JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The trophy was passed from hand to hand. The cameras flashed from every conceivable angle.
After a “rollercoaster of a season,” Tennessee had finally achieved what it set out to do with a 45-28 bludgeoning of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2.
“Coming into the season, our goal was obviously to make it to a bowl game, and when we got there, (our goal was) to win it, as we did today,” sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs said.
But after a lengthy celebration at EverBank Field, Dobbs changed the tone as fast as the Volunteers had put away the Hawkeyes in Jacksonville.
“This is the start of a foundation for something big going on in Tennessee, momentum we can carry into the offseason,” said Dobbs, with his TaxSlayer Bowl MVP trophy glistening to the right of him.
Dobbs’ backfield counterpart Jalen Hurd didn’t hold back either when talking about what kind of statement the Vols sent after their first bowl victory since the 2007 season.
“It shows that we’re here to compete and you better watch out for us because we’re coming,” the freshman running back said. “We’re coming, for real.”
And it didn’t take long for these comments to manifest into the public’s opinion.
Shortly after the final whistle had blown, UT became an up and coming SEC East contender — some even naming them the SEC East favorite.
Second-year head coach Butch Jones, however, pumped the brakes.
“We still have a long way to go,” Jones said. “But I tell you what. I said this is the most challenging year I’ve ever had in coaching, but (it’s also been) the most rewarding. We have great character in our football program.
“We still have a long way to go. But we’re making progress. We talked about building this program brick by brick. We put another brick into the foundation today. The main thing of anything of setting a culture in place is learning how to win. Not just hoping to win, but believing you’re going to win and also deserving to win.”
While that brick may be one of the biggest to be laid in that foundation in quite some time, Jones knows that more will have to be cemented from now to fulfill the ever-growing expectations.
But he doesn’t plan on failing on that front.
“Now we have to go assemble a top-3, top-4 recruiting class, which we will, because we’re building and we have something special and great people,” Jones said.
The bowl victory, though, doesn’t just provide a breakthrough moment for a program attempting to climb its way back.
It also sets a milestone for those whose playing careers helped create that moment.
“Team 118 is over with,” Jones said. “We needed to finish. (I’m) very proud of our seniors. They can have a say in building Tennessee football back. These memories tonight will serve them for a lifetime.”
But what lies ahead for the 2015 edition for the Vols? If this year’s squad’s goal was to win a bowl game, what’s the standard for next season?
Those answers have yet to be determined, but Jones does know one thing that they will be striving for.
The same thing they always have.
“We always have one goal and one constant goal in our program when it comes to our performance and it’s to be a better football team each and every day,” Jones said. “Each individual taking accountability for their own self-determination. If you improve individually, you improve collectively as a football team.
“We already have the offseason mapped out. We just have to continue to get better. We have to develop depth. We have to get stronger. We have to continue to recruit … But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I just want these kids to enjoy the next couple weeks.”
