Latest / The Mike Keith Show / The Mike Keith Show | TY REDMOND, SPENCER BARRY, AARON MURRAY (10.7.26)
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_09: From the peaks of the smokies to the peaks of the Mississippi.
- 0:06SPEAKER_09: This is your call for the University of the Tennessee.
- 0:21SPEAKER_09: It's the fall network.
- 0:26SPEAKER_09: Inside access, behind the scenes.
- 0:29SPEAKER_09: From Rocky Top, direct from the coaches.
- 0:32SPEAKER_09: Inside from the players, the inside draft.
- 0:36SPEAKER_09: Mike Keith starts now.
- 0:41SPEAKER_07: We're cooking with gas on this edition of the Mike Keith Show.
- 0:44SPEAKER_07: We have Andy Asks, where we take your questions from the Vol Network text line at 865-657-1278.
- 0:52SPEAKER_07: It's sponsored by First Horizon Bank.
- 0:55SPEAKER_07: We'll look at Tennessee's men's basketball schedule, which has been fully released with some times and a lot of great Saturday SEC games at Food City Center.
- 1:05SPEAKER_07: Spencer Barry has done something very special.
- 1:09SPEAKER_07: You may have seen SEC story 17 about T Martin and the 1998 Tennessee football team, the national champions.
- 1:18SPEAKER_07: Spencer Berry directed that.
- 1:19SPEAKER_07: He'll take us behind the scenes of how it all came together.
- 1:23SPEAKER_07: Aaron Murray is going to call Tennessee, Arkansas, for SEC Network this weekend.
- 1:28SPEAKER_07: He will join us to talk what else?
- 1:31SPEAKER_07: Quarterback play.
- 1:32SPEAKER_07: But up first, Ty Redmond.
- 1:35SPEAKER_07: Ty Redman, number four.
- 1:36SPEAKER_07: This cornerback is making things happen with a calm, cool presence.
- 1:41SPEAKER_07: We get a chance to visit with him once again.
- 1:44SPEAKER_07: Always enjoy having Ty Redman come by.
- 1:46SPEAKER_07: The Mike Keith Show delivered by Uber Eats.
- 1:49SPEAKER_07: Now, 17-14.
- 1:52SPEAKER_07: Fourth quarter.
- 1:53SPEAKER_07: Game against Albert.
- 1:54SPEAKER_07: They're gonna take a deep shot on Ty Redmond.
- 1:58SPEAKER_07: Take me through how you defend that play.
- 2:02SPEAKER_07: What's going through your mind at that moment?
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: I see we're in a uh, you know, cover three call, so I see two go away, so that means you gotta be heavy on one.
- 2:11SPEAKER_00: So I see, you know, one stutter, and then he throws the D-ball.
- 2:17SPEAKER_00: He has me beat a little bit, so I have to, you know, put my head down and run, and then, you know, once I see the uh the uh man's eyes go up in the hands, I just don't panic, just play through the hands and just play football.
- 2:31SPEAKER_00: Would you have panicked last year at this time?
- 2:35SPEAKER_07: No, sir.
- 2:35SPEAKER_07: No.
- 2:36SPEAKER_07: Okay.
- 2:36SPEAKER_07: So talk me through how you learned to do that thing which so many corners do, which is panic.
- 2:44SPEAKER_07: How did you learn not to do that and where did you learn not to do that?
- 2:49SPEAKER_00: Just growing up, uh I used to always, you know, play receiver.
- 2:53SPEAKER_00: So like when the ball's in the air, I don't really, you know, panic for real.
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: I just become the receiver or, you know, you know, just be calm.
- 3:01SPEAKER_00: You know, I just got a lot of reps under my belt growing up and a lot of training.
- 3:04SPEAKER_00: So it's really just natural for me now.
- 3:07SPEAKER_07: You know at that point in the game how big that moment is.
- 3:10SPEAKER_07: And while it's statistically not the most fabulous thing a football player does, a defensive football player does, it's a moment where they're trying to make something happen to establish momentum in the fourth quarter, take the lead, take the game back, and you just don't let it happen.
- 3:27SPEAKER_07: All right.
- 3:28SPEAKER_07: It's just like you're you're like, I mean, that was kind of your reaction after the play.
- 3:32SPEAKER_07: There was no big celebration or any that's Ty Redmond, isn't it?
- 3:36SPEAKER_00: Is there?
- 3:36SPEAKER_00: You know, just staying calm and just staying true to what I what I worked so hard for.
- 3:41SPEAKER_07: So what have you concentrated on more this year in terms of improvement as you've worked with the new cornerback coach Derek Jones?
- 3:50SPEAKER_00: You know, he always uh talks throughout the week, you know, just habits, build habits, you know, and making sacrifices.
- 3:57SPEAKER_00: So I feel like this year I just, you know, made more sacrifices and build more habits to match my goals, so you know, we can all so I can I can get better and build everybody around me better so the whole team can get better.
- 4:10SPEAKER_00: K and Lee on the other side.
- 4:13SPEAKER_07: I mean, he's a fantastic player as well.
- 4:16SPEAKER_07: How have you guys been able to work together in the roles as the starting corners?
- 4:21SPEAKER_07: What's that relationship like?
- 4:23SPEAKER_00: You know, we just know we don't have a just good connection on the field, off the field, you know.
- 4:27SPEAKER_00: We always, you know, chilling and messing around, you know, just you know, just being friends, you know, just brothers.
- 4:35SPEAKER_00: So um just building a strong relationship with him so it's just easier on the field, you know.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: We we do we once we need to make a call, we make a call and we just know what each other's strengths and weaknesses are.
- 4:46SPEAKER_07: So what do you like about Kay and Lee's game that you would like to take more of into your game?
- 4:52SPEAKER_00: Just the way he like reacts, you know, he just makes plays when the ball is in the air, you know.
- 4:58SPEAKER_00: Um even when the ball's around him, it's just he he goes for the ball, you know, just a good tackler.
- 5:04SPEAKER_00: So very aggressive.
- 5:06SPEAKER_00: So I was I would say that.
- 5:07SPEAKER_07: Communication in the secondary with TJ Metcalf or Tevis Metcalf or Quay Moss or Dijon Lane or whomever's in the game.
- 5:15SPEAKER_07: Why is the communication working at this point in the season?
- 5:19SPEAKER_07: Why has it worked well?
- 5:22SPEAKER_00: Coach knows and coach DJ, Coach Dex, you know, we always have meetings, you know, throughout the week.
- 5:28SPEAKER_00: Um and we just, you know, look at film, we just all in there just saying, well, we get to this formation, this formation, we just we don't just uh leave it in the film, we take it onto the field.
- 5:38SPEAKER_00: So once the practice is over and we end the games, it's just it's easy.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: How much pride do you take in your tackling?
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: I take very much good good pride in it.
