Vols Won’t Look Past Western Kentucky

Aug 31, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Austin Peay Governors wide receiver Devon Jones (33) tackles Tennessee Volunteers running back Deanthonie Summerhill (24) at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 45-0. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Vols’ kicked off the 2013 season on Saturday against Austin Peay, a game that Butch Jones described as a great evaluation tool. The game was never in doubt and the Vols rolled to a 45-0 victory, as most of the starters stayed on the sidelines for the second half.

Tennessee will take on another non-conference opponent this coming Saturday when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers come to Knoxville.

Western Kentucky was already on a lot of Vol fans’ radars, simply because they hired former Louisville and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino as head coach this past off-season. Petrino, who was let go by Arkansas after an off-the-field scandal, is one of the most proficient offensive coaches in the game. Most folks expect him to only be at Western Kentucky for one season, before working his way back to a major-conference.

The Hilltoppers took on Kentucky in Nashville this past Saturday, upsetting the Wildcats 35-26. The upset wasn’t a huge shock, but solidifies the point that Western Kentucky is not an opponent the Vols should take lightly.

Jones, who coached against Bobby Petrino’s Louisville teams twice while the wide receivers coach at West Virginia, was quick to praise Western Kentucky on Monday.

"Jones: Western Kentucky is an extremely talented team….they’re an extremely confident team and rightfully so. We have great respect for Western Kentucky….They have SEC talent."

Butch acknowledged that he wasn’t satisfied with where his Tennessee squad is currently, but also mentioned that the mistakes made against Austin Peay are “correctable”. He added that he “wasn’t satisfied with the running game”, citing a desire to see more vertical running and less lateral movement.

Jones and the Volunteers’ know they have a formidable opponent in Western Kentucky on Saturday. The Vols can’t be complacent in their performance, a point that Butch Jones illustrated perfectly by saying “We have to be a team that’s comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Notes

• Curt Maggitt and Jacques Smith will both be evaluated further this week, before a decision is made on their status for the WKU game.
• No changes were made to the depth chart for the WKU game. Depth Chart
• Jones wasn’t happy with the team’s tempo against Austin Peay, he wants to play faster.
• Jacques Smith was praised for his enthusiasm on the sideline by Jones.
• Jones wants more big-plays from his offense.
• Jones wouldn’t commit to a redshirt season for OG Marcus Jackson, but said they know what they have in Jackson and the team is evaluating other players. Jackson did not play against Austin Peay

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