Tennessee coach Butch Jones claims responsibility for the Volunteers' inability to hold off Oklahoma in Saturday's double-overtime loss to the Sooners.KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee football coach Butch Jones put on his politician hat during his Wednesday news conference and delivered a sort of state-of-the-program address.
The Volunteers collapsed in the second half and failed to close out a would-be marquee win against ranked Oklahoma last Saturday, and the hangover the from loss has made for a tense week around Knoxville.
While the team has been preparing for FCS opponent Western Carolina, the critical plays and coaching decisions from the loss to the Sooners have undergone scrutiny all week.
Despite another missed opportunity to notch a big win, Jones remains confident in the direction of the program that is 13-14 under his watch.
"I can tell you this as somebody who's lived the program for three years: The strides that we've taken in two-and-a-half, three years is monumental," he said. "And it's a tribute to our players and our coaching staff to even be playing in that type of game last week of what's gone on here and building this program.
"I believe in being positive, and I said it on Monday: A year ago, we weren't even competitive against that program. They've recruited to their system, I believe, for 16 or 17 years. Unfortunately, we came up short. That's football. We have to get better. That's on me."
Jones, who is 1-12 against ranked teams during his tenure, referenced Tennessee's 34-10 loss at Oklahoma last season and said the difference from when he took over to this early point in his third season is "night and day" in many aspects of his program.
"We're going to be in games that are close, that are going to be decided by two or three plays from here on out, but really that's because we're starting to become competitive," Jones said. "We still have a long ways to go. It's all about development and recruitment, recruitment and development.
"It's happening. I'm as impatient as it is, but when I step back and I really know what's going inside the walls of the Anderson Training Center, it's refreshing, it's great."
Tennessee's players have bounced back well this week, Jones said, and he wants the Vols to play and coach "our best game to date" against the Catamounts with SEC play starting at Florida.
"I haven't listened to outside voices," Jones said, "because I'm confident and I know what we're building here. I'm proud of our players. They continue to work and grind it out each and every day."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.