KNOXVILLE — Most response to the “I type it, you read it,” question-and-answer blogs have been positive.
People have claimed to enjoy reading full answers from UT’s coaches and players, and I agree that it helps keep their words in clear context.
But one anonymous reader doesn’t enjoy the title, as evidenced by an mail that popped in the inbox today.
Here is the full e-mail — you know, for context:
“Can I just ask you to please stop starting articles ‘I type it, you read it.’ If not, people might seriously stop ‘reading it.’ I honestly have stopped reading your articles probably the last three times I’ve come to that phrase because it makes me feel like I’m reading something written by a seventh-grader.
“Just write!”
I couldn’t help but laugh when reading that. It made me feel like Adam Sandler’s character in “Billy Madison,” who was railed by a debate judge after a long-winded answer.
Remember this quote?
“Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought.
“Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”
Anyway, maybe our drive-by, e-mail blaster is correct. I’m taking suggestions for a new name to that portion of the blog. I’m leaning toward “transcribing like heck,” but I’m open to change.
Until then, here are some recaps from Alabama coaches and players this week. In honor of senior John Parker Wilson’s commitment to upholding the traditional, Crimson Tide hairstyle, this is the “Bama Bangs” edition.
Anyone who reads every word of this deserves an award.
ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS:
SABAN: “Tennessee is obviously a big challenge for us. They have a lot of good players. They have 16 starters back from last year’s team. Phillip Fulmer has been there a long time. He has a lot of experience and he has won a lot of games. He is going to get this team playing better and better and better as the season goes on, I am sure of that, and they have made a significant amount of improvement and played extremely well last week against Mississippi State.
“(The Vols) have eight starters back on offense. The offensive line is very, very good. They’ve got their two receivers back. They have three or four very good runners. Nick Stephens has done a good job since he has played in these last few games at quarterback.
“Defensively, they are in the top 20 in just about every category nationally that you can be in. They are the second-best defense in the SEC, statistically, in almost every area, whether it’s yards, points allowed or whatever it is. Eric Berry has five interceptions. They have 14 picks as a defense (ranks No. 1 nationally). They are a ball-hawking bunch that thrives on turnovers. They have some people up front that can rush the passer. They’ve got good linebackers.
“This is a very good team. This team has as good a specialists — punter, kicker, return guys — that we have played against all year long. They do a very good job on special teams. So regardless of the record in this game, it doesn’t really matter what ours is, what theirs is or anything else. We need to bring our ‘A’ game. We need to play our best football game of the year, and that is certainly what we are going to try to get our players to focus on to do.”
Q: What do you like about redshirt freshman Josh Chapman (noseguard Terrence Cody’s backup) as a player? People talk about his work in the weight room. Did you see that translate to the field?
SABAN: “He plays with strength; he’s got good power. He plays run blocks very well. He is a true noseguard for what we want, and he’s done a good job. And he’s played all year. It’s not like you haven’t seen him. He is out there and plays probably a third of the ‘run’ down plays in every game. He did a pretty good job in this game when he had to play the last quarter and a half.”
Q: Cody has been one of the more beloved players, both to the fans and to the other players. Do you worry at all about an emotional letdown at all without him being in the lineup?
SABAN: “I don’t think you replace guys like Cody. He is a very good player and he has played well for us. I think the other players like him and have a lot of confidence in him, but I think this is a time for players to support the players that are going to play. We all want to support Cody and help him get back and get healthy so he can play well again. I am sure that’s what he wants. That’s what we want. That’s what the other players want, but we have to help support the other players that are going to play. I think the leadership on the team understands that and will certainly do that.”
Q: Looking at Tennessee offensively, are the Vols different with Nick Stephens at quarterback rather than Jonathan Crompton, or are they just executing better with him at quarterback?
SABAN: “I don’t think they’re a lot different. You see some of the things they’ve done in the past in terms of what Tennessee has always done, in terms of being a two-back running team. But you also see things that they have done differently whether it’s empty or No. 4 (Gerald Jones) at quarterback or things that feature their players and their personnel. But I don’t see them being a different offensive team. The one thing Compton did a little bit was he ran; they ran some quarterback draws and he scrambled and moved around and made some plays with his feet. I think Nick Stephens is certainly capable of doing that, but that’s one thing that we haven’t seen as much of. But he’s done a nice job of executing their offense.”
Q: Can you just comment on UT sophomore safery Eric Berry and, in particular, what kind of threat he is if he gets his hands on the football?
