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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — An impressive 40,000 members of the Vol Nation came out for an open practice to show their support and love for Team 118. More than anything, the coaches and players appreciated the opportunity to have a game like atmosphere to practice to with just over two weeks until the first game.
“Thank you to the fans for coming out and creating a game atmosphere,” head coach Butch Jones said. “We needed that for our development. Feeding off the crowd’s energy is what our football team needed.”
As seniors, linebacker A.J. Johnson and running back Marlin Lane know the feeling of a great crowd.
“There was a lot of energy,” said Johnson. “It felt real good. It felt like a game environment. We came running out and there were people everywhere.”
“It’s a great experience for the freshmen. When they get to the game it’s going to be ten times better, but they still get the great feeling of being in a game environment.”
Lane realizes that not many programs have the chance to practice in front of such a large crowd.
“There’s nothing like practicing in front of a live crowd. Everybody wishes to practice like this with 50,000 people there. Seeing the energy of the crowd keeps us motivated and going.”
With the band playing and good ole Rocky Top in the back, the energy of the crowd served as a gift for the team.
“It definitely gets us ready for the game and reminds us of a game like environment,” said Brian Randolph. “It was a good rejuvenation. Our legs are dead. Some of us just need an extra spark, and I think that did the trick.”
Freshman linebacker Dillon Bates felt the intensity of a crowd that he grew up being a fan of and shared the experience with his fellow newcomers.
“It was amazing,” Bates said. “To come out with all these fans coming just to watch practice and just to show how important this team is to the community and to Vol Nation–it’s just great to see this kind of turnout.”
WORLEY HAS FAITH IN O-LINE, OFFENSE
Starting quarterback Justin Worley praised his offense after tonight’s open practice at Neyland Stadium, as the group ran through basic offense drills and matchups before a crowd of 40,000 Vol fans.
“I think everybody showed up,” said Worley. “I mean, it’s always incredible to get in front of these fans and there was a little bit more energy, a little bit more bouncing around. The defense got fired up on third downs. I think everybody responded well and came here and competed.”
Among points of interest for Head Coach Butch Jones tonight, the chemistry of the offense and the strength of the offensive line were both put to the test. During a seven-on-seven series, Worley completed a third down conversion pass to wide receiver Marquez North, which reassured the quarterback that the offensive schemes are starting to gel.
“Just being able to throw routes with Marquez [North] and Jason [Croom] and all those guys, every rep counts,” added Worley. “Both of those guys have done a great job in the offseason, first of all, and are now taking it into fall camp and developing. They’ve done a great job.”
Worley is also gaining more and more confidence in his young offensive line, which faced a fast and energized Vol defense in scrimmage situations.
“I don’t need to worry about the offensive line,” said Worley. “As long as I can get myself protected, that’s on me and my knowledge of the game, my knowledge of my protection and everything. I’d say each one of them has a chip on their shoulder and they want to go out and prove themselves.
“I have faith in these guys. They’re going to step up and play hard for me, I know that.”
BATES UNDER THE NEYLAND LIGHTS
Saturday night’s open practice marked a first for freshman linebacker Dillon Bates.
Bates had never performed for Vol Nation at Neyland Stadium until Saturday night.
“It was amazing,” Bates said. “Definitely got those butterflies coming in, but you never get that anywhere else. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
Bates, who did not play in the 2014 DISH Orange & White Game but did attend, noted that the similar environments of the spring game and Saturday night’s open practice will help him for the regular season.
“Just to show and see all the fans here in a similar atmosphere, it definitely gets you acclimated to what it’s like for game day,” Bates said.
Not only did Volunteer fans give Bates a glimpse into what Neyland Stadium is like during game days, but they also provided him and the rest of the team with more energy during practice.
“When you come out in Neyland Stadium in front of thousands of people, the energy level does turn up a little bit, and everybody gets that much more excited,” Bates said.
The attendance of 40,000 people for Saturday’s open practice came as a bit of a shock to the freshman.
“I didn’t expect that many people to be here,” Bates said. “But, it’s great, and it just shows how in love the Vol Nation is with this team.”
Bates is excited about the opportunity to see a packed Neyland Stadium for UT’s season opener against Utah State.
“It’s going to be double this, so just even with the lower bowl–and I don’t know how many people were out here–it was still loud,” Bates said. “You could still feel it in your chest. So, just imagining that times two and seeing these thousands of people coming out to watch us play, it’ll be exciting.”
RANDOLPH IMPRESSED WITH NEW-LOOK SECONDARY
Saturday night’s open practice marked the first “game-like” challenge for many players in the Volunteer defensive backfield. It was a test, according to junior Brian Randolph, that greatly helped the secondary become more prepared for the upcoming season.
