Latest / The Mike Keith Show / The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, XAVIER GILLIAM, BRENT HUBBS (9.7.26)

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The Mike Keith Show | JOSH HEUPEL, XAVIER GILLIAM, BRENT HUBBS (9.7.26) · The Mike Keith Show

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_04: From the peaks of the smokies to the banks of the Mississippi.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_04: This is your home for the University of Tennessee.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_04: This is the Vall Network.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_04: Inside Access, behind the scenes.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_04: From Rocky Top, direct from the coaches.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_04: Inside from the players, the inside track.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_04: Mike Keith starts now.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_05: So glad to have you with us for the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_05: Its balls come off a 56-9 win over Furman on Saturday.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_05: This is head coach Josh Heipel, presented by Calhoun's.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_05: As you watch the tape, did he do something that maybe you thought he did even better than in person on Saturday?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_17: I don't know if it was better than what I saw in person.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_17: I thought he was really sound in his decision making.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_17: He'd like to be in a better fundamental position to be accurate.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_17: We had one read where wide receiver and quarterback weren't on the same page.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_17: Other than that, played uh played really sound, really smart football.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_05: Anyone else that you saw on tape that maybe jumped out to you more than what you initially thought?
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_17: Um I thought all of our running backs um played extremely well, uh pad level, uh DeWan Morris, uh Justin Baker.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_17: Obviously Bake had the one long run, but I thought uh all of them played extremely well.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_17: Uh and they did a good job without the ball in their hands, too.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_05: In our talk on Friday, I said, hey, you got to feel good about all three running backs.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_05: You quickly corrected me, said we feel good about all four running backs.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_05: Speaking about Justin Baker as the fourth, his offseason, so strong, not a surprise to the staff that he would have the game he did on Saturday.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, you you look at his body of work uh from January, uh the consummate pro.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_17: Very similar to Bishop in his approach of how he comes into the building every day, the way that he takes care of his body, the nutrition side of it.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_17: Uh had a tremendous offseason uh and is playing really good football through spring ball training camp.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_17: And uh we felt really good about what he had uh put on tape.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_17: And um, you know, Saturday gets an opportunity, and uh obviously everybody sees the long run does a great job um on that play, but uh we love the way that he's playing right now.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_05: Injuries to some slots and backup positions, freshman Tyreek King from here in Knoxville gonna have a chance to step forward.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_05: What do you like so much about Tyreek King's potential?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, dynamic playmaker, uh extremely explosive, um you know, on the snap.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_17: He can get to top speed extremely quickly, uh, very loose, uh, has great change of direction, uh, has good strong hands uh over the middle of the football field, too.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_17: So a young guy that uh we've applied pressure to uh once he got here in in uh in late May, um certainly he understands the urgency now if he didn't beforehand of uh being prepared uh to to go play.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_17: And uh it's again a point that I made to our football team on Monday.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_17: Um you don't know when your opportunity is coming, you better be prepared in a span of two plays.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_17: We lose a couple of slots here, uh one for the season, one we hope to have back really quickly, but uh it can change really quickly.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_05: All right, so let me ask you about defense.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_05: The big the biggest thing you look for in game one in most situations is tackling.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_05: Were you pretty pleased with the tackling overall?
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_17: I was with our ones.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_17: Um, you know, there's a couple of missed tackles out on the perimeter uh where we're a little bit out of position just uh as we're chasing the football.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_17: Uh I thought the the style of tackling that we were trying to use um and uh the fundamentals were pretty sound for the most part.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_17: Uh when the twos and threes got in the football game, there's some areas of improvement there that we need to to make a jump.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_05: What kind of lift will it give this defense to have Ariane Carter back this week?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, uh a great communicator, great leader, um, and a really good football player, too.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_17: So uh to have him back uh in the middle uh controlling everything, uh everybody's extremely excited.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_05: And gives you even more versatility with those linebackers overall.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, the ability to rotate and and play more of those guys, um, keep them fresh.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_05: First, look at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_05: What are your thoughts?
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, uh, you know, obviously lose a heartbreaker uh at home.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_17: Um they've had a couple extra days of preparation, uh, know the purpose that they're gonna have in their preparation to play great football.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_17: Uh, first time that we've been down there inside of that stadium, I think close to 40 years.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_17: We've got I think close to 20 guys that are from the Atlanta area.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_17: Uh it should be a great contest, great um atmosphere.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_17: Um we have to win with physicality this week.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_17: Uh we know what we're getting on the other side of the line of scrimmages.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_05: Week one to week two, the big jump for every football team at every single level.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_05: Specific things you want to see your team get better at this week.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_17: Yeah, it can be uh the biggest jump, um, but that only comes because of the purpose and the way that you prepare and work.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_17: Uh today, um, coming into the building, guys taking accountability uh for what they see on tape, the improvements that we need to make.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_17: Sometimes um the issues that are small don't show up uh in a game like last Saturday, uh where you're uh physically a little bit bigger, faster, whatever it might be, uh heading into Saturday nights contest, light competition, uh, you know that those things are gonna matter.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_17: So the importance of our our preparation and practicing the right habits to be in the right position.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_05: Coach Josh Heipel with us on the Mike Keith Show, presented by Calhoun, a taste of Tennessee.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_06: It's time for the Rackley Roofing recap.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_06: Rackley Roofing, transforming the roofing industry and the proud official roofer of the Tennessee Volunteers.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_12: Tennessee football opened with a big win against Furman on Saturday, beating them 56-9.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_12: Freshman quarterback Faison Brandon was fantastic in his debut.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_12: He passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more, tying a freshman record.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_12: Wide receiver Mike Matthews was his go-to target, hauling in a pair of 50-yard touchdowns and recording a career best 132 receiving yards.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_12: Defensively, Tennessee's defense sacked Furman six times, three of which came from Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_12: The first ball with three sacks in a game since 2018.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_12: Elsewhere, Tennessee soccer and volleyball both got big non-conference wins on Sunday.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_12: The number 10 Tennessee soccer team closed its six-match non-conference schedule unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon at Regal Soccer Stadium.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_12: The number 10 Tennessee soccer team closed its six-match non-conference schedule unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon at Regal at Regal Soccer Stadium.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_12: The Lady Vols found the game's lone goal from a penalty spot in the 12th minute as Ines Darien converted the attempt for her first goal of the season.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_12: The number 22 Tennessee volleyball team continued its unbeaten start to the season, sweeping number 21 Indiana at Bridgestone Arena as part of the Broadway block party.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_12: The win was Tennessee's fifth straight sweep to begin the season.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_12: The victory marks the third time in program history that the Ladyballs have begun the season with five consecutive sweeps, with its last occurring in 2010.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_12: Kennedy Rogers led the offensive effort again, putting up 19 kills for her fourth double-digit kills performance to begin the season.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_04: This is the Mike Keith Show.
