KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Butch Jones described South Alabama as an athletic, physical team with an aggressive defense during his weekly news conference Monday, as the Volunteers prepared to host the Jaguars on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Respect for the Jaguar Defense
Jones said South Alabama brings a lot of pressure defensively and plays sound team defense built on discipline and fundamentals. He called the Jaguars a well-coached team.
Up-Tempo Offense
On offense, Jones said South Alabama’s quarterbacks like to run and that the Jaguars play at an up-tempo pace while trying to get the ball to the perimeter. He pointed to a play-calling mix of screen passes, running plays and deep play-action throws when defenses move up to stop the run, and said Tennessee will need to be prepared for everything.
Volunteers Looking to Respond
Tennessee enters the game after losses in each of the last two weeks. Jones said the Volunteers will focus on eliminating mistakes and turnovers and on sharper execution, and that the way his team approaches this week of practice will show how it responds to those defeats.
Jones also urged Tennessee fans, and the student body in particular, to fill Neyland Stadium for the game, saying he wants student tickets to sell out for every home game.
First Meeting
Saturday’s game is the first meeting between the programs. Kickoff is set for 11:21 a.m. Central on the SEC TV Network. South Alabama, coached by Joey Jones, is in its first full season as a Football Bowl Subdivision member of the Sun Belt Conference and is coming off an open week following its comeback win over Western Kentucky.
