Latest / The Mike Keith Show / The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, JORDAN NORMAN, TYLER LUNDBLADE (9.21.26)

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The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, JORDAN NORMAN, TYLER LUNDBLADE (9.21.26) · The Mike Keith Show

0:00
SPEAKER_07: From the peaks of the smokies to the banks of the Mississippi.
0:06
SPEAKER_07: This is your home for the University of Tennessee.
0:20
SPEAKER_07: This is the Vault Network.
0:26
SPEAKER_07: Inside access, behind the stage.
0:29
SPEAKER_07: From Rocky Top, direct from the coaches.
0:32
SPEAKER_07: Inside from the players, inside track.
0:36
SPEAKER_07: Mike Keith starts now.
0:40
SPEAKER_05: Welcome to the show and welcome to the opening of SDC play.
0:44
SPEAKER_05: Tennessee gets conference play started with the number one team in the country, Texas.
0:49
SPEAKER_05: The Longhorns make their first trip to Knoxville for a noon Eastern time kickoff on Saturday at Nealand Stadium preserved by pilot.
0:58
SPEAKER_05: With the early start, here are some important times for you to remember for this Saturday.
1:03
SPEAKER_05: Nealand Stadium gates open at 9.30.
1:07
SPEAKER_05: The Vol Walk will take place at 9.45.
1:11
SPEAKER_05: The Pride of the Southland Band's march to the stadium takes place at 10.20 a.m.
1:18
SPEAKER_05: If you'd like to be part of the pregame festivities and you're near Gate 9, join VFL's Heath Shooter and Brittany Tarwater along with me for Volunteer Game Day built by Rackley Rufick.
1:31
SPEAKER_05: We'll go from 10 to 11 a.m.
1:33
SPEAKER_05: Love to have you swing by.
1:35
SPEAKER_05: If you can't make it to Knoxville, you can always listen to the game on the Vall Radio Network with our coverage set to begin at 9.30 Eastern.
1:46
SPEAKER_05: It's a big week, and we have a big edition of the Mike Keith show to get us started.
1:51
SPEAKER_05: VallQuest.com and the Vall Network's Brett Hobbs goes deeper into ball football.
1:57
SPEAKER_05: We'll introduce you to new Tennessee defensive band Jordan Norman, a transfer who's starting to make an impact.
2:04
SPEAKER_05: And speaking of Texas, one of the ball basketball newcomers is from Dallas.
2:09
SPEAKER_05: Sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade will be with us for a segment.
2:12
SPEAKER_05: But first, Tennessee head coach Josh Heipel, presented by Calhoun.
2:19
SPEAKER_05: And looking back at Saturday's 42-9 win over Kennesaw State, I want to look at the first 344 of the second half.
2:27
SPEAKER_05: It's a sequence where you guys basically put the game away.
2:30
SPEAKER_05: On defense first, Ariane Carter, his show.
2:34
SPEAKER_05: He snuffs out a screen pass, makes a tackle for a loss of four.
2:39
SPEAKER_05: He assists Xavier Gilliam on a tackle for no gain.
2:42
SPEAKER_05: And then Ariane Carter sacks Ricky Collins for a five-yard loss.
2:46
SPEAKER_05: Josh, are those three plays really an example of what Ariane Carter can be in this defense?
2:52
SPEAKER_19: Yeah, uh, we want that three-play set from him every series of uh every game.
2:57
SPEAKER_19: Uh uh, but uh it is a great example of uh uh his versatility, uh being able to make plays in space, uh, affect the quarterback.
3:06
SPEAKER_19: Um uh I thought Arian uh played a really good football game.
3:11
SPEAKER_19: Uh he took a week or took a step uh from his first action in week two uh to this week, and uh it was great to see.
3:19
SPEAKER_05: All right, so then three plays, minus nine.
3:22
SPEAKER_05: Kennesaw has to punt.
3:24
SPEAKER_05: Quay Moss comes up, makes a fair catch at the 47 to give you great field position.
3:28
SPEAKER_05: Moss also had a 24-yard return in the first half.
3:32
SPEAKER_05: Do you do you sense that Quay Moss is becoming comfortable as Tennessee's punt returner?
3:36
SPEAKER_19: I think Quay's really comfortable back there right now.
3:39
SPEAKER_19: Uh he's got great trust in what he's doing.
3:44
SPEAKER_19: His communication uh has been really solid back there.
3:47
SPEAKER_19: Uh, we're still growing.
3:48
SPEAKER_19: We're close uh to doing some some really good things on that punt return unit.
3:53
SPEAKER_19: Uh just got to get all 11 operating together.
3:56
SPEAKER_05: All right, so then four plays into the offensive drive.
3:59
SPEAKER_05: Dewan Morris runs right, goes 42 yards for a touchdown.
4:03
SPEAKER_05: When you watch the tape, what did you like best about this play?
4:06
SPEAKER_19: Uh first of all, it starts up front.
4:09
SPEAKER_19: Uh right guard, right tackle, do a great job sealing it up.
4:12
SPEAKER_19: Tight end uh out on the overhang, and uh Deson Brain from the backside cleaned things uh up and uh uh Doodle did an unbelievable job pressing it, but then when he saw space, he got to it and uh and finished that thing in a great run, great way.
4:28
SPEAKER_05: Okay, so if you count Josh Turbiville's kickoff for a touchback, another one, that's the first nine plays of the second half.
4:36
SPEAKER_05: Three defense, two special teams, four offensive.
4:39
SPEAKER_05: You blow the game wide open with a perfect example of complementary football.
4:44
SPEAKER_05: Is that how you and the staff drew it up at halftime?
4:46
SPEAKER_19: Yeah, exactly.
4:47
SPEAKER_19: Uh I wish it always uh went exactly as you drew it up.
4:50
SPEAKER_19: No, but we talked about starting fast, uh new defense was gonna be up.
4:54
SPEAKER_19: Um, you know, special teams uh playing smart, solid football, uh playing with eye discipline, and then uh offensively, uh a couple things that we adjusted and uh were able to get into the end zone.
5:06
SPEAKER_05: All right, some other questions.
5:07
SPEAKER_05: Did you intentionally try to get the football to Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley more Saturday night?
5:12
SPEAKER_19: Not intentionally.
5:14
SPEAKER_19: Sometimes coverage just uh dictates where the ball goes.
5:17
SPEAKER_19: And uh I thought those guys played uh at a really high level and uh obviously were able to uh put up some points.
5:24
SPEAKER_05: Were you pleased with the play of your tight ends?
5:27
SPEAKER_19: Yeah, uh that group continues to get better.
5:30
SPEAKER_19: Um, everybody that stepped on the field played at a really high level.
5:33
SPEAKER_19: They were uh really good in the run game, good in pass protection uh for a majority of the night, and uh did a good job on the route concepts.
5:40
SPEAKER_05: In your defensive line, no Daven Hobbs, no Nathan Robinson, who stepped up and played well.
5:46
SPEAKER_19: Yeah, not just one guy.
5:47
SPEAKER_19: I thought Ethan uh at least stepped up and played uh one of his better football games on the interior.
5:53
SPEAKER_19: Marion Dye continues to grow and get better uh off the edge.
5:58
SPEAKER_19: Um, so uh a lot of growth from a lot of guys.