• 8:07
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• 8:10
  SPEAKER_09: Today's show sponsored by Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_09: See you out here by First Horizon, Big Bank Muscle, Small Bank Hustle, by Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee Volunteers.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_09: Bradley Roofing, let us fix your lead, the proud official roofer of the Big Horns.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_09: By Farm Bureau Insurance, the official insurance of the vault.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_09: Tennessee insurance for Tennessee Life.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: Being at the Vault game saved my life.
• 8:44
  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.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: The UT medical team knew exactly what they needed to do and just kept me calm throughout the process.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_01: It was probably the most serious heart attack that you could have.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_01: The team took care of me, worked quickly, efficiently, and I did catch the end of the game.
• 9:08
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• 9:14
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• 10:03
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• 10:06
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• 10:12
  SPEAKER_07: The future isn't only about what we build.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_07: That's the power of natural gas, helping deliver reliable, efficient energy across Tennessee every day.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_07: Because progress should move communities forward while helping protect the places we call home.
• 10:38
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• 10:42
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• 10:51
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• 11:10
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• 11:22
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• 11:27
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• 11:33
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• 11:52
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• 11:54
  SPEAKER_05: Not funny, guys.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_06: Uber Eats, the official on-demand delivery partner of the Vols.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_06: Let's eat.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_05: Gilliam just overpowering the man in front of him, taking prior the tight end, and just driving his way forward.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_11: You never block Gilliam with the tight end.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_11: You are asking for a sack.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_11: He has been a one-man wrecking crew on this drive for Tennessee.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_05: The Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats continues.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_05: This is Xavier Gilliam, number two, defensive lineman for your Tennessee volunteers.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_05: You're looking good there.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_05: How y'all doing?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_05: Huh?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_05: You're looking good.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_05: Appreciate it.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_05: All right, number two.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_05: Single digit guy in the D line.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, sir.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_03: How'd you pick two?
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you know, just growing up, number two kind of been always been my number.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I got three brothers and I'm the middle child.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_03: So number two is kind of that's kind of the number I'm gonna do.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: That's who you are.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: That's who I am, you know.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_03: And so given the opportunity, you know, to get my number, you know, I'm gonna get it.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, I was Coach Hype gave it to me, you know, really blessed to be in that single digit.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I feel like I rock it pretty good, you know, and yeah.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_05: When the staff left Penn State, who came here, and you're talking about Anthony Poindexter, AJ Jackson, and and obviously Jim Knowles, was it not a real hard decision for you about what you were gonna do?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I would say, you know, I've gotten this question a lot.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_03: You know, a lot of people ask me if I'm following Jim Knowles, you know, following my coaches, you know, and I kind of just would say that I would say that it was kind of like more of a universal decision.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_03: You know, them coming here was not my deciding factor of like, okay, I'm gonna come here.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_03: I really more fell in love with Knoxville and the coaching staff that we already have, you know, and just all of the the opportunity it comes with playing in the SEC, you know.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_03: So it was a bunch of different factors.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, I would definitely say that's a plus having my old coaches here.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_05: This is only your sixth year of playing organized football.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_05: Uh yeah, that's right.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_05: How did you get started playing football your sophomore year of high school?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_03: My freshman year was actually COVID, you know, and I wanted to start my freshman year, but I couldn't.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_03: So my sophomore year was just the first time I can get out on the field, you know, and I got on the field, I fell in love with it instantly.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_03: I saw some early success, you know, drove me to work harder.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_03: And and all, you know, I was blessed with a lot of opportunities coming out of uh coming out of high school, you know, ended up picking Penn State, you know, and then two years there, and now I'm here at Tennessee.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_03: So you played the three years of high school, and you're basically an edge guy, right?
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, majority for my first two seasons, majority edge, and then my senior season, 75% edge, like 25% so they did bump you inside.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_05: But you only weighed 260 when you got to Penn State?
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_05: Something like that, yeah.
• 15:16
  unknown: Wow.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_05: And so you're what now, range?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_05: Solid 300.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_05: Solid three.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_05: And so you have that edge experience where you were taught the game formally, and now you kick inside full time.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_05: Do you find that the skills that you had as far as pass rushing and being disruptive from the edge have translated to playing defensive tackle?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, definitely.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_03: You know, one thing about like playing inside is it's a lot faster game, you know.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_03: So just training your eyes quicker, you know, and just all the skill sets that you use on the edge, you can use those inside too, you know.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_03: So it's not really too much of a big transition, you know, it's all D-line play.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, uh like Coach G say, a lot of people say, you know, physicality won't win every time, you know.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: So that's just the the base of D-line play.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_05: But it's not just physicality with you, it's explosion and it's athleticism.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_05: Does that come from the basketball thing?
