Latest / The Mike Keith Show / The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, TJ METCALF (10.15.26)

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The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, TJ METCALF (10.15.26) · The Mike Keith Show

0:00
SPEAKER_08: From the peaks of the smokies to the banks of the Mississippi.
0:06
SPEAKER_08: This is your home for the University of Tennessee.
0:20
SPEAKER_08: This is the Vall Network.
0:26
SPEAKER_08: Inside Access, behind the scenes.
0:29
SPEAKER_08: From Rocky Top, direct from the coaches.
0:32
SPEAKER_08: Insight from the players.
0:34
SPEAKER_08: The inside track.
0:36
SPEAKER_08: Mike Keith starts now.
0:40
SPEAKER_06: So glad you've chosen to join us.
0:43
SPEAKER_06: We are previewing Tennessee and Alabama for 60 minutes.
0:47
SPEAKER_06: Vall Safety and Birmingham native TJ Metcamp is counting the hours until Saturday's 3.30 Eastern Time kickoff.
0:56
SPEAKER_06: The Ball Network's Brett Hobbs and Jason Swain have many thoughts that they are ready to share.
1:04
SPEAKER_06: Sarah Detweiler is the host of First Horizon Bank's Everything Orange podcast.
1:10
SPEAKER_06: She shares a preview of her outstanding conversation with Tennessee's outstanding defensive tackle, Xavier Gillian.
1:19
SPEAKER_06: But we lead off this edition of the Mike Keith show with ball head coach Josh Heichel, presented by Calhoun.
1:28
SPEAKER_06: Getting off to better starts on offense.
1:30
SPEAKER_06: Everybody says you gotta get off to a better start on offense.
1:33
SPEAKER_06: I understand that.
1:35
SPEAKER_06: We do the last couple of weeks.
1:38
SPEAKER_06: But for all the talk, how do you go about doing that?
1:41
SPEAKER_02: These guys uh uh doing their jobs um at uh at an ordin ordinary level, uh nothing extraordinary, just uh settling in.
1:50
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, it's alignment assignment uh understanding uh of what you're seeing on the other side of the football, uh the details of uh of the game.
1:59
SPEAKER_06: Is there a way that you can help them as a coaching staff from a play calling, a scheme, anything like that?
2:06
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, certainly you try to put them in uh positive situations if you're anticipating maybe seeing some different structures.
2:13
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, our guys understanding what's coming up early in the football game uh can relieve some of the stress uh early in the football game.
2:21
SPEAKER_02: Uh there's a routine that uh we go through uh with our guys um and uh try to get them ready for it.
2:28
SPEAKER_02: And we've started fast uh at times this year, and uh the last couple of weeks we haven't.
2:33
SPEAKER_02: Uh we need to settle into this one early.
2:35
SPEAKER_06: Okay, your tackle play on offense, Jesse Perry and David Sanders seems they have really settled into a groove right now.
2:41
SPEAKER_06: Pleased with what you're getting there?
2:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh pleased with a lot of things.
2:44
SPEAKER_02: There's some things that uh we want to get corrected uh, you know, as as well.
2:48
SPEAKER_02: Uh just uh talking holistically, uh, where we can continue to get better up front.
2:52
SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's all all 11 doing their job, uh quarterback being at the right depth uh in the pocket, it's delivering football on time.
3:01
SPEAKER_02: Uh it's tight ends backs in the run game, too.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but uh certainly pleased with those two.
3:06
SPEAKER_06: Losing Ethan Davis was very tough.
3:08
SPEAKER_06: You said you'd have to rely on the rest of the group.
3:10
SPEAKER_06: Have the other three guys sort of settled into a groove to be able to give you consistent tight end play here at mid year.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh, we feel really good about the tight ends that we have.
3:20
SPEAKER_02: Um we've used them um, you know, in 12 personnel and 11 personnel out in space in the core.
3:26
SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, Luca Wolf is a young tight end, has continued to play more and more snaps last week.
3:31
SPEAKER_02: Uh, got great trust in all those guys.
3:33
SPEAKER_06: Luca Wolf is a really special looking athlete.
3:36
SPEAKER_06: What where has he grown the most so far?
3:39
SPEAKER_02: Well, I think just the fundamentals and technique uh as a young player, um, you know, coming over from NFL Academy over in Europe, coming over here, uh, he caught on to the scheme and had uh a pretty good understanding from some of the other guys that we've recruited uh from uh the Academy uh as far as base football knowledge, but uh has really continued to grow in his uh his fundamentals and technique.
4:02
SPEAKER_06: Let me flip to the other side.
4:04
SPEAKER_06: Your defensive line has been dominant a great deal this year.
4:07
SPEAKER_06: Seems like Alabama's offensive line, though, is maybe the most complete unit you've seen.
4:13
SPEAKER_06: The biggest challenge for the defensive line to this year.
4:15
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think uh, you know, as a complete unit, those guys are playing extremely well.
4:19
SPEAKER_02: Uh they're running the football much more efficiently this year than they did a year ago.
4:23
SPEAKER_02: Uh they've been good in uh their pass protections too.
4:27
SPEAKER_02: Uh we know that you know the structure of who they are offensively.
4:30
SPEAKER_02: Uh they're gonna want to use some heavy play action pass and try to push the ball uh vertically down the field.
4:35
SPEAKER_02: Uh we got to win early downs uh against the run, and that's the front, but that's also the the guys behind them.
4:42
SPEAKER_02: Uh great gap integrity.
4:44
SPEAKER_02: We got to tackle extremely well.
4:46
SPEAKER_02: And uh when we get him in the third down, we got to get off the field.
4:49
SPEAKER_06: We know Josh Hypope appreciates good quarterback play.
4:52
SPEAKER_06: When you see Alabama's Keelan Russell, what do you see out of him?
4:54
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's playing uh really efficiently.
4:56
SPEAKER_02: Um you know he's got the ability to be used in in quarterback run.
5:00
SPEAKER_02: Uh when they drop back and use him as a uh a passer, um he's been really decisive, but when it breaks down, he's got the ability to extend and make plays, and he extends those plays as a passer first, so you gotta match uh match out the wide receivers and and the scale guys down the football field, uh, but then you gotta be ready to rally to him and uh get him on the ground.
5:21
SPEAKER_06: Alabama's passing game is different in that they have backs who can catch.
5:25
SPEAKER_06: They obviously have wide receivers, even without Coleman Williams not playing.
5:29
SPEAKER_06: They've got Lazier Brooks and plenty of people.
5:32
SPEAKER_06: But the tight ends, two really big guys averaging over 15 yards a catch in terms of the dynamic of stopping their passing game or at least slowing it.
5:42
SPEAKER_06: You have to cover the whole thing.
5:43
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you gotta cover all five of the skilled guys that are are eligible to go uh go catch a pass, and uh um that's a part of their quarterback working through their progressions, being able to attack the middle of the field uh outside the numbers as well.
5:56
SPEAKER_02: And uh the back's certainly uh a part of that.
5:59
SPEAKER_06: Your team feels very much like a blue-collar team.
6:01
SPEAKER_06: They come to work, they keep going, they have adversity, they overcome it.
6:06
SPEAKER_06: Have you have you just seen every week a little bit more of that element in the practice, including this week, as this group really wants to get better and has that desire in how they work?
6:17
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, this group has uh competing extremely hard on the practice field.