6:00
SPEAKER_19: Isaiah Campbell uh got a bunch of work um, you know, coming off of injury, uh was kind of on a pitch count the week before and uh got a little bit uh more action this week and uh took another step.
6:13
SPEAKER_05: We're gonna hear from Josh Norman later in the show.
6:16
SPEAKER_05: What are you starting to see from this defensive end as he gets into your system?
6:20
SPEAKER_19: Yeah, just uh uh extremely talented, uh guy that's grown fundamentally.
6:25
SPEAKER_19: Uh he's had the ability to impact uh the quarterback.
6:28
SPEAKER_19: Uh he's done a really good job uh applying pressure early part of the year.
6:33
SPEAKER_05: Three games in, where are you most pleased with defensive progress?
6:36
SPEAKER_19: Uh at the end of the day, uh I think keeping people out of the end zone.
6:40
SPEAKER_19: Um, you know, uh give up nine points uh a Saturday ago, but uh good red zone defense.
6:46
SPEAKER_19: Um, you know, we've been able to limit uh, you know, yards per carry.
6:51
SPEAKER_19: Uh we've played tight coverage out on the outside.
6:54
SPEAKER_19: This will be our biggest test uh coming uh into the into Saturday's action, but uh I'm proud of the growth.
7:00
SPEAKER_19: Uh we need to take another jump this week.
7:02
SPEAKER_05: All right, let's talk about Texas for just a second.
7:05
SPEAKER_05: As you sort of take an overall look at the Longhorns team, what do you see right away from Texas?
7:11
SPEAKER_19: Uh one, it's an experienced group.
7:14
SPEAKER_19: You can tell the ability to to fight back in a contest at home uh where you're down multiple possessions, keep playing the next play, um, and come out with a win.
7:23
SPEAKER_19: Um they're big and physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
7:27
SPEAKER_19: And athletically, um, they got uh extremely talented, um, a lot of speed.
7:33
SPEAKER_19: Um, it's a typical um athletic group from uh from Texas.
7:38
SPEAKER_05: Look forward to talking more about that throughout the week.
7:40
SPEAKER_05: Three and oh Vols against Texas.
7:42
SPEAKER_05: Going to be a fun week here in Big Orange Country.
7:44
SPEAKER_05: It will be.
7:45
SPEAKER_05: All right, Josh Heifel with us on the Mike Keith Show, presented by our friends at Calhoun's.
7:50
SPEAKER_05: We've got more of the show coming up right after this.
7:53
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7:55
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7:58
SPEAKER_13: Today's show sponsored by Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
8:03
SPEAKER_13: See you out here by First Horizon, Big Bank Muscle, small bank hustle, by Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee Volunteers, Medical, the official health care provider of the vault, the fracking roofing of the letters picture leaders, the crowd official roofer of the big orange, by five euro insurance, the official insurance of the vault, Tennessee Insurance for Tennessee Life.
8:31
SPEAKER_19: When you travel across the great state of Tennessee, one thing you're sure to find is big orange passion.
8:37
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8:47
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8:49
SPEAKER_11: Big bank muscle, small bank hustle.
8:52
SPEAKER_19: That's First Horizon, the official bank of the vaults, proudly serving Tennesseans for over 160 years.
9:30
SPEAKER_05: Saturdays are all about the big orange.
9:33
SPEAKER_05: From the roar of Neeland Stadium to the energy of the tailgate, one thing belongs on every game day menu.
9:40
SPEAKER_05: Calhoun.
9:41
SPEAKER_05: Whether you're dining in 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.
9:51
SPEAKER_05: Calhoun makes it easy so you can focus on curing the balls to victory.
9:56
SPEAKER_05: Calhoun, a taste of me.
10:00
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10:03
SPEAKER_05: We're actually not a two-man team.
10:05
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10:08
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10:11
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10:12
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10:19
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10:21
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10:23
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10:26
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11:07
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11:10
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11:15
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11:55
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11:58
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12:03
SPEAKER_05: Brent Hobbs from BallQuest.com and the Ball Radio Network is here.
12:08
SPEAKER_05: He's seen a lot over the past 30 plus years covering the balls, and before that, growing up here.
12:15
SPEAKER_05: What do you think the significance is of Texas coming to Knoxville from a historical standpoint would be?
12:22
SPEAKER_02: I just think it's hard to believe that these two programs, being the the blue bloods that they are in the sport and the history of of the the the that the states have and the history of the programs that they've never met on campus before.
12:34
SPEAKER_02: So I mean I think it's awesome.
12:36
SPEAKER_02: And I I will give the SEC credit from a scheduling standpoint that they have embraced this model where you're gonna get to every venue in a four-year period.
12:45
SPEAKER_02: Um and so I I think it's important that they're here because there's a history with the school, there's a history, you know, with with the states, obviously, and you got Daryl Royal, you got General Nealand.
12:56
SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of college football history um wrapped around these two programs.
13:00
SPEAKER_02: So to get these two blue bloods together on campus, I think is unbelievable for college football.
13:05
SPEAKER_05: And where's General Nealand originally from?
13:08
SPEAKER_05: Texas.
13:09
SPEAKER_05: Of course.
13:10
SPEAKER_05: And where did he first go to college?
13:12
SPEAKER_05: AM.
13:13
SPEAKER_05: AM.
13:14
SPEAKER_05: There you go.
13:14
SPEAKER_05: We'll remind all the Texas fans of that.
13:16
SPEAKER_05: AM?
13:17
SPEAKER_05: Um significance overall of a number one team coming to Nealand State.
13:23
SPEAKER_02: Well, I I think the significance of it is that it's such an opportunity w when a team comes to town.
13:30
SPEAKER_02: Um and I think the significance of it is in this game, Tennessee has an opportunity to compete.
13:36
SPEAKER_02: You know, everybody talks about Tennessee hasn't beaten a number one team since 1985.
13:41
SPEAKER_02: And that's true, okay?
13:43
SPEAKER_02: But how many opportunity games did they really have to win?
13:46
SPEAKER_02: That 90 Notre Dame game, Tennessee could have won that football game.
13:49
SPEAKER_02: But then you start looking, I mean, 94 Florida, number one team comes to town, Tennessee had no shot in that game with where they were offensively at that point.
13:57
SPEAKER_02: That Miami team comes to town in 02.
14:00
SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's maybe the best team to come to town.
14:03
SPEAKER_02: And I know that 90 Notre Dame team was really good, but that Miami team in 02 was unbelievable where they were.
14:09
SPEAKER_02: Then Alabama came to town, and you just weren't competitive.
14:12
SPEAKER_02: I mean, I I think something like six of the last nine matchups or five of the last nine matchups, Tennessee wasn't ranked against a number one opponent.
14:20
SPEAKER_02: So this is different.
14:21
SPEAKER_02: You're ranked, you've established, you brought yourself back, you're in a world where you think you can compete and line up, and that's what you want when you have a matchup like this.
14:30
SPEAKER_05: Give me two to three things that stand out most about this Tennessee football team through their first three games.
14:36
SPEAKER_02: I think defensively it's tackling.
14:38
SPEAKER_02: I think they've tackled much better in open space to this point.
14:42
SPEAKER_02: That'll be a key in this game Saturday, in my opinion.
