Behind a record-breaking offense, Tennessee had a breakthrough season a year ago, winning 11 games and beating Clemson in the Orange Bowl. But it did not accomplish its main goal, so Josh Heupel and the Vols arrived at SEC Media Days Thursday hungry to finish the job this season.
Heupel was accompanied by quarterback Joe Milton, tight end Jacob Warren and defensive lineman Omari Thomas during Tennessee’s media round at the Grand Hyatt. The theme was clear: last year was great, but the goal is to win championships.
“The goal would be win the SEC East,” Warren said. “I think if you do that it sets you up to go do everything you want. You get an opportunity to play in the SEC Championship. You get an opportunity — if you win that — to go play in the national championship.”
Winning the division will require going through two-time defending national champion Georgia. It’s a goal the Vols believe can happen if they just stay the course.
“We have really done a good job in showing we belong,” Thomas said. “And I think we’re going to continue to show we belong because we’re going to continue to grow as players, but that is our goal as a team.”
The Vols also need a big season from Milton, who takes over the reins of Heupel’s explosive offense. Milton won the starting job out of fall camp two years ago but got hurt and was replaced by Hendon Hooker.
It was a long wait as Hooker became one of the biggest stars in college football, but Milton patiently waited for his opportunity and now gets it as a sixth-year college senior.
“I think it’s rare that a young man like Joe is able to sit back and trust the people around him that we have his best interests at heart, recognize the areas that he can and needs to grow in to be the player he’s capable of, and also know that if I stick this thing out I’m going to grow and, in this offense, be able to do the things I want to do inside college football,” Heupel said.
Milton started the final two games of last season, leading Tennessee to wins over Vanderbilt and Clemson. He was the only quarterback in the country to throw 10 or more touchdowns and no interceptions, and the expectation is that big things are ahead this year.
“I’m just ready to show off my game, period,” Milton said. “I trust the guys around me. I trust my coaches to do my preparation with me. I’m extremely confident.”
Warren added, “The sky’s the limit (for Milton), and he knows that. And I think everyone else knows it, so it’s just time for him to come through and really do it.”
If the offense can come anywhere close to its record-breaking pace from the year ago and the defense shows improvement, Tennessee should be poised for another successful season.
Heupel knows firsthand what it takes to win a championship. As a quarterback, he led Oklahoma to the 2000 BCS national championship. He says he’s told his players this offseason that the toughest part of their program build is still ahead.
“We were so far behind, it’s easy to do some things and close the distance yards at a time,” Heupel said. “The higher you get, the tougher it is. The more attention to detail, the more nuances are of what you’re trying to make up. They become inches and the inches become tougher than the yards to make up. You don’t have to be the best team in the country week one. You’ve got to be better than the team you’re playing every week and that’s got to be the mission."