SABAN: “He’s a very good player, arguably one of the best players in our conference, especially defensive backs. His athleticism, ball judgment, instincts, plays their scheme very well and makes a ton of plays. He’s got ability to run with it after he catches it. So he’s a very, very good player.”
Q: I’m sure you can’t narrow it down to just one factor, but when you look at last year and this year, the second-half letdowns, are you able to put your finger on a reason behind why that is happening and how do you try to avoid that in the future?
SABAN: “I said what I basically said. I think it’s a matter of we play best when we have intensity. We’re physical; we play with toughness; everybody’s focused and paying attention to detail. That is something we have to maintain consistently. Whatever period in the game that it is, we need to have awareness that we need to refocus and re-center.
“You know, a timeout in basketball is to re-center and stop momentum. When a guy goes for a pit stop in a NASCAR race, he’s got to refocus and re-center and gets his car all straightened out. A little new strategy, maybe, then you have to go back and play. And that’s what we’ve got to do when we have a timeout or a halftime or whatever it is. That’s just what we have to do. But I think the focus needs to be on dominating the game and the person you play and not looking at the scoreboard and not letting the score affect how you compete or how you play. And that has been a factor. We just need to do it the way we do it. That’s how we win, and that’s what we need to know is important to us being successful, the factors that I talked about. And that has to be our trademark as a team. And when it isn’t, we don’t play quite as well. Everybody needs to be aware of that. It’s everybody’s responsibility to help everybody do it.
Q: Your teams have had a lot of success against Phillip Fulmer’s teams. Has there been a common denominator in those games? You’ve been very good offensively, it’s looked like, overall.
SABAN: “Well, I don’t know that there’s a common denominator. I just think that none of those games in the past will have any effect on this game. We certainly have to do the things that we have to do to execute on both sides of the ball and on special teams to create opportunities for ourselves to make plays, to minimize their ability to make plays, especially big plays. I’m sure turnovers, third downs, how you play in the red area on both sides of the ball, are all going to be critical factors in determining the outcome of the game. If we’ve been fortunate in the past in those areas, I don’t think it’ll have any effect on this game.”
Q: There’s a lot of talk in the state of Tennessee that Fulmer’s future may be a question mark; that his job may be in jeopardy. You mentioned earlier that he had won a lot of games, done a lot of good things there. Does that surprise you, and are you disturbed at all by this trend? We’ve already seen a head coach fired this year, an offensive coordinator fired this year and we’re just past the halfway point.
SABAN: “It’s not my position to make those kind of decisions. Every institution has administrators who make those decisions. I’m not trying to influence those decisions. But as a coach, in loyalty to my colleagues, to me, Phillip Fulmer has been a good coach for a long time. He’s done a lot of good things for the University of Tennessee. They’ve had a good program for a long, long time. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach and what he’s done and what he’s accomplished through the years. Saying all that, I think the guy’s a really good coach.”
Q: So far this season, it looks like your team has played a little better on the road than at home. Is there a reason for that, and what are some of the differences in preparing for a road game and for a home game?
SABAN: “There really aren’t any differences until you come to Friday. You’ve got to decide whether you’re going to walk across the street and stay in this hotel, or get in an airplane and fly wherever you’re going. But other than that, I don’t know of any. Sometimes you do things for crowd noise which could certainly be an issue in this game. And we don’t usually address that until Thursday. Other than those two factors, I’m not sure that there’s anything different in your approach. Psychologically, the players have to be focused on what they have to do and not get affected by external factors, whether it’s the crowd or the noise or any of those things, and that’s challenging. And we’ve been able to do that fairly well in our road games so far.”
Q: When you beat a team like you guys beat Tennessee last year, is there an element when you guys come in, or have you noticed over the years when you beat a team the previous year pretty bad that it makes it where they play the game even harder. Can you tell any motivating factor?
SABAN: “I can’t really answer that. I don’t know much about their team, when it comes to how they think and what they do. I just know that what happened in last year’s game will have no effect on the outcome of this year’s game. It’ll certainly get decided by what both teams do in that 53-yard rectangle that’s 100 yards deep when you go play in Knoxville. So that’s what we need to be focusing on. That’s what we need to be thinking about. That’s what we need to prepare for.”
Q: In regards to Cody, with a guy that size and that kind of injury, do you notice that there’s going to be any kind of difference between the recovery time or how he rehabs?
SABAN: “I don’t think size has any ability with healing or relationships with how fast you heal. Some people do it more quickly than others. I can’t make that prediction. I don’t think we have a doctor that is trying to make that prediction.
