Audio clips
Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin said his much-publicized talk about the Florida Gators had an effect just before Saturday's game began as the Vols were standing in the tunnel of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium preparing to take the field.
“Everyone is yelling at you and your team is behind you. Nobody is yelling at them,” Kiffin said. “They’re the ones that had to play. I think it was good.”
Kiffin mistakenly accused Florida coach Urban Meyer of cheating in recruiting Nu’Keese Richardson. He also said in his introductory press conference he would sing ‘Rocky Top’ after beating Florida.
Saturday, Kiffin said he was amused by a Florida fan’s picture of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, with whom Kiffin worked for before a tumultuous divorce last year.
“The picture of Al Davis made me laugh,” Kiffin said.
The record crowd of 90,894 was certainly riled for Kiffin. A huge sign outside the stadium read “RIP Kiffin.” T-shirts were sold on campus that had less-than-flattering messages about the first-year UT coach.
Pass Happy?: Kiffin said his decision to pass close to Florida’s goal line in the second quarter was partly a byproduct of last week’s loss to UCLA when the Vols stubbornly tried to run the ball inside the 5-yard-line to no avail.
“That’s probably a result of the UCLA game and going down there and trying to pound it in,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin said UT planned to pass in such situations because of Florida’s highly rated red zone defense, which he said is especially good inside the 5.
“The plan in general was once we got down there was to throw the ball,” Kiffin said.
On two plays inside the Florida 4 in the second quarter, Kiffin had quarterback Jonathan Crompton throw. Both passes fell incomplete and UT had to settle for a field goal.
No Nuke: Richardson was hardly heard from on Saturday.
“Nu’Keese did not get the ball very much today, just played a couple of plays,” Kiffin said. “We’ve got to continue to work on that. We have some stuff with Nu’Keese that we’re ready to do. It just was a difficult environment to do it in because of the crowd noise.”
Richardson, who was committed to Florida before signing with UT in February, has played quarterback and receiver for the Vols. The former Pahokee (Fla.) High School standout also returned a punt in UT’s first two games this season. Florida did not punt Saturday.
Action Jackson: Freshman safety Janzen Jackson said he can’t remember the last time he hit another player as hard as he hit Florida receiver Brandon James in the second quarter.
“I was coming out of my coverage just trying to make a play and I saw him throw the ball to Brandon James,” Jackson said. “I just tried to knock the ball loose.”
Jackson did just that, and saved a touchdown when he knocked the ball free in the end zone. James was slow to get up but returned to the game.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Softball: Tennessee 2, Georgia 1
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Comments » 71
smashmouth98 writes:
I thought UF punted once. The Janzen Jackson hit was unreal. You could see the effect in slow motion. what a hit!!!!
TotalPackage1 writes:
Dear Coach Kiffen,
Please put someone, anyone, the waterboy, in at quarterback. We really need someone back there that can complete a downfield pass to OUR team. Is he all you have? Go to the wishbone if it is.
Sincerely,
Sick of it.
Pdiddy10 writes:
If eric berry goes to the NFL i will support him. but we want him to go first round so we get recruits attention. but if he doenst go first round that would be awesome. he should win the jim thorpe award because taylor mays stinks. taylor doesnt have a pick and doesnt have near as much tackles as eric does. taylor is also hurt. VOTE FOR ERIC BERRY!
NoSirRee writes:
I thought Janzen killed that guy on that hit. Best play of the game IMO. I love the fire these freshmen are bringing!
BuckFama writes:
Dear TotalPackage,
It's coach Kiffin - not Kiffen.
I would call you a retard but that would be a slap in the face to the developmentally impaired.
Sincerely,
Buck
LaneTrain writes:
to ALL that are counting this as a 'win'. So it's now a win at TN to stay close??? We could have won that game yesterday and we are running the ball with 2 minutes left. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We were only down 10!!! We were content to LOSE by 10. Unbelievable... we should have won that game yesterday.
Why not go for the win? What did we have to lose? We either come within 3 and try an onside kick, or lose worse than 10. It's still a loss! Uggh, look what we have become.
LaneTrain writes:
btw, Al Davis is a tool, always has been.
pammyvol1000 writes:
Cheer up guys! The Florida game is behind us. We need to focus on the upcoming games. We still have Auburn, Ga, Ala, SC.. to deal with. If we can win those, the Fla. will be forgotten until next year.
TheBanker writes:
I have enjoyed the short ride with "Kiff the Ripper". I told you guys that Florida would not rout the Vols with such a stout defense. I told you that the gators have not been hit in such a fashion as the Vol "foot to a--". But I give the gators their props for the win. I give UT their props for the fight. Cromp was managed and the O line was physical (thank you for playing with heart). Hardesty and Brown are very dangerous. Nick and Eric make me feel like hittin' somebody!! How 'bout that defense!! I thought the gators could "reload" with 3 deep in every position!?
