Mondays with Bobby, featuring Mitchell Henry

Tennessee coach Butch Jones discusses Saturday’s matchup against Western Kentucky.

 Butch Jones

“Well going into the Austin Peay game, the big thing is we wanted a clean game. A clean game in all aspects, from special teams substitutions, always that first game – delay of game penalties, not enough individuals on the field and I thought for the most part we were able to do that. We had zero penalties.

“We talk about being a disciplined football team, but in the second half I was not particularly pleased. We played all younger players and a lot of players playing for the first time, but I thought our overall execution, our attention to details, the small details, our technique, our eye discipline in the back end of our defense – too many mental errors. I didn’t think that was up to our standard at which we’re gonna play football here at Tennessee.

“There were some valuable teaching opportunities. Unfortunately where we’re at with the program right now, we don’t have time to sit back and just work to develop our younger players. They have to learn how to be confident. We always talk about not letting the mind tie the feet up. They’re great competitors, so a valuable teaching tool, but as we move forward, obviously our competition continues to get greater and we’re going to be facing a Western Kentucky football team that’s gonna come in here with a lot of confidence. A very, very veteran group, an experienced group that understands how to win and knows how to win. It’s gonna be a great challenge.

“I said I’d know a little bit more where we’re after Game One – I do. I think the big thing for us still overall is our players focusing on what it takes to play winning football in their preparation off the field, on the field, the communication that occurs between plays and just everyone understands that total commitment and buying into the best that you can possibly be.”

Facing a Petrino offense: “I think first of all they have very good football players. Like I said in my opening statement, those players know how to win. They’ve been to bowl games. You look at their defense, they play with a ton of confidence. They were No. 1 in the conference last year in total defense.

“Offensively I think the quarterback is really managing their offense exceptionally well. They have a corps of running backs that are very-skilled. I think their team speed is outstanding, and then they’re gonna challenge you schematically with the different bunch sets, the play-action game and you have to be disciplined in the different run schemes, the different tempos of breaking the huddle, the cadence. If you’re not ready to play, they’re gonna cause you multiple issues.

“They challenge you in matchup problems and Bobby Petrino has always done a good job with that.”

UT culture: “I think it stems with having clearly defined and articulated expectations and everyone buying into that standard of excellence, it’s a standard of performance and not compromising. We’re doing things to be a champion each and every day – it starts in the classroom, it starts in the community and then it starts in the way you play. I think it’s every individual taking tremendous pride in their performance.

“That’s what I looked at in the second half of last week’s game is we had some individuals – what type of pride did they take in their performance? What type of energy did they bring? You look at all those things. I think it’s having the plan, the plan to win and not deviating from it. The standards and expectations here are not gonna change. We have a long way to go to get there, but our players have been outstanding. Our seniors, especially, have really taken on a leadership role and they’ve bought into it.

“There’s so many things that go into being successful and it’s the small details each and every day.”

UT run vs. WKU D: “We’re gonna need to be able to run the football. We have a lot of players, especially up front, that have played a lot of football for us. The thing we have to do is we have to learn how to finish plays. I didn’t think we finished plays Saturday night. I thought too many times our running backs bounced everything east and west. We wanna be a north and south football team.

“But Rajion (Neal) had a couple big runs for us. Our receivers have to have more consistency of blocking on the perimeter. I think when you have big runs, that’s direct correlation to your receivers blocking downfield. Just the overall toughness in finish and straining and sustaining on plays, we have to do a much better job and obviously we all know how talented Western Kentucky is on defense and they’re gonna challenge us.

“We have to be able to block at the second level. Andrew Jackson is as good of a linebacker as I’ve seen in a very long period of time. We have to get better in a hurry and most teams, that’s what I’m anxious to see, is our improvement from Game 1 to Game 2.”

WKU already playing SEC team: “It does (help). Just getting them on film is a benefit, but that’s just one game. We know that there’s a lot of things that we still haven’t seen yet. That’s why paying attention to the small details, the eye discipline in the back end of our defense, our linebackers – we haven’t seen a whole lot.

“But it is great gauge for us, but there’s a lot that we have to anticipate and be ready for come Saturday.”

QB play: “I thought (Justin Worley) managed the offense exceptionally well. I thought he was in control, I thought he made good decisions with the football. There was probably one or two throws he would like to have back. Some of that is a byproduct of our youthfulness and our inexperience out on the perimeter. We didn’t run the proper route depths, and that’s all about that trust that develops between the quarterbacks and receivers and that we talk about all the time.

“We’re continuing to be a work in progress, but I thought Justin did play winning football for us.”

Bobby Petrino: “He understands the venues, he understands this conference for being a part of it and having great success in this conference. I was an assistant at West Virginia two years back in ’05 and ’06. The ’05 I believe was a three-overtime game in Morgantown. In Louisville I believe that was the year they went to the Orange Bowl.

“Obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He’s gotta great offensive mind, but his teams are tough, they’re physical and they’re very well-prepared.

Filed under: Football, Talkin’ bout the Tops