“I think the critical thing is that you do all the rehab that you can do to give yourself the best opportunity to heal correctly. And after you do heal, you maintain some kind of physical conditioning so that you can perform and not step back because you did not take care of yourself while you were rehabbing. Those are the critical factors to me. And those are factors that we can control. And that’s what we’re focused on.”
Q: When did Cody have the MRI?
“Sunday? What’s the difference? He had one and it reads the same on Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, Monday morning. It’s all the same.
“Good question. I shouldn’t have done that. I apologize.”
Q: I know that interceptions aren’t the measure for the way a defensive back is playing, but was it nice for you to see Rashad (Johnson) get his first pick on Saturday?
SABAN: “Well, he’s had three or four opportunities this year. In fact, the first play of the season actually, against Clemson, he had his hands on a fade and the big receiver Kelly knocked it out of his hands. He’s played well for us; he’s played with good range; he’s been in the right places; he’s made a lot of plays. He’s had probably four or five opportunities and just hasn’t been able to finish. It was good to see him get a pick, and hopefully he’ll get a few more as we go on and play down the road.”
Q: You mentioned distractions. Do you think this team is distracted at all by its ascent up the polls and its No. 2 ranking?
SABAN: “Well, you certainly don’t want it to be. As I’ve said before, it’s your job in the media to do all these things, and we appreciate what you do to bring attention to the program, to the players, to the institution. That’s what make college football special, and I think it’s great. But when it comes to being a competitor and competing, that stuff can be very toxic in how it affects how you think. And if you start thinking in the game that I’ve got to win the game, we might lose now, if they score a touchdown here we can lose, it affects your performance because of the anxiety it creates, and you’re not competing like you should compete. And you’re not playing the way you should play, and you’re not giving yourself the best opportunity to be successful. And that’s why I go back and say our guys need to focus on what they need to do to dominate.
“I always go back to playing in the national championship game. Don’t worry about winning the national championship: Worry about dominating the guy you’ve got to play against and assume that’s the best player you’ve ever played against, and let’s go practice and get ready to do that. And if we can do that, good things will happen. And that’s what you have to stay focused on, what it takes to be successful from a competitive standpoint. That’s not from a fan standpoint, that’s not from a media standpoint. So I’m not being disrespectful to anything or anyone, but from a player’s perspective and from a coach’s perspective, that’s the most important thing.”
Q: Can you just quantify how big a loss Terrence Cody is? And how does that change your defensive scheme overall?
SABAN: “It doesn’t change anything for us. We have other players who are capable of playing. Terrence is a good player. We certainly can’t replace him, but it does create opportunities for other players who have played this season — in the same scheme, doing the same things and being very productive. So I can’t quantify it. I don’t know how to do that. If I had majored in physics instead of phys ed, I’d be able to do that.”
ALABAMA SENIOR QUARTERBACK JOHN PARKER WILSON
Q: What are your thoughts on UT sophomore Eric Berry?
WILSON: “We’ve already talked about it. His talent and everything that he’s got, we’ve got to know where he is at all times.”
Q: What about UT’s entire secondary? The Vols are tied for the NCAA lead with 14 interceptions.
WILSON: “They’re good. There’s something to be said about knowing how to go get the ball, a defender. I think Rashad (Johnson) does it really well in practice. You kind of have to know where he’s at or he’s going to go get the ball. Whether it’s a fade route or throwing the ball down the field, they can break on the ball really well.”
Q: Is UT better than its 3-4 record?
WILSON: “They’re good on defense. I don’t think there’s any question about that. Their record, I think, is out the window right now against us. It doesn’t matter how good we’ve done or how good they’ve done, they’re going to show up to play.”
Q: What’s the loudest stadium you’ve played in?
WILSON: “Tennessee. It’s pretty loud.
“Everywhere is loud. It kind of depends on how the game is going. Everybody says Georgia is so loud, but it really wasn’t because we were beating them so bad. LSU a couple of years ago when we played down there, it was loud. But if we can get out and get a lead, it really won’t matter.”
Q: Was the noise a factor in your team’s 16-13 loss in Knoxville two season ago?
WILSON: “We had a two-minute drive, and it was tough in the huddle to communicate. It’s something I know a lot better now, how to communicate with the guys, especially going into it. You can kind of practice it more. When I was a sophomore, I kind of didn’t know what to expect. I think I’m more prepared now.”
JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END BRANDON FANNEY
Q: Didn’t you grow up an Alabama fan near Knoxville?
