and the coaches, but it's everybody. Everybody is going to own it. Everybody is responsible for this.

"We can't let this one loss define who we are. We've got to come back. But obviously, too sloppy. I'm just very, very disappointed in the way we played, particularly coming off a bye week. Give South Carolina credit, but that was unacceptable."

(On battling through another slow start)
"Offsides on the opening kickoff, which is a complete lack of total discipline. Again, allowed them to go down and score and you can't start the game like that. We pride ourselves on playing with great passion and energy, being a disciplined football team that takes care of the ball and doesn't create penalties for themselves. We weren't that. When you go on the road, you're not going to have an opportunity to win a football game, and when you play at home you aren't going to have an opportunity to win a football game.

"But again, slow start -- I thought we were lethargic, lacked energy on the sideline and at times seemed disinterested. It starts with me. We talked about it all week long. But again, we have to own it. And where do we go from here? Again, it's a long, long football season. You can't let one game define you. But we're going to find out the competitive makeup of us in how we bounce back."

(On South Carolina's pass defense and John Kelly going without a touch on two straight drives after breaking off a big run)
"Well we were down to really John Kelly (in terms of available running backs). So again, you're trying to make it through the game with one running back. And then, obviously, Carlin (Fils-Aime) got in there, but we were down there so you have to pick your spots of managing the game. It's a line-of-scrimmage league. They were able to play some man coverage and Josh (Dobbs) wasn't able to set his feet in the pocket."

(On what the coaching staff needs to improve going forward and on how the message changes after a third straight loss)
"We live in a week-to-week season so there's a lot of football left to be played. All we're looking to do is be 1-0 each and every week and unfortunately we were 0-1 this week. But it starts with everyone. I think everyone has to look. When you guys sat in my press conference on Monday or Tuesday and I said that this was going to be more taxing than the first seven weeks, I meant that. Again, it's going to be a grind. Everyone hears the clutter, everyone hears the distractions. Everyone is going to play their best football against you. That's the next evolution of your football program and you have to be mature competitors. You have to understand that. You can't be the same version of you. I don't like the lackadaisical-ness. I've never coached that way. These kids are very prideful. There's a locker room full of guys that are hurting -- it's a hard way to learn a lesson."

(On if he can pinpoint the lack of energy on a veteran team)
"I think it's more just everyone taking responsibility on themselves to play their best football, from the coaching staff to everyone involved. Everyone in our organization. It starts with me. I'll sit up here and I'll tell you: I'm responsible for everything. I'm responsible for the organization, the coaches, the players, all that. But everyone has to take ownership in it. We've got to own it. We've got to own it. We've got to work to improve and there's a lot of football left to be played. You mark my words as I sit here today in South Carolina, there is a lot of football left to be played."

(On if he considers reevaluating his scheme)
"I'll know a little bit more when I watch the video, but football is a game of one-on-one match-ups. Everyone has to win their one-on-one match-up and we have to put them in positions to succeed. It's hard to play perfect when you don't have any explosive football plays. We did not have any explosive football plays. We gave up some explosive football plays. Eye discipline, all those little things that go into it. Again, it's the overall focus and discipline that I'm more disappointed in than anything."

(On some mistakes made by freshman contributors)
"Both of those two individuals are going to be very good football players and I love them, but you go through growing pains. Again, it's what you learn from the mistakes, it's what you learn from these experiences to make you better. If you don't become better from it then that's when you have problems. But both of those individuals are very prideful individuals and they are going to be good players and I believe in them."

(On addressing discipline in-season for the first time at Tennessee)
"There's no need for panic. There's a lot of football left to be played. Obviously we did not play our best football tonight. We created a lot of self-imposed adversities and I give South Carolina a lot of credit, too. But again, what do we learn from it? We learn about the value of being ready versus being prepared, having your opportunity to make the most of it. This is a game, this is a sport that you have to play inspired. You have to bring passion on every single snap. You can't have lack of focus in details on anything. The unsettling thing is that it's not just one side of the ball. It's all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. We have to get it corrected in a hurry, that much I can say."

(On if he sensed a lack of passion during last week's practices)
"No, I thought we had a good week of preparation. But again, we talked about not having any mental errors. We talked about being inspired, being ready to go. And you have to apply it. You have to apply your week of preparation on the game field."

Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs

(On needing leaders to step up)
"We just have to control what we can control. Obviously, tonight we did not play to our standard of football and the results show it as well. So from here on out we've just got to take it one day at a time, focus on what we can control. Every time we step on the field we have to play at a high level. We have to play with our style of play if we want to be successful."

(On if he saw any lethargy on the sidelines)
"It's tough for me to sense it, just being locked in on the game and on the field. It just goes back to having everyone locked in and on the same page. At any point, anyone's number could be called so everyone needs to be locked in and ready to make a play."

(On his fumble and if he took a bump from a teammate during the play)
"It's a run-pass option and I was trying to throw it out on the perimeter. He came through, thought he was getting the ball, and he hit me as I threw. So it goes back to fundamentals: my part with my steps and his part and his steps and that's something we need to get corrected."

(On his interception late in the third quarter)
"Yeah, they were Cover 3. They midpointed their corner and he undercut it. That's just straight up on me, understanding the coverage, understanding the situation and just checking the ball down and getting another drive going. I have to step it up. I felt like I did not play up to my standard personally and I'm a tough critic on myself. I'll get it corrected and keep us moving."

(On South Carolina's defensive scheme)
"They were doing some different things with the front -- different stunts and everything. We knew that coming in to the game, so that just goes back to everyone being focused, locked in on the game plan, locked in on the different looks and being able to go out and execute."

(On when he sensed Tennessee wasn't at its sharpest)
"It started on the first drive. Really, we started off the game behind the sticks and that's something we talked about -- you go into any game, you don't want to play behind the sticks. You want to be efficient on first and second down and we weren't. It's tough to be successful when you're dealing with 3rd and long, 3rd and 15 throughout the game, putting our defense with tough situations. To their credit, they gave us an opportunity to go down and win the game and we did not execute. That's on us and that's something we need to get corrected."

(On getting the slow starts corrected)
"It's just intensity level. Coach Jones always harps on us about having a complete practice. If you can't have a complete practice, you can't have a complete game. So it starts in practice -- your attitude, mindset when you approach the practice field. After all the hype and energy dies away in a game, that's how you're going to play. So we have to go back to our fundamentals, go back to our habits and improve on those and play winning football from here on out."

(On if the injuries to the captains)
"It hurts. Obviously, they are captains of the team and not having them out there hurts. But they're motivating us on the sideline, pushing the young guys, getting guys locked in, talking through looks with our running backs and everything. So they're still there. It's always tough when you have three key playmakers out, though."

(On if he caught himself thinking past any games late on the schedule)
"No, you can't look past any game. Especially on the road in the SEC, you have to be locked in. Obviously, it was shown today, at any given point anyone can beat anyone. You've got to come out and play your best football and put your best foot forward if you want to be successful. We did not do that and that's what the score shows."

Tennessee defensive lineman Kendal Vickers

(On his disappointment in the loss)
"It's very disappointing. For some reason, we didn't show up tonight. So we've just got to go back to film and fix whatever we did wrong."

(On if he senses why the Vols 'didn't show up')
"No. I don't know what happened."

(On the frustrations with slow starts and penalties)
"We've just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. It's not helping."

(On if there's a difference in discipline between this year's team and those in the past couple years)
"I don't know. I've just got to look back and see what we're doing wrong."

(On questions regarding the team's depth at defensive tackle after Shy Tuttle left late in the game with an injury)
"Quay Picou and Kyle Phillips and Dimarya Mixon are going to have to step up. I'm going to have to be a leader and lead those guys. But they're capable of filling in and doing well."

(On the demands being placed on him as a leader along the D-line)
"I can handle the burden. That's no problem. But Kyle (Phillips) did a good job. He's been doing what's asked of him, what I've been asking of him. He comes out and works hard every day and that's all I can ask from him. He's shown that he can play well through technique."

(On the mood in the locker room after the game)
"We expected to win before the game, but we lost. We weren't too happy afterward."

Tennessee running back John Kelly

(On his workload with Alvin Kamara out due to injury)
"Well, I feel like I took advantage of the opportunities that came my way with the amount of touches and carries I was able to get, but I felt like there was a lot more out there I could have provided for the team. That would have helped our success."

(On where the Vols can go from here)
"We're just going to keep working because there's a lot more football to play. That's all we're going to do. We're just going to keep improving and just learn from this loss and keep working."