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_05: Now tell me about your basketball career.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_03: Well, really, I thought I was gonna be an NBA player to be honest.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_03: Did you really?
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: Everybody, everybody had NBA.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_03: That was your sport.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, basketball was my sport, you know, played basketball my entire life growing up through high school.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I didn't play my senior season, but it's because I enrolled early in the college.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_03: But basketball, I fell in love with the game, you know.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_03: I just I love the game of basketball, you know, very fast-paced game, ups and downs, one swing game, you know, stuff like that.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, in the end, football, football is what I love.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I found my way to the field.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, you're 40 pounds heavier than when you started college, but you're still in fantastic shape.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_05: Is your hope that that gives you more plays?
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_03: I would say so.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_03: I've definitely been working on my condition a little bit extra, you know, being ready when my team needs me, you know.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_03: But I do feel like I'm confident in the guys we have, so it's not really gonna be too much of, oh, this guy has to play a million snaps or anything like that.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: I feel like we have good enough guys in the room that everybody could get good playing time, everybody can get around.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but it's not as humid in Maryland where you're from or in Pennsylvania as it is here.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, definitely not.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_05: How big a transition is that to you from a conditioning standpoint overall?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_03: Well, you know, I would just say like the heat is heat, you know.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_03: So even in Maryland and even at Penn State, you know, in the summer it's gonna be hot, you know.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_03: So just kind of getting used to that heat, like getting closer into September.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I haven't really seen what the weather's like in October and November, but we're gonna see.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_03: But overall, I would say pretty like pretty equal for reals.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be hot, you know.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: So I feel like that's the basis of it.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_05: Are you surprised that you've already become one of, if not the leader, of the defensive line?
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_03: I wouldn't say I'm surprised, you know, because I always have high aspirations for myself, you know.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_03: So this is something that I expect is something that I want to be, you know.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_03: I want to be a leader in my D-line.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_03: I want to be able to have guys look to me for guidance and stuff like that.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_05: And you look at the Southeastern Conference, and now you're you're gonna play Southeastern Conference football.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_05: I'm sure you grew up watching it.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_05: What does it sort of mean to you?
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I feel like it's really just a big step in, you know, my next career, you know.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I you know, a lot of people say, you know, if you could play in the SEC, you could play in the NFL.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_03: You know, they say some people say this is the most translatable league to the NFL, you know.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_03: So just taking a chance on myself and giving myself that shot to go prove that I'm the best and to go out there and just show that.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_05: Does Xavier Gilliam want to play in the NFL?
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, 100%.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_05: I figured I knew the answer.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_05: In terms of what you're studying and what you want to do otherwise.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_03: Right now I'm in communications, you know, but looking forward to being a coach after football.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_03: Like that's my number one desire.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_03: I love football.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: I love the game.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_03: I love building relationships with people.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_03: And for me to be a coach and be able to give an impact on kids, like coaches have given me an impact on my life, it's just something that I aspire to be.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_03: Are you gonna be a football coach or a basketball coach?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, football coach, 100%.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_03: I love basketball, but that's in my past.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's in your past.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, who's your team?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: Who's my team?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: Ravens.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, okay.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_05: So you're from Baltimore area.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_05: So that's Ravens.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_05: That only makes sense.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_05: Who's your basketball team?
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_05: Uh, the Wizards.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_05: Wizards?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_05: Hey, they stocked up in the offseason.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_03: This is gonna be the best Wizards team in years.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_03: I'm really excited to see what they do.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm a Wizards fan, so I kind of know the history, so I can't get my hopes too high.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, I'm always gonna root for my team.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: That's my team, you know, and I'm gonna stand with them.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_05: All right, let's see how good you are.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_05: Do you know who Wes Unseld was?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I do remember playing with him on 2K.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: Not too sure.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_03: I know about him as a player, but I remember his character.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_05: He was a great, he was a great uh college and professional player.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_05: He played for the Washington and Baltimore Bullets.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_05: Back when they were known that way.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_05: Along with the big E Elvin Hayes.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_05: All right, just some stuff.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_05: We'll talk later.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_05: Hey, it is really nice to meet you.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, sir.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_05: And uh watching you play is really something else.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_05: Coach Knowles says you've taken the next step.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_05: That's quite a compliment from him, right?
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_03: You know, uh, after last season, you know, did a lot of self-scouting, seeing what I need to work on in the offseason, you know, kind of kind of did that, you know, and I feel like I'm better off for it.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, good.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_05: Looking forward to seeing you in SEC play.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks, sir.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_05: Xavier Gellium with us on the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_05: We've got more coming up right after this.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_04: This is your home for coaches and players.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_04: One-on-one from Rocky Top.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_04: This is your Ball Network.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_05: The Mike Keith Show continues with Brunt Hubbs from the Ball Radio Network and BallQuest.com.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_05: We just got through talking to Xavier Gilliam, and we saw the performance that he had Saturday, three sacks, five tackles for loss.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_05: What did you know and what had you heard about Xavier Gilliam when his transfer was announced from Penn State?