6:20
SPEAKER_02: That's dating all the way back to uh to the spring ball.
6:23
SPEAKER_02: Um, they've continued to get better in their practice habits.
6:27
SPEAKER_02: Important for us that we win the preparation here uh in the last 48 hours up till kickoff and uh get ready to play smart and physical football and um go take it in the fourth quarter.
6:37
SPEAKER_06: SEC games lend themselves to prize fight comparisons.
6:43
SPEAKER_06: These are good teams you play.
6:44
SPEAKER_06: You're going to take punches, you have to get back up.
6:48
SPEAKER_06: As you go into a game like that, the mindset that you know there's gonna be adversity.
6:53
SPEAKER_06: Doesn't that have to be a coaching point leading in?
6:56
SPEAKER_02: Uh certainly is.
6:57
SPEAKER_02: Uh I compared it to the boxing ring uh earlier this week.
7:00
SPEAKER_02: Um you're uh you're in a heavyweight prize fight, old school, and uh you gotta throw some blows, you're gonna take some blows, and then you gotta throw the punch that makes a difference in uh in the fourth quarter.
7:10
SPEAKER_02: And uh this team's been resilient and continues to compete.
7:13
SPEAKER_02: There's gonna be adversity during the football game.
7:16
SPEAKER_02: Uh you gotta be ready to go play for 60 minutes.
7:18
SPEAKER_02: The crowd probably be ready, you think?
7:20
SPEAKER_02: Uh let's make sure that's let's make sure that uh that they're ready.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: I have no questions, they'll be ready for this one.
7:27
SPEAKER_06: And great weather, too.
7:28
SPEAKER_06: Oh, it's gonna feel great.
7:29
SPEAKER_06: Good luck this week.
7:30
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
7:31
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee and Alabama, of course, this Saturday at Needland Stadium kickoff set for 3:30 Eastern.
7:36
SPEAKER_06: We're on the Vol Radio Network beginning at 1 Eastern.
7:39
SPEAKER_06: Josh Heipel's appearance on the Mike Keith show is brought to you by Calhounes.
7:43
SPEAKER_06: We've got more of the show right after this.
7:47
SPEAKER_04: This week's Tennessee Lottery Hope Scholar, student athlete of the week, it's Tennessee softball's Alana Leach, who holds a 3.80 GPA in sports management.
7:58
SPEAKER_04: Congratulations to Alana, this week's Tennessee Lottery Scholar Athlete of the Week.
8:03
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8:12
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8:15
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8:18
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8:23
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8:38
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8:41
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8:53
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8:56
SPEAKER_02: I'm your host, Josh Hipel.
8:58
SPEAKER_02: Jim Ask Coach Hypel.
9:00
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9:02
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9:04
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9:10
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9:12
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9:15
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9:18
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9:19
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9:22
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9:29
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9:30
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9:45
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9:57
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10:02
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10:15
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10:19
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10:22
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10:24
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10:27
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10:30
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10:32
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10:42
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10:46
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10:47
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10:57
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11:02
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11:07
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11:10
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11:12
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11:15
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11:19
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11:25
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11:33
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11:36
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11:39
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11:44
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11:47
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11:50
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12:16
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12:22
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12:25
SPEAKER_06: This is number one, Ball Safety TJ Metcalf.
12:29
SPEAKER_06: Getting ready to play Alabama as Tennessee goes with the Crimson Tide 3-30.
12:35
SPEAKER_06: The kickoff at Nealand Stadium preserved by Pilot.
12:39
SPEAKER_06: What's this week like for you being from Birmingham?
12:44
SPEAKER_12: I mean, it's exciting.
12:45
SPEAKER_12: Uh good to play Alabama again.
12:48
SPEAKER_12: I'm just excited for our team, you know, to go out there and play some elite ball.
12:52
SPEAKER_12: It's going to be, you know, ecstatic.
12:55
SPEAKER_12: The fans are going to bring that energy, and that's what I love about the fans at Nealand Studying.
13:01
SPEAKER_06: We thought you had a pick at Arkansas.
13:03
SPEAKER_12: Yeah.
13:03
SPEAKER_06: It was the closest it's been.
13:05
SPEAKER_06: Take us through what happened on the play.
13:08
SPEAKER_12: Yeah, so I mean, all week, you know, we know the roster they're going to run.
13:13
SPEAKER_12: Well, first off, um Dade made a great play on that um perimeter play.
13:20
SPEAKER_12: Um he set me up well.
13:22
SPEAKER_12: Uh the ball tipped off the receiver hand, he put one hand up and it hit me in the face.
13:27
SPEAKER_12: Uh damn, I wish I could get that one back.
13:30
SPEAKER_12: But we got another opportunity on Saturday uh to make it count, and you know, we get to do it at Nealing Stadium, so it'll be a little bit more exciting.
13:39
SPEAKER_06: Okay, so when you're watching tape with your teammates and ball hits you in the face mask, does it elicit any response from any of the guys in the secondary in particular?
13:52
SPEAKER_12: Uh I mean, probably the young guys, probably the freshmen.
13:56
SPEAKER_12: But I mean, the the other guys, they know how it is, but they know I should have came in with that one.
14:02
SPEAKER_06: But see, I just remember years ago, we we watched a film and the coach had a clicker and it would rewind it back.
14:08
SPEAKER_12: Yeah.
14:09
SPEAKER_06: And if you got blown up, or you blew somebody up, or you caught a ball, or you did something spectacular, or something happened a little strange, he would hit that clicker so everybody could watch it again.
14:21
SPEAKER_12: Yeah, that's definitely Coach Knowles.
14:22
SPEAKER_12: He's he's gonna put that red circle or whatever color circle he's gonna put on the screen, and it's gonna stop it right then in there at the moment.
14:31
SPEAKER_12: And at that point, he's like, dang.
14:35
SPEAKER_12: But I mean, it's gonna be either good or bad.
14:37
SPEAKER_06: So what's it like playing for Jim Knowles?
14:41
SPEAKER_12: Uh I love it.
14:42
SPEAKER_12: Um, it gives everybody um a skill set to do, you know, what they do best.
14:48
SPEAKER_12: All you gotta do is just execute, you know, what he wants to be done.
14:53
SPEAKER_12: But within that, you know, you get to use your playmaker abilities.
14:57
SPEAKER_12: And, you know, you we're the guys out there, you know, on the field, on the gridiron.
15:01
SPEAKER_12: So we gotta go out there and make the decisions.
15:04
SPEAKER_12: Um at the end of the day, those decisions gotta help, you know, the defense win the game.
15:09
SPEAKER_12: So You had nine tackles in the game.
15:11
SPEAKER_06: You played very well at Arkansas.
15:14
SPEAKER_06: You're continuing to play well.
15:15
SPEAKER_06: It's like you're building on each performance.
15:19
SPEAKER_06: Why do you feel like you're getting even more comfortable and more effective in this defense week by week?
15:25
SPEAKER_12: Uh I feel like every week um it's something new.
15:28
SPEAKER_12: Um it's something to improve in.
15:31
SPEAKER_12: I you know, I see at the course of the you know the couple weeks that we've been playing, uh, and this one thing I like.
15:36
SPEAKER_12: We haven't had a bye week yet, so I got to see consistent and you know improvement and stuff that you know we all need to get better at.
15:45
SPEAKER_12: But I mean, for me personally, I'm glad I get to see the growth and the progression.
