There were very few “normal” things about Tennessee football’s 20-13 win over Texas A&M at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon.
“How about that, man? Wow. I haven’t been involved one like that in a long time,” Heupel said to open his postgame press conference.
Not only has it been a long time since Heupel’s been apart of a game like Saturday’s, but he’s never been apart of one as a head coach. Tennessee’s victory over Texas A&M was Heupel’s first ever win as a head coach with his team scoring less than 30 points.
It was clear Heupel isn’t used to coaching in a game where his offense struggles to score and the game remains tight. The third-year Tennessee head coach made some questionable decisions on whether to kick or go for it on fourth down.
The Vols converted neither fourth down attempt that they went for and Charles Campbell missed a 51-yard field goal in the first half.
“There were a lot of variables tonight,” Heupel said. “The flow of the football game, the wind, who you’re seeing on the other side of the football, all of those variables. Didn’t look like I made a lot of the right decisions tonight for the most part in those critical situations. I say that just because we didn’t execute some of those.”
It wasn’t just how Tennessee won against Texas A&M that was unique but how the Vols moved the ball offensively defied everything we knew about the matchup.
Tell an analyst that Joe Milton III would complete just 11-of-22 passes for 100 yards, one touchdown and an interception, they would tell you that Texas A&M would have rolled.
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Tell the same analyst that Tennessee would run for 232 yards, especially compared to the Aggies’ 54 rushing yards, they would tell you that the Vols would win by three touchdowns.
“They are really good against the run and they’re really good attacking the quarterback and we had some efficiency,” Heupel said. “We obviously were capable of doing some more things than we did tonight, but the run game part of it, you know, the scheme and our guys executing some of it at times was really, really good.”
It’s a misconception that Tennessee’s offense is reliant on its pass game. There’s always been balance in the Vols’ offense and Heupel frequently emphasizes the importance of running the football. But when people think of the ‘Heupel Offense’ they think of explosive pass plays.
Tennessee defeated an above average SEC team with no passing attack. While Milton and the Vols’ passing deficiencies are a real and serious concern, Tennessee showing they can win in unique ways is important for the 2023 Vols and Heupel’s future.
Maybe that’s why Heupel was so upbeat in his postgame press conference despite an offensive performance that surely left him frustrated.
But a win is a win. Heupel knows it and Tennessee is now 5-1 (2-1 SEC) and still alive in the SEC East race as they head to Tuscaloosa next Saturday
