What Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner said during Tuesday's press conference

Rodney Garner during his press conference on Tuesday updated the progress of Tennessee’s defensive line, looked back at the win over UConn and looked ahead to Saturday’s game at Missouri:

Tennessee defensive lineman Elijah Simmons being more active during Saturday’s win over UConn

“Obviously I think he’s getting healthier. He was having, he had, a good spring. He was having a good camp, so he got hurt, he was out until midseason. So just getting himself back in shape and just becoming more consistent. I thought he probably did play his best game he’s played since we’ve been here. So there’s still much room for improvement and I think he knows that. So he’s just gotta keep pressing and pick up where you’re left off.”

What Tennessee’s defensive staff has seen from Missouri on film

“Well obviously Missouri, I think when you look at them, first thing starts with the quarterback. He’s a really good football player. He has a really good command presence. He can lead, he can throw the ball and he’s elusive, he can run. He puts a lot of stress on you. You look at their receiver corps, some special guys that just got out there to throw the ball to you — No. 3 (Luther Burden) , No. 1 (Theo Wease Jr.), No. 7 (Cody Schrader), No. 5 (Mookie Cooper). They got a group of guys, football players, that he do a really good job. The offense is very diverse and does a really good job there. No. 7 (Schrader), the running back, he’s a physical, tough guy that does a really good job of running behind his pads. He brings his own blocker and they’re just doing a good job of playing, playing team offense. If you ask me.”

If he’s seeing the version of Elijah Simmons he wanted to see this season

“Obviously Elijah was out most of the season, so he wasn’t even out there with me. He was with the training (staff). Since he’s been back, it’s just been getting himself back into shape. Obviously for a guy to be out seven, eight weeks, you really worry about, especially a big guy that’s shown, had a history of struggling, with gaining weight and all that, we were pleased that he didn’t let it just get out of control. But still it was still the same thing about getting himself back into, you playing shape.

“It’s different than running with the trainers and the strength staff and all that, getting out there actually practicing, doing the strain of football-related type thing. So I think he’s more dialed in. He’s more in tune to what he’s trying to accomplish. And so he’s been more attentive to details and hopefully that’s just going to carry over and continue to build that he’s given the body of work that he wants to build upon. I know he feels good about himself. I think he felt good about how he played this past Saturday. So hopefully he’ll go and start stacking good on top of good. That we don’t ride the rollercoaster.”

The success Tennessee had against Kentucky running back Ray Davis and how the Vols slow down Missouri running back Cody Schrader

“Honestly, coming into the game, Kentucky had one of the most prolific run games that we had faced up until that point. The back was average six yards per carry. So we really put a big emphasis on it just trying to create a new line of scrimmage, trying to play more vertical, trying to force them to make jump cuts prior to what they were. So the same thing with this guy (at Missouri). They’re very similar, but this one, this guy (Scharder) maybe just a tad more physical where the guy in Kentucky (Davis) was faster. But I think they both do a really good job of pressing the blocks and just finding a soft spot and get squared up the shoulders getting downhill. So we’ve gotta do a great job of playing vertical, creating knock-back. We gotta be able to tear up blocks. We gotta keep a pad square and we just gotta tackle. We can’t miss tackles, all the little things when it comes down to playing in this conference. Just play a great sound, fundamental game.”

Helping Tennessee build the No. 1 run defense in the SEC in his third year on the job

“Well I think that’s a compliment to the young men in the program that had bought into to what we’ve been preaching. We were blessed to have some really good young men. I think the guys have been beaten down. It’s been a long time since Tennessee has been back to the elite status that Tennessee’s used to. So obviously for those guys to start out with us the first year, for us to win seven games, I thought that was great.

“They turn and back it up last year. Just seeing the improvement. I think they’re taking more pride into getting the program back to where it belongs. These kids have bought into it. They’re doing the little things. Leadership shows up. If you’re going to have a good program, it needs to be peer led. Obviously we don’t mind leading as coaches, but we have to be honest with ourselves for it to be really effective. We need the kids to buy into it and we need the kids to hold each other accountable. And I think our guys have done a much better job of doing that. And we’re not having to start over, day one every day. We’re able to move the needle and pick up where we left off.

“And still guys, we got a long ways to go. I mean, we all know that and we gotta continue to improve in all facets of our game. And we just can’t ever become satisfied. Not like we did anything to be satisfied with it. But you know, we’ve gotta keep working hard to try to improve every day.”

How to coach Tennessee’s defensive line to deal with extra blockers being used to slow down the pass rush

“We just got a strain. I mean, obviously we got to strain. The ball is coming out quick. Max protect, the chip. So we just continue to work on fundamentals. Pre-snap, see some things, where the back and the tight end is lined up, inspect the chip. Being able to chip the chipper, just do different things from a fundamental standpoint to be more efficient and what we’re doing, that’s a part of it. That’s respect. I’m glad you do respect us, so now we gotta you get back.”