Tennessee Football: Best Quotes and Key Takeaways from SEC Media Days
Tennessee football coach Butch Jones owns Steve Spurrier on the field. It turns out he can hold his own at the podium as well.
After the Head Ball Coach delivered one of his patented zingers during the morning session of SEC media days, saying, "There are people in Knoxville and Fayetteville still doing cartwheels over going 7-6," it was Jones' turn in the afternoon.
Rather than sidestep the comments, Jones didn't even wait for a question. Instead, he addressed them head-on with a bit of swagger and gamesmanship not normally displayed publicly by the third-year Vols coach.
After that, Jones settled back into his propaganda-laced promotion of his program, but that was a flash of fire for a coach who has his program on the cusp of competing.
It's not something anybody who covers the program is used to seeing, and it could have been a peek at the promise of this UT team.
Along with the 2-0 record the Vols currently hold against South Carolina during Jones' tenure, trading quips with the legendary, loud-mouthed treasure of the SEC should be considered another victory.
In the past, Jones—and even his players, to an extent—tried to temper expectations by trumpeting youth and a lack of leadership. There was still a hint of that Tuesday, with Jones noting to the throng of media members in Hoover, Alabama, that 64 percent of his roster have one year or less of college experience.
But the tone, for the most part, was one of promise. None of the Vols nor their coach said anything to dampen the firestorm of publicity that has essentially anointed UT a dark horse to win the SEC East.
There's been so much buzz, in fact, that it would be difficult to say a strong season for Tennessee would be a surprise, even if the Vols did have to scrape and fight every second down the stretch in 2014 to finish with a 7-6 record.
Last year, the goal was a bowl. This season, those expectations have heightened. That's not just true for the media, either. The Vols made everybody aware of that Tuesday.
There's some pressure on the players, chiefly because of the excitement around the program and the fact that it's been a dismal decade for Big Orange Nation.
For those who've been around the program for a while, such as senior defensive end/outside linebacker Curt Maggitt, they feel more weight than just producing a quality season for the team.
"Vols Nation definitely deserves it," Maggitt told GoVols247's Wes Rucker. "They deserve it more than any other fanbase. They've stuck with us through all the hard times, and it's been pretty hard. But we've got a great opportunity this upcoming season to give 'em a great show and give 'em a great season."
Added Jones on the SEC Network: "Our football team has learned how to win. We expect to win."
Determined to Be Dynamic
The Vols return the duo that combined for more sacks than any other tandem that will be on the college gridiron in 2015 in Maggitt and sophomore Derek Barnett.
Much like Tennessee's expectations, their personal goals are extremely high.
Last year, Barnett burst onto the scene with a freshman season for the ages, finishing with 72 tackles, 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss. He added a fumble recovery and eight quarterback hurries.
Maggitt took a little while to get in game shape after missing a season plus three games in 2012 with torn knee ligaments. The second half of last year, he was dominant, finishing with 48 tackles, 11 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss.
Now that he has rounded into form, Maggitt—who is normally a humble kid but a vocal leader—has plenty to prove to the NFL after returning for his senior season. He wasn't shy Tuesday about discussing how good he thinks he can be:
Searching for a Statement
Jones led Tennessee to important, pivotal wins over South Carolina and Iowa a season ago, but neither of those was a marquee victory. The Gamecocks and Hawkeyes both finished 7-6.
So, while there have been big wins, the program under Jones is still searching for a "signature" statement. That's not something that's lost on a group of players and coaches who trumpeted the team's improvement a season ago.
Several games such as those against Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida and possibly Missouri could qualify. But there's one game in particular that gets UT fans' blood circulating, and Jones addressed it when asked about the Vols' cross-divisional permanent opponent.
Another WR Weapon Readying
Tennessee has a talented group of wide receivers who need to live up to expectations this year. Guys such as Marquez North, Josh Smith, Jason Croom, Josh Malone and potentially Von Pearson have the ability to team with Pig Howard and make UT's receiving corps dynamic again.
One name that has been overlooked because of a knee injury he suffered during his senior year of high school is elite wideout Preston Williams.
The 6'4", 180-pound pass-catcher was coveted by some of the nation's top teams, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Auburn and others. The seventh-rated receiver on the 247Sports composite rankings stuck with his longtime commitment to UT, and he may be ready to play right away.
Though he's not full-go, Williams may be a weapon for quarterback Joshua Dobbs this year, according to Jones.
Ready for Liftoff
Like always, the media at the annual SEC showcase circus had plenty of fun questioning Dobbs about his academic prowess.
The aerospace engineering major and rising junior dual-threat quarterback was asked about everything from thermodynamics to Pluto. Here's some of the best snippets from Jones, Dobbs and some media members about the smartest guy in the room.
Tuesday, though Mississippi State, South Carolina and Texas A&M all took the stage along with the Vols, Tennessee was one of the show-stealers.
Dobbs was engaging, intelligent and sometimes even funny, leading Bleacher Report colleague Barrett Sallee to refer to him as the new face of the SEC.
After nearly a decade wandering in the wilderness, the Vols are among the media darlings again. In two months, they'll get a chance to prove they were worthy.
All quotes obtained via SEC Network Broadcast, unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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