15:49
SPEAKER_12: Um, to, you know, go out there and you know make the plays that you know I may have left out there on the field.
15:55
SPEAKER_12: Um, so just having the opportunity to, you know, just keep improving, that's the main thing.
16:00
SPEAKER_06: What was it like being on the field for an entire game with Tevis Metcalf playing the star position?
16:07
SPEAKER_12: I mean, it was amazing.
16:09
SPEAKER_12: Uh at first, you know, you know, when I found out, uh it was kind of, you know, a surreal moment for me, um, just knowing like, okay, it's about to happen.
16:22
SPEAKER_12: And, you know, going into the game, um, you know, I try not to let that, you know, take full, you know, control, stay focused on the main goal.
16:31
SPEAKER_12: Um, but you know, as the game was going, I just saw the plays that he was making, uh, you know, him flying around making tackles and then eventually coming up with the game selling pick.
16:40
SPEAKER_12: And that was just amazing for, you know, the whole Var family and our family as well.
16:45
SPEAKER_12: We were so, you know, happy to see that moment.
16:48
SPEAKER_12: And we just knowing that he's improving as well.
16:50
SPEAKER_12: And it was just a great game, Bob.
16:53
SPEAKER_06: What was that week, that entire week like for your family leading up?
16:58
SPEAKER_12: Uh I mean, I guess for my uh my my dad, I would say, uh I guess he's the nerve wrecker.
17:06
SPEAKER_12: He, you know, he wants to know what's going on, and you know, he you know, he just I don't want to say he worries a lot, but you know, he's he's in tune with what's going on.
17:15
SPEAKER_12: So um just going through the week, you know, them finding out that he's gonna be you know the star nickel for the game, um, they just knew he was ready for the moment.
17:25
SPEAKER_06: Does your dad does your dad wear a one or a twenty jersey?
17:28
SPEAKER_12: Most of the time he wears a 20.
17:30
SPEAKER_12: Okay.
17:31
SPEAKER_12: So I think I think he got 20 on the front side, one on the back side.
17:35
SPEAKER_12: Does he really?
17:35
SPEAKER_12: Yeah.
17:36
SPEAKER_06: So do other members of your family wear jerseys?
17:39
SPEAKER_06: Do they kind of so some people have a one and some have a 20?
17:42
SPEAKER_12: Yeah, my mom, my little sister, my grandparents.
17:44
SPEAKER_12: Okay.
17:45
SPEAKER_12: They all be wearing a jersey.
17:46
SPEAKER_06: All right, so what's your dad gonna be like this week with it being the Alabama game?
17:50
SPEAKER_12: I don't know.
17:51
SPEAKER_12: Will he be as nervous?
17:52
SPEAKER_12: I don't think so.
17:53
SPEAKER_12: Okay, so he's gonna be very confident.
17:56
SPEAKER_12: Um, you know, he sees the improvement, you know, week in, week out.
18:00
SPEAKER_12: Um, you know, the first couple weeks, you know, he was, you know, sending me his own little playbook and things like that.
18:06
SPEAKER_12: But as the course of the uh season is going on, he's just been more, you know, comfortable and more, you know, calm, cool, and collected, you know, just trusting the way I see the game, trusting the way me and my brother is playing.
18:17
SPEAKER_12: And you know, hopefully it works out for us.
18:19
SPEAKER_06: The entire Metcalf family, it feels like, is having a great experience with Tennessee football.
18:26
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
18:26
SPEAKER_06: Fair?
18:27
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, that's fair.
18:29
SPEAKER_06: And I mean, just enjoying it week by week and enjoying this ride, enjoying playing together, and it's a lot closer ride from the Birmingham area up here.
18:39
SPEAKER_12: It is.
18:40
SPEAKER_06: All right, speaking of enjoyment, Food City.
18:42
SPEAKER_06: Food City is uh is a place that uh we're certainly partial to because they're official supermarket of the Vols and the official tailgate headquarters.
18:51
SPEAKER_06: You've been by Food City, haven't you?
18:52
SPEAKER_12: I have.
18:53
SPEAKER_12: I love the environment it brings.
18:55
SPEAKER_12: The the people are there are so nice.
18:57
SPEAKER_12: Um, they're very helpful, you know, packs in our you know, groceries and stuff.
19:02
SPEAKER_12: Nice.
19:02
SPEAKER_12: I feel like that's a you know that's a cool thing.
19:06
SPEAKER_06: Have you been to the deli yet?
19:07
SPEAKER_12: I haven't been to the deli.
19:08
SPEAKER_12: You gotta do it.
19:09
SPEAKER_12: What's your favorite sandwich?
19:11
SPEAKER_12: What are you making?
19:12
SPEAKER_06: Well, I like a like a roast beef and cheddar kind of sort of thing, or a roast beef and and Swiss, one of the two.
19:19
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
19:19
SPEAKER_06: But I mean that they have all kinds of things in the deli at Food City.
19:23
SPEAKER_06: All right, but I'm gonna check it out.
19:24
SPEAKER_06: And I'm gonna tell you, I got a feeling about you this weekend.
19:27
SPEAKER_06: It was close.
19:28
SPEAKER_06: It's getting closer every week.
19:30
SPEAKER_06: I think there's a TJ Metcalf big play about to happen.
19:34
SPEAKER_12: Yes, sir.
19:35
SPEAKER_06: All right, great to see you.
19:37
SPEAKER_06: This is number one, safety TJ Metcalf brought to you by our friends at Food City.
19:42
SPEAKER_06: We're back with more of the Mike Keith show right after this.
19:45
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19:49
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19:51
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19:57
SPEAKER_06: Time for the Bill Ford Tough Report.
20:01
SPEAKER_06: And this is Brent Hubbs, the only man who could do this report.
20:05
SPEAKER_06: He's the only man with the strength, the endurance, the fortitude, the drive, the ability to continue to fight through.
20:12
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20:15
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20:18
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20:23
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20:25
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20:27
SPEAKER_22: I'm pleased.
20:28
SPEAKER_06: I think we've established the check will be in the mail.
20:30
SPEAKER_06: We've established your credentials.
20:33
SPEAKER_06: So I want to ask you first about Tennessee in Orange and Alabama in Crimson.
20:39
SPEAKER_06: Finally.
20:39
SPEAKER_06: Neither you nor I have ever seen that.
20:43
SPEAKER_06: Uh I've been following Tennessee football for over 50 years, you for almost 50 years, and we've never seen it.
20:49
SPEAKER_06: What do you think when you're on the sideline and the two teams are warming up and you see that?
20:55
SPEAKER_06: What's that gonna mean to you?
20:57
SPEAKER_22: I think it's I think it's perfect.
20:58
SPEAKER_22: I think it's long overdue.
21:00
SPEAKER_22: I think it's gonna be great because there's there are there are blue bloods in the sport, okay?
21:05
SPEAKER_22: And there are there are uniforms, there are people that have iconic uniforms and iconic brands that really haven't deviated and changed from their brand.
21:14
SPEAKER_22: There are other schools that have multiple looks, sure, right?
21:17
SPEAKER_22: But but when you think of Alabama, you think of Crimson, and when you think of Tennessee, you think orange.
21:24
SPEAKER_22: And so when those two jerseys come together, you think pageantry, you think exactly what college football is supposed to be.
