After winning four straight games, Tennessee suffered their first loss of the season last week at Arkansas.
Almost a week removed, the Vols have had time to regroup and focus on the next opponent, Florida at home tonight in Neyland Stadium. Veteran center Cooper Mays knows his skills as one of the leaders on Tennessee’s team will be needed to rally the troops against a pesky Gator squad. So, how important is internal leadership right now for the Vols?
“It’s really big,” Mays said on this week’s Vol Report. “I think the biggest thing is just continuing to have the energy to improve each and every week. It’s a hard time in college football. Everybody right now is starting to feel it. The people that are going to be better in the long run are the people that improve each and every week. So, I’m just trying to make sure everybody’s keeping their energy, right? Make sure it’s exactly where it needs to be.”
But some players take a loss harder than others. It was mentioned a few times during weekly press conferences that quarterback Nico Iamaleava, especially, had a tough time dealing with his first defeat as a starter. If that was true, Mays didn’t seem to notice it in his demeanor.
“I would say pretty regular,” Mays said of Iamaleava’s reaction to the loss. “I mean, everybody’s going to be upset. I don’t know if he took it any different or harder than anybody else. I mean, if you aren’t super upset after a loss like that, then you’re probably not in the right spot, you know?”
While it’s natural to be down after a loss, there’s always the next opponent looming. Emotions have to be put in check.
“I kind of stay in the middle,” Mays admitted. “I don’t really get too angry much, but everybody wants to put good stuff on tape, everybody wants to look good and everybody wants to win. So, anytime you don’t win in this league, obviously you flush it. But, you’re eager to get out there the next week and try to pull out another W.”
That comes tonight when the No. 8 Vols host Florida, which is a 14-point underdog. Oddsmakers haven’t changed their opinion of the Vols based on the spread. Mays hasn’t changed his approach just because Tennessee lost to Arkansas last week.
“At the end of the day we do the same thing with our wins,” Mays said. “If you’re still excited on Thursday about a win you had last week, you’re going to get your butt kicked on Saturday. It’s kind of the same premise. You’re obviously trying to go out there for five days and do better with the stuff you did wrong. But I don’t know if you’re still focused on last week.”
One loss, even to an unranked foe, doesn’t necessarily tank a season. Mays knows there are still mountains to climb and that everything remains in play for Tennessee, especially with a new 12-team College Football Playoff in place.
“The new scheme of college football and the new landscape, there’s nobody really going to get out of the SEC with no losses,” Mays said. “And if it is, it’s probably one team.
“Everything’s still out in front of us.”
That starts with Florida at 7 pm EST tonight.
