“I think no matter what you do the previous week, you have to put the game behind you,” head coach Josh Heupel said on Monday. “Certainly, we understand the quality of the opponent that is coming to town this week. Our guys understand who they are, what they are about and the way they are going to play. It will be a great test for us.”
Being back inside the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium should help provide a boost to the team entering this weekend’s matchup. The Vols have been fantastic at defending their home turf during the Heupel era and carry a 14-game home winning streak into Saturday’s contest against the Bulldogs.
“It’s the first time we have been back home for an SEC game inside Neyland Stadium in over a month,” Heupel said on Monday. “Looking forward to our fans, seeing them there on Saturday. We need a great atmosphere.”
Redshirt senior defensive tackle Kurott Garland echoed his coach’s thoughts on what he expects will be a great atmosphere this weekend on Rocky Top.
“I feel like with it being a home game, our fans are going to be there and they’ll be really good support for us,” Garland said. “We’re hoping to give them a good show this coming Saturday.”
Videos, a full transcript of Heupel’s press conference and select player quotes from Monday can be found below.
Opening statement…
“Guys came in this morning, and you could see the disappointment on their face still. There is an opportunity to learn from it as we watch the tape. At the end of the day, some of the things we talked about going into the game, we didn’t do. We have to play smarter football, in particular on the offensive side of the football. You look at the drives, most of them ended with a major penalty that puts you in second and extra-long or first and extra-long, and the turnovers on the plus side of the territory as well. So, a lot to learn from. At the same time, you have to wash it whether you win or lose, and you have to move on to the next one. We have a great opponent coming to town this week. You look at Georgia, they play extremely well—smart football, physical football in all three phases of the game. They have dynamic playmakers in all three phases of the game as well. So, it is a huge test…
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