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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With four days remaining until The Third Saturday In October rivalry is renewed, members of the Tennessee football program met with local media after Tuesday’s practice session on Haslam Field. The No. 11/10 Volunteers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) are poised for a highly anticipated SEC clash with the No. 7/7 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday in Neyland Stadium, scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
 
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has his unit thriving through the first half of the regular season, as Tennessee has held each of its opponents under 20 points in six straight games to start a season for the first time since 1969. Banks provided several personnel updates during his Tuesday press conference and praised the development of sophomore linebacker Arion Carter — highlighting his commitment to his craft on a daily basis.

“It’s just the work behind the scenes,” Banks said. “(Arion is) a tireless worker from a mental perspective. Understanding how teams are going to try to attack us… nothing is by accident. He’s the poster child of putting in the extra work mentally, and you are starting to see it show up week in and week out. His ceiling is extremely high, and we love the direction he’s headed right now.”
 
On the offensive front, running backs coach De’Rail Sims emphasized the importance of managing Dylan Sampson’s workload throughout the season. The junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been remarkably productive for the Vols thus far, leading the SEC with 701 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in only six games. His 15 rushing scores are the most through six games by an SEC running back since 1992.
 
“We always do a really good job of monitoring the reps during practice and making sure we’re taking the reps that we need to,” Sims said. “He does a really good job from a bodymaking standpoint. He’s always in here getting extra treatment in and taking care of his body. During practice, we always try to manage the reps to get our work in without overloading him.”
 
Full comments from Banks and Sims can be viewed below, along with select quotes from redshirt senior defensive lineman Bryson Eason, junior linebacker Kalib Perry and senior defensive lineman Omari Thomas. 

Tennessee Football Press Conference | Oct. 15, 2024

Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks

On how they are prepared for Alabama’s offense after linebackers coach William Inge worked with Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer…
“Yes, probably a little bit. You are not going to go out there and make any tackles and interceptions. He’s familiar with Coach, but at the end of the day our guys have to go out there and execute. We’ve talked a little bit about it, but he doesn’t have any more than we can see on tape. It’s great having him, he’s done a tremendous job for us this season, this game will be no different for him.”
 
On how he would describe Boo Carter’s progression…
“It’s about what you would expect as a freshman. There’s a learning curve for him. There’s been some really good highs and obviously some lows. The highs have been coming, so he’s right where we hope he would be. He’s getting better every week. He’s a tremendous talent. He wants to be great, he’s working at it. We’re all obviously really proud of the production he showed this weekend.” 
 
On what he saw from Rickey Gibson III and Jermod McCoy this past weekend…
“Those guys have been playing well all season, obviously playing a lot of talented teams. Those guys are going to make some plays. I think if you look at the total body of work, Ricky (Gibson III) has been exactly what we hoped he would be. We’ve talked about Jermod (McCoy) and what he brings to the table. I’m just really proud of those guys, they completed their tails off. When you get in this league that’s what’s expected for us to be able to play at a championship level. We expect those guys to continue to grow in that area and continue to get better.”
 
On how the team is taking Keenan Pili’s injury…
“You guys know that’s devastating, for us and the program. It’s very rare you find a great kid but also a great player. He was having such a great season for us. He’s a smart kid and a leader. My wife went to bed talking about him, she was crushed and she woke up talking about it. He meant the world to us, he’s just a tremendous kid, tremendous player and has a great family. It hurts to be quite honest because he put so much work into it. We wanted to see him finish this thing on his terms. The good news is I know he’s going to respond and he’s going to be a leader in his community. I don’t think his football days are over, he’s that talented. We pray for him and pray for his family and we wish him nothing but the best. I know he will be with us and continue to be around the program but it’s extremely hurtful.”
 
On how losing Keenan Pili changes the linebacker group on the field…
“On the field, it’s a little bit by committee at this point. (Jeremiah) Telander has done a tremendous job for us all season in his role and obviously, his role will continue to increase at this point. All the linebackers will. I don’t think you’ll be able to replace KP. It’ll be a lot just by committee. I think tose guys are all up for the challenge.”
 
