What Joe Milton III said about No. 9 Tennessee's slow start, win over Austin Peay

Joe Milton III was 1-for-6 passing for 11 yards after No. 9 Tennessee’s first three drives Saturday against Austin Peay at Neyland Stadium. His wide receivers didn’t give him much help, dropping multiple passes during the slow start.

The Vols (2-0) eventually woke up with a 67-yard touchdown drive to close the first half and a 56-yard touchdown drive to start the second half in the 30-13 win. Milton shook off the sluggish start, too, finishing 21 of 33 for 228 yards and two touchdowns while rushing three times for seven yards and another score on the ground.

Here’s what Milton said during his press conference after the game:

How this Tennessee offense needs to get in a better rhythm early and settle into games

“I feel like coming out there in from the jump and just executing what’s going on. Not letting no moment get too big. Just going out there and just execute. Don’t think about anything else, just do your assignment at a high level.”

How he felt like he started the game

“I just didn’t start my best, but it’s not about the start, it’s about to finish.”

What Tennessee needs to do to get the passing game in rhythm and be more effective

“Well, just go to practice and execute. Go hard every day, no matter if you’re tired or not, just go out there and execute.”

What he says to his receivers when drops are happening

“Nah, I mean in this offense you kind of need like at least five seconds to, if you’re on the sideline, you need at least five seconds to go back and just talk to yourself a few times no matter what. But at the same time I let them know that they’re the best receivers in the country. So keep being y’all, keep doing what y’all do and just go execute man.”

What was working when Tennessee went to the shorter passing game

“I feel like guys just started doing their assignments at a high level. It didn’t start off the way we wanted to just because it was Austin Peay and, you know, you can’t look at teams like that. You have to go out there and dominate every play, no matter who’s out there.”

What makes the shorter passing game effective

“I feel like it get things going. I feel like if you are a defense, got to run sideline to sideline and make a tackle, I feel like that’s something that your defensive coordinator is preaching to you. So in order to do that, I’m gonna keep pitching it from side on to side.”

On Tennessee tight ends McCallan Castles and Jacob Warren catching touchdown passes in the first two games 

“Those two guys are willing to work no matter what. I feel like throughout the week we preach to those guys that the ball will come your way. We know uou guys block a lot, so just be patient. The ball will come your way. Just stay true to it.”

If there was any concern that Tennessee took the opponent too lightly

“It may start off that it looked that way. And maybe you guys may think like that because of the score, but at the same time we go in there Sunday, throughout it all. At the end of the day, 125 guys, it’s being on the same page. It don’t matter who’s out on the outside, we’re gonna go in there and figure it out ourselves. We’re going to reevaluate and go execute no that matter.”

If it can be frustrating when opponents are working so hard to take away Tennessee’s vertical passing game

“I think that’s why we got the three-headed monsters back there (at running back). I feel like they do their job at a very high level. Even when the pass game is not going well, this is how it started off in the beginning of the game. Those guys ran the ball very, very hard and they were very decisive for their cuts. They made plays. That’s why we believe in those three guys and they go make things happen on Saturdays.”

His communication with Nico Iamaleava on the sideline and if Iamaleava is an extra set of eyes

“I just give him a couple of keys to ID for me while I’m out there, just because I can’t see everything. So just having an extra set of eyes other than my coaches out there. And also just he’s young, so just giving him an opportunity to see things, how I see it and just in a different way so when (he goes) out there, it’s not confusing to him.”

Keeping emotions in check as he prepares to go back to his home state to play Florida

“The game is never bigger than it is. I feel like when you prepare the right way, I feel like everything else is gonna take care of itself. Tomorrow you just reevaluate what happened. Monday and you go back to work. Nothing that happened tonight matters after Sunday. So go back home and you execute. No matter where we at, we’re just gonna execute.”