UT Athletics
Brandon Kennedy, R-Sr., OL
On how good it was to have Cade Mays for the Missouri game and how big of a game it will be for Cade this weekend at Georgia…
“It’s great to have Cade back. He’s worked really hard and for him to have the opportunity to play is great. This week, we’ve kind of just been focusing on what we have to do as a team in order to be successful and go 1-0 every week. That’s the kind of goal we set out at the beginning of the season and we’ve focused on being 1-0 every week.”
On the offensive line’s strong performance on Saturday…
“It was great to see and very exciting. I think, as an offensive line, any time you see a linebacker in front of you and hear the crowd cheering, I think that was great. We also had a lot of yards that we let out there. As an offensive line, we knew that we wanted to be physical going in, but we kind of left a few things out there. In the next game, we want to be able to pick up on those things and be a little bit better.”
On facing Georgia’s defense this week…
“So far, what we’ve seen out of Georgia up front, they’re very big. I think the nose (tackle), No. 99 Jordan Davis uses his size to his advantage when going against blockers in the run game. So, our biggest thing moving forward is that we’ve got to continue being physical and execute at a high level. I think we can be successful.”
On where he saw in the Missouri game that the offensive line can improve…
“One thing that I saw and the coaches harped on is that in the last two seconds of the play, I think sometimes our runs could have been even longer, if we just finish and strain on our blocks. Moving forward to Georgia, I think that’s one of the things we want to focus on.”
On what advice he gave to Cade Mays before the season began…
“My advice to him was that we watch film together and he was in a similar offense, so things weren’t too different. I was here for him with anything he needed. With him coming from an SEC school to another, he knew what it was like. It was a lot of similarities and that’s what we talked about.”
On what it meant to be the only team captain on Saturday and what specific things he has seen out of Georgia’s defense…
“It was very special to me, especially being my first time back in Neyland after all we went through. I loved it and it was good that we had at least a certain amount of fans there. It was very special to me.
“What I see out of Georgia’s defense is that they’re very physical up front. Kind of like I said earlier, their nose and their two defensive ends are very physical in the run game and they also have a defensive end, no. 13 (Azeez Ojulari), he’s pretty good with his pass rush and their linebackers have experience. Also, on the back end I think they play very physical in the secondary as well. We’re just excited to have this opportunity to play Georgia.”
On where he saw the offensive line get better from the South Carolina to Missouri game…
“The biggest thing was we were on the same page, once you are on the same page and kind of know what to do, it makes it easier and you are able to play faster, so that’s the thing we wanted to improve on, just being able to strain them because some of the runs we had that were like 10-12 yards could have been more with the strains, so that’s our focus for Georgia.”
On how he would say his conditioning is so far with being one of the guys that plays every snap, and what he thinks about freshman OL Javontez Spraggins so far this season…
“For me personally, as a center you have to be in tip top shape whether it is running extra sprints after practice, or anything like that I am always doing it, because I know we have a long SEC season. And then, as far as Javontez Spraggins, he is a pretty good guard, he’s very physical and he’s come along as a freshman and I like what I see out of him.”
On what his reaction was when Coach Jim Chaney introduced the jumbo set in practice for the offensive line and how much they enjoy it with two extra offensive linemen on the wings…
“As an offensive lineman we are very excited, we want to run the ball, so any time you put more lineman in to run the ball it’s great for us.”
On how he thinks Jarrett Guarantano has done calling the plays to them, and also being able to recognize receivers and any kind of check downs they have…
“I think he’s done exceptionally well, us as an offensive line being able to give him time to make decisions, and if we are able to give him the time he can make those great decisions and we see that success on the field.”
On what jumps out to him on running backs Eric Gray and Ty Chandler and how they complement each other…
“I think starting off with Ty we have seen him have success in this league as far as rushing yards, so I feel like he is a pretty fast guy and smart, but also shifty. Moving on to Eric, as a younger guy he has come along, and he had his year last year to get more comfortable, but now he is able to be shifty and make people miss and that’s what I see out of them.”
On if they have come up with any kind of name for their jumbo set…
“We haven’t really thought of a name, but as we go throughout the season and use it more we will come up with one, but we haven’t as of now.”
On if going for it on fourth down gives him confidence to make plays and give him that “extra juice”…
“Yes, so the offensive coordinator and head coach put the responsibility on us to get the first down, and it is always important to us, so I feel like as an offensive line we bear down and are able to do what we need to do to get the first down.”
On how he plans to handle the Georgia’s different defensive fronts…
“Anytime a defense has multiple fronts, I put the responsibility on me as a center to keep us on the same page, so what I have been doing this week is going back and looking at some of the games they had last year, and also the first two games this year just seeing the multiple fronts they could give us. So when we get into the game, I’ll know what to expect and to keep us on the same page and have success.”
Henry To’o To’o, So., LB
On Georgia’s rushing offense…
“That’s what Georgia prides itself on. They want to run that rock. They’re going to do everything they can to get the running game going and they have the team to do it. They have a great offensive line, obviously Zamir White and all the backs that they have, so we just got to be honed in this week.”
On the guys who have rotated in at outside linebacker…
“It’s helped out our team tremendously. It’s given us a chance to have guys in there that are fresh so that we’re able to rush the edge, that we’re able to play the run. It helps us being able to rotate guys like that, being able to especially have the young guys contribute to the team. Every single person in that outside linebacker group helps out tremendously.”