On seeing teams be able to stop Jalen Milroe from running if it’s accomplished more in plan or execution…
“When you have a great player, you have to get used to it. You can’t stimulate that in practice, his athleticism, his speed, his strength in his arm. There’s a lot of things he brings to the table that are challenging for a defense. I think when the game goes and we get a feel for it, his speed and the way he moves around we will be able to settle in. He’s definitely a great challenge for us and I know our kids are very excited for the opportunity.”
 
On watching Christian Charles push through an injury and starting to have success…
“Talk about a tremendous worker, a positive kid. He’s been through a lot. I’m like a proud dad when I watch this kid finally see some fruits of his labor. He’s just a worker, he started some games around here. I think people forget that. He started against LSU a couple of years ago at corner for us. He has battled a lot of injuries but he’s never dropped his head and has continued to fight. He had a tremendous game for us, we wouldn’t be able to win or play as well as we did without him. I’m just super proud of him, he will be the first one to tell you he thinks the best football is still ahead of him.”
 
On Arion Carter’s performance…
“It’s just the work behind the scenes. He’s a tireless worker from a mental perspective. Understanding how teams are going to try to attack us not just in the run game but even in the passing game, nothing is by accident. He’s the poster child of putting in the extra work mentally and you are starting to see it show up week in and week out. He’s only a true sophomore and his ceiling is extremely high. We love the direction he’s headed right now.”
 
On in-helmet communication moving forward…
“We’ve bounced it around anyway. We haven’t really made a concrete decision on that at this point, but I’m pretty sure it will be by committee based on who is in the game and what backers are in the game. We’ve played different linebackers all season, so we’ve had to move it around a little bit. I think it’s just what packages are we in to make sure the right guy has it on is probably the biggest issue. Coach Inge and our staff have done a tremendous job making sure only one guy has it on and it’s the right guy.”
 
On how much more they know about how they will fill the spot of Keenan Pili due to the injury happening so early in the game…
“Like I said, you can’t replace him, his leadership, his overall God-gifted ability. Like I said earlier, there’s just a committee. We try to put guys in the right spots to be successful, how we call the game, where we put them is always key. We have a good feel for our guys. Like I said, (Jeremiah) Telander has played a ton of ball, (Arion Carter) has played a ton of ball. Jalen (Smith) has played some ball for us. We have some guys and I’m very confident that they’ll be in and ready for the challenge, but there is obviously a learning curve.”
 
On why the defense has been so good in the redzone and on fourth down…
“I think, as far as the redzone goes, the guys are just straining, whether you’re in a big field or whether you’re in the goal line. We talk about putting the ball down and having a chance to play another snap. That’s just a mentality thing. As far as the fourth downs go, I think it’s in that same ballpark. If we’re still playing third down, fourth down, we want to play as hard as we can. We want to try to outexecute people. To me, it’s just a hats off to our defense and how hard those guys play and how detailed they are in situational football.”
 
On how to translate redzone success to success between the twenties…
“I like to think we’re just playing great defense, but at the end of the day, yeah, you’d like for them not to be in the redzone, but things happen over the course of the game. I think the biggest issue is not panicking when you get put in those situations. There’s been different years, when I’ve been at different places, and we’ve been outstanding in the redzone, and obviously this place is no different.” 

Running Backs Coach De’Rail Sims

On why the team has run the ball better in the second half of recent games…
“Man, I think the number one thing, we sit here talking about starting fast, finishing strong. We just have to do a better job starting off faster. I think we’re doing a really good job of taking what’s there. I think what happens in the second half is that a lot of those ‘plus two’ runs start to happen, and now it’s turning into ‘plus fours, plus fives.’ We just have to do a really good job in terms of gaining those early on. Not trying to do anything out of the ordinary, just continuing to keep doing our job at a really high level. I think it’s going to continue to come. We just have to continue to work on starting faster.”
 
On if many schematic changes are being made at halftime…
“No. Just continue to keep doing what we’re doing, just doing it at a higher level of execution.”
 
On his reaction to running back Dylan Sampson’s performance against Florida…
“I think you see him consistently do that in the second half of games, lately. I think the thing about it is he’s just going out there executing at a really high level. He’s doing a really good job of being able to feel the game. I think in the first half, he was feeling the game, but a lot of times you’re still trying to see how the defense is playing you from a structural standpoint, how the runs are fitting up. I think once you get in your groove in the second half, that’s when you see a lot of the bigger plays starting to happen. Those four-yard runs are turning into ten-yard runs and vice versa. He’s doing a really good job, but sitting back there, nothing less than what I expect him to be able to do.”
 