(On what's behind the slow starts)
"Execution, I would say. Early on, we sometimes lack execution, but we end up picking it up in the second half for whatever reason. I just think we've got to execute a little bit better when we come out."

(On how the team can pick itself up)
"We're just going to keep improving. I'm just going to make sure none of the guys let their head hang. Every body needs to stay positive and keep working. It's all we can do."

(On if he was aware of Jalen Hurd's injury during the game)
"Honestly, I didn't know when he got hurt, but once my name was called upon I just went out there and made the most of the opportunity with all the carries and the touches I was able to get."

(On if he thinks he's earned the confidence of the coaches)
"I know my coaches trust me, no matter what the situation is. When I'm out there I'm just out there playing the game that I always play. So it's really nothing new to those guys."

(On his mentality as a runner)
"I just feel like I'm just running the way I've been running since I was a kid. I don't know how those guys (the other Tennessee running backs) were raised or how they ran when they were kids, but I've just been playing the same way since I was a child. (I would describe it as) angry. I feel like everybody's out to get me, so I'm just going out and running as hard as I can."

(On Joshua Dobbs' demeanor after a mistake)
"I know he's frustrated because I feel like Dobbs is a perfectionist. He knows he made a mistake and he'll just want to correct it. So I know he's a little angry about it, but he knows that we've got his back regardless of what's the outcome."

Tennessee linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr.

(On what went wrong defensively)
"Couple misfits here and there, a breakdown in the coverage kind of gave them some big plays. But overall, schematically, it wasn't too many big problems that we had. It was just they hit some big plays on us at bad times."

(On how the defense can limit the big plays moving forward)
"Discipline, eye discipline, consistency every day in practice. We've just got to focus on improving and getting better."

(On the rash of injuries along the defensive line)
"It's difficult, but it's always next man up. That's the mantra our program kind of carries this season. I went down early and Colton (Jumper) stepped up. Other guys will have to step up along the defensive line. Shy (Tuttle) went down today, so Quay Picou -- I expect him to step up just like everybody else does."

(On if he sensed a lack of energy on the sideline)
"Not necessarily. I'm locked into the game, controlling what I can control and my teammates -- I know if I'm giving them energy then they're giving me energy back. So, overall I felt like the energy was okay."

(On the difficulty of having to sit out the last six weeks and why Tennessee has had some problems with penalties)
"First, it's been a long 42 days that I've had off. I'm definitely a little rusty, but I'm just looking for personal improvement overall.

"The penalties, that just comes with discipline overall. You make mistakes, you learn from it, you get better from it."

(On how he and other leaders can keep this loss from affecting future opponents)
"We can't let South Carolina beat us twice. We've got to focus on what we can focus on and control what we can control. We've got four games left. We've got a lot of football left, so we've just got to keep pushing forward."

(On why South Carolina tailback Rico Dowdle was able to have some success)
"His long run, that was a mistake by me. He just broke free. I feel like our defense did a really good job of controlling him overall, but he did get a couple nice runs."

(On what needs to happen to get back to championship form)
"Collectively, we've got to get back to what we did at the beginning of the season. This team was 5-0 to start and that mindset, that hunger was always there. We've dropped three in a row. We can't lose sight of what we did at the beginning of the season. So we really just need to keep pushing forward."

(On penalties hurting the defense)
"Yeah, disappointing. Opportunities to make plays are always there when you have great field position. When you take it away from yourself it kind of hurts you. But that's the game. You've got to adjust to whatever situation and what the game presents you."

South Carolina Head Coach Will Muschamp

(Opening statement)
"What a great win for our football team and our program. Our fan base was amazing, and it was an electric atmosphere. We felt the energy coming up during the Gamecock Walk, and we appreciate that. We're a different team at home in terms of how ours guys approach and play. Our fan base has a tremendous effect on us and how we go about our business. I'm proud of our players, and I told them after the game to continue to invest and have some belief. Some good things are going to happen, and I told them to continue to do the things we're asking them to do. They continue to do that, and our guys played their guts out tonight. We have to enjoy tonight and put this one behind us and get ready for a game against Missouri. I'm very pleased with our guys' efforts, and they have continued to fight. It says a lot about our players and about our staff. Our staff sticks together, and I'm glad to be a part of it."