14:45
SPEAKER_02: When you look at what Texas can do with Ryan Wingo, how they like to get him the ball in space, Cam Coleman is a guy who can do a lot of things after the catch.
14:53
SPEAKER_02: Arch Manning's sneaky athletic, if you let him, you know, squirt out on you.
14:58
SPEAKER_02: Tennessee's gonna have to tackle well.
14:59
SPEAKER_02: And I like the way that they have tackled through the first three games.
15:03
SPEAKER_02: I think the maturity of Faison Brandon has been fantastic.
15:06
SPEAKER_02: It gets ramped up at this point, uh, but how he's managed everything and sort of even kill, can he do that in this environment?
15:14
SPEAKER_02: And then thirdly, I think offensively, it's the play of the running backs.
15:17
SPEAKER_02: They've been his best friend, and they're gonna have to play well.
15:20
SPEAKER_02: This running game is it's not gonna run for 300 yards, but this run game has to be effective to a degree on Saturday to take some of the pressure off Fazon Brandon.
15:29
SPEAKER_05: Okay, you gave us tackling as one of them.
15:32
SPEAKER_05: Give me some other things that you think Tennessee has done better through three games than maybe you thought they would.
15:39
SPEAKER_02: I think they've rushed a passer better than we thought, particularly from the defensive front.
15:43
SPEAKER_02: Um when you look at where Marion Dye is and what he's getting done, the attention Xavier Gillam Gilliam is is drawing.
15:51
SPEAKER_02: Uh we're seeing Weathersby do some things.
15:53
SPEAKER_02: I think Jordan Norman's coming.
15:55
SPEAKER_02: I think that you see him really starting to get a grasp of this defense.
15:59
SPEAKER_02: He's been more effective the last two games.
16:01
SPEAKER_02: So they are they have rushed the passer better than I thought that they would rush the passer.
16:06
SPEAKER_02: Um offensively, you know, I think it's probably the growth of the of the the young tight ends through through game one to game three.
16:14
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if they're better than I thought they would be, but given where they were in game one and and their struggles there to where they were uh Saturday against Kennesaw State, I think that is a group that's getting better.
16:25
SPEAKER_02: They are vital for Tennessee, particularly to be able to run the football here.
16:29
SPEAKER_02: And then DeWan Morris has been just to me, it's been outstanding, really the last two games, but I think he's playing extremely well right now.
16:36
SPEAKER_05: All right, so three non-conference games, nine conference games to come.
16:41
SPEAKER_05: You saw this team put together in January, you saw them through the offseason, spring practice, August practice overall.
16:48
SPEAKER_05: What do you think is this team's biggest area of promise as you've seen them now play three games after the offseason?
16:57
SPEAKER_02: Well, that's a great question.
16:58
SPEAKER_02: Uh you know, I think it's everybody's gonna focus on the quarterback.
17:02
SPEAKER_02: Um and I think as he grows and and this offense evolves, the passing game is gonna get better.
17:10
SPEAKER_02: How quickly does it improve?
17:12
SPEAKER_02: How much better does it get?
17:14
SPEAKER_02: I I don't know, but I think there's real promise there.
17:17
SPEAKER_02: He just a little bit off on a couple things.
17:19
SPEAKER_02: Guys are are getting open, their ability to run the football to create some balance.
17:23
SPEAKER_02: I think it gives you a lot of hope there.
17:26
SPEAKER_02: Defensively, I I really like their their first eleven.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: I I just don't know that they have enough depth.
17:31
SPEAKER_02: I think that's a concern there.
17:33
SPEAKER_02: But the promise for them defensively is how schematically sound they have been.
17:39
SPEAKER_02: We heard when Jim Knowles was hired, you know, when you ask him this question when you sit down with him about the notion that his defense was so complicated to learn.
17:48
SPEAKER_02: And so you think, wait a minute, what what is that?
17:51
SPEAKER_02: The foundation and the base of this defense that they have executed through three games, they have been really schematically sound.
17:59
SPEAKER_02: They have not busted a bunch of things, you've not looked up some guys just running wide open somewhere, or somebody looks completely lost on the field.
18:07
SPEAKER_02: I think that is they're further along than I thought they would be that way.
18:11
SPEAKER_02: I think the question now is how much can he stack stuff on top of that foundation to do some of the creative things he really wants to do?
18:19
SPEAKER_05: What are the remaining unanswered questions you have about this football team?
18:23
SPEAKER_02: Can they be physical for four quarters against quality opponents um in the line of scrimmage?
18:29
SPEAKER_02: It goes back to the depth question on the defensive line.
18:32
SPEAKER_02: Can they hold up week upon week upon week?
18:35
SPEAKER_02: That's where we're gonna find out some of the Derek Owens effect in in year one is how does it how do they manage it all the way through?
18:43
SPEAKER_02: Can they be physical enough uh in the line of scrimmage and can they finish for 60 minutes?
18:49
SPEAKER_02: I think when you look at them defensively, they've not finished in the second half the way that they want to.
18:54
SPEAKER_02: If they're gonna win Saturday, they've got to finish for 60 minutes on defense.
18:58
SPEAKER_02: Offensively, they've got to be able to play 60 full minutes of football that way, and then they have to grow offensively in the passing game.
19:06
SPEAKER_05: Brent Hubb's rejoining us later, but up next on the Mike Keith show, a visit with Vall Basketball player Tyler Lundblade.
19:15
SPEAKER_07: Back with more Big Orange Insider Access, direct to the stores with the voice of the Valls, and you, we are the Vall Network.
19:29
SPEAKER_05: Last season, Tyler Lundblade became the first Belmont basketball player to win the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Year Award.
19:38
SPEAKER_05: As one of the nation's top three-point shooters and the nation's leading free throw shooter, Lunblade was a top priority for many schools when he entered the transfer portal.
19:49
SPEAKER_05: Tennessee was thrilled to land Lundblade, and even though back issues have slowed his offseason, he is rounding into form as the team begins official practice.
19:59
SPEAKER_05: I was thrilled to welcome Tyler Lunblade back to the Mike Keith Show.
20:04
SPEAKER_05: This is Tyler Lundblade, a new vol who's been playing in the volunteer state for some time.
20:10
SPEAKER_05: So he has stopped at pilot before.
20:12
SPEAKER_05: What what are your game day snacks that you're gonna pick up at the pilot?
20:16
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, on the way to the arena.
20:17
SPEAKER_05: Oh, oh, we're even doing your game day snacks.
20:19
SPEAKER_16: Yes, pregame.
20:20
SPEAKER_16: I always have a black coffee and a rice crispy treat.
20:23
SPEAKER_16: That is what I eat and drink as I go into the arena right before warm-ups.
20:27
SPEAKER_05: And you can find those at Pilot quite easily.
20:29
SPEAKER_05: They have quite an assortment, and their coffee is excellent.
20:31
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
20:32
SPEAKER_05: All right, so I want to bring up something that I just found out about you, and uh uh they had to write it down for me.
20:37
SPEAKER_05: Last year, for last season, you were named the D1 AAA Athletic Directors Association Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
20:46
SPEAKER_05: Congratulations.
20:47
SPEAKER_05: Oh, thank you.
20:48
SPEAKER_05: Thank you.
20:48
SPEAKER_16: Yeah.
20:49
SPEAKER_05: What do you attribute that to?
20:51
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, just a lot of hard work.