On his vantage point of the fourth and one conversion late in the first half…
“You know, in that situation, that’s something that we’ve been working on, in terms of that package. The call in that situation, Coach Heupel went with it, and we all supported it. With DeSean (Bishop) being in there, that was his drive. Whoever’s in the ballgame at that point in time, we have trust in. He did a really good job of being able to find his way there and not just get us one but get us six. That was awesome.”
 
On the experience of watching Dylan Sampson live…
“Watching it live is really, really good because I’m still in coach mode in that situation. It’s kind of like you’re seeing it and it’s happening. You want to cheer, but also at the same time you’re still being critical in terms of the things that you’re seeing from that standpoint. When I go back and I watch it that night, you actually get back and get to watch it as a fan, in that standpoint, as well as being critical. But the deal is, he’s doing a really good job and it all shows up from a practice standpoint in his preparation in the meeting room and in the walkthrough. What he’s doing is what he’s putting the work in to be able to do.”
 
On DeSean Bishop’s ability to learn from the sidelines…
“Yeah, it’s not just DeSean, it’s the rest of the backs as well. When you sit there and look at Peyton (Lewis), you sit there and look at Cam (Seldon) and the rest of the guys in our room. When we’re in our huddle, everybody is there. Same situation when we’re making adjustments on the sideline. Everybody’s there getting those adjustments and corrections. But they are also uplifting each other, as well. DeSean (Bishop) will be the first guy that comes over when (Dylan Sampson) goes in, ‘hey this drive is on you, we have to make sure we’re doing a really good job.’ When DeSean (Bishop) is in there, (Dylan Sampson) is doing the exact same thing. I think that’s the thing that pours into that positive energy into each one of them. No matter who is in there, I’m uplifting my brother that’s in there right now because I know my opportunity is going to come. At the same time, I’m watching the game understanding when I get in there, here’s the flow of the game, here’s how they’re fitting it up on defense, so that I’m able to get in there a lot quicker and make my reads a lot faster, as well.”
 
On his assessment of the running backs in pass protection…
“From my standpoint, from a running back view we have to do a better job of finishing. We understand who to go get, we just have to do a better job of finishing. At the end of the day, being in the right place, understanding the guy that you have to go get, we just have to do a better job of finishing it off from a technique standpoint. And just strengthening, that’s the number one deal for us as running backs just make sure we’re finishing the block.”
 
On the structure of and challenges of facing this Alabama defense…
“I think they’re a little bit different from a structure standpoint and kind of the way that you see them on tape, in terms of how they’re playing it. They do a really good job of going in and out of personnel groupings, in terms of front formations. Their defensive line is very active, very athletic and those linebackers fit in exactly the way that you expect them to. Being highly downhill guys, they run to the point of contact. Also do a really good job in coverage, as well. I think the number one deal that you see that they do a good job of being able to fit the run. You can see the mentality, number one in the coordinator that they have on defense. They’ve got some very high-level coaches on that side of the ball that I’ve got a ton of respect for. But you see them, the personality comes out. From the defensive front to also that backend in terms of the second level. They’re all playing together and fitting together. Structurally, you just have to continue to do a really good job from our standpoint. Just understand what our assignment is and execute at a very high level, and we’ll be fine.”
 
On ensuring that Dylan Sampson can be an every down back through the entirety of the season…
“Yeah, it’s the same situation that we kind of do. We always do a really good job of monitoring the reps during practice and making sure we’re taking the reps that we need to. He does a really good job from a bodymaking standpoint. He’s always in here getting extra treatment in. He’s always really taking care of his body from a weight room standpoint. During practice, we always try to manage the reps. We’re always trying to get our work in, but not overload him from that standpoint.”
 
On finding the balance of riding the hot hand and not overworking anyone…
“It’s kind of a feel standpoint in terms of you understand once they get to a certain level, if he’s tired, we have to sub him on the backend at that point in time. Just like the drive that we had right there in the second half. When we went on that long drive, he scored the touchdown and then we get a turnover. Well, he just went on that long drive, let’s put another back in that’s fresh. We do a really good job of monitoring from that standpoint. In terms of, ‘OK, who’s tired?’ Because we always want to have fresh legs in the game, attacking defenses, especially when defenses are tired, as well. We do a really good job just monitoring from that standpoint.”
 
