Tennessee is trying to put the Texas loss behind it, and Duane Morris says the fix starts with the little things.
The Vols head into Saturday’s matchup with Auburn in Neyland Stadium needing a cleaner offensive showing after taking their first loss of the season to the Longhorns. On Monday, Morris met with reporters and kept coming back to the same theme: sharpen the details, trust the fundamentals, and make sure all 11 guys are doing their part.
“Um, you know, just another week for us to get another opportunity to be able to go out on the field and show what we capable of and just really dialing in on our details and our fundamentals for this week. That's the main focus.”
That idea carried through nearly everything he said. Morris pointed to the run game as a collective responsibility rather than something that can be pinned on one player.
“I mean, it takes all 11. So, I mean, I can't say it's just one person, but one thing that stood out to me, but it takes all of us to be able to fit in a run game and do everything that we need to do.”
He said the best response to the Texas game is to learn from what showed up on film and clean up the mistakes that were left behind.
“I mean, honestly, learning from it, learning from the stuff that we did and the stuff that we put on tape, being able to correct our wrongs, those are the main things that can help us go into this week. L I said like fundamentals, technique, like those small details that that's going to help us into this week.
He also made it clear that the offense can’t afford to let the blame bounce around from snap to snap.
“I mean, they just they came and go, but you know, sometimes it could be one person and the next play could be somebody else, but as I said, as a whole, as all 11, it take all of us to do our job right.”
Morris was asked about a teammate’s response to the loss and said he hasn’t seen any change in approach.
“I mean, he's still the same person. He's still going to show up with his same mentality.
He's still gonna work hard, put the work in. I mean, nothing's changed that I've seen from him.
Feel like he if anything, I feel like that'll give him more of a drive.”
The message from inside the building, according to Morris, has been to stay steady through the ups and downs of a game and lean on the people around them.
“you know, just during the game, you know, you gonna have ups and downs, but having teammates and having coaches that we have that's going to continue to uplift us and continue to tell us what we need to hear and just giving us that drive and continue to stay focused. That's been the main thing as of right now.”
He praised the staff for the way it handles those moments, saying the challenge is part of what makes coaching under this group difficult.
“Yes, sir. Most definitely.
I feel like it's always going to be it's always hard coaching with this staff and I feel like that's the thing that that sets them apart, but also just continuing to be positive to us like telling us that we going we going to get it started at one point. Just give it time and be patient.
Morris said Coach Sims made it clear that Tennessee left too much on the field, and that the focus now is on alignments and details.
“Um, Coach Sims was he was very discreet. you know, he feel like we could we got we left a lot on the field that we that we didn't show up show up and do, but I feel like um just going into this week, like coach Sims was telling us, like the details and the alignments, that's our main focus right now.”
That all fits the reality of SEC play, where Morris said the margin gets thinner and the details matter even more.
“I mean, just understanding that it's SEC play. I mean, everybody's good, so you know, the talent is going to set apart, but also your details are the main thing that's going to help us in this league.”
As for Auburn, he sees a dangerous opponent coming to Knoxville.
“Man, it's a great defense. It's a great team.
Feel like um it's going to be a real good week for us to prep. Um just really, like I said, focusing on our details and then knowing their scheme.
So, I feel like that's the real big key right now.”
In Other News...
Texas Had To Address A Tennessee Celebration Vols Fans Wont Forget
Texas left Neyland Stadium with a hard-earned 20-17 win over Tennessee, but some of the attention afterward centered on behavior rather than the final score. Head coach Steve Sarkisian met separately with Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown to address celebrations that crossed the line, including the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Simmons drew after a touchdown. For a road win that already carried plenty of weight, it became clear the postgame conversation had to include discipline as much as execution.
Sarkisian made clear he was not brushing it off, especially with Simmons viewed as a potential first-round NFL draft pick and expected to carry himself accordingly. The message was about professionalism and setting a standard moving forward, the kind of correction that can linger long after the scoreboard is forgotten. Tennessee fans may not have liked the result, but they certainly noticed the celebration, and Texas had to answer for it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Gave Vols Fans A New Respect Debate
Tennessees narrow 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas at Neyland Stadium left the Vols with the kind of mixed review that tends to linger. The defense and special teams did enough to keep the game tight, but the offense never fully found its rhythm, and that imbalance showed up again when the latest 247Sports SEC poll landed after Week 4.
Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot, Texas settled in at No. 2 and Tennessee slid to No. 8, a drop that adds another layer to the ongoing respect conversation around the program. Florida and Mississippi State made noticeable climbs, while Texas A&M and Ole Miss also moved down, but for Tennessee the bigger question is how much a close battle with the nations top team actually changes the conference view of the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Gets A Charged Auburn Test After One Ugly Wake-Up Call
Tennessee gets back on the road Saturday, Oct. 3, and the timing of Auburn could hardly be more instructive. Both teams are 3-1, and for Josh Heupels group, the trip comes with a quick chance to reset after the offense sputtered in the loss to Texas, a game that forced the head coach to talk openly about what needs cleaning up.
Champions Weekend adds another layer to the afternoon in Auburn, with Tennessee honoring past championship teams and individuals while the current roster tries to restore some momentum. The Vols do not have much margin for another clunker this early, and this matchup should say plenty about how quickly Heupels offense can respond to the wake-up call it just got. [Read more 🡒]