- 5:48SPEAKER_00: Um I feel like last year I took like I wasn't really that, you know, confident in my tackling.
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: I feel like this year, you know, Coach Bono and and the uh the special team staff, you know, they instilled tackling on us very much this year.
- 6:04SPEAKER_00: So I feel like we're uh me and everybody around me is just we're just better tacklers this year.
- 6:09SPEAKER_07: Alright, so Joel Wyatt, another tall corner.
- 6:14SPEAKER_07: Is there a freshman a year behind you?
- 6:16SPEAKER_07: He shows up big, big on Saturday playing gunner on punt team.
- 6:22SPEAKER_07: Is there?
- 6:23SPEAKER_07: When you watch that, what do you think?
- 6:26SPEAKER_00: I feel like that's a that's a uh a guy who wants to, you know, contribute to the team.
- 6:31SPEAKER_00: Uh like again, like coach Coach Jones, you know, and we just know the the corners and the DBs gotta, you know, make a big impact in the game so we can, you know, build the team's, you know, momentum.
- 6:44SPEAKER_00: So I feel like well he he took what Coach Jones said and you know and still did on Saturday and made a very big plays for us.
- 6:52SPEAKER_07: Why do Tennessee fans need to know who number 31 Joel Wyatt is?
- 6:57SPEAKER_00: They need to know because you know, in in these coming years, he's gonna be one of the ones, you know, he's uh 6'4, 210 corner.
- 7:05SPEAKER_00: So once once he g gets it all figured out, he's gonna be one of them guys.
- 7:09SPEAKER_07: Well, you're 6'3 to what?
- 7:12SPEAKER_07: 205.
- 7:13SPEAKER_07: 205.
- 7:14SPEAKER_07: Does he ask you a lot of questions?
- 7:16SPEAKER_07: Does he try to pick your brain since you are similar type corners in terms of your size?
- 7:21SPEAKER_00: Yeah, in the film, he actually sits right next to me.
- 7:24SPEAKER_00: So I'm always, you know, uh, you know, answering his questions, telling him to write things down, you know, give him tips and tricks.
- 7:29SPEAKER_00: So because uh, you know, I was in his position before too, like being a freshman, not not so sure what to do.
- 7:36SPEAKER_00: So I'm just trying to help him, you know, build his confidence.
- 7:39SPEAKER_00: You're smooth, man.
- 7:40SPEAKER_07: You are just smooth.
- 7:41SPEAKER_07: On that play in the fourth quarter, that was just like is there I mean, that's a big play, and you're like, mm-hmm.
- 7:48SPEAKER_07: Right?
- 7:49SPEAKER_07: Is there but are you like that with everything?
- 7:52SPEAKER_07: Does anything get you that excited?
- 7:54SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I'm on the field, I I'm pretty excited, but like, you know, I just stay level headed, you know, don't get too like we just I just knew we had to finish the the ball game, you know.
- 8:02SPEAKER_07: So I wish I was more like you.
- 8:04SPEAKER_07: I'm not calm in those moments.
- 8:07SPEAKER_07: This segment with the smooth guy himself, number four Ty Redmond, is brought to you by First Horizon, the official bank of the vault.
- 8:15SPEAKER_07: Look at that guy.
- 8:16SPEAKER_07: You are smooth.
- 8:17SPEAKER_07: We got more of the Mike Keith show right afterward.
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- 12:51SPEAKER_07: Spencer Barry directed it, and it is his directoral debut.
- 12:56SPEAKER_07: Welcome.
- 12:57SPEAKER_04: Thank you very much for having me.
- 12:59SPEAKER_07: Thank you for taking time with us.
- 13:00SPEAKER_07: Now I want to read this off the release.
- 13:02SPEAKER_07: The latest SEC storied 17, presented by Southwest Airlines, tells the story of Tomaris T.
- 13:10SPEAKER_07: Martin and the team that refused to let outside expectations define them.
- 13:18SPEAKER_07: That seemed like an outstanding way to put it.
- 13:31SPEAKER_07: For you in the process, I guess the first question is: what led you to decide to focus on T Martin as a subject and make 7T?
- 13:43SPEAKER_04: I actually kind of stumbled upon the story, if you will, while producing uh another SEC story called True Character, which was about Brandon Burlsworth and that 98 season and his, you know, untimely uh death prior to joining Peyton Manning on the the cults.
- 14:03SPEAKER_04: And and during that game, obviously the the Arkansas game was was heavily focused on it that film.
- 14:09SPEAKER_04: And one of the beautiful things about sports is you know one side of the coin is devastating, and the other side of the coin can be the birth of something beautiful.
- 14:19SPEAKER_04: So in looking at that, you know, I I said, wait a minute, was was Peyton Manning the the quarterback of this 98 Tennessee team?
- 14:28SPEAKER_04: And I myself was was ignorant, you know, and I I said, oh Peyton Manning must have been this, the 90s, you know.
- 14:35SPEAKER_04: And the the more I looked into it and and said, hey, who's this this T Martin guy?
- 14:40SPEAKER_04: You know?
- 14:41SPEAKER_04: And uh the more I dug and the more I talked to teammates and people around that team, you know, everybody just said, T Martin is salt of the earth, right?
- 14:51SPEAKER_04: Uh the best guy, and and you gotta meet him, you gotta talk to him.
- 14:55SPEAKER_04: And as soon as I did, I just realized, you know, his story needed to be told.
- 14:59SPEAKER_07: For this to be your directoral debut in this role, and for people who don't know your background, I mean, you've come up through the ranks through ESPN, you've you've you've worked a long way to get there.
- 15:11SPEAKER_07: Do you have to pitch this as an idea?
- 15:14SPEAKER_07: Do you have to sell it?
- 15:15SPEAKER_07: How long does it take?
- 15:17SPEAKER_04: I started at ESPN, date myself a good 14 years ago when 30 for 30, you know, really uh was in its second volume, and I've had the pleasure to work on uh a lot of really great stories.
- 15:30SPEAKER_04: And uh, you know, part of 30 for 30 is there's some there's some big names attached to uh a lot of those directors.
- 15:37SPEAKER_04: So that's kind of how our process works throughout the the whole films team is as you you do certainly, you know, pitch your idea and we go through a full development process.
- 15:49SPEAKER_04: Uh, because as you can imagine, there's a lot of people who want to tell a lot of sports stories.
- 15:53SPEAKER_04: And our development team is phenomenal.
- 15:56SPEAKER_04: They get hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches, you know, a month.
- 16:00SPEAKER_04: But as far as uh SEC storied goes in and 17, uh, we have a great relationship with the conference and obviously with all of the member schools.
- 16:10SPEAKER_04: So, you know, we really have an open dialogue with uh, you know, a lot of the members to say, hey, you know, we've got a pitch deck of right now, probably a good 50 stories that, you know, we can't wait to tell and will continue to do so.