21:32
SPEAKER_22: It's long overdue.
21:33
SPEAKER_22: I think it's gonna be a great look.
21:34
SPEAKER_06: There was a specialness in September to Tennessee, Texas, and it didn't go Tennessee's way, so it was by no means a perfect day from the ball perspective.
21:45
SPEAKER_06: But the experience of the day was fantastic.
21:49
SPEAKER_06: The the crowd and seeing Texas in Neeland Stadium and just that acknowledgement and that recognition that hey, we're a blue blood.
22:00
SPEAKER_06: But they are too.
22:01
SPEAKER_06: And that's what this is as well.
22:03
SPEAKER_06: There's an acknowledgement to your foe.
22:05
SPEAKER_06: We understand who you are.
22:06
SPEAKER_06: We get it.
22:08
SPEAKER_06: We consider ourselves a formidable opponent.
22:11
SPEAKER_06: But that acknowledgement and the two sides being able to come to an agreement to acknowledge this, I think goes to the specialness of college football.
22:20
SPEAKER_22: I think you're exactly right.
22:32
SPEAKER_22: If you're an Alabama fan, and I think Nick Saban has said this, the the bigger game for them was not the Iron Bowl with Auburn, it was Tennessee.
22:40
SPEAKER_22: There is a deep-rooted respect and a deep-rooted rivalry of these two teams playing together.
22:48
SPEAKER_22: It's been a series of streaks.
22:49
SPEAKER_22: There was a long period of time where nobody got on a streak other than a couple of games here and there.
22:54
SPEAKER_22: It's just been a well-played game with great respect for one another.
23:00
SPEAKER_22: But man, you know when you're playing in this game, it's going to be physical, it's going to be tough, and you better be ready to go.
23:06
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee has won the last two at Needland Stadium.
23:09
SPEAKER_06: How much of an advantage is that Saturday afternoon at 3:30?
23:13
SPEAKER_22: Well, it doesn't hurt.
23:14
SPEAKER_22: I mean, for sure.
23:15
SPEAKER_22: I mean, Tennessee has played well, you know, pretty well in this game at home.
23:18
SPEAKER_22: Obviously, in 22, it was a shootout.
23:20
SPEAKER_22: Um, and then they sealed it with defense two years ago when they won here.
23:24
SPEAKER_22: So I think it helps.
23:26
SPEAKER_22: You know, I think that Alabama's bringing a young quarterback on the road.
23:30
SPEAKER_22: I understand he's played at Kentucky, and that's not a knock on Kentucky, but you would expect this crowd to be revved up in a different way for this one, so the crowd can help here.
23:40
SPEAKER_22: Um I think Tennessee should go into this game with some confidence.
23:43
SPEAKER_22: They've got to play better offensively.
23:45
SPEAKER_22: There's a lot of things you've got to do well to have a chance to win this game, but I do think you go into this game on your home turf with some confidence because you've won the last two.
23:53
SPEAKER_06: Let's talk about Keelan Russell, sophomore quarterback, Duncanville, Texas.
23:57
SPEAKER_06: You mentioned he had some issues at Kentucky.
24:00
SPEAKER_06: He threw two picks, his only two picks.
24:03
SPEAKER_06: In the three games immediately after that, he completed 75% of his passes for over a thousand yards, ten touchdowns, and no interceptions.
24:15
SPEAKER_06: Now, against Georgia, he got bounced around a little bit.
24:17
SPEAKER_06: I mean, Georgia's good.
24:18
SPEAKER_06: You give them credit.
24:19
SPEAKER_06: He had his team in it at the end.
24:21
SPEAKER_06: But I mean, this guy can get hot.
24:24
SPEAKER_06: Is this what was expected from him as his recruitment went on?
24:29
SPEAKER_22: Yeah, I think so.
24:30
SPEAKER_22: I think this is what Alabama thought they were getting.
24:33
SPEAKER_22: And, you know, they they let him set and get ready for in year two, didn't throw him out there early in the fire to help him be better, uh better prepared.
24:43
SPEAKER_22: I think everybody within the Alabama program felt like he was going to be a good quarterback.
24:48
SPEAKER_22: Has he been better out of the gate?
24:50
SPEAKER_22: Maybe a little bit.
24:52
SPEAKER_22: But I think when you look at Calen De Boer, he's done a good job with quarterbacks wherever he's been.
24:57
SPEAKER_22: His system has been quarterback friendly and what they produce.
25:00
SPEAKER_22: You look at Michael Penix and obviously Ty Simpson and what he did going to becoming a first-round draft pick in his year there, really.
25:08
SPEAKER_22: So I I think that this offense lends to some quarterback success.
25:13
SPEAKER_22: They put him in a good in good places, and Russell has played well to this point.
25:18
SPEAKER_06: The difference with Russell in the past two quarterbacks that Tennessee has seen is that Russell can run, will run, but he is a much better passer and he has dangerous weapons at wide receiver.
25:32
SPEAKER_22: Yeah, this is by far the best offense that Jim Knowles' unit has played to this point, and there's no debate about that.
25:38
SPEAKER_22: Specifically at the quarterback position, when you look at the yards that Russell has, most of them are scramble yards.
25:44
SPEAKER_22: They don't call a ton of design runs for him.
25:47
SPEAKER_22: So now you got to figure out can I spy?
25:50
SPEAKER_22: Our rush lanes have to be really good, we've got to squeeze the pocket down.
25:54
SPEAKER_22: Some of the things will translate for the last couple of games into this game.
25:58
SPEAKER_22: The difference is those two quarterbacks Tennessee just played, and Byron Brown and KJ Jackson, when they decided that when they tucked the ball, they were gone.
26:08
SPEAKER_22: Ken Russell will scramble out, buy himself some time, and keep his eyes downfield looking to make a throw.
26:15
SPEAKER_22: So you can't just as a secondary guy peel off of your guy to go, you know, stop the quarterback run because he'll make a play, he'll buy himself some time.
26:24
SPEAKER_22: Russell will and make plays there because he's so effective throw at the court.
26:28
SPEAKER_06: Laster coverage by the defense, meaning you stay on your guy no matter what the quarterback does, and you do not peak.
26:36
SPEAKER_06: Last year, Ty Simpson played very well in Alabama's went over Tennessee, but they put the game away with the run game.
26:44
SPEAKER_06: They just lined up and ran it.
26:46
SPEAKER_06: Daniel Hill, the big back, was a part of that.
26:49
SPEAKER_06: He's back.
26:50
SPEAKER_06: They actually play regularly for running backs.
26:54
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee had some trouble, especially in the third quarter, stopping the run against Arkansas.
26:59
SPEAKER_06: How do you see that challenge for the balls?
27:01
SPEAKER_06: Well, Tennessee has to finish.
27:02
SPEAKER_22: Okay.
27:03
SPEAKER_22: They have to finish games stopping the run.
27:06
SPEAKER_22: When you look at it against Auburn, less than 100 yards of offense in the first half.
27:10
SPEAKER_22: Against Arkansas, less than 100 yards of offense in the first half by those two opponents against Jim Knowles' defense.
27:17
SPEAKER_22: Second half, not as good.
27:19
SPEAKER_22: Auburn got got going in the ground game.
27:21
SPEAKER_22: And then obviously we saw 113 yards in the third quarter by Arkansas.
27:25
SPEAKER_22: Tennessee's got to stay in their gaps.
