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Joe Milton III shared his message to teammates following a momentum swing that led to No. 17 Tennessee’s 34-20 loss to No. 11 Alabama on Saturday.
The Vols had a 20-7 lead at the break. The Crimson Tide, however, scored 27 unanswered points in the second half, including 17 in the third quarter.
WBIR sports director Karthik Venkataraman asked Milton what the team needs to do differently if there’s another big momentum shift in the future.
Simply put, Milton said the Volunteers don’t have to do anything differently other than look at the wristband on their right wrists.
Milton noted that the wristband says “Take a deep breath. Just breathe.” The senior quarterback added that it’s about knowing where his teammates are right now in the moment, which is “right here, right now.”
I asked Joe Milton what the team needs to do differently next time momentum completely swings in the game.
This was his answer. pic.twitter.com/Rf8TXlxxZK
— Karthik Venkataraman (@KarthikV_) October 22, 2023
“(It’s about) being able to look at your wristband or being able to take a deep breath and understand where you’re at,” Milton said. “Embrace the moments.”
Milton said he wants his team to take simple steps when facing adversity like they did against Alabama.
“We all pray for moments like this when we were younger, so being able to embrace the moment, understand the mood and just do your job is all that matters,” Milton said.
Milton completed 28-of-41 passes for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns for Tennessee. On the ground, the senior ran for 59 yards on 15 carries.
The Vols, now 5-2 on the season, take on Kentucky next Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