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_18: Young player who had some potential, but really kind of hadn't put it all together yet.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_18: He had played a decent number of snaps, but he had not been extraordinarily productive.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_18: I think he played something like 400 snaps a year ago, had like 15 tackles total.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_18: So half a sack.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_18: Yeah, he was a body that played, he was kind of a snap eater, is kind of what it felt like in in year one in Jim Knowles' system.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_18: And um obviously he's found a different gear here in understanding the system better, the development that he's had under Rodney Garner, the drive that he's had, a fantastic start for him in game one.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_18: The thing I've learned about him since he's been here, Mike, is he he's he's a three down, he's a three down defensive lineman.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_18: He's he's not just a pass rush specialist.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_18: He's not just a big body who can take up some space.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_18: He's a legit three down player on the defensive line, which is what every college coach wants.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: When did you start to hear rumblings about him after he got to Knoxville?
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_05: In spring.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_18: He just kept showing up in the spring.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_18: Um, he just kept making plays and um the old term that they use, stacking days.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_18: He was just different in in the spring.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_18: And um then he he had the whole summer with Coach Garner.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_18: He he did a lot of film work this offseason to refine some things in his game.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_18: He he's a big self-scout guy, and he went back and really self-scoted some things he was not doing well from a fundamental and technique standpoint at Penn State and really dove into those.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_18: Some of that was his hands, uh, some of that was getting skinny, so to speak, to rush the quarterback better.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_18: He really refined his game fundamentally this offseason, and it showed up.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_18: He made plays in the spring, and then when he got to August, he was he was a handful the entire preseason.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_05: How tough was the heat on field on Saturday against Furman?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_18: You know, it it was it was hot, it was, but you know, Tennessee being on the west side was is a nice luxury because you get into that shade pretty quick.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_18: The second half was much more manageable.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_18: Um, but Tennessee had a great plan.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_18: Warm-up scene, if it you know, in warm-ups you're like, man, this is gonna be really rough the entire game.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_18: But uh there was some cloud cover, a little breeze every now and then.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_18: I'm not saying it wasn't bad because it was hot, but probably not as bad as I thought it would be.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_18: This team did a really good job of being mature throughout the week, of preparing for the heat.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_18: They really took to what the medical staff or the training staff demanded of them to prepare for hydration so that they did not get themselves in a position on Saturday that they were in trouble.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_18: The head coach always talks about the last 48 hours of preparation mentally.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_18: This team did a lot of good things physically in the back half of the week to put themselves in a position to be able to handle the heat.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_18: They're in pretty good shape because it didn't really bother them that bad.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, so I ask you that question for exactly that reason to set up this one.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_05: How much confidence would the Tennessee players have right now in A, their own conditioning based on Derek Owen's offseason, and B what they were told being led up to the game by not only the conditioning staff, the nutrition staff, the medical staff, everybody they worked with.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_18: Well, I think a ton, you know, because again, the the one theme you've heard the entire offseason, Mike, is accountability.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_18: Everything's about accountability.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_18: You have standards, you have to do things, and the accountability is this is your expectation.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_18: And so the expectation for all these players was that you hydrate.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_18: And there's a sports science element to this with Derek Owens that everything he's told these guys along the way has worked.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_18: They've gotten faster, they've gotten stronger, they've gotten leaner, you know, all of those things.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_18: So when all of it works, and he says this is what you got to do to be at your best on Saturday, you're gonna listen.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_18: And so what you saw Tuesday, Wednesday walking through the complex is everybody's got all these hydration jugs, they've got everything that they need to have to prepare themselves for hydration.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_18: I I think it gives them a ton of confidence uh that A, they can play in that weather, but B, everything that this staff says that they're supposed to be doing from a strength, conditioning, and nutrition standpoint, they're seeing results every time they do what they're asked to do.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_05: Credibility with the athletes for whatever area the coaching staff is is a huge deal.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_05: It is.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, it is a huge deal.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_18: And I think that you heard players talk about it in the preseason of the first day in contact.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_18: Well, when did you know it was different?
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_18: Oh, when I when I, you know, I passed set and I've squatted down and and I held up better.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_18: And so what happens is you see all your numbers, but you want that to translate into football things.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_18: And everything Derek Owens and his staff have done have been football related.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_18: It's to be improved as a football player, not necessarily just to be the most elite athlete and all those things, but it's all football-related things.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_18: And when you when you have those things happen and then you go out and see the tangible results on the field, the credibility's through the roof.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_18: And whether it's conditioning, managing heat, whether it's strength, whether it's speed, whatever it is, it gives you a ton of credibility as a student athlete.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_05: But now move up in weight class quite literally.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_05: Furman, an FCS team, a team that was not very big.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, if you looked across the front, they did not have many 300 pounders.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_05: Very different challenge this week.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_05: It's like you're in the weight room and you're increasing the weights.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_05: You're taking on a different challenge.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_05: You've done some things and you've shown you can do it well.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_05: Now you've got to take a step up.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_05: And that's what this is from Furman to Georgia Tech, not only in terms of the talent, but quite literally the size of guys they're gonna play.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_18: Well, and I think quite literally, too, your conditioning has to show up more because you look on the defensive side of the ball.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_18: I think Quay Moss had 37 snaps, which may have been the most of anybody on defense from a snap count standpoint.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_18: So, how far did somebody really get their string pulled, so to speak, where you played 40, 50 snaps because that's what you had to do in a game?