(On the poise of freshman quarterback Jake Bentley and how he handled himself in the win)
"I thought he did a nice job. I don't know what his numbers were exactly, but he was accurate with the ball. He threw the ball in some tight coverage, and our guys made some plays too so you have to give them credit. There's no question, in that environment it says a lot about his preparation and what he puts into it."

(On his thoughts on South Carolina' s rushing attack)
"I thought Rico (Dowdle) made some tough runs. He made the one bounce-out run on our sideline, and that's a big-time SEC back making that run. A.J. (Turner) got in there late, and David (Williams) did some nice things. It all works hand-in-hand. We ask our tight ends to block in the run game as well. It all works hand-in-hand, and we ask the quarterback to make the correct read. I'm proud of all of those guys."

(On defensive back Jamarcus King' s potential moving forward)
"Jamarcus is instinctive and he has length and all the physical attributes we like. He's been a very coachable guy since he's been here. He's a guy that goes out and works and listens. He's correctable, and when you correct him he doesn't take it personal. He tries to learn and listen. Coach Travaris Robinson does a really good job with those guys. He does a great job teaching fundamentals, technique and all the things you need to teach. Jamarcus is going to benefit moving forward getting in the weight room. That's something we need to continue to work on, and he will."

(On being able to close out and win a close game against Tennessee after losing some tight games against them in the past)
"We had a really good week, probably our best week of preparation. I told our guys early in the week that this game was going to come down to the fourth quarter. I felt that way all along. We're going to have to finish, and the word of the week was finish. You have to learn to finish against an opponent. You need to learn to make plays in these games. The effort and mental urgency our guys had were outstanding all week and you saw a product of that on game day."

South Carolina linebacker T.J. Holloman

(On the win)
"We needed this win tonight. Not only for our program but also for our fans. Our fans came out tonight. Great support. It was a loud stadium and [the fans] got what they deserved. A win is a win. But a win at home like we did tonight in front of our fans is unbelievable."

(On the game plan)
"Our game plan was to come in and shut down the run and make [Joshua] Dobbs beat us throwing the ball. As we saw today our defensive line got after him and he had a lot of problems trying to get the ball."

South Carolina defensive back Jamarcus King

(On interceptions)
"Coach T. Rob and Coach Muschamp put us in a good position with the call. It was a cover two call so they already knew what was coming and they put me in the position to make the play on the first one [interception.] On the second one I just split the zone and he threw the ball and he just stared him down."

(On message to the team after Chris Lammons ejection)
"I just pretty much told the corners we had to step up and the next man up has to make plays. The ball came my way and I had to make the play. Basically we were playing for Chris (Lammons)."

South Carolina linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams

(On getting the win)
"It meant a lot, especially for us, this is my third year here and the last two times we've played Tennessee we've kind of let them get the win at the end of the game. So it meant a lot to finish out this game and it means a lot for the future of our program. We proved that we can finish games and we have to continue to keep working so everyone can know who we are."

(On how team played against the rush)
"This was the best week of practice. Sunday through today we've just been prepared. We've had a lot of walk-throughs a lot of preparation was put into this game and it definitely paid off. I feel like this was the best we've played all year but we just have to work and continue to get better."

South Carolina defensive lineman Darius English

(On defending Joshua Dobbs)
"It definitely changes the game plan, you have to keep him inside the pocket. He can move and make plays on his feet so you have to change the rush a little bit and make sure you keep him contained."

South Carolina tight end K.C. Crosby

(On what he saw the Tennessee defense doing)
"The way they were, both guys just sucked into the screen we had been running. They both came up and played the screen, so I just slipped outside to the corner and Jake [Bentley] hit me with the ball into the end zone."

(On what they learned about Jake Bentley after being hit as much as he was today)
"That's just Jake. That's him in practice. Even when the game got close, he kept his composure. He kept telling us that we were still in the game, we needed to finish strong and do what we had to do to get the win."

South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel

(On the future of the offense with young players performing so well now)
"I'm very excited, but we are still going to worry about this year before we worry about the future. The future is bright for us."

(On what they learned about Jake Bentley after being hit as much as he was today)
"Jake is a real tough guy. He played his heart out, and he gave it his all out there."

(On scoring over 20 points in back to back games and where the offense is now compared to beginning of season)
"The offense is great. When we are able to run and pass the ball, I don't feel like anyone can stop us."

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