Focus Narrowing as Vols Lock in on Orange Bowl Showdown

MIAMI – With less than 72 hours until kickoff of the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl, the No. 6 Tennessee football team completed its third on-stie practice of bowl week at Barry University. Prior to practice, quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle and select offensive players met with members of the media Wednesday morning at the Le Meridien Dania Fort Lauderdale to discuss the Friday night showdown with No. 7 Clemson.

Quarterback Joe Milton III received high praise from his coach and teammates during the media session as the Volunteer representatives expressed their confidence in him and the growth they have witnessed him undergo during the course of bowl practices.

“He’s been extremely intentional in his preparation,” Halzle said. “It hasn’t been too big for him. He hasn’t changed who he is, but in the same breath, he understands his new role of having to lead this team. He’s done a really good job of not having the moment be too big for him. He’s completely dialed in to what we’re seeing, what we’re expecting and how we’re going to attack it. I’m actually excited to watch him go take the field on Friday night.”

 

“It’s been great. Joe is a great leader, a great quarterback and a brother as well,” redshirt senior tight end Princeton Fant said. “The confidence level is high, we all trust Joe. We trust the gameplan with Joe. He is going to go out there an compete and give it everything he has.”

While the game has lots of different twists compared to a regular-season contest, it is viewed among members of the team as an opportunity to finish what they started, a message head coach Josh Heupel has preached throughout bowl practices: finish what you started.

“We built this, so we want to finish what we started,” junior running back Jabari Small said.

“I’m just focused on winning this bowl game,” Fant added.

That focus and intensity continues to build every moment as the Vols continue preparations for the ACC Champion Tigers.

Comments from Halzle, Milton III, Fant, Small, Ramel Keyton and Javontez Spraggins can be found below along with videos from their media availabilities.

Orange Bowl Offensive Press Conference | Dec. 28, 2022 

 

Tennessee Quarterbacks Coach Joey Halzle 

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