- 16:24SPEAKER_04: So uh as I said, when I saw this kind of other side of the coin during the the true character documentary, uh it was a story that I pitched uh, you know, for really wanting to tell.
- 16:35SPEAKER_04: And I'm I'm glad I got the opportunity to do so.
- 16:37SPEAKER_04: And as I said, I can't thank you know T Martin enough for for being such a genuine guy and and the conversations that that we had.
- 16:45SPEAKER_04: I just knew this was was such a powerful story that I don't think a lot of people knew.
- 16:49SPEAKER_04: And kind of as you said, when you were reading the the byline earlier, there was a lot of layers there to a very complicated story.
- 16:56SPEAKER_04: So it wasn't just a simple, hey, 1998, Tennessee, you know, they went undefeated and and won the first BCS.
- 17:04SPEAKER_04: This really was uh a full, you know, recipe of Manning leaving, this team being overlooked, and and having a lot of different elements to the story, indeed, with a lot of really great games like the Syracuse game, the Florida game, the Arkansas game, and then obviously the the first BCS national championship.
- 17:23SPEAKER_07: T Martin's upbringing was something that clearly you felt like was part of this story.
- 17:31SPEAKER_07: Why?
- 17:31SPEAKER_04: The first thing T told me when we met was he was a very humble guy and is a very humble guy, and you you definitely you picked that up from meeting his friends and family, but he said, Hey, I I don't want to make this all about me, right?
- 17:43SPEAKER_04: This is about the brotherhood of that team.
- 17:45SPEAKER_04: But in talking to T and meeting his family, you understand that, you know, his story is why he was so well positioned to take over a leadership position after Peyton Manning left.
- 17:59SPEAKER_04: You know, I think Chris Lowe, who was uh a great interview for our film, really sumized it well when he said when all these things happened to T, when he first got to Tennessee, waiting a year, having Peyton come back, you know, that paled into comparison to what T had overcome as as a kid growing up uh in Mobile.
- 18:18SPEAKER_04: So his story was not only a miraculous story, but you know, it was fundamental to who he is.
- 18:27SPEAKER_04: I mean, you need his mother, his grandmother is just one of my favorite people uh on planet Earth.
- 18:33SPEAKER_04: Just such a close-knit, caring family who, you know, had some troubles growing up and did the best that they could.
- 18:40SPEAKER_04: And like I said, you just you see the way T.
- 18:43SPEAKER_04: Martin is.
- 18:44SPEAKER_04: Uh, his childhood was directly, you know, foundational to who he is.
- 18:49SPEAKER_04: I mean, his story about discovering or being discovered is something out of a Hallmark movie, if you will, where he's just kind of outplaying, he's new to the neighborhood, and you know, he's walking around a park and it just so happens to be there's a youth football practice.
- 19:05SPEAKER_04: And the ball, as I said, something out of the movie just stumbles over by his feet, he picks it up, throws it like a rope, and everybody kind of just stops and said, Who is this kid?
- 19:17SPEAKER_04: You know, and it just kind of became, as I think T said, really kind of raised by a community, you know, whether it was his youth coach Henry Pugh to his grandmother, to you know, the Boys and Girls Club, it was a full community that really rallied behind T and set him up for success.
- 19:34SPEAKER_07: That team had enough individuals and stories that you could have chosen several other angles to go with and made an interesting documentary about the 1998 Falls.
- 19:47SPEAKER_07: What do you think some of those angles stories, people, just if you'd give a couple that you found fascinating as you sought to tail this overall tale, tying it directly into T Martin?
- 19:59SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I mean, I I think Billy Ratliff jumps off as just the top of my head.
- 20:03SPEAKER_04: I feel like you could kind of do a whole story about uh Billy.
- 20:06SPEAKER_04: He was he was one of my favorite interviews, uh, once again, just a a great guy and and kind of has an interesting background.
- 20:14SPEAKER_04: And and from talking to him, kind of hearing stories about, he told us a phenomenal story about when he first arrived at campus, he was kind of homesick and was sneaking out to drive back to I think Mississippi.
- 20:25SPEAKER_04: But obviously the the defensive side of the ball uh was was such a a stacked roster, but you had a lot of characters on that side.
- 20:33SPEAKER_04: But as I said, I think Billy Ratliff probably would have been my favorite, obviously, with with his impact during the Arkansas game there.
- 20:39SPEAKER_04: I mean, uh, you know, a lot of people will look at that moment as was probably one of the most pivotal moments in in college football history.
- 20:47SPEAKER_04: And he had his two hands on it literally uh to help cause that fumble uh in the Arkansas games.
- 20:53SPEAKER_07: Been involved in a couple of projects like that, and I know one of the hardest things is deciding what to put in and what to leave out.
- 21:03SPEAKER_07: And some of the things you leave out in a role like yours, it breaks your heart.
- 21:09SPEAKER_07: Are there are there stories that you would have liked to have gone deeper into or told about T Martin or about this team or this overall story that you were like, look, we can't do six hours.
- 21:22SPEAKER_07: We can we've got it, we've got a time limit here.
- 21:25SPEAKER_04: It's funny.
- 21:26SPEAKER_04: Um, I guess I I have the the blessing of of being uh producer and director at ESPN, so I have a little bit more leeway, but to your point, the the film was originally supposed to be an hour, and we got into you know production and edit, and uh, you know, I I I begged, I pleaded, and and I was lucky enough to to get the opportunity to tell this story in in 90 minutes.
- 21:49SPEAKER_04: Uh and even then, as you said, there's there's so many uh stories that get let off.
- 21:54SPEAKER_04: I I sat in this chair and my heart broke a couple times telling some stories.
- 21:58SPEAKER_04: The the one thing that I'll say and it's It's not a specific story, but the 988 team, Peerless Price, Fred White, Billy Ratliff, T, they're hilarious guys.
- 22:09SPEAKER_04: Uh, this film was was almost like uh it could have been, and it's so many I had to cut.
- 22:15SPEAKER_04: Just hilarious stories, one-liners.
- 22:18SPEAKER_04: You know, Fred White told us a story about before the national championship game, uh, you know, there was kind of, as he put it, a gag order of you can't talk about FSU.
- 22:28SPEAKER_04: Like we're gonna sit here and and we're all gonna be behaved, right?
- 22:32SPEAKER_04: And I guess one player did uh, I guess, get into a little bit of a public drawing match or made a comment to a reporter or whatnot.
- 22:39SPEAKER_04: And Coach Fulmer sent him home on a bus before the game.
- 22:44SPEAKER_04: And Fred White jokes, I don't even know if this player had time to see the game because he was on a bus from Arizona to Knoxville.
- 22:52SPEAKER_04: Um there were just so many great stories, and even joking about T's record setting game uh of going 23 out of 24 against South Carolina, uh, and the the unnamed receiver who who dropped the ball, you know, Peerless and Fred were just kind of going on these great stories about them kind of razzing him after or whatnot.