On how much of Alabama’s defensive structure has remained the same despite coaching turnover…
“So, for me, I wasn’t here in the past being able to coach against these guys. What I’ve seen is what Coach (Kane) Wommack has been able to do so far. I think there is some carryover, especially with the four down structure a little bit. Especially with the odd front package as well. But I think, number one, you’re seeing him put his spin on it, from a defensive structural standpoint. In terms of what he wants his identity to be on that side of the football, but it’s still going to be Alabama, from a defensive structural standpoint, they still want to run and hit.”

RS-Senior DL Bryson Eason

On the play he made in overtime in the win over Florida…
“We had a stunt we were supposed to run on that play, and I just saw the guard and the tackle and how they were moving, and it wasn’t usual. They weren’t attacking or anything like that, so I was just reading it and playing with my hat on fire, attacking the ball.”
 
On what is running through his mind on third and fourth down…
“I’m just trying to get the call, talk to my teammates because, for one, it’s super loud (and) the stadium is going crazy. And just trying to attack and get off the ball as fast and as hard as I can to go pressure or sack the quarterback.”
 
On how the crowd noise at home effects the defense…
“I think it fuels everyone on the field at the time. It’s loud, shaking, you can barely hear the guys next to you. It’s a great atmosphere to be in. We enjoy it, we love it. And to say it’s a distraction – I don’t really think it distracts anyone – I just think we’re all out there just feeling it, embracing it and trying to make the crowd get even louder, trying to make a play.”

Junior LB Kalib Perry

On the loss of Keenan Pili and others stepping up to fill that void…
“Coach (William Inge) has always prepped us, always having us come in early. We always spend a lot of time in the building just trying to make sure that (we’re prepared) for any scenario. Like I said, next Vol up. You never know what’s going to happen on the field so we need to be able to step into a role and not have any falloffs and we know with all of our preparation it makes us prepared to be able to play confident on the field. It’s unfortunate Keenan got hurt, but it also gives us an opportunity to be able to play for him and be able to represent what he showed at university and how he lived out being a Vol. Our preparation is just to try to carry that on with us throughout the rest of the season.”
 
On Jeremiah Telander’s presence and ability to step into a starting role…
“Telander works his butt off. He’s always one of the first people in the building, constantly trying to find ways he can improve. Whichever linebacker steps in with him, he’s always trying to communicate. We know that if we’re all on the same page, regardless if we messed up or not, then we’re all correct. So for Telander, I’m excited for him. I know it’s a new opportunity and I have no doubt and no worry that he’s going to come in and do his thing.”
 
On how the preparation they put in prepares them for certain situations on the field…
“It’s really all repetition. We recognize formations, that’s just how we work things. We practice being able to jump on the ball fast coming out of huddles. Our scout team here gives us a great look and they work their butts off. They’re literally in meetings all the time, too, trying to give us the best possible look so we can be prepared Saturday. So, whenever we’re able to be on the field, there’s no hesitation, it’s just second nature and we can recognize it right then and there.”

Senior DL Omari Thomas

On the defense not panicking and being stout when offenses get in the red zone…
“Really, it just falls back on our training. We go through fall camp, spring practice, regular practice (and) we have red zone moments where we get a chance to be in the red zone where the offense is trying to score, and we just take pride in those moments. We take pride in not letting people score and get in the end zone. As a defense, we know that’s important, and usually you get in situations like that from sudden changes (and) different things like, so you just have to be ready to capitalize and not get scared about it and just be ready to go out there and do what you do, honestly.”
 
On how facing other dual-threat quarterbacks this season has prepared them for this week’s game…
“It just goes back to preparation. I feel like we prepare a lot with that. We do drills focused on just keeping the quarterback contained and chasing the quarterback around moving in the pocket, so we get put in those difficult situations at practice so that way we’re able to do it in the game.”
 
On what the defense and team learned from last year’s game at Alabama…
“You have to finish. Learned from that game and we used that for every other game. You have to be able to finish and play four quarters and win the fourth quarter so that way you’re able to come out big at the end.”