KNOXVILLE – One game does not a season make.
Tennessee’s football team certainly hopes its performance in a fortunate season-opening win against Appalachian State last Thursday was a wake-up call rather than a sign of what is to come this season.
The Volunteers can erase much of the concern created by the overtime victory with a better showing and more comfortable victory against Virginia Tech in the “Battle at Bristol” at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
“We didn’t play our best football, and I think everybody would agree with that, but we found a way to win the football game,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said Monday. “At the end of the day our goal is to be 1-0 (each week) and we’re 1-0. But you can’t have the inattention to the details.
UT’s Jalen Reeves-Maybin, right, talks with coach Butch Jones while waiting on the decision about a targeting call against him in the game against Appalachian State on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 in Neyland Stadium.“We have to get better in a hurry. We have to have great energy and focus on continuing to improve. We played a very good football team, but the sense of urgency has to pick up, and I’ve seen that already with our players. They understand and they know, but we found a way to win the football game when just about everything (that could go) wrong went wrong.”