27:28
SPEAKER_22: They can't get pushed or washed out of gaps.
27:30
SPEAKER_22: They have to play with their hands better.
27:32
SPEAKER_22: They have to tackle better than they tackled in the third quarter.
27:35
SPEAKER_22: And when you're rotating 10 guys the way they are on the defensive front, you got to make sure your drop-off is not significant.
27:43
SPEAKER_22: I did not think some of the rotation guys who came in played with near the intensity or the effectiveness as you saw with Xavier Gilliam, as you saw with Hobbes and some of those guys in that first line.
27:56
SPEAKER_22: That second group, third group that's rotating in in that 10, they've got to hold up their end of the bargain.
28:02
SPEAKER_06: The great benefit of the crowd support at Neeland Stadium, preserved by pilot, notwithstanding.
28:10
SPEAKER_06: What advantage or advantages does Tennessee have against Alabama on Saturday?
28:14
SPEAKER_22: Well, you're hoping that Jim Knowles and what they do defensively can create some confusion for a young quarterback, particularly on the road.
28:21
SPEAKER_22: You're trying to speed him up, and you're hoping your defensive line can do that.
28:25
SPEAKER_22: And you feel like that's an advantage for you coming in when you're you're sitting there with 25 sacks on the season and nearly 50 tackles for loss.
28:32
SPEAKER_22: They got to play upfield.
28:34
SPEAKER_22: They've got to play aggressively upfield that way.
28:36
SPEAKER_22: And then you've got to try to make the quarterback unsure of what he's seeing.
28:47
SPEAKER_06: Brent Hubbs, Jason Swain, and Bill Mayo with the pregame show, outside gate 21.
28:53
SPEAKER_06: Tell everybody why they should come by.
28:55
SPEAKER_06: Obviously, tell them why they should listen, but why should they come by and see you guys if they're going to be at Neeland Stadium Saturday?
29:01
SPEAKER_22: Well, we hope that you'll come.
29:02
SPEAKER_22: It's a great atmosphere.
29:03
SPEAKER_22: It's a great place to hang out.
29:05
SPEAKER_22: Um, it's not hard to get in.
29:06
SPEAKER_22: You'll see some fencing, but you can walk right in and sit down.
29:09
SPEAKER_22: Uh Jason Swain and Bill are, I mean, they know so much football, and they love to visit with people during breaks, so we love to talk to you and hang out with you.
29:17
SPEAKER_22: Uh the weather's gonna be fantastic.
29:19
SPEAKER_22: Uh it's gonna be perfect for football.
29:21
SPEAKER_22: So we hope that you'll come by and listen and and watch and hang out with us as we talk a lot of ball.
29:27
SPEAKER_22: It's a deep dive into the matchup with these two guys.
29:30
SPEAKER_22: I'm just kind of getting out of the way and let Jason Swain talk football.
29:33
SPEAKER_22: And if you if you haven't been out there in person or you're not been listening to it, you're you're missing out on learning a lot about what line of scrimmage play means from Bill Mayo's perspective.
29:45
SPEAKER_22: He does a great job of breaking it down to where you understand.
29:48
SPEAKER_22: It's not all the jargon of crazy stuff, it's it's football talk, and those two guys do a great job with it.
29:53
SPEAKER_06: I think it's so interesting between those two because Mayo has coached, and obviously Jason Swain watches a lot of tape, and so I mean, what you say it's a deep dive into ball, which quite frankly on Saturday, don't you want that?
30:05
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, absolutely.
30:06
SPEAKER_06: I mean, isn't that the time that you especially Tennessee and Alabama?
30:11
SPEAKER_22: Yeah, and both of these guys are rooted in this rivalry.
30:13
SPEAKER_22: They know everything about it, that the passion that they have for it.
30:17
SPEAKER_22: But again, their ability to explain the game and break down things like what happened on this, why the why were they so effective here?
30:24
SPEAKER_22: Why were you ineffective here?
30:25
SPEAKER_22: What do you got to do to be effective against this and that?
30:28
SPEAKER_22: It's really fun for me to sit and learn ball.
30:30
SPEAKER_22: Well, you know why we hired them both?
30:32
SPEAKER_06: Both of them three and one against Alabama.
30:34
SPEAKER_06: What were you in school?
30:36
SPEAKER_22: Um one and three.
30:39
SPEAKER_22: One and three.
30:41
SPEAKER_22: 80s guy.
30:43
SPEAKER_22: Ofer.
30:44
SPEAKER_22: I had the 95 win.
30:47
SPEAKER_22: That was what I was hanging on with.
30:48
SPEAKER_06: I may have my my charter revoked here.
30:51
SPEAKER_06: Brett Hubbs with the Built Ford Tough report here on the Mike Keith show.
30:54
SPEAKER_06: We've got more coming up.
30:55
SPEAKER_06: Hold Ofer here right after this.
30:58
SPEAKER_11: You're one-on-one with Mike Keith, sponsored by Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee volunteers.
31:05
SPEAKER_11: By Farm Bureau Insurance, the official insurance of the vault.
31:09
SPEAKER_11: Tennessee insurance for Tennessee life.
31:12
SPEAKER_11: By First Horizon, Big Bank Hustle, Small Bank Hustle.
31:16
SPEAKER_11: By highlights, official travel stop of the vault.
31:20
SPEAKER_11: By rattling roofing, the travel official roof or the fake goal.
31:47
SPEAKER_19: Depending on where you take it.
31:48
SPEAKER_19: What is protecting the format?
31:50
SPEAKER_19: Protecting one matter.
31:52
SPEAKER_19: So it's possible.
32:02
SPEAKER_02: When you travel across the great state of Tennessee, one thing you're sure to find is big orange patch.
32:08
SPEAKER_02: You see it throughout every inch of the volunteer state, just like you see First Horizon.
32:13
SPEAKER_02: Serving communities big and small.
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32:23
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32:26
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32:35
SPEAKER_05: Let's be real for a second.
32:37
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32:38
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32:44
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32:48
SPEAKER_16: You've got goals.
32:50
SPEAKER_16: Sport, school, friends.
32:52
SPEAKER_16: A future you're building right now.
32:55
SPEAKER_16: Don't let a trend decide that for you.
32:57
SPEAKER_16: Protect your potential.
32:58
SPEAKER_16: B T and strong.
33:01
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33:06
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33:21
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33:23
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33:25
SPEAKER_18: Together, we thrive.
33:31
SPEAKER_01: Being at the Falls game saved my life.
33:34
SPEAKER_01: It was a normal day going to the game with my son, but this time it felt like a sledgehammer hit my chest.
33:41
SPEAKER_01: The UT medical team knew exactly what they needed to do and just kept me calm throughout the process.
33:47
SPEAKER_01: It was probably the most serious heart attack that you could have.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: The team to care me, worked quickly, efficiently, and I did catch the end of the game.
33:58
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34:02
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34:30
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34:34
SPEAKER_07: Out of here.
34:42
SPEAKER_07: Out of here.
34:49
SPEAKER_07: Out of here.
35:03
SPEAKER_06: He is Jason Swain of the Swain Event 99.1, the sports animal in Knoxville, and of course, of the Vol Radio Network.
35:12
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35:19
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35:20
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35:30
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35:34
SPEAKER_06: All right.
35:35
SPEAKER_06: Getting ready for Tennessee and Alabama.