- 23:12SPEAKER_04: Um, but that there were there were too many uh, you know, just phenomenal stories from the locker room and and from that brotherhood.
- 23:19SPEAKER_04: And it is a shame to have, you know, not been able to go down that route.
- 23:24SPEAKER_04: But I think what was really important to us and to myself, uh kind of going back to the beginning of T of talking about that brotherhood and and about that season is to have touched on all of those games.
- 23:36SPEAKER_04: You know, we we could have um shrunk a lot of those and glazed over, but uh I'm hoping the the volunteer fans uh appreciated that that we really wanted to take you through each of those games.
- 23:48SPEAKER_04: Um, especially because, like I said, a lot of them you'll see a 13-0 season and say, okay, Tennessee blew out all their opponents, they ran away with it.
- 23:56SPEAKER_04: But outside of a of a couple monumental wins, there was there was drama in in each one of those games.
- 24:02SPEAKER_04: The the champ the SEC championship game, the national championship game, the Georgia game.
- 24:07SPEAKER_04: I mean, each game truly was uh its own feature, if you will.
- 24:11SPEAKER_07: What are you most proud of about this, Spencer Barry?
- 24:14SPEAKER_04: I think I'm most proud of getting uh T to kind of have some recognition.
- 24:20SPEAKER_04: You know, I know he has his his statue out front alongside a lot of other trailblazers, but as I said, my myself having worked at ESPN, uh I wasn't aware of T Martin and just kind of his accomplishments uh on the field and to that 98 team.
- 24:36SPEAKER_04: And having been to Knoxville and been to some games, I love seeing the 98 jerseys and uh I'm hoping they they get some some updated ones with with uh championship soon.
- 24:47SPEAKER_04: But that being their last championship, uh I'm just most proud of really giving recognition to that brotherhood and and and paying, getting them their championship dues.
- 24:56SPEAKER_07: SEC storied 17 about T Martin and the 1998 Vol National Championship team debuted a week ago.
- 25:06SPEAKER_07: How can people still have a chance to take it in and watch it?
- 25:09SPEAKER_04: So the great thing is we we have uh tons of re-airs across SEC network and ESPN, um, but it also lives permanently streaming on the ESPN app.
- 25:18SPEAKER_04: So uh if you have ESPN through a cable prescriber uh provider, you can log into the ESPN app and you can watch it anytime, anywhere.
- 25:27SPEAKER_04: Uh and if you don't have ESPN through cable, then just like any other streaming service, you can sign up for ESPN and it's at your fingertips.
- 25:34SPEAKER_07: It is a beautiful piece of work, so well done, and something that uh I know you're very proud of, and you certainly should be very proud of.
- 25:43SPEAKER_07: Spitzerberry, thanks for coming on the show and telling us about it.
- 25:46SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much for having me.
- 25:47SPEAKER_04: I appreciate it.
- 25:48SPEAKER_07: We've got more of the Mike Keith show coming up right after this.
- 25:52SPEAKER_09: This is your home for coaches and players, one-on-one from Rocky Top.
- 25:58SPEAKER_09: This is your ball network.
- 26:10SPEAKER_07: We continue on the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats, and so glad to have with us Aaron Murray, the SEC's all-time leading passer.
- 26:20SPEAKER_07: We're glad to have you on, and we're glad you're doing the Tennessee game on SEC Network this week with Matt Schumacher.
- 26:26SPEAKER_07: Aaron, you have the quarterback background, which is the perfect topic for us this week with what's going on here in Knoxville as Tennessee prepares to go to Fayetteville.
- 26:37SPEAKER_07: So let me ask you first of all about Josh Heichel.
- 26:40SPEAKER_07: Here's a quarterback who, like you, was incredibly successful at the college level playing for Oklahoma.
- 26:48SPEAKER_07: What does he have being a head coach who's a former quarterback that he's able to impart to not just George McIntyre, but also Faison Brandon, that gets them through this situation that they're in right now because he played that position in college.
- 27:10SPEAKER_17: I think for me, just going back to my time with Bobo, like being in that room, you know, whether it was a good day or a bad day, and just having that comfort level of him knowing that, hey, man, I know what you're going through.
- 27:19SPEAKER_17: I had days like that.
- 27:20SPEAKER_17: Uh, I know what it's like dealing with the media.
- 27:23SPEAKER_17: Um, so I think it's just it's it's obviously very relatable for those individuals to be in that room with him, um, to open up, uh, for him to even just open up and start the conversation.
- 27:31SPEAKER_17: Like, guys, like I've been there.
- 27:33SPEAKER_17: I know what it's like, you know, whether it's uh to get benched or not play well.
- 27:37SPEAKER_17: Um, so I think that's that's definitely helpful as these guys are going on in their journey as quarterbacks.
- 27:43SPEAKER_17: And and and I hope Fais on at some point this season obviously don't know 100% what what the deal is gonna be this weekend.
- 27:49SPEAKER_17: We'll talk to the coaching staff on Friday to get the the entire scoop.
- 27:53SPEAKER_17: But obviously, a very talented kid.
- 27:55SPEAKER_17: Uh we were very excited watching him throughout the beginning of this season.
- 27:59SPEAKER_17: But there's gonna be some ups and downs.
- 28:00SPEAKER_17: Like I played as a redshirt freshman.
- 28:02SPEAKER_17: Uh, my redshirt freshman season, we went six and seven.
- 28:05SPEAKER_17: That was the only time Coach Mark Rick had a losing season as a head coach football coach at the University of Georgia.
- 28:12SPEAKER_17: You know, I'm the starting quarterback, and it was a losing football season at UGA.
- 28:16SPEAKER_17: Like it was a lot of downs that season.
- 28:18SPEAKER_17: You know, I thought I played well, you know, for a good majority of it, but obviously did not have consistent moments as a team overall.
- 28:24SPEAKER_17: So, you know, what did we do from there?
- 28:26SPEAKER_17: Well, we went 10 and 2 at SEC championship games the next two seasons.
- 28:30SPEAKER_17: So, you know, you're gonna have those moments.
- 28:31SPEAKER_17: You got to grow from them as a young quarterback, and uh, and hopefully he's able to lean on his coach to do that.
- 28:37SPEAKER_07: In those sorts of roles as a quarterback, when you take that step back, what's the most important thing you do?
- 28:45SPEAKER_17: Well, don't don't get discouraged.
- 28:46SPEAKER_17: You know, it's it's funny.
- 28:47SPEAKER_17: I've had Mississippi State twice this year.
- 28:49SPEAKER_17: So talking with, you know, Levy and Camario, obviously, I think Tennessee's in a better situation than Mississippi State was a year ago.
- 28:55SPEAKER_17: But still, the always the worry with a coaching staff is do we put him out there too soon?
- 29:00SPEAKER_17: Do we not set him up for success?