20:52
SPEAKER_16: I mean, being really diligent with um my time.
20:57
SPEAKER_16: Um school and sport are the two most important things in my life right now as an athlete in in college.
21:03
SPEAKER_16: So being diligent about you know getting ahead before we're going on road trips when we have time on a road trip, like I'm knocking something out.
21:11
SPEAKER_16: Um, and especially here, our academic advisors help us out a lot with that.
21:14
SPEAKER_16: So it's something I'll continue with this year.
21:16
SPEAKER_05: What is your undergraduate degree in?
21:18
SPEAKER_16: Uh business marketing.
21:19
SPEAKER_05: Business marketing.
21:20
SPEAKER_05: And so do you already have a master's?
21:23
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, so in progress.
21:25
SPEAKER_16: My last year at Belmont, I started a a one-year MBA.
21:29
SPEAKER_16: Uh, and I it was a summer or fall, spring, summer program.
21:34
SPEAKER_16: And so I just have the last like three classes of the summer semester left.
21:37
SPEAKER_16: Because when I came here, I couldn't finish it while I was at UT.
21:41
SPEAKER_16: Um, so I'll finish that down the line.
21:43
SPEAKER_16: This year I'm getting an online uh communications master.
21:47
SPEAKER_05: So this is really a great thing overall.
21:49
SPEAKER_05: People talk about the transfer and and all of the things going on in the world.
21:53
SPEAKER_05: But as you leave your college career and go on to whatever the next thing is, having all of the school.
22:01
SPEAKER_05: I mean it's a great thing.
22:02
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, it's incredible.
22:03
SPEAKER_16: Like going into college, if you would have told me I'd, you know, be in my sixth year and had leave school with in three degrees pretty much wrapped up and done.
22:11
SPEAKER_16: Uh, it'd be hard to believe you when I was, you know, but freshman walking into college.
22:17
SPEAKER_05: We are we are not giving up this year of basketball with Tyler Lundblade.
22:20
SPEAKER_05: We're excited about it.
22:21
SPEAKER_05: No, you were a little dinged up during the course of the summer.
22:24
SPEAKER_05: What were you able to work on in that time that you weren't able to practice with the team?
22:28
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, it was a lot of the a lot of the mental reps.
22:31
SPEAKER_16: I feel like I did a really good job of even though I wasn't in practice, I was still out there coaching the guys.
22:36
SPEAKER_16: Um, when Coach Barnes is drawing stuff up on the whiteboard, I'm in the huddles, given, you know, kind of my input of how I see things, and we've had like a lot of really good conversations um about stuff we see on the court.
22:48
SPEAKER_16: And so even though I wasn't out there like grinding with the guys and in the trenches every day in practice, I think it was a really good break for my body to get healthy, um, but also staying like really, really sharp with the mental side of the game.
23:01
SPEAKER_05: What were you able to observe of this team that impressed you most during the course of the summer?
23:08
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, our culture for sure.
23:09
SPEAKER_16: I think I've talked with a lot of people about obviously we brought in a ton of talent this year and we have a really good roster, but the coaches have done such a good job of recruiting the right guys and the guys that want to be here for the right reasons.
23:20
SPEAKER_16: I know when we first talked about like what they told me in my recruiting process was like this is going to be the hardest year of your life.
23:26
SPEAKER_16: And they're honest about it, and the guys that signed up for it wanted to be here for that.
23:30
SPEAKER_16: And so we've had some really hard days in the summer, long days, hard weeks.
23:35
SPEAKER_16: Um, and even starting now in the fall, we've had some hard days.
23:38
SPEAKER_16: Um, and the guys have buy into it, they go through it.
23:42
SPEAKER_16: Um, and we have a really good group of guys, so that's what I'm fired up about.
23:46
SPEAKER_05: With your observations and then with what you know about basketball, where do you see Tyler Lundblade fitting in with this group as we round into the season and really have a chance to look at this team?
23:58
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, I think uh I I have a unique skill set for this team.
24:01
SPEAKER_16: Obviously, being a real a high-level elite floor spacer, being able to shoot the ball, I think it opens up we have so many guys that are so talented in getting into the paint, uh putting pressure on the rim, and having a guy like me out there spacing the floor, I think it just puts defenses in a pickle, uh, trying to pick what you want to take away.
24:18
SPEAKER_16: Uh, and so I think I bring, you know, an aspect that we've definitely missed over the summer while I've been out of having an elite floor spacer, elite shooter on the floor.
24:28
SPEAKER_16: And so I'm excited to bring that back and kind of have the full team, you know, ready to go.
24:33
SPEAKER_05: Is any three too deep for Tyler Lundblade?
24:37
SPEAKER_05: No.
24:38
SPEAKER_05: No, I don't think so.
24:39
SPEAKER_05: You cross half court, you're thinking I'm in range.
24:44
SPEAKER_16: Maybe not the first my first shot attempt of the game, but if I see a couple go in, I don't think anything's off the table.
24:50
SPEAKER_05: Are you conscious when you're shooting like that?
24:52
SPEAKER_05: Are you conscious I'm 29 feet from the basket?
24:56
SPEAKER_16: No.
24:56
SPEAKER_16: Um over my my two years at Belmont, I think I really got adjusted to like caring less and less about where I am on the floor, if that makes sense.
25:07
SPEAKER_16: Like when I have if I'm rolling, like and I have an open window, like it's going up and uh credits to my coaches at Belmont, they gave me the confidence and the freedom and the leeway to to take shots like that.
25:17
SPEAKER_16: Um and I work on them every single day.
25:19
SPEAKER_16: Like I'm I'm shooting from 35 feet away in my workouts every single day.
25:24
SPEAKER_16: Um I don't want to rely on those, but if I if it's rolling and I feel like it's a good look, and I'm not honestly, I'm not thinking about it when I put it up.
25:32
SPEAKER_16: Um I think it's a good shot.
25:35
SPEAKER_05: Who among your teammates also impresses you shooting the three?
25:40
SPEAKER_16: I think Terrence has surprised me a little bit.
25:42
SPEAKER_16: I knew I knew he could shoot it, um, but there's some like there's been a lot of days in practice where it's it's a lot of net and not a lot of rim.
25:50
SPEAKER_16: And uh he's definitely we worked out together a bunch in the summer, and uh, but you know, being able to, I guess, sit back and watch from a distance during the live portions of practice during the summer, uh, he's definitely got it kind of caught me off guard of okay, this guy can really shoot the ball.
26:04
SPEAKER_05: So Terrence Hill is the guy who could play with Tyler Lundblade in a game of horse.
26:10
SPEAKER_16: Yeah.
26:11
SPEAKER_16: He'll tell you he'd probably beat me.
26:12
SPEAKER_05: So But you love that.
26:14
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, it's what you want.
26:15
SPEAKER_05: Um the the thing about the 3-2 is when you really shoot the three-pointer well, and if teams have to start picking you up, you know, towards half court, suddenly it opens up a lot of things going toward the paint, and you get better looks from two.
26:34
SPEAKER_05: Is that what you're sensing this offense can be?
26:37
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, for sure.
26:38
SPEAKER_16: Um, that's one thing I faced a lot at Belmont where there were games where I had to just accept that the other eight guys on the court were just gonna play four on four because I had a guy in my chest the whole game picking me up at half court.