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_18: It'll be humid Saturday night in Atlanta.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_18: We know that's gonna be the case.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_18: So now you've got to play more snaps.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_18: Now you're gonna play against stronger guys, more athletic guys.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_18: You're absolutely ramping it up.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_18: And I think you go into it with some confidence if you're Tennessee on both sides of the ball in certain areas, but you also know I have to be better than I was in week one.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_18: And that's not a knock on Furman, but that's Furman's exactly what you thought they would be.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_18: Sure.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_18: They were the they were the final tune-up, so to speak, to go into the season.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_18: You got some things done, you got some things you know you need to work on.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_18: Now you've got to go and be mature and handle yourself all week long this week to get ready to play on Saturday night.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_05: Well, and you said it.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_05: Saturday night, ESPN, on the road, Bobby Dodd Stadium, power for opponent.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_05: Not only are you dealing with the physical part of it, but now you've got more of the emotional part of it.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_05: You do.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_18: You have you have two things.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_18: One, you're on your first road trip, which is always different.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_18: You can't mock simulate that one.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_18: Nope.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_18: Two, you're playing at night, so now you've got to sit around in a hotel all day.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_18: You got to figure out how to manage your emotions there.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_18: And B, you're under a different spotlight.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_18: Okay.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, the camera guy is gonna be running out with the the wireless camera and be in your huddle during the TV break as you're getting ready to come out.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_18: There's a lot more on you.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_18: It's got a different vibe about it.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_18: I think the the one thing you feel good about from Tennessee's standpoint is nothing seemed to bother the quarterback in week one.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_18: Can he continue to build on that in week two and play with that level of composure and maturity?
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_18: Because this offense is starting to follow his lead.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_18: You could see it and how they reacted to him.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_18: He is emerging as it being his team on the offensive side of the ball.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_18: He's got to handle himself well.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_05: We'll talk more about Faison Brandon and the Tennessee offensive line.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_05: When we return, Brent Hobbs is with us on the Mike Keith show delivered by Uberids.
• 29:15
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• 29:22
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• 29:29
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• 29:33
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• 29:37
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• 29:38
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• 29:44
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• 29:48
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• 29:51
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• 29:53
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• 29:56
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• 29:59
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• 30:01
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• 30:08
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• 30:09
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• 30:11
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• 30:22
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• 30:33
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• 30:42
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• 31:17
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• 31:51
  SPEAKER_16: Sometimes it starts with protecting the quarterback.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_16: Sometimes it's holding the lobby.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_16: Sometimes it's making sure no one gets near.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_16: We protect each other.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_16: We prepare.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_16: We stay ready.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_16: Protection looks different depending on where you stay.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_16: Whether it's protecting the quarterback or protecting what matters at all, the responsibility is to study the testifying method.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_16: Designed to inspire, made to protect, driven.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_05: Saturdays are all about the big art.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_05: From the roar of Neeland Stadium to the energy of the tailgate, one thing belongs on every game day menu.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_05: Calhoun.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_05: Whether you're dining in one of Calhoun's nine-area restaurant locations, taking the feast to your tailgate, or grabbing a bite from one of Calhoun's locations inside Nealand Stadium, Calhoun's makes it easy so you can focus on cheering the balls to victory.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_05: Calhoun, a taste of density.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_06: Let's be real for a second.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_13: Vaping isn't harmless.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_13: Most vapes contain nicotine, and nicotine can lead to addiction, especially while your brain is still developing.
• 33:02
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• 33:05
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• 33:07
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• 33:10
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• 33:12
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• 33:14
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• 33:16
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• 33:19
  SPEAKER_05: We continue on the Mike Keith Show delivered by Uber Eats, and we continue with Brent Hubbs from BallQu.com and a 33-year veteran of the Ball Radio Network.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_05: You mentioned in our last segment Faison Brandon's poise.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_05: Faison Brandon's maturity.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_05: Did any of what you saw on Saturday from Faison Brandon surprise you from what you have known of him as the human being over the last two plus years?
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_18: He was honestly, he was probably a little more stoic than I thought it would be.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_18: I I know he talks about even kill all the time, but he throws that first touchdown pass to Ethan Davis and he just kind of saunders to the end zone to celebrate.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_18: I mean it's your first one in college.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_18: Now he got a little more into it with some of his runs, and there was a little more emotion there.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_18: But I think he really prides himself on staying balanced and staying even.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_18: The challenge for him now is to do what you did over the last seven months to win that job every week.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_18: The grind of every week is starting to take place, and I think he's built for it, but I think it's different for him right now.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_18: And Josh Heipel talked about this to me on the post-game radio show.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_18: He loves the he's loved the preparation to this point.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_18: You got to continue to love the preparation because right now everybody's telling you how great you are.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_05: And he just played the easiest game he'll play all year.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_18: Maybe the easiest game he'll play in his career.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_18: Right.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_18: Yeah.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, from particularly in that setting, that was a tune up.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_18: And again, I'm not trying to be cruel or mean, but that's what I mean.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_18: We have to understand what it is.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_18: And that was an easy game from a management standpoint and the competition level you were playing.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_18: Now you have the lights.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_18: Now you have night.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_18: Now you got a defensive coordinator on their side of the ball.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_18: They've got 19 coaches putting a plan in to try to do things to you.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_18: Your level of preparation has to get ramped up even more this week than it has been to the point of winning the job.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_05: But you don't blame Tennessee fans for being excited about Faison Brandon.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_18: What did he do to give to give you any calls that he's not going to be, that he doesn't have a chance to be really, really special at Tennessee?
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_18: Uh you go back and look, there to me there were three plays that that stood out from an arm standpoint.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_18: He hit Mike Matthews on an out on the opening drive that was just, I mean, toe tap on the sideline, ball placement couldn't have been any better.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_18: He gets the wide open throw to start the third quarter.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_18: He doesn't overthrow him, which we see out of a young guy.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_18: You get excited and you let one fly.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_18: The post pattern, you couldn't have thrown the post.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_18: The second touchdown to Matthews, you couldn't have thrown it any better than you did.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_18: Nothing about his game gave you pause.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_18: Everything about his game says, Man, if this is the jumping off point, what's this thing going to be when he really gets comfortable in college football?