- 29:02SPEAKER_17: You know, I I don't know phase on obviously his personality or where he is mentally.
- 29:08SPEAKER_17: But at times it there's nothing wrong with sitting back, learning, learning from someone in the offense, watching how they operate the offense.
- 29:15SPEAKER_17: Uh, I I just think the big concern is now is you don't want a guy that you know is now just dwelling about some of the bad mistakes that he's made over the past two weeks.
- 29:22SPEAKER_17: You have to help him push past that, get him back out there, uh, and hopefully have some success at some point this season.
- 29:28SPEAKER_07: What impressed you about George McIntyre and the win over Auburn for Tennessee?
- 29:34SPEAKER_17: I think just the timing.
- 29:36SPEAKER_17: I think the ball was out.
- 29:37SPEAKER_17: It was to where it needed to go.
- 29:38SPEAKER_17: He played with inside the offense.
- 29:40SPEAKER_17: And as I watched Tennessee this year, and obviously watched some, you know, versus really versus Texas, and then last week versus Auburn, and just really seeing how Heichel has you know changed the offense a little bit.
- 29:50SPEAKER_17: And he's been in 12 personnel in the past, so it's not like you know, this is something that's completely out of normal.
- 29:55SPEAKER_17: But you know, I'm watching the tape first versus Auburn, like, man, where'd we're where'd all this, you know, two tight ends in the backfield, kind of this wick wing tee feel kind of action, you know, downhill run game.
- 30:05SPEAKER_17: And obviously running has been a part of them, but it's more of that personnel grouping.
- 30:08SPEAKER_17: And it was the second and most amount of times that he's been in 12 personnel, so one back, two tight ends, two receivers, since I believe 2024 versus Mississippi State.
- 30:16SPEAKER_17: So 46 times last week, they ran there with with bigger personnel groupings, and uh, and that's just who we're gonna be this year.
- 30:22SPEAKER_17: And and you just really appreciate Hypel playing to his strengths and what this team's DNA is this season.
- 30:28SPEAKER_17: I do think that George understood that role.
- 30:31SPEAKER_17: He came in there nicely, like I said, they ran the football, couple play action passes off that, was accurate with those opportunities, and just got the ball out on time and rhythm.
- 30:40SPEAKER_07: Why do top teams run 12 personnel to be the young quarterback's best friend?
- 30:48SPEAKER_17: Well, it's not just 12 personnel, it's like, you know, what is your best opportunity to run the football?
- 30:53SPEAKER_17: And I think Tennessee has some physical tight ends, and I think it just it puts a defense in a bind.
- 30:58SPEAKER_17: You know, when you get into 12 personnel, especially with you know tight ends in today's game that are so athletic, defenses have to make the decision.
- 31:04SPEAKER_17: Like, do we stay in nickel?
- 31:06SPEAKER_17: So do we keep five DBs and only two linebackers?
- 31:09SPEAKER_17: Or do we go three D three linebackers and four DBs, in which, you know, then all of a sudden we're asking our linebackers to play coverage as well.
- 31:15SPEAKER_17: So it's it's it's a really useful personnel group.
- 31:19SPEAKER_17: And then you're seeing Tennessee right now really do a good job once again with these tight ends, blocking the football.
- 31:24SPEAKER_17: I think it's an offensive line right now that's been more oppressive to me running the football than necessarily protection as well.
- 31:30SPEAKER_17: Uh, and that just goes back to just like I said, Josh Hypel, understanding the DNA of his of his football team on both sides uh and playing to their strengths.
- 31:37SPEAKER_07: As you begin to study Arkansas for this matchup in Fayetteville on Saturday, what is KJ Jackson to their offense and what challenges will he pose to the Tennessee defense?
- 31:50SPEAKER_17: Yeah, I mean, KJ, he's he's a good thrower of the football.
- 31:54SPEAKER_17: I think that he's a good athlete.
- 31:56SPEAKER_17: Um, I don't know if he's gonna necessarily scare anyone with the ability to maybe you know break up a deep run, but he's obviously very athletic in the pocket.
- 32:03SPEAKER_17: Uh, he can get a first down with his legs.
- 32:05SPEAKER_17: You know, they want to run the football.
- 32:06SPEAKER_17: They have some, they have a good stable of running backs, you know, son Smith and Russell, um, you know, kind of a more of a speed guy than a big guy there with number zero.
- 32:15SPEAKER_17: Um, so I think they still want to establish the run, kind of the uh the identity of Pittman, you know, kind of what he tried to build there at Arkansas uh before this new regime came in there.
- 32:24SPEAKER_17: Uh yeah, I think for for him and his development, the quarterback position, he's got to continue to learn to get more guys involved.
- 32:31SPEAKER_17: It kind of feels like it's a one-man band right now.
- 32:33SPEAKER_17: It's Chris Marshall.
- 32:34SPEAKER_17: You know, he's their go-to guy.
- 32:35SPEAKER_17: He's got you know 30 plus catches on the season.
- 32:37SPEAKER_17: I don't know if anyone else on that team has more than 10 at the moment.
- 32:40SPEAKER_17: So it's kind of if I'm a defense on Tennessee, I'm looking at like, hey, can we stop number six, force him to get some other guys involved in the passing game?
- 32:48SPEAKER_17: And I think he's done a nice job of you know getting through his reads, finding the check down.
- 32:52SPEAKER_17: You know, all the running backs seem to have good hands out of the backfield.
- 32:55SPEAKER_17: But I think as an offense, uh, and and for these guys to really grow on that side of the football, continue to rely on that run game, but find some more playmakers on the outside to where you know you get just focus in on number one or your number one guy, number six, Chris Marshall.
- 33:11SPEAKER_17: Uh, I think they're able to do that.
- 33:13SPEAKER_17: They should have more success on that side.
- 33:15SPEAKER_07: He's the SEC's all-time leading passer.
- 33:17SPEAKER_07: He's an up-and-comer in the ESPN stable of networks, and he'll call Tennessee against Arkansas from Fayetteville Saturday at 4 15 Eastern.
- 33:27SPEAKER_07: He's Aaron Murray.
- 33:28SPEAKER_07: Thank you so much for the time.
- 33:29SPEAKER_07: We appreciate you.
- 33:30SPEAKER_17: I appreciate it.
- 33:31SPEAKER_17: Everyone's safe travels and hoping for a good game this weekend.
- 33:34SPEAKER_07: All right.
- 33:34SPEAKER_07: We got more of the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats coming up right after this.
- 33:40SPEAKER_13: Here's a look at the Uber Eats delivery of the game.
- 33:43SPEAKER_13: Vol fans, let Uber Eats fuel your game day.
- 33:46SPEAKER_13: Use the code GOBIGORNGE to get$15 off all orders.
- 33:51SPEAKER_13: Uber Eats, the official on-demand delivery partner of the Vols.
- 33:56SPEAKER_13: Let's eat.