26:50
SPEAKER_16: And so I love that with this team.
26:53
SPEAKER_16: Like with so much with so many talented wings and guards.
26:57
SPEAKER_16: Like, if teams, if that's the choice that they want to make, if they want to play four on four, like have fun guarding R4 in space, you know.
27:04
SPEAKER_16: Um, and so I think we've definitely seen that in practice.
27:08
SPEAKER_16: Um, when guys like Terrence and Juke have gotten hot, like that gap becomes a little bit bigger because you guys are you're staying attached at the three-point line, and now you know our big man's rolling down the lane for an open dunk with no tag or guys are getting in the paint.
27:22
SPEAKER_16: Um, and so yeah, that's definitely the the kind of the direction this offense can offense can go with with how much talent we've got.
27:28
SPEAKER_05: All right, you're a little older.
27:30
SPEAKER_05: You've seen a couple things playing basketball, but I don't get the sense that you've ever been in a lot of the arenas, especially Food City Center, like what you're gonna experience this year.
27:42
SPEAKER_05: How excited is Tyler Lundblade for that?
27:44
SPEAKER_16: Yeah, I'm I that's why I came here.
27:48
SPEAKER_16: Um, you know, there's some like the Missouri Valley is a great league, but you're not playing in front of I mean, I think the biggest crowd I probably saw was like 7,500 or 9,000.
27:58
SPEAKER_05: And uh and those places are rocking.
28:00
SPEAKER_05: They're awesome.
28:01
SPEAKER_05: No shade to them.
28:03
SPEAKER_16: Small venues that are packed out, but it's it's not like playing in Food City Center or going to RUP or you know, Memorial or some of these places uh that we're gonna go this year.
28:13
SPEAKER_16: And so I'm I'm fired up about it.
28:15
SPEAKER_08: It's time for the Rackley Roofing recap.
28:18
SPEAKER_08: Rackley Roofing, transforming the roofing industry and the proud official roofer of the Tennessee Volunteers.
28:25
SPEAKER_15: Hey Vall Nation, it's Sarah Doubtweiler, and it's time now for the Rackley Roofing recap.
28:30
SPEAKER_15: The number 14 Tennessee football team closed out its non-conference slate with a dominant 42-9 victory over Kennesaw State Saturday at Milan Stadium.
28:40
SPEAKER_15: The Vols racked up 268 yards on the ground, led by Dewan Morris, who turned in a career night with 116 rushing yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.
28:51
SPEAKER_15: The win moved Tennessee to 3-0 to start the season and marked their 21st regular season non-conference victory.
28:59
SPEAKER_15: Elsewhere, the number 16 Tennessee volleyball team had a perfect weekend up in Happy Valley, sweeping USF Saturday before taking down number nine Penn State in four sets on Sunday.
29:12
SPEAKER_15: Kennedy Rogers tied her career high with 21 kills in the win over the Nittany Lions.
29:21
SPEAKER_15: Tennessee's first top ten road win since 2011.
29:26
SPEAKER_15: Number eight Tennessee Soccer also remains unbeaten, fouling back for a 2-2 draw at Texas Friday night to move to 6-0 and 2 on the season.
29:47
SPEAKER_15: That was the Rackley Roofing recap.
29:49
SPEAKER_15: Rackley Roofing, transforming the roofing industry and the proud official roofer of the Tennessee Volunteers.
29:56
SPEAKER_13: You're one-on-one with Mike Key, sponsored by Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee Volunteers.
30:03
SPEAKER_13: By Farm Bureau Insurance, the official insurance of the vault, Tennessee Insurance for Tennessee Life.
30:09
SPEAKER_13: By First Horizon, Big Bank Hustle, Small Bank Hustle.
30:14
SPEAKER_13: By Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
30:17
SPEAKER_13: See you out here.
30:18
SPEAKER_13: By Rackley Roofing, let us fix your lead, the proud official roofer of the big horns.
30:24
SPEAKER_13: And by UT Medical, the official healthcare provider of the vault.
30:29
SPEAKER_03: Valvoleen Instant Oil Change Technicians train hard.
30:33
SPEAKER_03: As a proud sponsor of the Tennessee Volunteer, we gave this work off a chemist, owning their speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
30:44
SPEAKER_03: To be a temperature, you have to train like one.
30:53
SPEAKER_03: Valvoleen instead oil chain.
30:56
SPEAKER_03: Expert 20.
31:02
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
31:10
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
31:12
SPEAKER_06: I should drive.
31:17
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
31:20
SPEAKER_06: I should protect it out.
31:28
SPEAKER_06: We get out of here.
31:32
SPEAKER_12: Sometimes it's not just protecting the quarterback.
31:35
SPEAKER_12: Sometimes it's holding the line.
31:37
SPEAKER_12: Sometimes it's there to know what's good.
31:40
SPEAKER_12: We protect each other.
31:42
SPEAKER_12: We prepare to stay ready.
31:43
SPEAKER_12: Protect it like different, depending on where you stay.
31:46
SPEAKER_12: Whether it's protecting the quarterback or protecting what matters at home, the responsibility is to save Best Five methods.
31:53
SPEAKER_12: Designed to inspire, made to protect, driven, disturbed.
31:59
SPEAKER_00: Being at the Vols game saved my life.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: It was a normal day going to the game with my son, but this time it felt like a sledgehammer hit my chest.
32:09
SPEAKER_00: The UT medical team knew exactly what they needed to do and just kept me calm throughout the process.
32:15
SPEAKER_00: It was probably the most serious heart attack that you could have.
32:19
SPEAKER_00: The team took care of me, worked quickly, efficiently, and I did catch the end of the game.
32:25
SPEAKER_09: These are the stories of the region's academic health system.
32:30
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33:35
SPEAKER_19: When you need help with auto, some peace of mind for your home.
34:12
SPEAKER_05: Like several of Tennessee's transfer portal editions, Norman got to Knoxville in a very roundabout way.
34:19
SPEAKER_05: Jordan Norman recently sat down to explain his path to the Tennessee defensive line.
34:26
SPEAKER_05: I want to ask you about your background.
34:29
SPEAKER_05: From Hoover, I played at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.
34:33
SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
34:33
SPEAKER_05: Is that where you grew up?
34:34
SPEAKER_10: No, I'm from Burnham originally, but I moved to Hoover.
34:38
SPEAKER_05: Moved to Hoover?
34:38
SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
34:39
SPEAKER_05: So you played there and were you a defensive lineman there too?
34:44
SPEAKER_05: I was.
34:44
SPEAKER_05: Okay, so you're 240 something at that point?
34:48
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
34:48
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
34:49
SPEAKER_05: How did you end up at South Alabama?
34:52
SPEAKER_10: Uh it was really my connection with the coaches that I had.
34:55
SPEAKER_10: I felt like I had a strong connection with all my coaches compared to any of the other colleges that I had uh, you know, in mind.
35:03
SPEAKER_10: So that's what really you know persuaded me to go there.
35:05
SPEAKER_10: And it was it was far, but it wasn't too far from home.
35:09
SPEAKER_05: You know what I mean?
35:09
SPEAKER_10: Only three hours.
35:10
SPEAKER_05: So going to Mobile, yeah.
35:12
SPEAKER_05: Getting far enough away.
