Andy Staples, Big Cat weigh in on Joe Milton, Tennessee win-total in 2023
The hype is high on Rocky Top after what Tennessee managed to do during a magical season last fall. However, with the new season set to kick off in less than two weeks, where do On3’s Andy Staples and Barstool Sports’ Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz fall on the Vols this time around?
Katz joined Sunday night’s edition of ‘Andy Staples On3’ and looked at the Volunteer’s over-under win total of 9.5. He elected to go over on the number as he believes Tennessee can reach double-digit wins again because of their schedule as well as his trust in the development of Joe Milton while being the program’s backup quarterback.
“I like that over,” said Katz. “I think the Georgia game, obviously, and having to go to Alabama? But the rest of these games? You get Texas A&M home. I would take over here. I think they’re a 10-win team.”
“And I’m falling for Joe Milton again. I’ve been through this. I saw him play at Michigan. He was terrible. He is the guy who holds down the X button when throwing to a receiver in the flats and guns it at like 90 miles an hour,” Big Cat said. “But he has been in that offense for a year, he obviously learned behind an incredible quarterback in Hendon Hooker. So I’m going to believe in him, believe in (Josh) Heupel. I think they have a 10-win season.”
Staples also had glowing remarks from his own chances to watch Milton. While he hasn’t always been the most accurate player with a career completion rate of 58.2%, Milton just does some things when spinning the rock that you just can’t teach and can be jaw-dropping for those watching him.
“I had to be physically restrained from cranking up the Joe Milton bandwagon while watching the Orange Bowl,” Staples said. “That Clemson defense was good and he’s doing it. This is proof.”
“I had a coach tell me if you ever stand behind Joe Milton while he throws a football? You will say this is the greatest quarterback I’ve ever seen in my life,” recalled Staples. “Then, the next day, I got to do that and he throws a 70-yard deep ball and I’m like, ‘Oh my god! This is amazing!'”
After posting one of the best seasons that Knoxville has ever seen at 11-2, it’ll be tough to top what last season was and represented. Even so, both Staples and Katz believe that Tennessee very well could come close, at least record-wise, based on their slate and their respective beliefs in Milton as he takes over as their QB1 again.