Tennessee Volunteers Prepping for Well-Coached Clemson Tigers Team

The Tennessee Volunteers are used to playing good defenses in the SEC. However, when they take on the Clemson Tigers in the Capital One Orange Bowl Saturday (8 pm, ESPN) they will have to rely on that experience in facing one of the best defenses they have seen.

Zach Lentz | Dec 28, 2022

Tennessee Volunteers Prepping for Well-Coached Clemson Tigers Team /

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DANIA BEACH, FL.— The Tennessee Volunteers are used to playing good defenses in the SEC. However, when they take on the Clemson Tigers in the Capital One Orange Bowl Saturday (8 pm, ESPN) they will have to rely on that experience in facing one of the best defenses they have seen.

"They’re an attacking style defense," quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle said. "They like to pressure and get up in your face. They try to change the looks on the quarterbacks, wideouts and the line. What you see is a defense that's clearly well-coached. They scheme well and game plan well. They play really hard so they present a really unique challenge.”

The Volunteers are without starting quarterback Hendon Hooker, who suffered a torn ACL in their loss to South Carolina, meaning the torch has been passed from the early season Heisman frontrunner to backup Joe Milton III.

Even though the Volunteers are without Hooker, according to Halzle, they are still going to attack the Tigers the same way they have all season.

"He's been extremely intentional in his preparation. It hasn't been too big for him," Halzle said. He hasn't changed who he is, but in the same breath he understands his new role of having to lead this team. He's done a really good job of not having the moment be too big for him. He's completely dialed into what we're seeing and what we're expecting and how we're going to attack it. I'm actually excited to watch him go take the field on Friday night.”

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