35:13
SPEAKER_05: Uh you're there a couple years.
35:15
SPEAKER_05: What leads you from South Alabama to Tulane?
35:19
SPEAKER_10: Oh honestly, the defensive scheme, like uh I knew like I was more of a five tech, nine-tech type type guy.
35:28
SPEAKER_10: So in South Alabama, we ran the three mass, so I was in a four eye, so that's what really made me.
35:34
SPEAKER_10: And I wanted to really explore my options.
35:36
SPEAKER_10: You know, I felt like it was something bigger for me.
35:38
SPEAKER_05: So uh what you're saying in football terms, and correct me if I'm wrong, is you're a true defensive lineman, not an outside linebacker.
35:46
SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
35:47
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
35:47
SPEAKER_05: Uh by that time you'd gained how much weight?
35:50
SPEAKER_10: I would say when I was still at South, I was around 250.
35:55
SPEAKER_10: Around 250.
35:56
SPEAKER_05: Okay, so then you go to you go to Tulane.
35:59
SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
36:00
SPEAKER_10: Put on put on a little weight?
36:01
SPEAKER_10: Just a little bit, not too much.
36:03
SPEAKER_10: Maybe I'll go to 254 or 255.
36:07
SPEAKER_05: So you're in that range.
36:08
SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
36:08
SPEAKER_05: All right, so let's get you to Tennessee now.
36:11
SPEAKER_05: So you end up in the transfer portal in January.
36:14
SPEAKER_05: You pick Tennessee, why?
36:17
SPEAKER_10: Uh, Coach G.
36:19
SPEAKER_10: I can Rodney Garner.
36:21
SPEAKER_10: Coach G, fan base, and honestly, the culture here.
36:25
SPEAKER_10: Like, I've always I took a visit in high school to Tennessee, and it wasn't even like a big game, it was a little game, and it was still sold out, and that really, you know, surprised me.
36:35
SPEAKER_10: And like I was just walking around the stadium, I got random, you know, fans coming up to me telling me come to Tennessee.
36:41
SPEAKER_10: So I've always felt that, you know, love.
36:43
SPEAKER_10: I've always felt that love.
36:45
SPEAKER_05: When you were being recruited to Tennessee from a football standpoint, from what they were gonna ask Jordan Norman to do here, what appealed to you about Rod D.
36:54
SPEAKER_05: Garner and Tennessee's pitch?
36:56
SPEAKER_10: They was gonna have me on the edge.
36:57
SPEAKER_10: Like I said, like I I've always been like kind of like inside the line, but like here they was they had a plan to keep me on the edge and allow me to rush like how I want to rush.
37:08
SPEAKER_05: So that was my how have you improved physically since you've been here in order to play that position?
37:14
SPEAKER_10: Well, Dio, uh he's he's really that guy.
37:17
SPEAKER_10: Now I'm around 265, 270, but I'm still moving like I'm 240.
37:23
SPEAKER_10: So I feel like that's uh you know, that's a big thing.
37:25
SPEAKER_10: Like even my old teammates, they'd be like, Y'all taking steroids up there, there's no way you got that big.
37:31
SPEAKER_10: I was like, nah, that's just our strength coach, he's he's he's good.
37:35
SPEAKER_05: And you're still running well.
37:36
SPEAKER_10: Yes, sir.
37:37
SPEAKER_05: Um so far, you you didn't play a lot in the Furman game, but you had a chance to to play in the Georgia Tech game and you had some success, you had your first sack.
37:48
SPEAKER_05: How are you sort of starting to factor into all of this?
37:52
SPEAKER_10: Uh it's really just putting all the pieces, you know, together and like one thing I say that I did Georgia Tech game, I just like cleared my mind and just played ball.
38:03
SPEAKER_10: I feel like that's where I'm best at.
38:05
SPEAKER_10: And you know, I got the sack on that play, and even before that, the play before that, I got that pressure.
38:10
SPEAKER_10: So yeah.
38:11
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you were starting to get a beat on things.
38:14
SPEAKER_05: And from the football IQ standpoint, how much have you improved since you got to Tennessee?
38:21
SPEAKER_10: Oh, I've proved a lot.
38:22
SPEAKER_10: G's taught me, G and Jax, they've taught me a lot, you know, that I need to know, and things like what scouts are asked at the next level, you know, how they run things, you know, how they maneuver.
38:33
SPEAKER_10: So they they've taught me a lot.
38:34
SPEAKER_05: When you say how they maneuver, tell me what that means.
38:37
SPEAKER_10: Just like how they practice, how meetings go, you know.
38:41
SPEAKER_10: I know what G always say, if you touch a quarterback in the in the NFL level, you you can get cut, you know.
38:47
SPEAKER_10: So like just little things like that that, you know, they could they're putting in our heads right now compared to some other guys who get there and they don't know that, but it's like we already know.
38:57
SPEAKER_05: What's your goal for the rest of the season?
39:00
SPEAKER_10: Uh my goal, personal goal for the season, at least 10 sacks.
39:04
SPEAKER_05: 10 sacks, you want double digits.
39:06
SPEAKER_10: I want double digits.
39:07
SPEAKER_10: I want double digits.
39:08
SPEAKER_10: I was at six last year and yeah, I'm trying to get to double digits this year.
39:12
SPEAKER_05: With the bunch that you have up front, you know, if you're gonna get double digits sacks, you generally have to have some good players with you up front.
39:19
SPEAKER_05: You've got some other guys that can get to the quarterback.
39:22
SPEAKER_05: Who do you like to watch as you as you look at tape?
39:25
SPEAKER_05: Who on your team do you like to watch and and see different things?
39:29
SPEAKER_10: I would say two guys, Buddha and X.
39:33
SPEAKER_10: Buddha is uh Marion Dye.
39:35
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
39:36
SPEAKER_10: Yeah.
39:36
SPEAKER_10: That's my bad.
39:37
SPEAKER_10: That's like that.
39:38
SPEAKER_10: That's okay.
39:38
SPEAKER_05: That's okay.
39:39
SPEAKER_05: So Marion Dye has been off to a great start.
39:42
SPEAKER_05: What do you love about him?
39:43
SPEAKER_10: Uh he's a real young guy who has a very bright future.
39:47
SPEAKER_10: You know, with his size, he's like I say, maybe two inches taller than me, his arm length.
39:53
SPEAKER_10: He the sky's the limit for him.
39:55
SPEAKER_10: You know, he keeps working and keeps doing what he's doing.
39:57
SPEAKER_10: He's gonna be gonna be well off.
39:59
SPEAKER_05: Xavier Gilliam.
40:00
SPEAKER_10: Xavier Gilliam is uh he's an animal.
40:02
SPEAKER_10: He's an animal.
40:03
SPEAKER_10: He's one of those big stocky, you know, D tech uh defensive uh linemen who, you know, you hate to go against.
40:11
SPEAKER_10: You know, he gets your hands on you, it's basically over from there.
40:14
SPEAKER_10: And he can pass rush too.
40:16
SPEAKER_05: You guys are having some fun in that defense.
40:18
SPEAKER_05: Uh that's very fine.
40:19
SPEAKER_05: All right.
40:21
SPEAKER_05: All right, good talk with Jordan Norman.
40:23
SPEAKER_05: Brent Hobbs is back as promised.