35:39
SPEAKER_06: You are of Huntsville, Alabama.
35:41
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
35:42
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee has had some help from Huntsville, Alabama in the past.
35:45
SPEAKER_06: Condrage Holloway, probably the best known.
35:48
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
35:48
SPEAKER_06: Joey Kent.
35:49
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
35:49
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
35:50
SPEAKER_06: You're in the conversation?
35:52
SPEAKER_06: I'm just blessed to be in the conversation.
35:54
SPEAKER_06: Well, it's uh there have been some special balls from Huntsville, but this game is special to them.
36:00
SPEAKER_06: I know it was to Joey Kent when he scored on play number one in 1995, and then he had another big touchdown in 1996.
36:11
SPEAKER_06: For for you, is has it been hard this week?
36:16
SPEAKER_06: Is it hard with what this game means?
36:20
SPEAKER_20: It has been hard for sure.
36:21
SPEAKER_20: Um because I'm more irritable this week.
36:24
SPEAKER_20: I am, I'm I'm just being honest.
36:27
SPEAKER_20: Emotions, emotions fly this this week because this game means so much.
36:32
SPEAKER_20: And you know, you hear coaches all the time say, hey, every game is the same, every week is the same, faceless, nameless, and I respect it.
36:41
SPEAKER_20: I understand kind of the thought behind it, but for me, this is a game that I have circled on the calendar every single, every single year.
36:48
SPEAKER_06: Is there a difference just football-wise?
36:51
SPEAKER_06: Is there a difference in how this game is played in terms of the style of football that is different from the other 11 games?
37:02
SPEAKER_20: Yes, it is physical.
37:06
SPEAKER_20: And I'm someone who played in a five overtime game as a freshman in 2003, and it felt like two football games, it felt like being in a 10-car pile-up every single play, and you know, needing a whole day to recover.
37:19
SPEAKER_20: Because you basically play two games, and you understand it doesn't matter what grade you're in, that game, you go from a freshman to a sophomore, you go from maybe a young freshman to an experienced player, like you become a man in that game right there against Alabama.
37:35
SPEAKER_06: Because every play, special teams, offense, defense, every play potentially has significance that if you do something well, or unfortunately, if you do something poorly, you can be remembered for the rest of your life.
37:50
SPEAKER_20: Yeah, penalties, mistakes, uh, plays that you do make, they can be the difference in the football game.
37:55
SPEAKER_20: And and a lot of respect goes to that side on the sideline because they've had a great history, they have great players as well, and um, we do too.
38:04
SPEAKER_20: And you just understand that um one play can be the difference between winning and losing, and you want them to do your job to the best of your abilities every single play.
38:12
SPEAKER_06: This Alabama team is five-and-one.
38:15
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee is five and one.
38:17
SPEAKER_06: Take me through as you've started to study Alabama on tape, and I know you will write up until Saturday morning until we get to the stadium.
38:24
SPEAKER_06: What do you see in them?
38:26
SPEAKER_06: What impresses you with this Alabama team?
38:29
SPEAKER_20: They're tougher than than they were last year and and the year before.
38:33
SPEAKER_20: And you gotta give credit to Kaylin DeBoer and his staff for you know noticing what they needed to be this this season.
38:40
SPEAKER_20: Uh, I think quarterback, that's where that's where you could say it starts.
38:44
SPEAKER_20: Um, but they run their running game is a lot better.
38:46
SPEAKER_20: Um defensively, they're they're really, really good and athletic can create some problems for you.
38:51
SPEAKER_20: Uh, but they're dynamic at the quarterback position, uh, receiver, they're really, really good as well.
38:56
SPEAKER_20: But the main thing that stands out is they're tougher physically, um, you know, mentally, they're a little bit tougher.
39:02
SPEAKER_20: It's gonna be a big test for us.
39:04
SPEAKER_06: For Tennessee offensively going into this game, where do you think the balls have to make the most improvement to be effective against what is a more physical Alabama defense?
39:16
SPEAKER_20: Well, I mean, I think it first starts with not beating yourselves.
39:19
SPEAKER_20: I mean, our offense is evolving and trying to find answers to get explosive plays, and the one thing you can't do is have those, you know, pre-snap penalties or negative plays.
39:29
SPEAKER_20: But what I saw in the Arkansas game was some things that we can continue to do with using brain, um, you know, and two tight ends and Mike Matthews when he's on the island and he's able to win one-on-one.
39:41
SPEAKER_20: You know, Staley had a big catch.
39:43
SPEAKER_20: It was nullified by him stepping out of bounds, but it still happened.
39:47
SPEAKER_20: And that's some things you still can do, you know, moving forward.
39:50
SPEAKER_20: So I love that we can use that to continue to build on.
39:53
SPEAKER_20: Um, but embrace the physicality.
39:55
SPEAKER_20: This is what you train for, you know, during the summer with Derek Owens.
39:59
SPEAKER_20: Uh, this is a physical, more physical brand of football that we're playing on both sides of the football.
40:04
SPEAKER_20: So man, I'm I'm I'm ready to see this matchup.
40:07
SPEAKER_06: Design Brahm was one of the first players I met when I got here.
40:12
SPEAKER_06: And he's a fantastic guy.
40:14
SPEAKER_06: I just I think the world of Design Brahm.
40:15
SPEAKER_06: I've been pulling hard for him.
40:17
SPEAKER_06: I know a lot of people have been, but you've been waiting for the breakout moment.
40:21
SPEAKER_06: I mean, being a nice guy is one thing, being the type of player you want to be can sometimes be a little bit different.
40:28
SPEAKER_06: It felt like, however, at Arkansas, he took a big step.
40:33
SPEAKER_06: Is is he ready to do maybe what Ethan Davis did down the stretch for Tennessee last year at the tight end position?
40:40
SPEAKER_06: Is he ready?
40:41
SPEAKER_06: He has to be ready.
40:42
SPEAKER_20: It's Alabama, yeah, it's Alabama week.
40:45
SPEAKER_20: Uh he has to be ready, but I do think he is ready.
40:47
SPEAKER_20: I go back to the first scrimmage at Fall Camp, that same exact play.
40:52
SPEAKER_20: Tennessee's offense was backed up.
40:54
SPEAKER_20: He had an opportunity to have a 50-yard gain and he dropped it.
40:57
SPEAKER_20: He dropped it.
40:58
SPEAKER_20: And the growth and development that we're seeing from Deshaun Brahm has been really cool to see.
41:03
SPEAKER_20: He's had to step into the big boy role now that Ethan Davis is hurt.
41:06
SPEAKER_20: And when his team needed him the most, when Arkansas was stacking the box and trying to stop the run, when we went, you know, two tight ends and they went bare front and really making it difficult for us to run the football, he made a play.
41:19
SPEAKER_20: The same play they didn't make in fall camp.
41:21
SPEAKER_20: I just think it's awesome.
41:23
SPEAKER_20: And on that next, on that same drive, he line up at fullback and he gets a fullback dive for a touchdown.
41:28
SPEAKER_20: That was the Deshaun Brahm drive right there for Tennessee.
41:32
SPEAKER_06: And everybody's been bragging on his blocking.
41:35
SPEAKER_06: I mean, that that's an area where he stepped up.
41:37
SPEAKER_06: You were just waiting for him to show the thing that everyone knew he had, which was the playmaking ability.