Now, I can appreciate the excuses for the gators not being able to run up the score and humiliate the Vols. We had to deal with the "working like heck" excuse for years and it does not feel good. But that is for gator fans to deal with for the future. Thanks for a fun rivalry. Nothing personal, just business. We will deal with you next year.
NEXT!!!!
notoriousBIGorange writes:
EB will go pro after this season and don't worry, he will be a top 5 pick. Tebow will be lucky to go in the 3rd round.
vol_chaz writes:
It seems like Kiffin has chosen to pick a fight with the biggest kid on the block, and after the way we fought, has gotten the respect he deserves. I doubt we face a defense as tough as UCLA and UF again all season, except for Ala. It'll be interesting to see if our passing game returns to WKU form, against Ohio....I suspect it will. Looks like USC has some qb issues too, interesting to see if Corp gets the hook after one bad game.
TheFuj writes:
FL punted 35 yards and it rolled another 20 yards. We need to put Berry and Rogan both back there. We need to get Berry the ball. Time to go to Stephens. We are 1-2 with Crompton. If Crompton cannot help us get a win against Auburn, it will be time to turn to someone for next year. We will need Stephens next year. Even with a good freshman, an experience senior would be a good start.
papavol writes:
if im not mistaken they punted.. twice
tractoronthepole writes:
I'm not sure you watched the same game as I. Were you imagining that we had been moving the ball all day with the pass? Our O line was much better with the run than in protection. It came down to our OL depth, we didn't have enough in the 4th. I am convinced we have settled to the world that we have great coaches who are great recruiters, and that beats the hell out of having a great recruiter who can't coach. I do like your handle and the LaneTrain is coming to a station near you recruits.
usnavyvol writes:
Agree...Just sit back and see what happens. I can still us having a really good year. GO BIG ORANGE.....Class of 93'
murrayvol writes:
He did drop his IQ several points.
murrayvol writes:
We have become a helluva lot better than we were and will continue to improve. I'm okay with that.
utvolz#637682 writes:
Guck the Faytors! See ya' next year hoss! Warning: We'll have a QB too!
utvolz#637682 writes:
And buck Fama too while we're at it! Beat the rush; hate Florida and Bama early!
TheBanker writes:
Auburn, GA, and AL will have extreme difficulty scoring against the Vol defense. Every team in the nation would have trouble. Therefore, that's an easy call. I believe the Vols offense will fare well against Auburn and GA. They have some weaknesses that CLK will be able to exploit with our current weapons. The tide is the biggest challenge. However, I predict a UT win with points being scored by the defense. bama's quarterback will not pick our secondary apart.
Finally, yes you can get a loan. It is a banker's job to give credit when it is due. Bring your own cup and I will share some the Kool Aid when you get here.
jimr07 writes:
who do you suggest?
volman91 writes:
Its clear you did not watch the game and if you did shame on you for not paying better attention. Cromptons last interception on the VOLS last drive (final minutes of the game) was not only a gutsy call it was the right call. Watch the replay and you will see how close that was to being a great play. We needed 4 yds and CLK went for it ALL. Oh yea and it was deep pass. You sir are a tool a troll or maybe both.
GO VOLS
jimr07 writes:
Tebow is too good an athlete to go that low. mark my words.
VolVolFan writes:
Everything I heard last night and today sounds as though UT "Almost Won" that game. Folks we Lost. So we played better than last week, so what we Lost. Myself, I don't care so much what the score is, I am a Tenn. Fan. But most of you just don't function well, if you think we count that as an "Almost Win". Florida deserves all the credit... they got the W. Tennesee showed up and that's about it!!
wags32 writes:
I AGREE!!! Someone please help me with this torment i am serious answer this question for me PLEASE. Why does Kiffin not give Stephens a shot he has never played in a game under this system? Why Crompton is not capable with all due respect so why not? PLEASE ANSWER THIS FOR ME!!!!
wags32 writes:
i SUGGEST STEPHENS for crying out loud my God he has not been given a shot in a real game situation in this offense give him a shot. They cant even pass the ball at all with Crompton if that is the case you might as well go to strictly wildcat formation. Give ayone a shot it CANNOT BE ANY WORSE THERE IS NO WAY!!
jobrando#216494 writes:
I saw a team that would not give up. It was suppose to be a 60 point whipping and thats all I heard for months. Oh heck we should have been humble like Phil would have been. The results spoke for that phooey. I'm extremely proud of this team and the staff.
CoverOrange writes:
If that hit by Janzen Jackson that caused Brandon James to fumble had happened in Neyland it would have been called a TD. My how times (and subjective rules) change.
jsm67vol writes:
UT showed up. That's more than we can say for the past 4 years. I don't like the L any more than Kiffin does, but I can tolerate a loss with great effort, not the giving up in the 4th because we're down 24-30 points. This team fought hard for the entire game and if they can carry over the effort the rest of the season, they will win many more than they lose. Go Vols!
halloffamebowler writes:
TheFuj.I understand your thoughts.However,Kiffin has stated several times that Crompton is the better QB of the two.That is not saying much for our QB situation.Stevenson will play some this year but unless he greatly improves,he will most likely never be our starter.
