Josh Heupel played a clip from Tennessee football’s win against Chattanooga in a team meeting this week.
The Vols coach didn’t choose a touchdown or a hefty hit to show his team. He showed wide receiver Nathan Leacock sprinting more than 60 yards to tackle a Chattanooga defender following a fourth-quarter interception.
“That shows you what type of culture you’ve got when a guy like Nathan Leacock — a young guy — he is exemplifying that,” wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope said Tuesday. “You have to imagine what that building looks like every day.”
Leacock’s dash wasn’t the flashiest play of Tennessee’s season-opening 69-3 win against Chattanooga. But it carried substance that lingered for the No. 12 Vols (1-0) as they prepare to play No. 23 NC State (1-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Why Tennessee football coaches loved Nathan Leacock’s play vs Chattanooga
Leacock took off as soon as quarterback Gaston Moore threw an interception early in the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium. He started at one the 17-yard line and dove at the opposite 17-yard line to make the tackle.
Chattanooga linebacker Kobe Joseph ran to the sideline and broke away from the Tennessee offense. Leacock led the charge with Moore and running back Peyton Lewis. Leacock got to Joseph first, dragging him down with a touchdown-saving tackle.
“Nathan Leacock’s play — that is what you want to see as a head coach, as a receivers coach, shoot, as an (athletics director), because that gives you a glimpse of what your football team looks like,” Pope said.
Nathan Leacock kept 7 points off the board in a 55-3 game in the fourth quarter with this effort (Gaston Moore and Peyton Lewis with the effort, too) pic.twitter.com/LtRZCUMpsb
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 3,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/unsung-play-tennessee-football-coaching-090940980.html
Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-09-04 09:09:40
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