FANNEY: “I’m really not from Knoxville. I’m from about 40 minutes outside of Knoxville — a small town called Morristown. Growing up, I was an Alabama fan, so it really was an easy choice. I never really had any intention of wanting to go to Tennessee. My uncle, my mama (were Alabama fans).
“My daddy was a big Tennessee fan, but that was pretty much the only person in my family that was a Tennessee fan.”
Q: How did some of your family become Alabama fans?
FANNEY: “My uncle, I don’t know why he’s been an Alabama fan. But all my life, he was an Alabama fan. So I was brought up an Alabama fan.”
Q: Is this a special game for you?
FANNEY: “It’s very special for me, just playing against people I know. I’ve got a bunch of family that’s going to be there. My friends that I did go to high school with, that I don’t keep in touch with, they’re going to be there. It’s just a special game for me. It’s kind of a homecoming for me.”
Q: Have you heard from a lot of Knoxville-area friends this week?
FANNEY: “I really don’t even know if they’re coming, but I guess they’ll be there.”
Q: Do you know any of Tennessee’s players?
FANNEY: “(Senior defensive tackle) Demonte Bolden and (senior offensive tackle) Ramon Foster. I went to Hargrave (Military Academy) with Demonte. He was my roommate at Hargrave. And Ramon, I know him from the Tennessee-Kentucky all-star game.”
Q: Have you talked to them recently?
FANNEY: “No. That’s because I lost Demonte’s number. For the first couple of years that I was down here, me and Demonte kept in touch. But I think he got his number changed, and I got my number changed, (so) we just don’t have any chance to get in touch with each other.”
Q: But you’ll talk to them during the game, right?
FANNEY: “Yeah, or at the end of the game.”
Q: Have you enjoyed your role at the “Jack” position in Nick Saban’s defense?
FANNEY: “I have, but it’s really no different from playing defensive end. My hand’s in the dirt about 90 percent of the time anyway. That’s my home, defensive end.”
Q: Are you getting more comfortable without your hand in the dirt?
FANNEY: “I’m pretty comfortable standing up. With my hand in the dirt, that’s my home. But that’s not like being able to stand up. I joke around with the other D-linemen. I guess they’re kind of jealous. Everybody wants to stand up and have that versatility.”
Q: Why has this team gotten so much better this season?
FANNEY: “Practice. Everybody on the team has improved, from the Clemson game to now. It ain’t just me; it’s everybody. They’re making me better, and I hope I’m making them better at the same time.”
Q: You went to prep school for one season. Then you redshirted a season at Alabama and didn’t play much the past two seasons? How long did that seem?
FANNEY: “It has seemed like it’s been forever. But at the same time, it’s gone by quick. After this year, I have one more year left. It’s gone by so quick, it doesn’t even seem like it. It seems like I’m just now getting here.”
Q: Did the year at Hargrave make it seem even longer?
FANNEY: “No, that actually went by pretty quick, too. This whole thing, they said growing up, ‘High school’s going to go by quick’; it flew by. They said, ‘College is going to go by fast,’ and it has been. So I guess, just, life goes by fast. Enjoy it while you can.”
JUNIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LORENZO WASHINGTON
Q: Are you going to move from defensive end back to noseguard while Terrence Cody is out of the lineup?
WASHINGTON: “Sometimes I play the zero, sometimes I play the two, but there are times when I am lined up in a three technique. But football is football. It’s all the same. I would rather be in there making us win than be on the outside and us not winning. Whatever makes us win.”
Q: Will you play end and noseguard?
WASHINGTON: “It is a possibility. Right now I am practicing at nose, because I just need to refresh and get my technique right, because I haven’t played nose since like school started.
“It is refreshing, because I was playing end a couple of days ago, so ... I am able to do either or.
Q: If you play nose, you’ll probably play against UT junior center Josh McNeil. What are your thoughts on him?
WASHINGTON: “He is definitely a really good player. Their whole offensive line was really good. They run like a lot of power zone outside, like zone stretch. They are a really good offensive line.”
Q: Is it difficult not to see UT’s 3-4 record?
WASHINGTON: “Oh, I definitely don’t look at the record at all. They’ve lost some games, but they’ve lost some close games. I think once or twice they were blown out, but other than that, they lost to SEC teams. And like I said before, any team in the SEC can beat anybody. Like one more big play here or there (or) limit a mistake or a turnover, and their record is completely different. They are in kind of the same situation we were in towards the end of last year.”
