Tennessee Vols coach explains how QB Joe Milton gets in the zone during games
Tennessee Volunteers QB Joe Milton is beginning to trend in the right direction as the Vols enter the final month of the 2023 regular season. With a strong performance in Tennessee's 33-27 win over Kentucky following a good first half in Tuscaloosa, it's fair to say that the senior signal caller is beginning to play […]
Tennessee Volunteers QB Joe Milton is beginning to trend in the right direction as the Vols enter the final month of the 2023 regular season. With a strong performance in Tennessee's 33-27 win over Kentucky following a good first half in Tuscaloosa, it's fair to say that the senior signal caller is beginning to play his best football.
But what has led to Milton getting locked in and playing good football from the start of the last two games? According to Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle, it's been Milton getting going on the ground early in games.
"I do think (running early) helps him settle into the game," Halzle said on Tuesday while meeting with the media. "Absolutely. He said that himself. He likes to get a couple of carries early to feel like he's in the flow of the game. So yeah, that absolutely has factored into it. And then the other part is just like I'm saying, he's seeing defenses really well right now. He's doing a really good job with his eyes. It starts with your eyes. Now you can get your feet in the right position. Now you can throw the ball accurately and on time, and that's what you've seen the last two weeks.
"But I would completely agree that him getting some carries, some runs, some contact early in the game is good for him."
It's been evident that Milton has been more and more comfortable running the ball the last few weeks, and Heupel confirmed that had to do with him getting healthier as the season rolled on. His arm has certainly looked better, with more touch on his passes. He also hasn't thrown an interception since Texas A&M and really hasn't had hardly any turnover-worthy throws the last couple of weeks.
Now the Vols will need Milton – and the rest of the Vols, for that matter – to escape Saturday healthy and ready to go against two of their most formidable opponents on their schedule – against #12 Missouri and #2 Georgia.
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