Jashon Robertson Archives | Gameday on Rocky Top

Gameday Today: Football is in the air

First things first. Autumn is coming.

Q: What’s it like playing quarterback at the University of Tennessee?

A: “There’s nothing like it.” 😏 pic.twitter.com/uZKOapoOt4

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 25, 2017

And so is the Chick-fil-A Kickoff between the Vols and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:

5️⃣0️⃣ days until game ✌️ of #CFAKickoff.

We present the official artwork for @Vol_Football vs. @GeorgiaTechFB. pic.twitter.com/47tAdu503E

— Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (@CFAPeachBowl) July 16, 2017

That means that Butch Jones is doing the Car Wash thing at ESPN today and that the SEC Network will be showing 24 consecutive hours of Vols programming for Tennessee Takeover Day tomorrow.

Speaking of that Georgia Tech game, Brian Rice lays out some very good reasons to believe that the whole “they’re beating us in ticket sales” is myth. Also, while a lot of folks are (understandably) concerned about the Vols having to play that wicked triple option for the season-opener, John Adams is wearing his happy hat today and reminding Vols fans that Butch Jones is 7-0 in openers and bowl games.

Preseason All-SEC offensive lineman Jashon Robertson is loving the depth along the o-line heading into this season. It’s been a long, hard road, but there are nine or 10 players competing for those five spots, and Robertson says even he doesn’t feel safe, which is very good news for the entire unit.

Similarly, defensive tackle Kendal Vickers says the depth at his position is much better than it was a year ago, that he’s liking the new defensive ends as well, and that the entire defensive line should be better able to withstand any return of Murphy and his Law this fall (whew).

The Vols were picked a distant third in the SEC East after SEC Media Days last week. One Missouri writer picked Tennessee sixth, behind the Tigers. Fighting words!

Four Vols earned preseason All-SEC honors, and SEC Country has five more who with good seasons could make the postseason first-team list.

Preseason All-SEC wide receiver Jajuan Jennings has had a good and quiet summer and is ready to be the feature guy at his position.

While Butch Jones and his guys are hoping to improve things on the field this fall, John Currie, who says things are trending up for the Vols, is working hard to improve the fan experience at the stadium.

Gameday Today: Frightened by controversy, and wishing good things for monsters

With two weeks and counting to football, we’re beginning to feel good about the team’s talent, still worrying over quarterback controversy, and hoping monsters develop mental stamina. All this and more in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

Hey, y’all. We are a mere two weeks away from actual football, as the Vols players report to fall camp on July 28 and start practice on July 29. Fall is coming.
I haven’t checked the information in this post from Rocky Top Insider concluding that the Vols have the most talented and most experienced roster in the SEC East, but it rings true to me. I’ve been saying it since I sent the magazine off to the printer.
Dave Hooker thinks we should be frightened by the prospect of a two-quarterback system. Maybe. I wrote over ten years ago that that very thing was one of the primary reasons for the 2005 debacle. Maybe the passage of time has dulled the pain and thus the lesson, but I think I’d characterize myself as more “wary” than “frightened” right now.
Freshman offensive lineman Trey Smith is a monster, but senior Jashon Robertson knows that even monsters need to develop mental stamina:

“You go through the pregame routines. You go through the preparation in your mind the day before the game,” Robertson said. “You go through the ‘Vol Walk’ and all of those things, which are all great things. But at the same time, it takes a certain amount of your mental energy in itself. You go through that and then you play a half of the game.

“For myself, I was sitting around and looking, thinking like, ‘Is this the end of the game?’ I look up at the scoreboard and it’s halftime. It’s just a whole other level, a whole other commitment to the game in itself. Just doing that week in and week out was something I had to get accustomed to.”

Speaking of Robertson, the man has absolutely no clue as to which of Tennessee’s current defensive linemen is the best of the bunch. Defensive tackle Kendal Vickers wants a word (same link).
What’s keeping Shy Tuttle from letting two serious injuries in two years derail his career? According to GoVols247, it’s his attitude:

One of the most popular and well-liked players on the team, Tuttle is a happy-go-lucky guy. In the only interview he’s done as a Tennessee player as an early enrollee in 2015, he didn’t say much, giving credence to his name. Behind the scenes, though, his carefree attitude and positive spirit have carried him through the toughest of the times the past two years.

If the Vols surprise folks on Rocky Top this fall, Rock Gullickson may be the MVP, as he is doing his part to get the guys ready.
Hey. Georgia Tech is beating Tennessee in ticket sales for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game. Fix, stat.

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SEC Media Days video recaps

The 2017 SEC Media Days hay is in the barn, and these are the best bales of the season:

Hmm. That disturbing image of Paul Finebaum in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff helmet is eerily reminiscent of something. Oh, right.

Other Vols news

SEC Diver of the Year Liam Stone and U.S. national open water champion David Heron are competing in the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Jashon Robertson makes the Outland Trophy Watch List

Jashon Robertson Outland Trophy watch list

The Football Writers Association of America (“FWAA”) named Tennessee senior offensive lineman Jashon Robertson to its 2017 Outland Trophy watch list today.

https://twitter.com/Vol_Football/status/885507656340975617

The Outland Trophy is given to the nation’s best interior lineman (offense or defense) each year, the winner being chosen from three finalists from the FWAA All-America Team. Robertson, who has started 34 games for Tennessee and was a key contributor to 2016’s record-breaking offense, is one of 81 players overall and one of 11 from the SEC on the preseason watch list. The watch list is made up of 24 offensive tackles, 21 defensive tackles, 20 centers, and 16 offensive guards.

The watch list will be whittled down to six or seven semifinalists on November 15, and six days later down to the three finalists. The winner will be announced live on ESPN on December 7.