On what questions Quavaris Crouch and Jeremy Banks ask him most about playing inside linebacker…
“Just like what I see and how I react to things. They ask me where I place my eyes. We kind of try to feed off each other, but mostly they kind of just ask me about the playbook because I’ve been in there. You know JB (Jeremy Banks) was on the offensive side of the ball and Q (Quavaris Crouch) was an outside linebacker, so Q had a good grasp of it, but just the little things that they try to ask me about, how the playbook is and just the schematics. You know they’re great football players. They both have tremendous instincts, so I just try my best to help them out in the playbook.”
On if Crouch and Banks have changed their approach since seeing their roles increase…
“JB (Banks) and Q (Crouch) have been hard workers since the beginning. It hasn’t just started when the season started (or) when they started playing in the games. They’ve been working hard ever since quarantine and ever since they knew they were going to be inside linebackers. They’ve done a tremendous job of putting their heads down working, not only them but everybody in our linebacker group. They’ve done a tremendous job of trying to know everything, getting as much knowledge as they can, and they let their talent take over the rest.”
On playing well despite missing guys on defense and looking forward to having everyone available…
“We can’t wait until we get everybody back, everybody 100% back. But we have the mentality of the next man up. We never look at the next man that’s filling in somebody’s position to be a downer to the team. We believe that every single body on this team will contribute and will do the best that they can.”
On what he’s seen from the Georgia quarterbacks, specifically Stetson Bennett…
“That they do a great job of running that offense, especially behind their big o-line. They try to run the ball. They get it out as fast as they can, so we’ve just got to be able to contain them. They both can move; they both have good vision on where to put the ball and ball placement. That’s kind of what I’ve seen through my one day of studying, so I just got to be able to dig deeper as I go throughout the week.”
On if Georgia’s offense seems any different without Jake Fromm…
“From what I’ve seen, they’re still Georgia. They’re still trying to pound the ball like you were saying and that’s Georgia football. They’re trying to run that rock down your throat, so nothing spectacular that’s been different. Everything has been what we expected to see on film and will be expected going throughout this week.”
On Coach Pruitt saying Georgia has no weaknesses and if he sees any weaknesses in Georgia’s team…
“Coach Pruitt hit it right on the spot. They’re big boys and we have to do our part. We have to come out mentally sound, physically sound, and give it our all. They’re a great, phenomenal team and they’re not just going to lay down. So, we got to give everything we’ve got throughout this week and sort it out on Saturday.”
On if there’s been some extra excitement this week or if they are treating this just like any other game…
“We come out with the mentality that it’s another game. We give our all in every single week that we have and that’s something that Coach Pruitt harps on. He tells us that every single week is another opportunity to be the best players you can, be the best team that you can. Yeah, this is a big team, but we got to just have the same mentality throughout the entire season no matter who we’re playing.”
Ty Chandler, Sr., RB
On the biggest improvement in the run game from South Carolina to Missouri…
“Just knowing assignments, attention to detail. Really just going out there and playing our game, being able to execute.”
On having 32 carries with no lost yardage and keeping that stat against Georgia…
“We definitely take pride in that, in being able to get back to the line of scrimmage. Getting more yards than what the play is blocked for, that’s what we take pride in, that’s what’s preached to us every day and that’s what we try to do. That’s what we focus on in practice. It’s a big challenge (preventing negative plays). A challenge we are looking forward to but we have to accept the opportunity and get ready for it, just go seize the moment. They have a great defense, I’m looking forward to it and I know the whole team is looking forward to it as well.”
On his prior matchups with Georgia…
“They always have a solid team, a good defense. That’s what I recall, but I also recall us having being able to have success on some plays. That’s what we got to be able to do, hone in on the details, focus up and take this week as another game and another opportunity to go out and get better.”
On how he and Eric Gray complement each other as running backs…
“A great one-two punch. He’s a great running back himself and he comes into the room ready to work every day and that pushes me and has me ready to work. I love being in the room with him, great dude on and off the field. I love having him in the running back room.”
On offseason preparation for potentially being on the field with Eric Gray…
“That’s some stuff we did work on. I think that’s more than likely to happen but I don’t really know. It’s going to be something. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
On what John Kelly taught him and what he teaches the freshmen…
“Those guys were great mentors for me. They helped me find my way along here at the University of Tennessee. That’s what I’m trying to do for these guys, give back and be there for them when I can. If there’s something they need I want to be able to help them get that; I just want to see them be successful here. That’s my main thing.”
On being the SEC-leading rusher…
“It’s a blessing, I have to thank God and big shout out to my momma. And shout out to the offensive line, all those guys: Trey (Smith), Cade (Mays), Darnell (Wright), Jahmir (Johnson), BK (Brandon Kennedy), Wanya (Morris) and all those guys are doing a great job and I want to give back to them. Work for them like they work for me.”
On what a Georgia matchup means to him…
“A respectable opponent. They have a tough defense, they’re known for that, and I think everyone is looking forward to it. It’s just another game for us but as long as we focus in on our details and do our job, I feel like we can be great. That’s what I’m looking forward to; just going out and being able to get better.”