Knox Times

Before the No. 6 Volunteers headed to Barry University for the second day of on-site bowl practice, defensive coordinator Tim Banks and select defensive players met with members of the media Tuesday morning at the Le Meridien Dania Fort Lauderdale to preview Friday's Capital One Orange Bowl matchup with No. 7 Clemson.

Junior defensive lineman Tyler Baron, senior linebacker Aaron Beasley, redshirt senior defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus, junior defensive lineman Omari Thomas and senior defensive lineman Byron Young joined Banks to participate in Tuesday's press conference, discussing bowl prep in Miami and how the Vols stack up against the reigning ACC champions.

"We've talked a lot about just the opportunity that we have playing a tremendous Clemson team, and we're really excited about that opportunity," Banks said. "They're a little bit different, we've never seen them, but at the end of the day it's still football. The guys are just so excited to be here at the Orange Bowl with the opportunity to play, so it'll be fun."
 
Capping off a season of memorable team wins and special individual performances, Tennessee's defensive representatives emphasized finishing the year on a high note in their comments to media on Tuesday morning.
 
"We're super excited about the guys who are here," Banks stated. "Those guys want to finish this thing. We've had a tremendous season and to go out on a high note is something that these guys are really hungry to try to achieve. So great opportunity again, and I'm so happy that these guys are here."
 
Baron spoke to finishing the season strong for Tennessee's senior class and working to send his departing linemen out with a hard-fought victory.
 
"The guys you spend so much time with – in my room specifically, you have LaTrell (Bumphus) and Byron (Young) – those guys are impeccable young men, and you just want them to win more so as a person than a football player … I think this is going to show how hard we play this week, just how well we want them to go out and the note we want them to finish on."
 
The Volunteers will treat Wednesday's practice like a normal game-week Thursday at 12:35 p.m. at Barry University. That practice is open to the public. 

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