40:26
SPEAKER_05: How hard was it for Tennessee to land Jordan Norman?
40:29
SPEAKER_02: You know, it it didn't feel like it was just all of that that hard to land him ultimately.
40:36
SPEAKER_02: That's a guy Tennessee targeted, that's a guy Tennessee liked and went heavily after in the portal uh as he talked about his journey to getting to Tennessee.
40:44
SPEAKER_02: He's had multiple stops there.
40:46
SPEAKER_02: Uh but he he's a he's a guy who Rodney Garner liked because I think Rodney Garner felt like he could be a multi-down player.
40:54
SPEAKER_02: He wasn't just a pass rusher, that was his strength, but he could make him into a multi-down player that he could play the run better.
41:01
SPEAKER_02: I think they've kind of eased him along here, which has helped him get his feet wet.
41:06
SPEAKER_02: It's probably been a little frustrating for him at times.
41:08
SPEAKER_02: But he's a guy that back in spring everybody went, yeah, okay, well, we think we got one here.
41:12
SPEAKER_02: We think this is a good get.
41:13
SPEAKER_02: In fall camp, he's done those things, and then obviously uh he's getting better and better each week with his ability to rush the passer.
41:21
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but I think he's getting better in understanding leverage and playing the edge and setting the edge and some of those things uh in a new system that's different than what he played at Tulane.
41:30
SPEAKER_05: And they're managing his load a little bit.
41:32
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think so.
41:33
SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, I think it's again, I don't want to overwhelm him with too much stuff.
41:38
SPEAKER_02: What does he do well?
41:39
SPEAKER_02: Let's play to his strength right now and build on that.
41:42
SPEAKER_02: You know, that's a guy that there was some talk, where are you gonna play him when you get him?
41:46
SPEAKER_02: He was gonna he was a big kid.
41:48
SPEAKER_02: What's he gonna go to?
41:49
SPEAKER_02: He's one of the few they asked to lose some weight in the offseason because they wanted to make sure he could stay out on the edge and play defensive end because of their need at that position to rush the quarterback.
42:00
SPEAKER_02: I think he is growing in his rush skills as an edge guy and using his hands better.
42:06
SPEAKER_02: But yeah, I mean, I do think they're managing him.
42:09
SPEAKER_02: Um, but I think you're gonna see that build more and more.
42:12
SPEAKER_02: You know, he didn't play but fifteen snaps, I think, in the opener.
42:15
SPEAKER_02: Then he played almost double that when you get to Georgia Tech, and then he played more in the Kennesaw State game.
42:21
SPEAKER_02: He'll have to play a big number of snaps and a big role for Tennessee to start SEC play against Texas, but all the way through the season as well.
42:28
SPEAKER_02: What is impressing Brett Hubs about Tennessee's transfer portal class?
42:32
SPEAKER_02: Uh just the just the impact that they're making.
42:35
SPEAKER_02: You know, when you when you make that investment in the transfer portal, you're hoping you have two ways to go.
42:40
SPEAKER_02: One, you're building your roster with it.
42:42
SPEAKER_02: If you got to go big big volume numbers, man, you're just building all these depth pieces.
42:46
SPEAKER_02: If you're target specific, which is where you want to be in the portal, those targets have to hit.
42:50
SPEAKER_02: They have to do well.
42:51
SPEAKER_02: And I think when you look at what they're getting out of the transfer portal on the defensive side of the ball, you expected those guys to play and make an impact because they were already in Jim Knowles' system.
43:03
SPEAKER_02: Amari Campbell, DeJon Lane, Xavier Gilliam.
43:06
SPEAKER_02: But everybody's forgetting about Kay and Lee and what he's doing right now.
43:10
SPEAKER_02: Quay Moss and his impact.
43:12
SPEAKER_02: Those guys will be tested Saturday like they haven't been tested before.
43:15
SPEAKER_02: But I think Quay Moss is playing well for Tennessee defensively, tackling well in the open field, being in the right spots, playing fast.
43:23
SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, I think Kay and Lee's a guy that they targeted.
43:26
SPEAKER_02: This staff said we have to have a corner.
43:28
SPEAKER_02: We want that corner.
43:30
SPEAKER_02: Go get that corner done.
43:32
SPEAKER_02: And and they did.
43:33
SPEAKER_02: He was priority for them.
43:34
SPEAKER_02: So I think the impact on the defensive side when you're trying to overhaul and change that is obviously showing up not just with the Penn State players, but I think also when you look at those guys in the secondary and throw Jordan Norman in there, who we've already talked about.
43:46
SPEAKER_05: Prognosticator Brett Hub.
43:48
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
43:49
SPEAKER_05: Twenty portal additions for this football team.
43:54
SPEAKER_05: Will Tennessee go that heavily into the portal most years?
43:58
SPEAKER_02: I think it all depends.
44:00
SPEAKER_02: On the youth of your team and what your retention rate and what you want your retention rate to be of that team.
44:06
SPEAKER_02: And I know you're going to look at me and go, well, that's a cop-out answer.
44:08
SPEAKER_02: But it's really not because it's different every year.
44:12
SPEAKER_02: You have a bunch of sophomores on this football team right now.
44:15
SPEAKER_02: I think you talked about it on the broadcast.
44:16
SPEAKER_02: Here come the sophomores on the defensive line.
44:19
SPEAKER_02: Do you want all those sophomores back?
44:21
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
44:22
SPEAKER_02: If you do and you bring that group back along with those freshmen, maybe you're not as heavy in that position as you would be if you were playing with a bunch of juniors and seniors there.
44:32
SPEAKER_02: You know, on the offensive line, what are you going to look like?
44:35
SPEAKER_02: Where are you going to be there?
44:36
SPEAKER_02: So I think it's going to vary year to year.
44:40
SPEAKER_02: I do think we're living in a world where the days of signing 25 out of high school, uh, as we've talked about on the show before, are don't make as much sense as it once did.
44:51
SPEAKER_02: Now you target impact guys out of high school and then you go to the portal and fill specific needs.
44:57
SPEAKER_02: Because much like coaches say it's a week-to-week league from a roster build standpoint, with the portal being the way it is as a one-time you can transfer every year deal, it's a year-to-year roster build.
45:10
SPEAKER_02: For years you and I covered recruiting, and it was two years down the road.
45:13
SPEAKER_02: We're projecting three years down.
45:15
SPEAKER_02: You're not projecting now.
45:16
SPEAKER_02: It is a year-to-year roster build, which makes it harder and doesn't make as much sense to go sign 25 players every year out of the high school ranks.
45:24
SPEAKER_05: Brent Hubb's hot take is next on the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats.
45:29
SPEAKER_05: Stay tuned.
45:30
SPEAKER_07: Mike Keith, Mike Key, Mike Keith, back with more Big Orange Insider Access.
45:35
SPEAKER_07: We are the Ball Network.
45:41
SPEAKER_05: Time now for Brent Hubb's hot take presented by Firehouse Sub.
45:46
SPEAKER_05: Can't wait for this.
45:48
SPEAKER_02: I got the last one at weeks right.
45:49
SPEAKER_02: You did.
45:50
SPEAKER_02: I finally got one right.
45:51
SPEAKER_02: You did.
45:52
SPEAKER_02: Um, my hot take this week is that Braylon Staley finds the end zone for the third straight week.