- 33:58SPEAKER_13: McIntyre under center.
- 34:37SPEAKER_12: You're one-on-one with my key, sponsored by Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee Volunteers.
- 34:44SPEAKER_12: By Farm Bureau Insurance, the official insurance of the vault.
- 34:48SPEAKER_12: Tennessee insurance for Tennessee Life.
- 34:51SPEAKER_12: By First Horizon, Big Bank Muscle, Small Bank Hustle.
- 34:55SPEAKER_12: By Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
- 34:58SPEAKER_12: See you out here.
- 34:59SPEAKER_12: By Rackley Roofing, let us Victor Lee, the proud official roofer of the Big Horns.
- 35:05SPEAKER_12: And by UT Medical, the official health care provider of the vault.
- 35:10SPEAKER_16: Being at the vault game saved my life.
- 35:13SPEAKER_16: It was a normal day going to the game with my son, but this time it felt like a sledgehammer hit my chest.
- 35:19SPEAKER_16: The UT Medical team knew exactly what they needed to do and just kept me calm throughout the process.
- 35:26SPEAKER_16: It was probably the most serious heart attack that you could have.
- 35:30SPEAKER_16: The team took care of me, worked quickly, efficiently, and I did catch the end of the game.
- 35:36SPEAKER_15: These are the stories of the region's academic health system.
- 36:23SPEAKER_08: See out of here.
- 36:27SPEAKER_15: As number one, I love winning.
- 36:29SPEAKER_13: Can't help but consider I've given the world a take five.
- 36:34SPEAKER_22: Luck is in my blood.
- 36:38SPEAKER_14: Some see a zero.
- 36:40SPEAKER_14: I see a winner circle.
- 36:47SPEAKER_15: Oh, I'm gonna need a minute.
- 36:49SPEAKER_18: Take five minutes.
- 36:51SPEAKER_18: Choose your numbers, or we'll choose them for you.
- 36:53SPEAKER_18: Either way, it's game-changing fun.
- 36:55SPEAKER_02: On the court, our team plays with both passion and discipline.
- 36:59SPEAKER_02: Here, we rely on power and precision to win games.
- 37:03SPEAKER_03: For our football team, we bring hardworking hustle and muscle to every matchup.
- 37:08SPEAKER_01: Because being the best means bringing the best of big play energy and next play focus, like the folks at First Horizon, bringing you big bank solutions and small bank spirit.
- 37:18SPEAKER_02: Big bank products, small bank passion.
- 37:21SPEAKER_02: You get it all with First Horizon, the official bank of Tennessee Athletics.
- 37:25SPEAKER_07: Saturdays are all about the big art.
- 37:28SPEAKER_07: From the roar of Neeland Stadium to the energy of the tailgate, one thing belongs on every game day menu.
- 37:35SPEAKER_07: Calhoun.
- 37:36SPEAKER_07: Whether you're dining at one of Calhoun's nine-area restaurant locations, taking the feast to your tailgate, or grabbing a bike from one of Calhoun's locations inside Nealand Stadium, Calhoun makes it easy so you can focus on cheering the balls to victory.
- 37:51SPEAKER_07: Calhoun, a taste of dynasty.
- 37:55SPEAKER_20: What does the$7 Big Deal meal get you at Sonic?
- 37:59SPEAKER_20: The real question is, what doesn't it get you?
- 38:02SPEAKER_20: Enjoy a full meal, now including dessert for just$7.
- 38:06SPEAKER_20: Try the$7 Sonic Big Deal meal today.
- 38:08SPEAKER_20: You want to live free?
- 38:10SPEAKER_19: In the heart of every community, caring comes naturally.
- 38:15SPEAKER_19: At Farm Bureau Health Plants, we are your neighbors, your friends, and partners in health.
- 38:21SPEAKER_19: We believe everyone deserves the very best care tailored to your unique needs.
- 38:26SPEAKER_19: Become a valued member of our family, and we'll take care of you and yours.
- 38:30SPEAKER_19: Together we care.
- 38:32SPEAKER_19: Together we grow.
- 38:34SPEAKER_19: Together we thrive.
- 38:42SPEAKER_07: The basketball schedule is out for the Tennessee men.
- 38:45SPEAKER_07: Exciting stuff.
- 38:47SPEAKER_07: Exhibition a week from tomorrow against Xavier, 7 o'clock at Food City Center.
- 38:53SPEAKER_07: Then October 20th at Duke.
- 38:55SPEAKER_07: Cameron Indoor Arena.
- 38:57SPEAKER_07: Regular season starts November 3rd with Wofford, followed by Radford, November 9th.
- 39:02SPEAKER_07: Tennessee State, November 13th.
- 39:04SPEAKER_07: November 17th, Michigan State for a late night at Food City Center.
- 39:09SPEAKER_07: Tip off at 9.
- 39:10SPEAKER_07: Followed by Coastal Carolina on November 20th.
- 39:13SPEAKER_07: That is the night before the Vols play football at home against LSU.
- 39:18SPEAKER_07: Players era championship.
- 39:20SPEAKER_07: Three games in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week.
- 39:23SPEAKER_07: Tennessee knows they'll play Maryland.
- 39:25SPEAKER_07: They'll catch the winner of Iowa State and San Diego State, the third opponent to be determined.
- 39:31SPEAKER_07: December begins.
- 39:32SPEAKER_07: On December 1st, SEC ACC Challenge at Food City Center against Florida State.
- 39:38SPEAKER_07: December 6th, Nashville, Bridgestone Arena against NC State.
- 39:44SPEAKER_07: December 11th, on the way to Purdue, followed by December 16th, home with Moorhead State.
- 39:50SPEAKER_07: December 20th, home for Marist.
- 39:52SPEAKER_07: December 9th, home for Norfolk State.
- 39:55SPEAKER_07: SEC action begins with Vanderbilt.
- 39:58SPEAKER_07: Saturday afternoon, January 2nd, at home at Food City Center.
- 40:02SPEAKER_07: Then on the road at Auburn and at LSU, home for Missouri and then Arkansas on January 16th.
- 40:11SPEAKER_07: Noon start at Food City Center on that Saturday.
- 40:15SPEAKER_07: At Kentucky, a week later, so the Balls get the week of January 18th off until they play at Kentucky on January 23rd.
- 40:24SPEAKER_07: At Texas AM, and then to end January, Saturday evening matchup with Florida on January 30th.
- 40:32SPEAKER_07: Home game with Georgia on February 3rd to begin that month.
- 40:36SPEAKER_07: At Missouri, at Oklahoma, home for Kentucky.
- 40:41SPEAKER_07: Four o'clock start there.
- 40:43SPEAKER_07: At Ole Miss, followed by home for Alabama.
- 40:46SPEAKER_07: That's a Saturday afternoon.
- 40:48SPEAKER_07: Home for South Carolina at Texas to end February.
