Josh Heupel and No. 3 Tennessee will welcome in UT Martin this Saturday afternoon to Neyland Stadium. Not only will the Vols be enjoying Homecoming this Saturday, but it will also be a game that Tennessee celebrates 50 years of Title IX on campus.
Heupel spoke to the media on Monday where he gave his first breakdown of UT Martin’s offense. The Skyhawks are 4-2 on the season and have put up 42 or more points in all four of their wins. Only one time this year have the Skyhawks failed to score 30 or more points in a game.
That being said, this should be a nice test for Tennessee’s defense and not allow too much complacency before a big game in Knoxville against Kentucky next weekend. It should also provide a good opportunity to allow some of Tennessee’s depth to find some time on the field against a successful offense.
Here’s what Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has been saying about the Skyhawks during this week’s slate of press conferences.
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On UT Martin’s Offense…
“Obviously, offensively, you just look at the production that they’ve had and the ability to move the football (and) score points. It will be a great test for us on the defensive side of the football to go out and execute and play well. There are some things obviously that we’ve been focused on offensively. We’ll have to adjust to what we see at the beginning of the game and during the course of the game and have all 11 (players) execute at a really high level. There are some things that we’ve tried to clean up on special teams, and I want to see that improve too.”
On UT Martin’s Offense and Tennessee’s Offense/Defense
“For us defensively and them offensively, they’ve put up a bunch of points, a bunch of yards here in the first half of the season. The line of scrimmage is going to be important. We got to apply pressure to the quarterback and got to be able to match guys out on the outside on the perimeter. It will be important to win the line of scrimmage on the defensive side of the football in this one. For us offensively, the line of scrimmage is where it starts. We’ve got to be able to run the football. Defensively, in their structure, we got to be able to understand what they’re playing, adjust to it, and then go win some one on ones out on the perimeter.”
On the importance of playing FCS schools…
“I do think it’s important. Just having been around the game, my dad at a small college to him being at an FCS school. These games support their football department but, in some ways, support their entire athletic department as it continues to trickle down. I think it is important that these games are played. I think it speaks to the healthiness of football on all levels. I think that’s really important that we balance all those things as we continue to move forward.”