45:56
SPEAKER_02: Uh that's going to be my hot take, is that they they will find a way to get him the ball more and more, but I think he finds the end zone uh in this game and in this matchup.
46:05
SPEAKER_02: So that's my hot take.
46:06
SPEAKER_05: It was a very interesting sort of circle of plays where he gets hit from behind by a defensive lineman on a play that could have been a penalty.
46:16
SPEAKER_05: He's down on the field, and everybody's like, oh no.
46:19
SPEAKER_05: He goes out, he comes back in, and he immediately catches the touchdown against Kennesaw State.
46:24
SPEAKER_02: He does on a good outcut, good out pattern.
46:26
SPEAKER_02: He bobbled the ball a little bit, didn't catch it as clean as he would like, would have had a second one had the ball placement been better on the other.
46:32
SPEAKER_02: I think you're seeing the chemistry with him and Faison Brandon continue to build.
46:38
SPEAKER_02: I think there's a lot more confidence in everybody knowing where they're supposed to be.
46:42
SPEAKER_02: He's Tennessee's gonna have to do some things throwing the football this week, and he's gonna have to be a big part of that.
46:47
SPEAKER_05: All right, so at VallQuest.com, we know you've got the generals quarters.
46:51
SPEAKER_05: You talk to ball fans.
46:53
SPEAKER_05: I love to read all the comments and the questions.
46:55
SPEAKER_05: Where are Tennessee fans most focused this week as the balls get ready to host Texas, the number one team in the country?
47:02
SPEAKER_02: I think it's in the line of scrimmage.
47:03
SPEAKER_02: Can can Tennessee hold up on the offensive line in the line of scrimmage?
47:06
SPEAKER_02: Tennessee's run for nearly 900 yards.
47:09
SPEAKER_02: Looks good.
47:10
SPEAKER_02: Everything looks good on paper.
47:12
SPEAKER_02: They don't exactly always pass the eyeball test, but we don't always know what they're being asked to do.
47:17
SPEAKER_02: So the question is, how good is this Tennessee offensive line?
47:21
SPEAKER_02: We're getting ready to find out.
47:22
SPEAKER_05: We are getting ready to find out.
47:24
SPEAKER_05: All right, so you've done this for quite a while.
47:26
SPEAKER_05: You followed it as a young man having grown up here.
47:30
SPEAKER_05: Overall, what's the best part of a week like this for Brett Hubs, even as long as you've done it?
47:35
SPEAKER_02: I just think that I think you'd love but you love matchups, you love quality games.
47:40
SPEAKER_02: And no offense to the games that have been played already this season.
47:44
SPEAKER_02: But but the the intrigue, the excitement builds all week long.
47:48
SPEAKER_02: Nobody's looking ahead to this to the schedule, like, okay, when's this one coming to town, or what's that two weeks down the road?
47:55
SPEAKER_02: You really are living in in that moment, and there's an excitement when a team of this caliber comes to town, a team that has a great history in their own right of football tradition that's not played here.
48:07
SPEAKER_02: Um I just think that it brings intensity, interest level.
48:12
SPEAKER_02: You're now looking at all the different numbers and the different matchups that way, instead of, well, what are you trying to accomplish this week?
48:20
SPEAKER_02: It's about how do you win the game this week.
48:22
SPEAKER_02: So that the whole buildup and the what you dive into in a game like this is very different than non-conference games or payday games, if you will.
48:30
SPEAKER_02: That's what makes it exciting.
48:32
SPEAKER_05: I love that this schedule has fallen in a way that Tennessee has played their three non-conference games, and now you turn the page completely to conference.
48:40
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm not sure the head coach would agree with you on that one, but I I'm with you.
48:44
SPEAKER_02: I mean, now and and again, we learned this last week, and it's the truest thing coaches say.
48:49
SPEAKER_02: It's literally a week-to-week league because it can get turned on its head from one week to the other.
48:54
SPEAKER_02: I mean, nobody had Kentucky going to AM and winning that football game.
48:57
SPEAKER_02: So you better be ready to play.
49:00
SPEAKER_02: From a coach standpoint, emotionally you should be able to get your team ready to play because you're playing conference games.
49:07
SPEAKER_02: How do you manage your team throughout the season?
49:10
SPEAKER_02: When have they had enough?
49:11
SPEAKER_02: When do they need a little respite?
49:13
SPEAKER_02: How do you how do you manage game week all the way through to get you to this point?
49:18
SPEAKER_02: I like the fact that it's high intensity from here the rest of the way.
49:22
SPEAKER_02: From a writer standpoint and a broadcaster standpoint, you love that aspect of it more than anything.
49:29
SPEAKER_08: Here's a look at the Uber Eats delivery of the game.
49:50
SPEAKER_05: 40, 30, 20, 20, goodness, didn't he go to the 40 to the running?
50:09
SPEAKER_01: Perfect blank lemon is coming up lemonade.
50:16
SPEAKER_01: And great job about Morris man taking it up for now, showing off his feet, get to the end zone for Tennessee touchdown.
50:23
SPEAKER_05: Some notes before we go.
50:24
SPEAKER_05: If you're headed to Knoxville early for Tennessee, Texas football on Saturday, why not catch Tennessee, Texas volleyball on Friday night at Food City Center?
50:35
SPEAKER_05: Lady Vols have some real momentum following an upset win at ninth ranked Penn State over the weekend.
50:41
SPEAKER_05: Texas comes into this match, number seven in the country.
50:45
SPEAKER_05: First serve scheduled for seven o'clock Eastern.
50:48
SPEAKER_05: Vol fans excited about Checker Nealin for Saturday's game.
50:52
SPEAKER_05: The overall plan has been flipped from the past, so visit checkernealon.com to see if your seat location will be in an orange or white section.
51:03
SPEAKER_05: Another reminder that Tennessee and Texas kick off at noon Eastern, Saturday at Nealin Stadium.
51:11
SPEAKER_05: Gates open at 9.30, vol walk at 9.45.
51:15
SPEAKER_05: The Pride of the Southland Band's march to the stadium will take place at 10.20.
51:20
SPEAKER_05: Game time has been announced for Tennessee's October 3rd contest with Auburn.
51:25
SPEAKER_05: It'll be a 3.30 Eastern time kickoff.
51:28
SPEAKER_05: That game will feature the Vols in their smoky gray uniforms, which honor the 100th anniversary of General Robert Nealand's first Tennessee team.
51:37
SPEAKER_05: On the next Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats, we introduce you to two of the newest Tennessee basketball players, Lady Vall Jada Eads, and Terrence Hill.
51:48
SPEAKER_05: Vol fans will be proud to learn that due to a partnership with United Way of Greater Knoxville and the University of Tennessee, leftover food does not go to waste.
51:58
SPEAKER_05: Our Alexi Cowan will have that story.
52:00
SPEAKER_05: Former Tennessee wide receiver Jason Swain is settling right in as the Ball Network's color analyst.
52:06
SPEAKER_05: Andy Brock has how Twain has risen up the ball network broadcast live.
52:11
SPEAKER_05: For our fine staff here, thanks for joining us, and we'll see you next time.
52:17
SPEAKER_07: All week long to the latest from the Tennessee campus, Mike Teeth Show, online, delivered by Uber East Queen, the Fall Network.