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_05: Offensive line.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_05: Ball's got to take a look at a lot of combinations.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_05: What did they like?
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_18: That's a great question.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_18: Um we know Jesse Perry is one of the two on the right side.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_18: I think the question that you're trying to decide is is Ori Williams better at right tackle, or is a guy like Sham Umaroff or Donovan Haslam better at right guard?
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_18: And I think that's what you're deciding but between the two.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_18: That that group got the entire line got better as they went along.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_18: They did not get off to a very good start.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_18: It wasn't just them.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_18: When you went back and rewatched it, the tight ends missed some things early on that caused some problems.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_18: Furman jumped some gaps and did some unusual stuff early on.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_18: They kind of got their screws and got their cleats in the ground a little bit more and came off the ball better in the second quarter.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_18: But you're gonna have to settle in on something.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_18: And the question this week is what we're talking about night game.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_18: Do you go experience and that's Sham Mumeroff?
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_18: Do you go with the guy who's the most physical guy on the field, which was Donovan Haslam at guard?
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_18: That's that's what Glenn Ellerby's got to decide.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_18: Because I I understand the idea of playing six or seven offensive linemen, you know, in a rotation deal.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_18: I just think that group needs so much continuity that if you can be, if you can have the continuity, you find that continuity and you stick with it.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_18: We'll see what they elect to do this week.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_05: Brent Hubbs for Tennessee fans who don't know who is Donovan Haslam.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_18: Donovan Haslam is the biggest offensive lineman in the in the room who played a ton of snaps a year ago at West Virginia.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_18: Um he's still learning the system.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_18: He's had a good fall.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_18: Now he got hampered a little bit because he got banged up and missed a couple days, but he took a nice step from spring to sum through the summer into fall and learning the system.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_18: When he gets everything going where he's supposed to go, he is their road grader.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_18: He's a really physical player.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_18: I thought he brought a level of physicality and intensity into the game in the second quarter that kind of got them going a little bit, to be honest with you.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_18: I don't know that he can play 70 snaps where he's at right now from just a conditioning and everything standpoint.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_18: But you watch him play and you say, Man, it looks like he can help.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_18: The question becomes if you're going to put him in a rotation, are you helping yourself by doing that?
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_18: Are you causing disruption by doing that?
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_18: If to get him on the field, you're having to make other moves of a guy to a different position.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_18: What I mean by that is to get him on the field, if Jesse Perry has been playing guard and you're moving him out to tackle, are you helping Jesse Perry be at his best if he's having to play guard and tackle in the game?
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_18: That that's what I don't know.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_18: That's that's a football question I don't have the answer to, but I think that's something you're always mindful of if you're a football coach.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_05: Sam Pendleton was declared unavailable, and so Nick Moore got the start at center.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_05: How did you feel like Nick Moore did?
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_18: I think he was I think he managed the game okay.
• 39:03
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, that there's a a million things for him to learn coming out of out of that game for sure.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_18: Uh I think Sam Pendleton will be available this week and we'll say the you know, experience says that's probably where you go, but I think Nick Moore gives you confidence, Mike, that you can you can play with him and and you can do things if you need to.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_18: A year ago when Sam Pendleton was banged up, you had to play a less than 100% Sam Pendleton at center because Nick Moore wasn't ready.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_18: You don't, I don't think you feel that way now.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_18: Regardless of who starts or plays there, you feel like you have two guys who can play center.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_18: You don't have to move a guard in, you don't have to get really creative to find your five because you feel like you have a true, two true centers, true a backup center and a starting center, whichever one it is, you feel comfortable if you have to make a change there.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_05: Going after five stars is vitally important always.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_05: You want as many five stars as you can get.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_05: But sometimes you have to recruit players who you're going to be able to develop into what you want.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_05: Nick Moore of Talbot, Tennessee is exactly one of those recruiting stories, isn't it?
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_18: He certainly is.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_18: It's an interesting recruiting story because he he his other school was West Virginia, and he nearly committed to West Virginia.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_18: He was recruited to West Virginia as a defensive lineman by Andrew Jackson, who's on Tennessee's defensive staff with Jim Knowles.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_18: And one of the ideas that West Virginia presented to him is that he wasn't necessarily big enough to be a center or an offensive lineman in the SEC.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_18: And he loved Tennessee growing up, but that kind of got into his head a little bit.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_18: And Spencer Riley is his head coach, who was a quote undersized center at Tennessee, who obviously won a national title.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_18: And uh they had conversations and he said, Hey, look at your Tennessee visit in.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_18: Don't fall in love with the first place you visit, which was West Virginia.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_18: He came down here for a visit and ultimately decided on Tennessee.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_18: And Tennessee liked him for exactly what you're saying.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_18: Not a guy that's going to make an immediate impact, but a guy that you can develop, who can become a good player for you, who can become a guy who can help your football program and your offensive line.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_18: And he did so in game one when he was pressed into action and called in to do.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_18: I think he had one bad snap, one confusion there.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_18: I'm sure he missed protections.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_18: I'm sure there's a lot of things that he will learn from that.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_18: But man, you talk about getting getting experience and getting reps that he needed.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_18: That that was a blessing in disguise for him to get that to understand really where he's at right now.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_05: Late third quarter, touchdown pass, George McIntyre to TK Keys.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_05: How big was that play for both of those players?