US_Army_Vol writes:
If you don't understand that there was a bigger picture yesterday than just the impact on our won/loss record; if you don't understand that recruits all over the country took note of the fact that equipped with a sorry QB and a bunch of Freshman we went toe to toe with the #1 team in the country for 4 quarters; if you don't understand what an effort like that could represent, even in a loss, relative to reversing the disgusting trends of the last few years...then you sir/ma'am are just plain ignorant.
volbald writes:
If UT had just a "fair to middlen" SEC level quarter back, it would be 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in the polls. But without a QB UT will be lucky to beat Ky. and Vandy. Kiffin called a marvelous game in an effort to hold down Crompton's errors - but they still happened. UT's defense appears to be the best in the SEC. But the defense will have to start scoring on fumbles and interceptions if UT is going to have a winning season. Fulmer just let UT sink to the bottom as far as skilled position recruiting is concerned. The Kiffins have really worked miracles to date.
volaboard writes:
VZ, I agree with you. I thought we were running the USC offense. Surely, they run a hurry-up offense when necessary. Do we not have the hurry-up package installed yet. It looked like we were trying to run out the clock. I was disappointed in the offensive approach in the last half of the 4th quarter.
volpreacher writes:
has anyone seen the article on Espn.com? Meyer is trying to say that a couple of his players had the flu now. What about UT's banged up offensive line that played great. What happened to the talent of the second stringers at Fla. being better than UT's starters. Goodness, just face it, we played with them. But we are going to have to get better and I believe we will and win at least 9 games beginning with the first one Saturday.
volpreacher writes:
we beat Vandy and Kentucky with Crompton last year, and I guarantee we are better this year.
TheFuj writes:
Just some time we need to look forward. If a loss to Auburn, then they need to think again. Will need him next year. Even if we get a good freshman, there is no guarantee he will be good enough by the FL game next year.
ibvolman writes:
You didn't listen to Kiffin's comments after the game did you? He stated clearly that the reason they didn't go into a 2 minute O was that the speed of it played into Florida's hand. If they had gone to a hurry up quick pace, it worked against the strengths of the Vols and opened up the door for Florida to play fast like they are acustomed to doing. Give the coaches a bit of credit. Seems to me like they know a bit more about the game than the average blogger, reporter, or poster on a message board.
CRFVols writes:
Janzen Jackson looks like the real deal...I can't wait to see him grow and gain experience. What a hit....guaranteed the Gators are feeling it today.....especially james
navarrebeachvol writes:
no Vicki Fulmer, you are no Vol fan, just a gator wannabe
jsm67vol writes:
The answer would have been 0 turnovers instead of 4. It would have helped to pick up more than 1 of their 6 too. I like our over all improvement vs the gators but the improvement has to continue every week. We didn't see that last year and it will be key for this offensive unit, IMO.
navarrebeachvol writes:
remove vol from your log in jack legg, but i guess we will never hear from you since the Gator game is over....but then again, i dont think u have much of a life, so u may stick around.
volfalcon writes:
I've never heard anyone make excuses for winning until now. How pathetic. Where was your 63-6 drubbing? That's what has got you tore up. Face facts and stop the whinning. Tennessee played well enough against UCLA to win if it weren't for turnovers.
OrangeRush writes:
This comment thread is nothing without the Witch Doctor.
mattgb7c writes:
I agree...anyone who thinks Tebow will not be a good NFL QB is crazy. Sure, I doubt he will be allowed to run the football as much as he does in college, but Tebow is a gifted athlete and will excel in the NFL - and I predict he will be a great NFL QB. Book it.
And for it's worth, it looks like the Titans are gonna have a rough road ahead this year depsite being a talented team...visions of drafting Eric Berry are dancing through my head - they could have used him today to slow down Matt Schaub.
cc623 writes:
Seemed to me he had the answer considering the only TD's they had were from series started with an INT(if I am not mistaken).That and the multitude of field goals showed me that they couldn't finish either.The defense put us in a position to win every game and it was the offense's job to execute and pull it off...
volaboard writes:
I heard his comments. I just don't agree with them. I give the coaches credit for having us in the game. But, when you are down 10 with the clock against you, shouldn't you run the hurry-up? So what if the quick pace plays into their hand. Are we trying to win or trying to lose by the least amount.
paul5170 writes:
Some of you couch potatoes need to leave the coaching up to Kiffen!!!! GO BIG ORANGE
SLOBBER_knocker_U writes:
Have you watched any of our games????? or are you that big of a D.A.
govols26 writes:
UF punted once, and that was a "Berry-esque" hit Jackson put on James. Makes me smile every time...
orangepridenation writes:
wrong again...monte kiffin didn't have an answer for crompton. our defense handled the ucla offense just fine, just ask the freshman qb prince about his broken jaw. and considering crompton through three picks, all of which led to ucla redzone possessions, and they still managed a measly 19 points, our defense is killer. i'd be worried about my own team if i were you. that was a poor showing by your offense yesterday.
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