Vol Report: Gearing Up for Georgia Tech

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With only four days remaining until Tennessee's Labor Day season opener against Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Vols' staff and players are putting the final touches on their game plan for the Yellow Jackets.

Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Larry Scott, defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and special teams coordinator/defensive backs coach Charlton Warren, along with four players met with the media early Tuesday afternoon in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio to give updates on the team's preparation for Georgia Tech.

Vols Expecting "Sound" Play from Veteran Georgia Tech Defense

UT heads into Monday's showdown at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium expecting to face a veteran Georgia Tech defense that is very sound and will not make many mistakes.

"You can tell they are a veteran bunch on defense," Scott said. "There aren't many times when you see a guy out of a gap that he should be in or a coverage bust. When I think about it, they play well together and are very sound. They force you into a system that makes you execute."

Senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson commented on the experience the Yellow Jackets' defense has not only by its starters but the players behind them as well.

"Georgia Tech's defense is a group of guys who have a lot of playing experience, especially on the backend," Robertson said. "Even the guys who aren't necessarily returning starters have also played a lot of valuable reps, so with this defense I see a bunch of guys who are well coached and just some blue-collar guys that work really hard to get off blocks and things like that."

Shoop Happy with Defense's Progress

Much of the talk surrounding UT's defense during the lead up to Monday's opener is the challenge they will face in stopping Georgia Tech's triple-option offense. Shoop said he has been pleased with what he's seen out of his defense during its preparation for the Yellow Jackets.

"First of all, I think the graduate assistants and the scout team have done an excellent job, and that's not easy to simulate," Shoop said. "Coach (Jones) has given us the reign to use different players, and those guys have done a great job. And then our players have really made a conscious effort."

In particular, Shoop harped on was the importance of eye discipline when it comes to defending an attack like Georgia Tech's.

"It's not necessarily the physical piece, it's having your eyes in the right spot at all times. If one guys gets just slightly out of position, against another operation it would be a three to five yard gain, but against these guys it could be a significant chunk play."

One thing the Big Orange will have to learn on is the experience and depth at the safety position. Junior defensive back Micah Abernathy talked about the advantage to having so many guys that can contribute on the back end of the defense.

"We got a lot of starters back there, we know that, the coaches have told us that. We understand that we're going to need as many people to play this year to stay fresh," Abernathy said.

Warren also touched on the ability to rotate an array of players throughout the secondary.

"We have three or four guys at safety and three or four guys at corner that have shown the ability to produce and be consistent," Warren said.

"I think in a game like this and any game with a long season ahead, I think you want to go into it and, if the guys are ready and prepared and earned it, you want to play them. I think we have some guys that have done that, where you don't feel like you have to play one guy the entire game, which helps our team."

The overall theme of fall camp is something that Shoop believes will translate seamlessly into this week's game against Georgia Tech.

"The theme of the season has been details, accountability, toughness, and those are things that are required to beat these guys," Shoop said. "From day one, whether it was in the spring, in the summer, in camp, or now as we get into game week, the guys have really been consistent. Our good practices have been good and even the ones that aren't great haven't been really bad, so it's been really positive so far."

University of Tennessee Athletics

Vols Expecting "Sound" Play from Veteran Georgia Tech Defense

Shoop Happy with Defense's Progress

Players Mentioned

Micah Abernathy

Jashon Robertson

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