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_18: I think it was big.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_18: I I do.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_18: I think it was important uh for both players.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_18: Uh I I give George McIntyre a ton of credit.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, it's been tough, right?
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_18: You lose you lose the job and you don't get it.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_18: How are you going to manage it?
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_18: You be a pro.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_18: And he and he's from a family of pros.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_18: He understands what he has to do.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_18: He was engaged the entire game.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_18: He was very in tune the entire game.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_18: He never never sort of disappeared or stead off to the side.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_18: So he was ready to play when he went in.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_18: Uh I thought he threw the ball on time.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_18: I thought everything from a management standpoint was right there.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_18: Chemistry throw, right?
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_18: It's a back shoulder throw.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_18: Both guys are on the same page.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_18: Tells you the prep work that they put in and both guys being locked in on what they were doing.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_18: I think it was big for Keys to make a play.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_18: I think it was big for George to get to execute the offense.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_18: It was unfortunate you had the botch snap on the fumble that cost him a drive.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_18: And as fun as Justin Baker's touchdown run was, that cost George some snaps there too to manage that drive.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_18: But I think you will come away with this game going, man, there's a lot on the bone for TK Keys if he could continue to develop and you feel comfortable if you have to go to George McIntyre because nothing about him looked like he was out of place in that game with the way he managed it.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_05: Guys who answered the bell and Brett Hobbs hot take presented by Firehouse Subs.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_05: That's next on the Mike Keith Show, delivered by Uber Eats.
• 43:04
  SPEAKER_04: Getting you ready for the game.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_04: The Mike Keith Show, delivered by Uber Eats.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_04: This is your Ball Network.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_05: Brett Hobbs is back with us on the Mike Keith Show.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_05: He, of course, is with ballquest.com and the ball radio network.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_05: Let's do some guys who answered the bell.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_05: How about Deshaun Bishop?
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_05: We haven't talked about him already.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, he's 14 carries, 97 yards.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, you know.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_18: Was there a safer bet in America ever that he was going to answer the bell in week one?
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_18: Um I again, I I like this whole running back group, but Deshaun Bishop is a guy who continues to fall forward.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_18: I think he maximizes his carries.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_18: The the fumble will eat at him.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_18: That was a little bit of a fluky deal, but it was a reminder you squeeze the ball all the way to the ground.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_18: Uh so that was a good lesson learned there.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_18: But no, I I I think that Deshaun Bishop's Deshaun Bishop, and and he's only going to get better.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_18: As the season goes along, he's only going to get better as games go along and he gets more and more carries.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_18: So he did exactly what you would want him to do in week one.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_18: Got in, got his work done, got out.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_18: Now you get ready for the big time.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_18: Sophomore running back, Justin Baker.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_18: You know, it's Coach Heipel's talk about it.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_18: Darrell Sims had a conversation with Darrell Sims about Justin Baker, and he's like, the guy can play.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_18: He can.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_18: He's in a room with a lot of guys who can play.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_18: And you saw the speed, you saw the vision.
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_18: He put something on social media about it, uh, just about just taking advantage of your opportunity.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_18: Don't get caught up in anything else.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_18: But when your numbers called, be ready to go.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_18: He he was.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_18: He was ready to go and he answered the bell and he made a he made a couple of different plays, obviously the long run.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_18: And um that's a guy who's just looking to continue to get better.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_18: He has made a lot of strides from year one to year two and understanding how to run in this scheme, the patience that you have to have, the vision that you have to have.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_18: He's a good football player.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_18: Guys who answered the bell, Edwin Spillman at linebacker.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_18: Yeah, man.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_18: I Jason Swain pointed it out on the broadcast.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, shot out of the cannon is probably not the right word.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_18: Can't say that about everybody, but man, he put his foot down and went.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_18: And there was a couple times he strung play out to the sideline, made some plays happen there.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_18: He's playing really fast in this system.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_18: Um, now again, there was a speed difference on the field between the two opponents, but that's a guy you've heard about this summer who has really taken a step in understanding the game, not just relying on his uh athletic ability.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_18: Thought he moved really well, played really fast.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_18: Follow a linebacker, Amari Campbell.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_18: You know, Amari is a guy who just makes plays.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_18: He's not, there's nothing real flashy about his game, but you look up and he's got seven tackles.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_18: And you look up and it's like, oh, there he is again.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_18: He's where the ball is, he's where he's supposed to be.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_18: Uh that's a guy who was very productive in year one in Jim Knowles' system.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_18: And the all the talk about him in the offseason, spring practice in the summer was about how he was teaching the system to everybody else.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_18: But as he pointed out to me after the game, he goes, you know, I didn't have it mastered.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_18: He goes, I played pretty well in it in year one.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_18: He goes, but as much as I'm quote, helping other people, I'm further learning this system and learning the deep dive into everywhere you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to do.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_18: I feel like I'm a much better player mentally in year two in this system than I was a year ago when he led Penn State in tackles.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_18: Very productive player, not the flashiest, but a really productive guide.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_18: You see why.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_05: Safety Dylan Lewis.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_18: Took advantage of your opportunities.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_18: And listen, Tennessee needs depth there.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_18: Um, again, what's your competition level?
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_18: The secondary wasn't challenged down the field.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_18: But my biggest takeaway from the defense, let's take out the whatever they were challenged or weren't challenged, how confident and competent they looked.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_18: Not a lot of looking around, what am I doing here?