“It went well,” he said. “With the crowd noise, there was some lack of communication out there. We still have to get better with our hand signals, but for the most part, I feel like we got more prepared for game one.”
Freshmen D’Andre Payne and Rashaan Gaulden especially impressed the veteran safety.
“He was pretty much lockdown on the corner position tonight,” he said about Payne. “He did good against the big receivers. And also, Rashaan Gaulden. He did good in the one-on-ones. He got him a pick, and he just came out with a lot of emotion tonight.”
Freshman Todd Kelly Jr. and sophomore Michael Williams also earned praise from Randolph.
“Mike Williams, he has great speed out there, and that’s something that we need in the secondary, of course,” said Randolph. “He can also get physical at times with the receivers, so he’s got a good toolbox to use, and he’s been doing well in practice.”
“He’s a football player,” he said of Kelly Jr. “He loves the game – you can tell. He’s always asking questions, he always wants to learn more, so he’s just a hungry freshman. He’s trying to get some playing time. You can tell with his background that football means a lot to him. You can tell he has an edge about him.”
SOUND BITES
Here are sound bites from the assistant coaches after Friday’s practice
HEAD COACH BUTCH JONES
»(On receiver Josh Malone)
“He’s a competitor. Again, we’re working through some practice habits and Josh has done a great job all of camp. Again, he’s a freshman and we put a lot of expectations on him but the great thing is, he has a lot of mentors around him now. That entire receiving group has a lot of confidence right now. As I told you, Zach Azzanni does a great job with them. But it’s starting to be a player-led position now and that’s great to see. Josh has done a great job with that and he’ll continue to get better and better. We’re very proud of him.”
»(On quarterback Justin Worley)
“I see great confidence right now and he should have great confidence. But more command, more taking ownership of being the quarterback at the University of Tennessee, so I see him making progress each and every day along with the other quarterbacks, with Nate [Peterman] and Josh [Dobbs] as well.”
SENIOR QUARTERBACK JUSTIN WORLEY
»(On his focus with the offense)
“We’ve got to stay healthy. We’re winding down fall camp and getting into Utah State film and development and stuff. We just have to stay healthy and build a little bit of chemistry before Week 1.”
»(On practicing after being named starting QB)
“Coach Bajakian and Coach Jones both told me, ‘Just know you’re going to have to go out there and compete and that’s going to make you even better.’ I’ve just been trying go out and prove myself each day and complete balls, be consistent with my performance and take it from there.”
SENIOR LINEBACKER A.J. JOHNSON
»(On the improvements of the group of new linebackers)
“Just from day one, they’re improving. They took it day by day so one day at a time. They’re getting a lot better. They’re not busting as many calls. they’re in there running to the ball. They’re looking real good.”
»(On communicating with the defense)
“We’ve been communicating great through this whole spring. It was just some nights the offense was making great plays on us. Tonight our defense stepped up and made some good stops on the receivers. But our receivers made great plays. We have some great receivers.”
SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK BRIAN RANDOLPH
»(On adjusting to the crowd noise)
“The crowd noise was loud. We’ve got to get used to playing in front of people and not worrying about the exterior. You’ve got to worry about getting in your own zone, and what’s going on on the field.”
»(On the current mental state of the team)
“It’s good. I think coach is doing a good job of keeping us fresh. He’s also demanding a lot from us at the same time, so he’s doing a good mix between the two.”
SENIOR RUNNING BACK MARLIN LANE
»(On the moving pieces of the O-Line)
“The crowd noise was loud. We’ve got to get used to playing in front of people and not worrying about the exterior. You’ve got to worry about getting in your own zone, and what’s going on on the field.”
»(On quarterback Justin Worley)
“He’s the same ole Justin. All of our quarterbacks are looking the same, and Justin is going out there each and every day competing, as well as everybody else. Justin is the same guy whether he’s starting or not. He’s still got the same demanding voice. He still comes to practice and works out. He’s high energy and ready to go.”
JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER VON PEARSON
»(On the team’s energy)
“It was great feeling out there. It felt electric, I had extra moves in me, the team electric and we were all in it. I feel like we played discipline with not a lot of people on the ground, we played with our practice etiquette.”
»(On defensive back Michael Williams)
“Mike has good work-ethic. Coming from track, he has good speed and puts us to work every day. All our DBs put us to work every day. I know they’ll be rotating a lot because of the competition in that group, so they all play a good role on our team.”
FRESHMAN LINEBACKER DILLON BATES
»(On practicing before a crowd at Neyland Stadium)
“Definitely got those butterflies coming in, but you never get that anywhere else. It’s the greatest feeling in the world. I didn’t expect that many people to be here. But, it’s great, and it just shows how in love theVol Nation is with this team. You could feel it in your chest. So, just imagining that times two and seeing these thousands of people coming out to watch us play, it’ll be exciting.”
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