Tennessee football played its best 30 minutes of the season to build a 20-7 halftime lead over Alabama. But the Vols laid an egg in the second half and Alabama scored the game’s final 27 points to earn a 34-20 victory.
Josh Heupel met with the media after the game and discussed the Vols’ inability to respond when the momentum shifted, some fourth down calls and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said after the loss.
More From RTI: Four Takeaways As Tennessee Football Falls At Alabama
Opening Statement
“Credit to Alabama. First half, we played extremely well. Second half, we just weren’t good enough. For me, our coaches to our players, gotta be able to play for 60 minutes against good football teams and on the road. So extremely disappointed with the outcome. I told the guys in the locker room they compete man. They do. We don’t play smart enough at times. But they compete and I’ll go with these guys anywhere.
On the decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 near midfield in the third quarter
“Yeah, (Jackson Ross) had been punting it (well). Fourth and less than one, given up a score on the previous one and felt like we had an opportunity to pick it up. Obviously didn’t (get it). Gave them short field. They took advantage of. I think they got three out (of it). That one might have been seven.”
On if the second half at Alabama felt similar to the game getting away from Tennessee in the first half in the loss at Florida
“Didn’t feel the same. Did not. We just, you know, not the entire time. Not all 11. Just weren’t good enough for the second half.”
On why he felt the game changed for Tennessee in the second half
“They came out, hit one split zone on us, end up getting seven. We get called for signaling fair catch from a front line on the sky kick ball gets placed at the four. You’re in a tough situation coming out, don’t pick it up. They get an opportunity and go get some more points. At the end of the day, our guys didn’t stop competing. We weren’t smart enough. We weren’t good enough, starting with me and in the second half, but they continued to reset the play. And the momentum did shift during that series of events. But our guys continued to compete.”
On why Tennessee went for it on the other fourth down attempt
“I just felt like the scheme, based on the personnel that they had out there that we had a good play. Obviously didn’t pick that one up either.”
On what went wrong on the fourth down in the first half
“It’s a read off the edge, felt like it was condensed, didn’t get it going around the edge.
On the momentum getting away from Tennessee in the second half
“Unique circumstances. They hit us with the one split zone. The fair catch signal from the front line placed the ball at the four, you gotta give them credit too. There’s some things that we didn’t do well enough. You start backed up, it changes what you’re doing on your opening drive a little bit, situational football. End of the day reset, gotta keep coming, keep playing. And we did at times offensively. Don’t put it in when we get down there, with seven, eight minutes left and you got a chance make the game.”
On his thoughts on the officiating, if it was one-sided
*Long pause* “Next question. Was that long enough silence”
On the run games struggles affecting everything else
“In the second half, obviously the fourth-and-short. You start the half backed up, so you’re a little bit different than what you planned on coming out. Weren’t efficient. Then it turns into a two minute type mode. The change in the game happened quickly and at the end of the day, we gotta go be efficient in what we’re doing. We didn’t have the type of success, probably yards per carry that we were accustomed to rushing the football. Some of that’s them. They’re good. Some of that was us too so at the end of the day gotta be better.”
On what went wrong defensively in the second half
“Well we get off the field. They got the PI or the holding call on one of our corners there. We got hit just on a simple split zone early and they flipped the field position. We’re on the plus side of it and at the end of the day we got to settle in and be better than what we were. Me, assistant coaches, the players, all of it.”
On if he felt like they were ready to play out the locker room in the second half
“Man, I didn’t think we started super fast in the third quarter. Right. Which is obvious. And you know what happens? They drive the field and score. We end up on the four-yard line coming out after sky kick. So gotta start faster.”
On if that’s the most they’ve used Milton as a runner
“It was a part of the game plan. We used him last week too. He’s got to be a part of it.”
On how he’d evaluate Milton overall
“I thought he did some positive things. Started fast, was accurate with football, was a good decision maker. Did some solid things in the run game. End of the game, the way it’s playing out there are some things that we got to be better at situationally. But it’s obviously a tough situation too.”
On Milton’s physicality in the run game
“Situational football. Some of it is a little— you don’t want him to take every hit. He’s gonna have to take some hits. Third down, you gotta go get it. Change the way the game’s played. So it’s a combination of ball.”
On if momentum swings are more difficult to stop on the road
“I mean the communication is the only thing that, in my opinion, that’s really more difficult. You know what I mean? As long as you are settled into your job and doing that when you’re out between the white lines. Today, it’s good football team. We’re talking about Alabama. We didn’t reset, refocus and make enough plays in the second half. End result.”
On if players are losing confidence too quickly
“I don’t think it’s a confidential confidence issue. I don’t.”
3 Responses
First: Get a play caller. If running up the middle or to the short side of the field does not work, then don’t.
Second: Milton has three seconds. Less if blitz is on. He takes too much time to process routes. If he has to throw on the run, just let him run.
Third: You can’t beat the Refs. Not a single hold was called on Bama.
Really one-sided calls by refs in second half. Can’t beat home cooking.
Running the same dive plays every time your team is in the red zone is something a defense picks up on. Running it 2 times in a row at midfield and then having to throw on third down is also predictable