- 40:53SPEAKER_07: Home for Mississippi State in March, and then ending the season, actually, the entire season, at Nashville against Vanderbilt on March 6th, and then straight to the SEC tournament March 10th through the 14th.
- 41:08SPEAKER_07: Excited about this basketball season, excited to start our coverage on the Vall Radio Network a week from tomorrow, October 15th, as the Vols will play an exhibition game against Xavier.
- 41:20SPEAKER_07: When we come back, it's Andy asks.
- 41:24SPEAKER_07: Presented by First Horizon Bank.
- 41:26SPEAKER_07: That's next on the Mike Keatshow.
- 41:28SPEAKER_13: It's time now for the block of the week presented by Cracker Barrel because Tennessee starts this drive at the Auburn 44.
- 41:36SPEAKER_06: Here's Bishop breaking a tackle.
- 41:37SPEAKER_06: He's to the 40, to the 35 to the 30, to the 25 to the 20.
- 42:07SPEAKER_13: Slow down and savor breakfast at Cracker Barrel.
- 42:10SPEAKER_13: Their new sweet cream caramel apple pancakes combine crispy golden edges, fluffy centers, and sweet fall flavors in every bite.
- 42:19SPEAKER_13: Welcome home.
- 42:27SPEAKER_09: This is your Fall Network.
- 42:33SPEAKER_07: Time for Andy Asks.
- 42:36SPEAKER_07: On the Mike Keith Show, presented by First Horizon Bank.
- 42:39SPEAKER_07: This is Andy, Andy Brock, and he's going to ask your questions that you submitted at 865-657-1278.
- 42:49SPEAKER_07: That is the Vol Network text line.
- 42:52SPEAKER_07: 865-657-1278.
- 42:56SPEAKER_07: Welcome, Andy Brock.
- 42:57SPEAKER_07: It's great to be here.
- 42:58SPEAKER_07: Of the Vol Radio Network.
- 42:59SPEAKER_13: Let's do it.
- 43:00SPEAKER_07: Are you prepared to ask questions?
- 43:02SPEAKER_13: I'm ready to ask away.
- 43:03SPEAKER_13: Let's go.
- 43:04SPEAKER_13: Okay.
- 43:04SPEAKER_13: We're starting with Larry from Bristol.
- 43:06SPEAKER_13: Larry from Bristol.
- 43:07SPEAKER_13: He loved Deshaun Bishop's performance on Saturday.
- 43:09SPEAKER_13: An incredible game from him.
- 43:11SPEAKER_13: He wants to know does he remind you of any former volunteer running backs?
- 43:15SPEAKER_07: He does.
- 43:17SPEAKER_07: Of my era, uh, which was the 1980s, especially 1983, 1984.
- 43:23SPEAKER_07: It's Johnny Jones.
- 43:24SPEAKER_07: Uh Johnny Jones was the first thousand-yard rusher in Vault history, also low to the ground.
- 43:30SPEAKER_07: His game was about vision, cutting.
- 43:35SPEAKER_07: He had speed, uh, just like Bishop does.
- 43:38SPEAKER_07: But it wasn't about track man speed.
- 43:40SPEAKER_07: It was about the natural instincts of a guy who could find the space and could make things happen, could use his blockers so well.
- 43:50SPEAKER_07: So for me, it's it's Johnny Jones.
- 43:53SPEAKER_13: Okay, Henry from Brentwood.
- 43:55SPEAKER_07: Henry from Brentwood.
- 43:56SPEAKER_07: I've been there.
- 43:57SPEAKER_13: Okay, yes.
- 43:57SPEAKER_13: I'm sure you have.
- 43:59SPEAKER_13: He loved The eye formation there on that fourth down play.
- 44:04SPEAKER_13: The Maryland eye.
- 44:04SPEAKER_13: Okay.
- 44:05SPEAKER_13: Nathan Robinson, Carson Gentle in the game.
- 44:07SPEAKER_13: Incredibly unique look.
- 44:09SPEAKER_13: Obviously, had to have that fourth down.
- 44:11SPEAKER_13: Big moment.
- 44:12SPEAKER_13: Carson Gentle in motion, able to plow your way through if you're Deshaun.
- 44:15SPEAKER_13: How many more unique looks do you think that Tennessee has?
- 44:18SPEAKER_13: And is is that something where you just have a bunch of them and then you figure, hey, this is the time to use them?
- 44:22SPEAKER_13: Like, how does that work?
- 44:23SPEAKER_07: I think it's unlimited.
- 44:25SPEAKER_07: I think you you have some guys.
- 44:27SPEAKER_07: I mean, to put Carson Gentle and Nathan Robinson back there and to handle it the way that they did and to understand that you know they have versatility in that way, which I think is something that's really exciting about how they go about it.
- 44:44SPEAKER_07: Uh they're it's a very creative staff.
- 44:47SPEAKER_07: They watch tape, obviously, they see things that you can do.
- 44:51SPEAKER_07: And then you have Carson and Nathan who are both so athletic and give you that look.
- 44:56SPEAKER_07: You also have Ori Williams who gives you that athletic sixth offensive lineman that you can play with.
- 45:04SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I mean, I I think there are plenty of things that could be out there.
- 45:08SPEAKER_07: But the Maryland Eye, uh, which a lot of people will still run occasionally, and most people refer to it in today's terms as the smokestack formation.
- 45:19SPEAKER_07: And it's the quarterback backed by three guys directly behind him.
- 45:23SPEAKER_07: I mean, there are a lot of things you can do out of that too, by moving people in different directions theoretically and giving false cues.
- 45:32SPEAKER_07: In that situation, what Tennessee chose to do is they just said, here we come.
- 45:38SPEAKER_07: It was no joke.
- 45:40SPEAKER_07: I mean, there was no, I mean, there was absolutely no misdirection in it at all.
- 45:45SPEAKER_07: They put Gentle in motion, uh, that sideways motion that he was in, just to give him a little bit of a head start.
- 45:52SPEAKER_07: He hit his block perfectly.
- 45:54SPEAKER_07: Nathan Robinson came with a just a massive block in the hole.
- 45:58SPEAKER_07: And I mean, if you stop it and look at it, there was a chasm to run through.
- 46:05SPEAKER_07: And Bishop hits it.
- 46:06SPEAKER_07: I what I love about Bishop in those situations is he knows when to pause and be patient, but he also gets when to hit it.
- 46:13SPEAKER_07: And because he hit it, it was there and he got 10 yards out of it.
- 46:17SPEAKER_07: So they didn't just get a yard, they didn't just get five yards, they got 10 yards because he hit it the way that he did.
- 46:22SPEAKER_13: So that win it felt very Nealan-esque wearing the Nealan jerseys.
- 46:26SPEAKER_07: The old smokestack.
- 46:27SPEAKER_13: The old smokestack.
