The physical carnage of Tennessee’s 34-31 overtime loss to Georgia at Neyland Stadium Saturday caused a shudder from Georgia coach Mark Richt after the game.
“I’m just not in the mood to talk about it right now,” Richt told members of the media. “Soon enough we’ll find out what it is and we’ll let you all know.”
The already-depleted Bulldogs lost running back Keith Marshall and wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley for the season due to injuries suffered in the game against the Vols.
Physically, it’s the Bulldogs who need a bye week, but actually it’s the Vols who get a breather while Georgia travels to play at No. 25 Missouri on Saturday.
UT coach Butch Jones offered a blunt take on the open date in his remarks following the game, which provided carnage of an emotional sort for the Vols.
“It’s coaching,” Jones said. “We’ll point out the good, the bad, the indifferent.”
The pause comes after a draining loss for the Vols, but the rest of the month features a visit from No. 14 South Carolina on Oct. 19 and a trip to No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 26.
“I think you kind of have to move past it,” said UT senior running back Rajion Neal. “You’ve got to believe in your coaches. You’ve got to kind of put your head down and let it go and try not to dwell on the past.
Senior linebacker Dontavis Sapp, who issued a speech to the team in the locker room following Saturday’s loss, said the bye week will be put to good use.
“We’re ready to play on every Saturday of the year,” Sapp said. “Fortunately, this week we’re off, so we can go back to work and get some guys healthy, just snap and clear. Just keep our mental stamina.
“This week off will be good for us.”
Three of the last four years, UT followed its bye week with a loss to an SEC opponent, with a 2011 victory against Buffalo the lone exception.
While at Cincinnati from 2010-12, Jones directed his teams to wins in all three of their contests following byes, including a 27-24 win over No. 25 Virginia Tech in 2012.
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1 SEC) will be coming off a contest with Arkansas when it enters Neyland Stadium for the noon kickoff. The game falls on UT’s fall break.
The Gamecocks bested UT the past three times the two squads have met.
“This team has become closer than any team I’ve been a part of, and they hurt, but we’re going to keep grinding,” Jones said. “That’s the only way I know how to do it and that’s the only way they’re going to know how to do it.”
Jones did not hold his typical weekly press luncheon on Monday, but the Vols will practice throughout the bye week.
“We are always ready to play,” junior cornerback Justin Coleman said. “The bye week will be something to allow us to look a little more into our opponent. We will be ready.”
