Earlier on Tuesday, we detailed how Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason refused to say Tennessee while previewing the Commodores’ upcoming game against the Volunteers.
Mason elected to refer to the Vols as the “team out east”. I suppose that’s his way of motivating his players.
Inevitably, as is always the case in these kind of circumstances, Mason created some motivation for Tennessee.
Butch Jones, naturally, downplayed the comments, saying “We have bigger things to worry about”. He also added “We should have enough motivation to get win number six”.
But don’t think for a second that Jones wasn’t aware of the comments. Check out how he opened Tennessee’s practice on Monday.
Butch to #Vols today: "Come on! It's a beautiful day for that team out east to practice!" #ShotsFired
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 25, 2014
It’s actually quite refreshing to see Jones engage in a bit of SEC banter.
Fans have complained about Jones’ “coachspeak” for quite some time. The second-year Vol head coach is often vague and repetitive in his answers and never ever takes shots at opposing coaches.
While his comment to open practice certainly wasn’t a shot at Mason or Vandy, it will undoubtedly serve to help motivate the Volunteers in their quest for six wins.