Q: Lots of people have laughed at the picture in “Sports Illustrated” where McNeil is untying a Florida player’s shoes. Did he try that move on you last season?
WASHINGTON: “Not that I remember.”
Q: Are the Vols doing many different things from previous seasons?
WASHINGTON: “They pretty much, they might have little new things. Not like a ‘Wildcat’ thing, but they like to put an athlete at quarterback and do like little quarterback draws and sweeps and options with him. But other than that, they still run the power, they like to run the zone, play-action pass and they had success with us on the screen, so they will probably try to hit that.”
TIGHT END NICK WALKER
Q: Is John Parker Wilson more comfortable throwing the ball to you this season?
WALKER: “He’s been real comfortable this year anyway. John Parker, he just, I don’t know, he’s just playing ball this year. He’s always played ball, but this year he’s real comfortable. Knowing more of what to do and how to do it. He’s just been on top of it.”
Q: Is the UT secondary a big test for you guys?
WALKER: We’re going to take this week just like we take any other week. We’re just going to go in (and) not just going focus on one player. We’re going to focus on the whole team, because the whole defense plays hard. It’s going to be a good test for us. Hopefully, we’ll come out on top.”
Q: What do you think about UT’s defensive line?
WALKER: “They’re just fixed like everybody else. They’re going to play hard, because we’re Alabama. Tennessee’s going to be a big game. It’s always been a big game. We know they’re going to be hyped and ready to play. But like Coach said, we’re just going to have to change the way they think.”
Q: What do you remember about last season’s big victory over UT?
WALKER: “We just came out, you know, executed like we were supposed to. Fortunately, we came out on top.”
Q: Why have you guys struggled to execute and score points in the second half?
WALKER: “I really don’t know. I mean, I guess we just need to basically just keep our poise when we go in (to halftime) with a big lead like that, and come out and play like we played the first half. I really don’t understand what be happening. But it just ... I don’t know; we go into this hole. It’s something we really, really, really need to take care of, because, I mean, as the season goes on, the games only get harder.”
Q: Have you guys been guilty of looking at the scoreboard and those big, early leads?
WALKER: “I guess. I guess. Whatever it is, we need to get it fixed.”
Q: Is it human nature to relax when you’re up by so many points?
WALKER: “I wouldn’t say human nature, but I don’t know. I guess guys get comfortable — I guess that’s the word I can say. We just need just to come on out and finish. We need to work on finishing the second half, play like we played the first half. Then get up, (and) probably in the fourth quarter, you probably can take a break then and let the next team come in.”
Q: Has it seemed like a UT-Alabama week without “Rocky Top” blaring on the practice field all week? (Saban stopped that tradition).
WALKER: “We don’t really do that. We do the same thing every week. It’s going to be the exact same thing every week. (Saban) don’t care nothing about none of that. Only thing he cares about is playing winning football. We’re going to go up there (and) do like we did for the rest of the opponents we played this year. We’re going to practice hard and go up there and play hard.”
Q: So Saban doesn’t even talk about the rivalry for a minute or two?
WALKER: “He understands the rivalry between us, but he don’t talk about it like that. He looks at all opponents the same.”
Q: Has conditioning been part of the problem in the second half?
WALKER: “It’s not the fatigue. It’s definitely not that. We’re going to get it fixed if Coach got anything to do with it. I don’t know. I feel like we just need to keep our poise and go out and play like we played in the first half. Look at the score as 0-0. Come on back out and play like we played the first half.”
Q: Do the Vols look like a 3-4 team on film?
WALKER: “No. They actually look real good on film. The defense has been what’s been keeping them in the game anyway. The defense looks real good. I don’t know what to say about them on offense — I don’t watch their games — but looking at their defense, their defense is what’s been keeping them in the game. I know we’re going to have to play real hard to win.”
SENIOR CENTER ANTOINE CALDWELL
Q: How does Tennessee stack up with other defenses you’ve played this year?
CALDWELL: “They’re physical. They’re not really going to try and run around you. They like to press the pocket, especially on passing downs, and try to pretty much bull you, put you in the quarterback’s lap. They’ve done a good job of that against everybody they’ve played this year.
“That’s typical Tennessee. They’re always one of the most physical defensive lines we play, and it’s no different this year. They’ve got some good players, especially on the inside.”
Q: Can they do that with seven guys in the box?
CALDWELL: “Yes, that’s what they believe in. And if you start to move the ball a little bit, they’ll go to five down (linemen) and try to get a one-on-one block across the front. And they’ve done that ever since I’ve been here. They’ve done another good job this year. I think they’re like top 10, 11 in the nation in defense.