- 46:28SPEAKER_13: Yeah, I love it.
- 46:28SPEAKER_07: But but the whole game itself, do you feel like Tennessee they checked off every box of the punting and the place kicking and playing field position?
- 46:39SPEAKER_07: Because Nealan's theory of the game was position, not possession.
- 46:45SPEAKER_07: That's why Tennessee would kick on early downs, and because their whole thing is having the ball didn't mean as much as where the ball was.
- 46:55SPEAKER_07: Imagine doing that today.
- 46:56SPEAKER_07: Well, you can't because the difference in the game is the rules are set up for offense.
- 47:03SPEAKER_07: In those days, the rules were set up for defense.
- 47:06SPEAKER_07: You know, if you got ahead of a team 13 to nothing, that was a massive lead.
- 47:12SPEAKER_07: You you didn't see big comebacks from from things like that.
- 47:17SPEAKER_07: And you could have a 13 to 7 game that would you absolutely dominated.
- 47:22SPEAKER_07: Maybe the team scored late in the game, but they weren't going to get the ball back and go 80 yards and score because the game was set up for defense.
- 47:31SPEAKER_07: Today's game is set up for offense.
- 47:33SPEAKER_07: In most situations, you can't play position and not possession.
- 47:39SPEAKER_07: You need the ball as many times as you can.
- 47:42SPEAKER_07: In this situation, what I respect so much about Josh Heipel is he got how this game was gonna go.
- 47:50SPEAKER_07: He got the flow.
- 47:51SPEAKER_07: He figured that out.
- 47:52SPEAKER_07: He did that against Texas AM in 2023, I think.
- 47:56SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I think that was the year.
- 47:58SPEAKER_13: Yep.
- 47:59SPEAKER_07: You know, I respect him so much as a coach because for his go, go, go style, he also understands when it becomes that other kind of game, which was very much a Neylon-esque game.
- 48:10SPEAKER_07: It was special.
- 48:11SPEAKER_13: Made for a very fun win.
- 48:12SPEAKER_13: It did.
- 48:13SPEAKER_13: So Arkansas on the road this week against Fayetteville.
- 48:16SPEAKER_13: Do you personally, Mike, do you have any memories of this series of this matchup that you oh a hundred percent?
- 48:21SPEAKER_07: Uh I'll never forget going to Little Rock to see Tennessee uh play against Arkansas in 1993, and Heath Schuler made a throw to Craig Faulkner against an incredible wind uh that was just ended up being a remarkable pass play for the Vols.
- 48:38SPEAKER_07: I covered two more Tennessee-Arkansas games where uh Joe Lee Dunn was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas, and he was famous for his blitz packages, and he came after Peyton Manning, and Manning just absolutely scorched their defenses.
- 48:55SPEAKER_07: I remember sitting on the couch watching the Tennessee-Arkansas game in 1998 and convincing my friends who were there, it's not over yet.
- 49:06SPEAKER_07: It's trust me, it's we got timeouts.
- 49:08SPEAKER_07: It's not over.
- 49:09SPEAKER_07: And then the Stirner stumble fumble and Billy Ratliff's recovery, and then Tennessee ran the ball the rest of the way to win.
- 49:17SPEAKER_07: They didn't get in a hurry, even though time was running out.
- 49:20SPEAKER_07: They kept running the ball to win.
- 49:23SPEAKER_07: Uh, never forget that.
- 49:24SPEAKER_07: Watching the six overtime game in 2002.
- 49:27SPEAKER_07: Oh my gosh.
- 49:29SPEAKER_07: Oh.
- 49:30SPEAKER_07: And then uh getting to do the game last year that was another Tennessee Arkansas game in terms of its closeness and its strangeness.
- 49:39SPEAKER_07: It's a game much like Auburn.
- 49:41SPEAKER_07: It's got something to it.
- 49:43SPEAKER_07: I did a show with the um Arkansas announcers, and we were talking about this just yesterday.
- 49:50SPEAKER_07: And it it's there's always something a little weird, and there's something going on, or something new and different, or and that makes it special.
- 50:00SPEAKER_07: I mean, that's kind of why you love college football, kind of why you love the SEC, is there are these backstories and everything kind of tied together in a way which makes it like a family rivalry.
- 50:12SPEAKER_13: Yeah, it feels like every time they play, no matter who's where or what, it's it's a close game.
- 50:17SPEAKER_07: It's a family, it's a family sort of rival.
- 50:21SPEAKER_07: I mean, there's something in it.
- 50:22SPEAKER_07: I mean, Tennessee and Arkansas are border states.
- 50:25SPEAKER_07: The second time they ever played, it was a very controversial game in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
- 50:31SPEAKER_07: Tennessee won 14 to 13, and there was a controversial fumble that Tennessee recovered that Arkansas didn't like.
- 50:41SPEAKER_07: Uh, the third meeting was the 1990 Cotton Bowl, where Chuck Webb went crazy for 250 yards and the balls won.
- 50:49SPEAKER_07: Tennessee fans will remember not fondly the 1992 Tennessee-Arkansas game, which was part of the very bizarre 1992 season for both Arkansas, who had fired their coach and was going with an interim by the name of Joe Kines, and Tennessee, which would go on to fire a coach at the end of the year, but Tennessee was 5-0 at the time, and Arkansas won the game on a punt return.
- 51:15SPEAKER_07: Just crazy.
- 51:17SPEAKER_13: Yeah.
- 51:17SPEAKER_07: I I mean, just if you if you want weird, Tennessee, Arkansas has weird.
- 51:23SPEAKER_07: And probably will this weekend.
- 51:25SPEAKER_13: Final question key stat that you're watching for on Saturday.
- 51:28SPEAKER_07: Oh, I think undoubtedly it's running the football.
- 51:32SPEAKER_07: I think Tennessee, whatever they're going to do, Tennessee's got to run the football.
- 51:37SPEAKER_07: Arkansas has had some trouble stopping the run.
- 51:40SPEAKER_07: I think they're going to sell out to stop the run.
- 51:42SPEAKER_07: And yet Tennessee still has to run.
- 51:44SPEAKER_07: If there's a box with seven or eight in it, if there are run blitzers off the edge, it doesn't make any difference.
- 51:51SPEAKER_07: I think for Tennessee to be what they would like to be this season as a football team, they got to run the ball.
- 51:57SPEAKER_07: Period.
- 51:58SPEAKER_07: Andy asks, presented by First Horizon.
- 52:02SPEAKER_07: Thank you, Andy, for asking.
- 52:04SPEAKER_07: Always next week.
- 52:05SPEAKER_07: Next week he's back.
- 52:06SPEAKER_07: And we're back with you tomorrow with another edition of the Mike Keith Show delivered by Uber Eats.
- 52:12SPEAKER_07: Thank you for watching, and we'll see you next week.
- 52:17SPEAKER_09: All week long to the latest from the Tennessee campus.