Jeremiah Telander left Georgia Tech with a stat line that jumped off the page and a tone that matched Tennessee’s 45-24 road win: confident, proud, and already looking at the next clean-up job.
The Tennessee defender finished Week 2 with 3 tackles, 1 sack, and an interception, and he didn’t hide how much the performance meant after a tough road environment. He praised the true freshman quarterback, tied the night to a strong offensive showing, and made it clear Tennessee felt good about how the game unfolded.
"Yeah. Uh true freshman quarterback, first road game.
Uh we always say pack the defense, but we packed our offense tonight, too. And we got a great stud at quarterback.
Um he's only going to keep getting better. So, I'm just extremely proud of him," Telander said.
His interception came late in the second quarter, and Telander said he trusted his eyes and reacted when the throw came his way.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe he threw it. I was just dropping out trying to get my depth.
Um and I saw him pull the pin on the grenade. Um, and it was my play to make.
We needed a big stop. Uh, they were driving late in the second quarter.
Uh, just very glad to make that play for my team," Telander said.
Telander also pointed to Derek Owings as part of the defensive success, joking, "Hey, It's the DO [Derek Owings] effect. That's what we can call it," said Telander
One of the night’s biggest moments, in his view, was a play Tennessee had been building toward for months.
"Oh, it was awesome. Um, that's a play that we has been our bread and butter since spring.
Um, and he has worked his tail off every single day. I love playing with him.
Uh, and and when I watched it on film, I didn't even know what happened on the field. But I just know that he caught it and took it back.
Uh he made a great play just um jumping the gun," said Telander.
Even with the win, Telander was quick to say Tennessee has room to sharpen up, especially after giving up too many passing yards and some explosive plays.
"Yeah, I'm extremely proud uh of the whole entire defense and this team. Uh Coach Null said that we got to defend every blade of grass.
Um and I love that terminology. Um, and there's some things that we got to clean up.
I think that they had too many passing yards on us and some explosives that we can't let happen. Uh, but I'm extremely proud and we're going to continue to get better every single day," Telander said.
He said the group made a clear step forward from Week 1, while also acknowledging the usual messiness that comes with a road game.
"Yeah. Uh, I think we did great.
We definitely made a jump from week one to week two, which what is what we wanted to do. Um, like I said, it's never easy playing a road game in a great atmosphere, but we did our job for the most part.
There's there's some things that we had to clean up penalty-wise and just um scheme wise, but I'm proud of what we did. Um and I think we held our own," Telander said.
Telander also lit up when talking about AC, saying the wait for this moment had been a long one.
" It was so awesome. Uh we've been waiting for this for eight months now. Um and he has been working his tail off and I just I love every single second that I'm out there with AC," Telander said.
He described his own role as one he enjoys, while also noting there are still things to improve.
"Yeah, it's so much fun. Um, it's a justified backer, I like to call it.
Uh I trust our coaches to put us in the right position. Um there's some some things that I need to improve and work on.
Um but I love it for sure," Telander said.
Telander said his coach’s praise means a lot because of the effort he tries to bring every day.
"Yeah, it means the world to me. And I think he says that because I take pride in everything I do.
Uh I go to the best university in the world. Um and I'm so blessed to be there.
So I'm going to give my all every single day with no regrets. Um and I just build bonds with my teammates and show them the effort and the intensity that it takes.
Uh but yeah, it means the world that he thinks that," Telander said.
He also said Tennessee showed some looks Georgia Tech hadn’t seen before, while stressing that execution remains the key.
"Yeah, we definitely threw some things out there that's unscripted plays that they weren't able to see on film. Uh we definitely have some more that we can run and things of that nature, but I mean if we execute, we can run anything we want to and we'll be just fine," Telander said.
And as he talked through the transition to his current spot on the field, Telander described the adjustment from middle linebacker to a role that asks for more edge-setting responsibility.
"Yeah, it's definitely been been a big adjustment. Um, I'm used to playing that middle linebacker position with flanks all around me.
Uh, on the edge, I got to hold the edge and keep it knowing there's no one around me. Something sometimes I have to be a little bit more patient.
Um, but with our coach's scheme and the adjustments, uh, it's so much fun to play. And like I said, it's more of a justified backer," Telander said.
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Faizon Brandon set the tone by starting at quarterback and finishing 10 of 21 for 148 yards with two touchdowns, giving Tennessee an immediate reason to keep expanding his role. Elsewhere, several freshmen mostly showed up on special teams, while a separate group did not get on the field at all, leaving the first game to start sketching out a pecking order that could keep evolving as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]