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_18: Not a lot of panic looks or panic body language pre-snap.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_18: Dylan Lewis was in that category.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_18: They asked the safeties to make a lot of calls and do a lot of things.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_18: He looked composed.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_18: He looked like he understood everything he was being asked to do.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_18: He's got to continue to grow to be that third safety for the depth that they need because again, you're gonna play more snaps moving forward, but a nice solid start for him, I thought.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_05: Quay Moss, the nickelback who's also the punt returner.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_18: Yeah, I was a little surprised he was the punt returner because they have a lack of depth at the nickel spot.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_18: You know, are they gonna take that chance there?
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_18: And uh, he wants to be the punt returner so bad.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_18: And he's got some wiggle and he's got some things about him.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_18: Again, they weren't challenged much back there.
• 47:42
  SPEAKER_18: He exudes confidence.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_18: He has a ton of confidence in his ability and where he's at right now.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_18: Solid start.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_18: I mean, they're gonna get much more, they're gonna there's a lot more tests coming this week.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_18: You know, Georgia Tech's got a slot receiver who can do some things, had a pretty nice night against Colorado as an individual, got the 6'9 tight end.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_18: They will try to test you underneath at the second level if they do what they did against Colorado, and and maybe they have some protection issues like they had against Colorado.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_18: That second line, linebacker safety, nickel level, going to have to play well in coverage on some of that shallow stuff.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_05: Last one is Tyree Weathersby, defensive line.
• 48:20
  SPEAKER_18: Yeah, I you know, Tyree was a guy, his freshman year was the rage.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_18: He was all the buzz in fall camp as a freshman when he arrived.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_18: He was he was gonna make this big impact and he was gonna go, and then he had the hip injury that cost him the year, and it really took him over a year to bounce back from that and to recover from that from a confidence standpoint.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_18: Didn't have a lot of trust in his bend, didn't have a lot of trust in maybe just physically what he could do with the hip.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_18: Derek Owens has been a blessing for him and restoring that confidence because he's stronger, he's gotten bigger, but he's gotten faster, and his he feels his body getting better, and it's renewed kind of his belief in himself and his energy.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_18: Great for him to get off to a great start.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_18: He didn't play a ton of reps in this game.
• 49:07
  SPEAKER_18: Obviously, but you know, they didn't block him on play number one, so he wouldn't hit the quarterback, but he's a guy who has to play consistently week in and week out, and he's got to be consistent Saturday night.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_18: Georgia Tech's left tackle had a tough night against Colorado in week one.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_18: How much better does he play?
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_18: Can Tennessee take advantage of that?
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_18: Can they be effective off the edge with a guy like Weathersby against that Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech left tackle?
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_05: Are we looking for a hot take from Brent Hubbs presented by Firehouse Subs?
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_05: You threw one out last week.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_05: I did.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_05: And it and it got an unbelievable number of hits on Instagram.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_05: I couldn't believe I mean you it was it didn't look very good after the first quarter.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_05: Well, but 300 plus yards.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_05: It turned out okay.
• 49:51
  SPEAKER_05: It turned out all right.
• 49:52
  SPEAKER_05: So do you have a as good a win this week?
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_18: No, I my my season hot takes, I think, are done.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_18: We're gonna get into week and week by week hot takes.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_18: I'm gonna take an easy one out this week, I think.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_18: Uh I'm gonna go with Xavier Gilliam having another multi-sack game as a defensive lineman.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_18: Um I just I had heard so much about him, but I had not gotten to see the scrimmage work and had not gotten to see what it was really about.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_18: There's a twitch to him that is unusual for a guy his size.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_18: You know, finding a comp for him is kind of hard to do right now because you're not going to put him in the category of John Henderson or somebody like that.
• 50:27
  SPEAKER_18: And he's certainly not built like that.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_18: Um, you know, Jesse Mahalona was a little bit of a different player.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_18: My comp would be from a Tennessee standpoint.
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_18: I'm having a hard time sort of figuring out what that comp is.
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_18: But again, he could he can hold gaps.
• 50:42
  SPEAKER_18: That's why you saw the tackles for loss that you had, that he had.
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_18: They couldn't block him if they didn't cut him.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_18: Now, Georgia Tech will be able to block him better, but I think he's gonna get more snaps, and I think he's gonna continue to be effective as he has been all fall camp long.
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_18: He's been disruptive every scrimmage, every 11 on 11 setting.
• 51:01
  SPEAKER_18: I think he'll be disruptive Saturday night.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_05: You know, my high take is that nobody this season will be able to stop using the now outdated term true freshman or redshirt whatever.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_05: Because there's no such thing.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_05: No, there's not.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_05: There's you're now under the five-year system, you are a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, a senior, or a fifth year.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_18: And nothing makes you happier because you've always been bothered by the term true freshman.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_05: If you're a freshman, you're freshman.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_05: Now a red shirt freshman was different.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_05: Sure.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_05: It's a term you had to use because he was a second-year president.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_05: Because he was a second-year player.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_05: But a freshman is a freshman.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_05: It doesn't have to be labeled as a true freshman.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_05: No.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_05: It's just a freshman.
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_05: But but can people stop using it?
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_05: No.
• 51:48
  SPEAKER_18: Which which is why you've been trying to get people to stop using it for the 30 years I've known it.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_05: It just always it it did.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_05: It was a pet peeve.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_05: It was that people but it was accurate.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_05: It was overused.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_05: It was like saying freshman, freshman.
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_05: He's a first-year freshman.
• 52:05
  SPEAKER_05: A freshman is a first year.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_05: Run Hobbs will be with us every Monday and every Thursday on the Mike Teeth.
• 52:11
  SPEAKER_05: So we look forward to having him.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks for joining us, and we'll see you next time.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_04: All week long to the latest from the Tennessee campus, the Mike Teeth Show, online, delivered by Uber Eastports.com.