41:43
SPEAKER_20: Yeah, yeah.
41:43
SPEAKER_20: And he's versatile.
41:44
SPEAKER_20: And I think he gives Heipel and Hosley some options, you know, as this offense continues to evolve and you know, figure out who you're gonna roll with the quarterback and all that good stuff.
41:53
SPEAKER_20: Like his versatility gives you options to if you want to spread the offense, spread the defense out, you can do that, put him in the slot, or you can put him outside.
42:02
SPEAKER_20: Like he is a really, really good athlete, and the blocking is coming to him as well.
42:06
SPEAKER_06: Well, and he gives you the option when you're in two tight ends with Trent Thomas or Luca Wolf, he's giving you the blocking.
42:13
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, but then when you go with the single tight end or what's known as 11 personnel and three wides, then okay, maybe he's in line, maybe he's offset in the backfield, or maybe he's lined up out wide and giving you two wide receivers or three wide receivers on a side and can take that inside slot.
42:33
SPEAKER_20: Yeah, the center has one of the most difficult jobs on the football field, the quarterback has one of the most difficult jobs, but the tight end position today has one of the most three difficult jobs, I think, on offense, because you have to block like a lineman and then you have to be able to run receiver, run routes like a wide receiver.
42:49
SPEAKER_20: Really hard to do, and Braym's doing a better job of that each and every week.
42:53
SPEAKER_06: Tennessee wins this game on Saturday.
42:56
SPEAKER_06: What does it mean for this football program for where they are right now as they continue to advance through this season?
43:05
SPEAKER_20: Oh man.
43:06
SPEAKER_20: It will be great for a couple days.
43:08
SPEAKER_20: I mean, because the the schedule is so brutal.
43:10
SPEAKER_20: But beating a team as good as Alabama in a game that means so much to so many people, um, different generations.
43:18
SPEAKER_20: I mean, you're gonna hear the history this week if you're on this football team on both sides, you will.
43:23
SPEAKER_20: Um, and you're gonna celebrate with your with your teammates.
43:25
SPEAKER_20: And there's nothing like beating Alabama.
43:27
SPEAKER_20: There's nothing like singing in the locker room with your with your family when you beat you know a team like Alabama.
43:32
SPEAKER_20: So I I hope our guys are able to experience it.
43:35
SPEAKER_20: Uh, but it'll be a awesome win for Tennessee, but you gotta turn the page as quick as possible because this league is brutal and there's always someone waiting on you at the end of the corner to try to take advantage of you celebrating the win that you just were able to get.
43:49
SPEAKER_06: Well, the one thing we can say about this Alabama team they are not overrated.
43:54
SPEAKER_06: If Tennessee were to win this football game and take that next step, they will have beaten a good team.
44:00
SPEAKER_20: Absolutely.
44:00
SPEAKER_20: And you had an opportunity to do that earlier in the season versus Texas.
44:04
SPEAKER_20: What did we learn in that Texas game to help us win against Alabama?
44:09
SPEAKER_20: So that's that's why you practice every day.
44:11
SPEAKER_20: That's why you go to film every day.
44:13
SPEAKER_20: It's to grow and develop and learn from your mistakes.
44:15
SPEAKER_20: Deshaun Brain did it.
44:17
SPEAKER_20: Able to make a big play against Arkansas after dropping a pass in fall camp.
44:20
SPEAKER_20: Can this team do it?
44:22
SPEAKER_20: Learning from Texas, coming out and beating Alabama on Saturday.
44:25
SPEAKER_06: Jason Swain, looking forward to seeing you get there about 6:30 Saturday morning for the 3:30 kickoff.
44:30
SPEAKER_06: I'll be ready.
44:31
SPEAKER_06: I might spend the night.
44:32
SPEAKER_06: I might spend the night.
44:33
SPEAKER_06: Let's get an air mattress.
44:34
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, let's do that.
44:35
SPEAKER_06: The Planet Fitness Heavy Lift.
44:37
SPEAKER_06: It may be me lifting the air mattress up and carrying it up to the Vault Network booth.
44:42
SPEAKER_06: We'll see.
44:42
SPEAKER_06: Jason Swain gives us the Planet Fitness Heavy Lift every week on the Mike Heath Show.
44:47
SPEAKER_06: We're back with more coming up right after this.
44:50
SPEAKER_08: Getting you ready for the game.
44:52
SPEAKER_08: The Mike Heath Show, delivered by Uber Eats.
44:55
SPEAKER_08: This is your Vault Network.
45:02
SPEAKER_06: Welcome back to the Mike Heath Show delivered by Uber Eats.
45:05
SPEAKER_06: I'd like to think our program meets up to the Everything Orange podcast, sponsored by First Horizon Bank, official back of the balls, hosted by this talented person, Sarah Detweiler.
45:17
SPEAKER_06: You've got a welcome.
45:18
SPEAKER_14: Thank you.
45:19
SPEAKER_06: You've got a good guest on this week.
45:21
SPEAKER_14: Oh my goodness.
45:22
SPEAKER_06: He's timely.
45:24
SPEAKER_14: Very timely, taking the college football scene by storm as of late.
45:27
SPEAKER_14: I mean, Xavier Gilliam, that guy is doing the most for our defense right now.
45:32
SPEAKER_06: Now, he's a new guy.
45:34
SPEAKER_06: What did you think about getting the chance to sort of go through the process of meeting a guy who hasn't been here that long and he's already becoming a star?
45:42
SPEAKER_14: Yeah, we we did talk about that.
45:44
SPEAKER_14: And he was a quiet guy from what I had heard, you know, before getting him in the podcast studio, but he really opened up and has be has been becoming more of his own in this defense.
45:54
SPEAKER_14: I think one of the things we did talk about was how he had been in Jim Knowles' defense at Penn State for a year.
46:00
SPEAKER_14: So being able to be the new kid on the block here, but not have to learn an entire new defensive system really helped him come into a leadership position since he'd been here since he's been here.
46:11
SPEAKER_06: A little bit of a sneak peek of the conversation between Sarah and also Xavier Gilliam, number two, from the Everything Orange podcast presented by First Horizon Bank.
46:22
SPEAKER_14: Coach Gardner described you this week as someone who plays violent, violent hands, creating knockback, trying to go through offensive linemen rather than just meeting them.
46:31
SPEAKER_14: What does playing violent look like for you as a defensive lineman?
46:35
SPEAKER_17: Well, just playing on the other line of the scrimmage, you know, playing in their backfield.
46:38
SPEAKER_17: You know, you gotta think about it like their backfield is like their home.
46:41
SPEAKER_17: Like that's what they're comfortable at, you know.
46:42
SPEAKER_17: So I'm walking to your home.
46:44
SPEAKER_14: And gonna make things really hard for them.
46:47
SPEAKER_14: At six foot two, 305 pounds.
46:49
SPEAKER_14: He also talked about your natural leverage and short area quickness.
46:53
SPEAKER_14: How have you been able to use your build to your advantage?
46:56
SPEAKER_17: Um, you know, obviously a lot of offensive linemen are gonna be taller than you.
47:01
SPEAKER_17: So as me being a shorter defensive lineman, I do have that natural leverage.
47:05
SPEAKER_17: Easy to bend, easy to get under people, you know.
47:08
SPEAKER_17: So just always being conscious of that, staying knee bent in game and just beating them with my quickness.
