CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tennessee football passed its first test of the 2024 season with flying colors on Saturday night, eviscerating NC State 51-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Following the game, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed the defense’s dominant performance, Nico Iamaleava’s performance and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said.
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Opening Statement
“Good team win right there. Excited about the way the football team came out and performed. Defensively, just in elite performance from really start to finish. Played so well against the run, tight coverage, applied pressure to the quarterback. Just a really good performance and proud of what they did. Offensively, efficient in the run game. There’s some things that we got to clean up as well. Wasn’t as clean as we’re capable of playing and as clean as we’re going to need to play as we continue.
“But all in all really good performance. (Offensive) line played really hard and played well. The special teams thought we were solid all night in that phase of the football game. (Max Gilbert) just missed the long one, but all in all really solid performance.”
On Tennessee’s defense not giving up a touchdown over its last three game
“Yeah, obviously we gave up one on the offense side of the ball tonight, but defensively played really well. Two weeks not allowing an opponent into the end zone. Just starts with defending the run game, violent, disruptive upfront. Being great in our fits and then applying pressure to the quarterback and being really sound in our coverage. Just, I really like the growth that we’ve had in the early part of the season. I like our personnel. There’s some things that we can continue to get better at, but they got great energy, camaraderie, they care about each other.
We’re able to rotate. We got depth. We just got to keep growing. But really love what Coach (Tim) Banks and our defensive staff and players have done.
On Tennessee using more sets with two tight ends
“Offensively for us, 12 personnel has been something that we’ve been working on for a while. Our roster, when we got there, for us, we have scholarship limitations and in particular on the offensive side of the football, that’s kind of where you pick your poison. And when I say that, you’re going to be limited at some position. And this is the deepest that our tight end room has been. We’ve been working on 12 personnel through the spring and through training camp. So we see it as something that will be a part of what we continue to do.”
On watching a Tennessee defense play that dominant from start to finish
“Yeah, it’s not the only time that they’ve played like that. But again, with the growth and development of our roster, we’re able to play more people. That gives you depth. That helps. And the growth of our players and who we have within the scheme that Coach Banks and our defensive staff have continued to develop these guys. They’ve been playing well and I love the, the future of what we have over there
“Let me just say one more thing. The standard at Tennessee is to be elite on defense. This is the home of Reggie White, Al Wilson, Eric Berry.”
On Tennessee’s offensive production in the second half, if it was from adjustments or playing with a short field
“Kind of stubbed our toe early on one of the drives and didn’t take advantage of it. Had a turnover on one of the early drives in the first half too. So there was some self-inflicted wounds. And then the holding penalty when you’re in the two-minute drive, just the score of the game and flow of it, knowing that we get the ball beginning the second half one play smart football right there and not a advantageous spot. So it’s just kind of the way it unfolded.”
On if this is just the start of what this Tennessee offense and Nico Iamleava can do
“As a football team, I’m proud of what we’ve done for two weeks. There’s a lot of meat left on the bone for us. Defensively, really strong performance. Tonight offensively, some really good things. There’s some things that we have to have to be better at and play cleaner. Again, there’s a lot left out for us there. Good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the year. The chemistry camaraderie is important as you continue to grow through the season too. And for us as a football team, we got to continue to grow. This schedule we have in front of us obviously is extremely difficult, but we got to keep growing.”
On how he would assess Nico Iamaleava’s performance
“I thought all in all (he) played really well. There’s two plays he’d like to have back. Fundamentally just missed the throw over the middle of the football field in the first half. And at the end of the day, no matter what’s happening around him, he’s got to be right inside of the pocket as he’s getting hit on the pass concept down there in the red zone. So he played within himself, he responded extremely well to adversity. I think that’s one of the things we really haven’t seen from him yet. Really proud of his demeanor and being ready to come play the next play independently. Which is what you have to do as a quarterback.”
On the importance of Will Brooks pick six in the second quarter
“Momentum swing after the pick. For us, I have to remember the exact flow. Was it the pick that led to, they kicked the field goal, right, afterwards? But it’s a one score game right there I think. And you know, a guy off the edge forcing him to find a window and huge play by Brooksy. It was a part of the straw that broke the back of them, you know what I mean? It started creating momentum for us.”
On if there’s an update on Tyre West
“No update on Tyre. I think he’ll be okay, but we’ll find out.”
On the entire second half being played on NC State’s side of the field
“Just from fourth down stops to turnovers, the momentum is a completely different game the last three quarters of the football game.”
On how playing so many guys affects team morale
“I think the more guys that are seeing game action the investment continues to grow and they see opportunity and I said that to some of the guys that didn’t make the trip here too. It changes from week to week. You continue to invest. You always cash in on it at some point in life and in this game. It is not necessarily always when you want it, but when you’re ready, if you continue to prepare to be ready for your opportunity, when your opportunity comes, you’re ready to take advantage of it. And a lot of our guys that played tonight have been in those types of scenarios.”
On what Miles Kitselman has done to impress them
“That tight end room, It’s really cool to see those guys all get along. Care about each other. Be happy when somebody else has success. And Miles is a huge part of that. Got great trust in him that he’s gonna go execute his assignment at a really high level. He’s extremely tough mentally and physically and demands it from the guys around him. Extremely high football IQ.
Got a really good feel for the game and it’s a huge part of why the guys love him, but that tight end room as a whole. Holden and Ethan, just the continued growth from those guys. It’s a really cool vibe inside of that room.”
On Dylan Sampson’s impact offensively
“Great trust in Dylan and he’s a great leader for us, but you can put him in any position. He’s a guy that can have success and that’s pass protection. It is as a runner, it’s out in space as a receiver, getting him swing passes, whatever it might be. He’s got a great, great, great skillset.”
