Tennessee’s fan base may not be confident in back-up quarterback Gaston Moore. It’s a good thing the senior has plenty of confidence in himself.
“Gaston is a super confident dude,” Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman said on Monday. “He feels really confident in his game and how he’s ready at any point in time to get out there. Just coming out there and obviously all of us other ten guys out on the field making sure that he knows that we got him, whether that’s protection or details in the route. But, yeah, Gaston’s a super confident kid and everybody has faith in him.”
That may be important this week as the Vols prepare to play Georgia in Athens on Saturday. Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to be available to play, according to Vols’ head coach Josh Heupel, but let’s just say Heupel has been overly optimistic about injury returns in the past.
“Nico’s a dog,” Kitselman said. “Super tough kid, but whoever’s out there, we’re ready to roll. We have faith in Gaston and we’re just excited to start preparing.”
Kitselman and whoever plays quarterback for the Vols will have their hands full against a Georgia crowd that can certainly present problems when it comes to communicating in a rowdy Sanford Stadium.
“We’re just going to have to hone in on all that stuff this week,” Kitselman said. “Communicate and being on the same page and all that kind of stuff. It’s going to be a big challenge. Athens is going to be a great environment to play in, but we’re going to have to be on top of our stuff and we’re going to have to all be on the same page.”
Despite being a first-year starter at Tennessee, Kitselman knows Georgia well. He’s been a part of big games against the Bulldogs as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide before the transferred to UT, which has now become home.
“Just seeing how everyone has taken me in,” Kitselman said. “I’ve only been here…11 months, which is crazy, but it feels like home here. It feels like family. Just continuing to build the relationships with the coaches and seeing that those relationships are going to last a lifetime has just made me feel super comfortable here.”
Kitselman was a focal point of the Vols’ offense against Kentucky when he caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. That role was dialed back a bit when Kitselman only caught one pass for eight yards last week against Mississippi State. Kitselman said his production certainly depends on the game plan, but he’s fine with taking pride as a blocker when the Vols keep the ball on the ground.
“It’s awesome,” Kitselman said of pushing opposing defenses around. “Just being on the same page with the tackles and all that kind of stuff and continuing to get better and better at that is something that we can really rely on.
“If you have a good run game, that really just opens everything else up. Just continuing to get better and better at that. But it’s awesome seeing us progress with that.”
As for Georgia this week, Kitselman said, “They play really hard, super sound, a very smart group. We’ve just got to come out and keep doing what we’ve been doing. Keep executing, keep paying attention to the small details. Don’t take anything for granted. And just keep preparing like we’ve prepared and we’ll be just fine.”
Unlike those worried about the Vols’ quarterback position, Kitselman has all the confidence needed to beat the Bulldogs.