47:14
SPEAKER_17: You know, I feel like that stems from my past basketball days.
47:18
SPEAKER_13: Yeah.
47:18
SPEAKER_17: You know, so just using just using all my abilities.
47:21
SPEAKER_13: What's the most satisfying?
47:23
SPEAKER_13: A sack, blowing up the backfield?
47:26
SPEAKER_17: What a sack.
47:27
SPEAKER_13: Yeah.
47:28
SPEAKER_17: But to be honest, I would say that fourth down stop by Nathan Robinson is probably like any D lama's dream.
47:36
SPEAKER_17: Big fourth down stop, you know.
47:38
SPEAKER_17: Shout out to him.
47:38
SPEAKER_14: Yeah, that's a really awesome moment, too.
47:41
SPEAKER_14: Uh, I have to read real quick what Coach Garner said about you because he called you a joy to coach and said that despite only being here for about six months, you're totally bought in.
47:51
SPEAKER_14: Then he took it another step and said that you're one of the best he's ever had, especially when he considers both your talent and your character.
47:59
SPEAKER_14: What does it mean to be able to hear that from your coach?
48:01
SPEAKER_17: Well, you know, Coach G, he's not gonna give you too much praise, you know.
48:05
SPEAKER_17: So it was definitely good to hear that.
48:07
SPEAKER_17: I think my mom has sent me that in the family group chat, you know.
48:10
SPEAKER_17: So that was definitely that was fun to hear, you know.
48:12
SPEAKER_17: But he's he's coached a lot of great players.
48:14
SPEAKER_17: So for me to think that he he thinks of me in that way and puts me in that category, you know, it's awesome.
48:20
SPEAKER_17: You know, it just makes me want to keep going.
48:22
SPEAKER_14: Yeah, yeah, not stop here.
48:23
SPEAKER_14: Just like you said, keep it foot on the gas.
48:26
SPEAKER_14: Give us a little insight into what it is like being coached by Coach Garner every day.
48:30
SPEAKER_17: Well, it's gonna be it's gonna be tough love, you know.
48:32
SPEAKER_17: You gotta check your feelings at the door, you know, you gotta check your ego at the door, you know, and just be open to coaching.
48:38
SPEAKER_17: And I feel like that's probably one of my strong suits, you know.
48:41
SPEAKER_17: You can't never take nothing too personally.
48:43
SPEAKER_17: Yeah, you know, and it's all about the message, you know.
48:45
SPEAKER_17: And so that's just kind of the main things I focus on.
48:48
SPEAKER_14: What's the biggest thing that he's provided to your game or elevated in your game?
48:53
SPEAKER_17: I would probably say he's definitely helped me with my run game violence.
48:56
SPEAKER_17: Okay.
48:57
SPEAKER_17: You know, not to say that it was a question in the past, but I feel like with Coach G knowledge, like he's helped me take my game to another level.
49:04
SPEAKER_14: Now, this defensive front has become one of the real strengths of this team, and you've got guys like Tyree Weathersby, Marion Dye, Jordan Norman, and so much depth around you.
49:14
SPEAKER_14: What makes this defensive room work so well together?
49:17
SPEAKER_17: Well, first off, I would say, like, we're a really close room, you know, and I've been in a couple rooms, and I would say this is probably one of the closest rooms I've ever been in.
49:25
SPEAKER_17: Oh, yeah.
49:26
SPEAKER_17: You know, everybody cool with each other.
49:27
SPEAKER_17: We all got a group chat, everybody testing a group chat, you know, and then also just with talking to my guys, I know that everybody's hungry.
49:34
SPEAKER_17: You know, some people's careers haven't gone the way they wanted, some people haven't had the opportunities wanted, you know.
49:40
SPEAKER_17: So just at this moment in our life, I would say I got a couple of guys with me that I know are all as hungry as me.
49:46
SPEAKER_14: Yeah.
49:46
SPEAKER_17: And I feel like that that shows on Saturday.
49:48
SPEAKER_14: Right, because that only motivates you to go out there and play harder for the guy to your left and to your right.
49:53
SPEAKER_17: Yep.
49:54
SPEAKER_14: Is there anyone in particular who we really haven't gotten to see their full potential yet that you're just like, but wait on them because they're coming for you.
50:02
SPEAKER_17: Uh I would say, I would say Nate Robb.
50:04
SPEAKER_17: Okay.
50:05
SPEAKER_17: Nate Robb, he uh he been he's been dealing with some stuff, you know, and so I feel like he hasn't really seen the field as much as he wanted to, but you know, I would say just in the coming future, you know, and just that fourth down stop, you know, just a little preview of what he can do.
50:20
SPEAKER_17: And even even Hobbs, too.
50:22
SPEAKER_17: You know, Hobbs, same situation, you know, dealing with some stuff.
50:25
SPEAKER_17: Right ain't seen the field as much as he wanted to, but I feel like both of them have a lot to show.
50:29
SPEAKER_14: When you look around and see Tennessee's defense statistically sitting alongside some of the best units in college football, does that give you an extra layer of pride in the room or validate all the hard work and the hours and the time spent to see those results happening on the field?
50:47
SPEAKER_17: Um, I was I would probably say too early too early to really think about it.
50:51
SPEAKER_17: You know, you can't really let the numbers get to your head.
50:53
SPEAKER_14: Okay.
50:54
SPEAKER_17: You know, and at the end of the day, it's all about the product on the field.
50:57
SPEAKER_14: Well, where does this room still have growing to do in your opinion?
51:01
SPEAKER_17: I would say we just gotta finish.
51:03
SPEAKER_17: Okay.
51:04
SPEAKER_17: You know, midway through the season, fourth quarter, before the half, you know, just in general, we gotta finish.
51:10
SPEAKER_14: And now that we're really getting into SEC play, how would you describe the identity of this Tennessee defense?
51:15
SPEAKER_17: How would I describe it?
51:17
SPEAKER_17: I would say we cold-blooded, you know, and you gotta watch.
51:21
SPEAKER_17: If you watch the film, you know, watch how we tackle, watch how we run to the ball, you know.
51:26
SPEAKER_17: I feel like you could really make your own identity with whatever words you want to.
51:31
SPEAKER_06: That's Sarah Dettett Weiler and Xavier Gilliam.
51:34
SPEAKER_06: Their conversation will be out on Friday.
51:37
SPEAKER_06: Go to the Tennessee Athletics YouTube channel, and you should subscribe because there's a tremendous amount of stuff there.
51:45
SPEAKER_06: As a matter of fact, the Mike Keith show is there every night at 8 Eastern 7 Central for you to watch five days a week, Monday through Friday.
51:54
SPEAKER_06: So the uh Tennessee Athletics YouTube channel is fantastic.
51:59
SPEAKER_06: The Everything Orange podcast is fantastic.
52:02
SPEAKER_06: Congratulations.
52:03
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
52:03
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
52:04
SPEAKER_06: Thanks for sharing it with us.
52:05
SPEAKER_06: We can't wait to see it out on Friday.
52:08
SPEAKER_06: That's going to do it for this edition of the Mike Keith Show for Sarah Detweiler and our five staff.
52:12
SPEAKER_06: Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you next time.
52:16
SPEAKER_08: All access all week long to the latest from the Tennessee campus, the Mike Keith Show online, delivered by Uber East.com.
52:26
SPEAKER_08: We are the Fall Network.