“Typical Tennessee. They’re physical, they play hard and that’s exactly what we’re going to have on Saturday.”
Q: Obviously you and some teammates missed last season’s UT game because of the textbook issue, but what made that game so lopsided?
CALDWELL: “We had a lot of mismatches, and Coach (Major) Applewhite and other coaches did a good job of just game-planning for that game, getting everybody ready for it. Then the team came out and they were ready to play in that game. It was pretty much over with before it got started.”
Q: Does missing last season’s game against UT make this one more important to you?
CALDWELL: “It does a little bit, just because I remember preparing so hard last year and not able to play. It was tough for me. This year, I wanted to take advantage of every moment I had out there at practice — getting better as much as I can with every rep and looking forward to this Saturday of getting a chance to do it this time.”
Q: Where did you watch last year’s UT game?
CALDWELL: “At my house, at my apartment. I sat and watched the game with my family.”
Q: What was that experience like?
CALDWELL: “It was tough, just tough. I felt like I had let my team down a lot, probably like anybody else would have felt. It made me feel a lot better after they went out there and handled business. I didn’t cry as many tears after the game was over. But this year, we’ve got us another opportunity to hopefully go out there Saturday and get it done.”
Q: What can Tennessee expect to see from your inexperienced noseguards, Josh Chapman and Nick Gentry?
CALDWELL: “Both are very capable noseguards, good players. That’s what people don’t understand. You can’t replace a guy like Terrence, but Josh and Nick Gentry are very capable of getting the job done. I’ve got full faith and confidence, just like the rest of this team does, in those two guys. They do a great job.
“They both bring a different combination of things. Gentry is probably the quickest, speediest noseguard you’ll ever go up against, and Josh is just like T.C. in a way — he’s real powerful, kind of a stubby guy who does a good job. They’re going to have to prepare for both of them and get ready to see two different looks. Hopefully, they’ll get the job done. We’ve got faith in them.”
Q: Does this still feel like a rivalry without “Rocky Top” blaring on the practice field all week?
CALDWELL: “For us that’s been here, since Sunday, you just talk to the guys when you’re in meetings and you just understand it’s a huge game. No matter what you put on it, it’s always a huge game. And I think some of the younger guys, the freshmen, are starting to realize how big of a game it is, just from hearing some of the older guys like myself talk and hearing some coaches talk.
“They’re starting to get the idea that that’s a big game around here. They’ll probably have the same mindset as us when they get up there on Saturday.”
Q: How can you guys stop these second-half letdowns?
CALDWELL: “We start out really fast and I think a lot of us, come halftime, I don’t know if it’s relax a little bit, but we’ve just got to go out there and realize there’s not a scoreboard and teams are going to make adjustments. That’s what they do at halftime, (and) that’s what we try to do. So we’ve got to realize that we have to keep doing what we do when we start out fast.
“We need to come out in the second half just like the first, and hopefully that’ll take care of itself.”
Q: Does Coach Saban approach the UT game differently than Mike Shula?
CALDWELL: “I wouldn’t really say it’s a difference. They’re still intense. They’re still getting after it. They’re still pushing us. It’s been that way every single game we’ve played, and that’s probably why we’ve been successful as well, because they’ve been consistent. When you go out there, you know what you’re going to get. You know what’s going to upset them, you know what not to do, you know what to do.
“They’ve been consistent with us, and it’s our job to make sure we stay consistent and do the right things and mentally stay sharp.”
Q: Do UT’s struggles take you older guys back to you feelings before the 2005 game?
CALDWELL: “We probably could have easily lost that game — probably should have, when I think back. They were just like they are now — a lot of good defensive linemen. They were physical. Talent-wise, they were as good as anybody in the SEC, and that’s how they are this year. They have a lot of talent. They haven’t come out on the winning end a lot of games, but they’ve been in every game they’ve played.
“We know this weekend they’re going to come out and play their best game and we have to be on top of our game.”
Q: Do you look at UT’s 3-4 record?
CALDWELL: “I don’t. We don’t look at the record, because we know whatever it is, when we go up there on Saturday, they’re going to be ready to play ball. Coach Fulmer’s going to do a great job of getting them hyped up, just like we’re going to do a great job of getting ready for the game. We know when it comes to a game like this, records don’t matter. Whatever it is, who’s in it, who’s not, they’re going to come to play ball, and that’s what we’re going to have to do.”
Read Friday’s Times Free Press for more Vols coverage.
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