Vols' O'Brien Suspended For Oklahoma Game

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football coach Butch Jones met with the media for a midweek update on preparations for No. 19 Oklahoma on Wednesday:

(Opening Statement)
"Great to see everyone.

A couple announcements before we get started and answer any questions you may have. Danny O’Brien has been suspended for violation of team rules and policies, so he will miss the Oklahoma game and there has been no timetable set for his return.

“LaDarrell McNeil, we fully expect him to be ready for next week's game (against Western Carolina). I'll tell you what, I've been so proud of him, and I know his family is excited and he's excited. So we expect to have him back next week and he has been in practice in a non-contact role, so excited about that.

"Two individuals we'll miss that will be out of the Oklahoma game with injuries are Max Arnold with an MCL sprain and Ralph David Abernathy IV with an ankle sprain. So those two will miss the Oklahoma game. I'll answer any questions you may have."

(On what changed in LaDarrell McNeil’s status)
"Everything is about taking precautionary measures and opinions. He flew to Texas to meet with some doctors that come highly recommended, that deal with the National Football League. He had a full examination, MRI, all that. After that, they concluded that it's safe for him to play football, and for him to get back on the practice field and start competing. Just seeing the smile on his face and the excitement of his teammates was very, very rewarding. Everything we do is about the benefit and the welfare of our student athletes, and taking the precautionary measures that we need to take."

(On Kendal Vickers playing in Danny O’Brien’s spot)
"Yes. And the two youngsters need to step up with Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie. It's a great opportunity for them and that's why you work. We're going to have some youth served there, so to speak, but it's an opportunity for them as well."

(On Danny O’Brien’s suspension)
"I'm not going to speculate. It's ongoing, and we'll see. We're going to support Dan through this whole deal, but there's just no timetable. I don't want to sit here and tell you it's one game. I don't want to sit here and tell you it's six games. It's going to be the ebb and flow and it could be ever-changing."

(On Kahlil McKenzie’s practice performance this week)
"He has gained some extra repetitions, and doing a very good job. He's really dropped a lot of weight. We were talking about that yesterday after practice. He feels the best he's ever felt. He's weighing the least he's ever weighed before, so he's able to move a little bit more. I'm excited to see him perform Saturday."

(On who will start at wide receiver)
"We don't have starters. We have individuals who take the first snap. The old days of a depth chart, of 21 personnel, and huddle offenses and all that, those days are long gone. It's whoever finishes up the week of practice, with practice today, meetings and all that, they'll take the first repetition. We talk about depth, especially at the receiver position. We need to play 10 wide receivers. With the tempo, with the multiple personnel group things, and we haven't been able to do that. Having Pig Howard back this week will help those matters, but we want to get to a point where we have great depth, where we can play multiple individuals."

(On Pig Howard handling suspension and his potential role Saturday)
"Well, we hope he plays a great role. The great thing about him last week is that I thought he handled [the suspension] very well. He has to go down on scout team. He gave us some very quality looks for our defense. He handled that as well as anyone could have. Now, obviously back in the full flow of the game preparation for him and the full volume of the playbook, I thought he has had two very good practices so far."

(On being more equipped to take on Oklahoma as opposed to 2014)
"We are getting closer. I have talked to them about the maturity of a football team of home focus. We have a tremendous fan base and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the game, but it's the most important game because it is the next game. You have to focus on what you can control, and our players to this point in time have done a very good job of that. We have a lot of confidence, but we also know the level of competition we are playing. But, it's a great opportunity, and I know we're looking forward to it. I have liked our approach of this football team."

(On problems Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon presents)
"A lot of them. Big, strong, physical. He has breakaway speed, can get the dirty yards, tough yards. Complete back. I know they have put him back there as a punt returner as well. Obviously, a receiver. He presents numerous challenges. He is a matchup problem."

(On managing expectations during a high-profile game week)
"You live in a bunker. Like I told you before, my car knows the way home and the way to the office and that's about it. You treat it the same, like any game."

(On having young players go through those expectations)
"There is [a lot of young players]. And like we talked about on Tuesday about the baseline style of performance or level of performance, this is a new baseline for them as well. But all you can go upon is your evidence that you have when they're in the building, their concentration, and it's been business as usual, preparing the same way that we did the week before, which is good. I see a focus. So I've liked what I've seen, but I haven't seen like over-emotional or passionate. You know, you want passion but you don't want emotion, but I haven't seen a change, which is good. We've challenged them to be a mature football team. Now, how do we handle the environment? Do we get outside ourselves or do we focus on the task at hand? Those are all things as we continue to develop this football team, and as we know it takes, I would say about three to four games to really start to identify yourself and your identity. This is one of those games where I'll know much, much more where we're at as a football team Saturday night.

(On suspending upperclassmen [starters] two weeks in a row)
"It's disappointing you know, anytime you have to do that. It's like disciplining your own kids. You hate to do it, but you have to do it. I'm the caretaker of Tennessee football and we have standards and expectations in our football program. Everything is based on choices and there (are) consequences for your actions. We’re never going to short change that, we're never going to take a back seat to that. You know, I feel for Danny. Danny has done some, you know, very good things in our football program. I've seen the progress that Danny has made since day one that we walked in the doors. So we are working through it with him. We'll see what happens down the road. We have very (good) character on our football program our players understand our standards and our expectations."

(On what is Oklahoma football all about)
"Excellence, tradition of winning, great players, great coaches one of the top five football programs in the country. If you asked me that same question about Tennessee, I'd tell you the same thing."

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)