2019 Tennessee opponent spring review: BYU
Tennessee vs. BYU — Sept. 7 — Neyland Stadium

PROVO — Eric Mateos was hired on BYU’s coaching staff Feb. 14 and will serve as offensive line coach.

Mateos comes to BYU after overseeing the offensive line at Texas State the last two seasons.

Prior to his time at Texas State, Mateos coached in the SEC at LSU as tight ends coach (2016) and at Arkansas as an offensive line graduate assistant (2013-2015).

Mateos discussed his brief time at BYU with Vols Wire.

“Wherever you go in the football program, it has clout and you can feel it,” Mateos said. “You can feel it when you go to work every day that you are at a place that it means a lot to people.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Mateos joins Jeff Grimes on BYU’s staff. Grimes enters his second season as the Cougars’ offensive coordinator and previously worked with Mateos at LSU.

Grimes served as offensive line coach at Auburn (2009–12) and in the same capacity at LSU (2014–17).

“Working with Jeff again, he is the same person as he was when he was an offensive line coach in the SEC,” Mateos said. “He had success at Auburn and LSU, and if you can have success in the SEC as an offensive line coach then you probably know what you are doing.

“He brings the same intensity, focus and organization to his new role as a coordinator that he did as an offensive line coach. Being able to work with him again, we have a really good working relationship and a good friendship that neither play too heavily into the other. It’s good to be around him in a new setting.”

Learning from Jim Chaney

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

During Mateos’ time at Arkansas, he worked under offensive coordinator Jim Chaney who returns to Tennessee to oversee the Vols’ offense in 2019 — a position he held for UT from 2009-12.

“Working with Jim was great,” Mateos said of his time at Arkansas. “Jim was the first coordinator I worked with at the Division I level and I would say that I learned more football in my first year working as graduate assistant, working with him and Sam Pittman, than I did in my entire life. I really enjoyed it. I think Jim is one of the smarter game plan guys out there and is very good at film study and setting up a good game plan – that is one of things I admire most about him.

“One of the things he has done well over the years is adapt to what his personnel is and also he adapts well to what his head coach wants him to be. He is one of the best coordinators out there and I enjoyed working for him and is a great mentor being a teacher of young coaches.”

Coaching against Jeremy Pruitt

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Mateos has been part of two teams that have competed against Jeremy Pruitt: 2014 Arkansas vs. Georgia and 2016 LSU vs. Alabama.

As a defensive coordinator, Pruitt was on the winning end of both contests as Georgia defeated Arkansas, 45-32, and Alabama won at LSU, 10-0.

Mateos detailed his offenses’ competing against Pruitt’s defenses.

“His defenses are more aggressive as far as bringing pressure,” Mateos said of Pruitt. “He is one of the better third down blitz package guys in the SEC because he gives you a lot of different looks. He would move guys around and was not afraid to blitz anybody – corners, safeties, linebackers, nickels. He is an aggressive defensive coach and I have a lot of respect for him.”

2014 Georgia vs. Arkansas — Sack fumble on a corner blitz

“Jeremy Pruitt gave us a heavy blitz look to our left on the right hash. We were on the 35-yard line going in and he had Leonard Floyd and Ramik Wilson lined up on the line of scrimmage. Our offensive line claimed the guys to the left showing a heavy blitz. He brought the WILL linebacker and the corner from the boundary and played a two-high fire zone that we were not ready for. The corner sack-fumbled us and it really sealed the game as far as momentum for them. That blitz has stood out to me for a couple of years now. It was a great example of showing pressure on one side and bringing a total opposite pressure, it was a unique look. Pruitt does a great job of designing things and putting little wrinkles into things he has already done.” –Eric Mateos

Returning to Rocky Top

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Mateos will return to Neyland Stadium, a venue he coached in during the 2015 season.

Arkansas defeated Tennessee, 24-20, and rushed for 275 yards on 50 attempts.

“I am already very familiar with Rocky Top,” Mateos said. “That was a very bizarre game in 2015, but we kind of puffed our chest out a little bit and ran the football down them. We started out down 14-0, (Evan) Berry took the opening kick back. We then just put our head down and ran the football. It’s a good atmosphere there and I am looking forward to being back there.

“It will be a challenge to compete against a defense that Jeremy Pruitt is at the head of. He does a good job of making little subtle changes, which is something we will have to prepare for. It will be a great challenge, a great matchup, and I think we have a really good offensive line here. Our offensive line can matchup with o-lines in the SEC and I can’t wait for the matchup.”