Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel answered questions from the media in a pair of situations on Wednesday of the Vols’ open date.
Heupel answered questions from the local media and then talked on the SEC Coaches Teleconference following the Vols’ rivalry win over Alabama on Saturday afternoon.
Tennessee’s head coach discussed that win, the claim that the Vols pipe crowd noise into Neyland Stadium and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said on Wednesday.
Weekly Press Conference
Opening Statement
“Hope everybody’s doing great. Good practice today. Obviously after the last bey week we didn’t play very well. Being intentional in how we work and how we prepare this week, we try to correct some things that we have control with and continue to try to get better as a football team. So thought it was good work today. Got to continue that.”
On the keys for Tennessee to have success coming off of this bye week
“There’s multiple reasons for us, not executing the way that we needed to on game day (at Arkansas after the last bye week). Us controlling what we can control. Point of emphasis is us continuing to get better as a football team and that’s always the case. But certainly pulling those things out yesterday as our guys came into the building. And you know, at the end of the day, you’re in the middle of your conference season and a lot of football to be played and we got to take steps to play our best.”
On getting to watch the Will Brooks interception against Alabama on film
“Great to see our defense go finish it out. Obviously, offensively didn’t pick up a first down on the four-minute drive. For those guys (on defense) to go out and execute the way they did, apply pressure and then Brooks to be able to drive on it and make a play at the end of it to seal the game, huge play by him. Playing with fundamentals, technique and making the plays that are there.”
On the biggest differences between the first and second bye week for Tennessee
“You’re mindful of some of the injuries. Today was a work day and tomorrow will be too. Fundamentals, technique, special teams, offensively, real point of emphasis. And some subtle things that we’re doing differently is to try to get some of that work. The guys are banged up, get the work that they can while still trying to get them healthy here for a long run on the back end.”
On what kind of growth the second half against Alabama can be for Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava
“I think it’s tough when you play that position. That’s whether you’re young or you’ve played a lot of football, but certainly when you’re young. When things aren’t going well, you can hear certain members of the crowd. And you’ve made some mistakes, which happens in this game when you play that position, you got the ball in your hand every time you’ve missed some throws. You’ve turned it over, you haven’t moved the ball, whatever it is. The quarterback takes ownership of all of that. And when it’s not going well, I describe it as it feels like the walls are kind of pressing in on you. To have the courage, the strength, the fortitude to push back on it and go play really good football, not perfect, but really good football, find a way to come away with the win, you got to be a tough, tough dude mentally and physically to withstand all that. It’s one of the real positives that you take away from the game with Nico.”
On if there’s anything he’s seen fundamentally from Nico Iamaleava that is leading to missing open Tennessee receivers downfield
“There’s a couple of things, fundamentally. Where you’re at on the field dictates some of how you get to throw the ball. Safeties can dictate how you get to throw it. There’s a way that you want to throw it. All that together with what’s going on up front protectionally. There’s times that you’re not going to be in a perfect position. You got to find a way to complete it. There’s a couple things just with his eyes, leading to where he is at body position on a couple of those things. Made some really nice throws too. You look at some of the big plays, Dont’e (Thornton) down the sideline, that’s a special throw on the run. To be able to complete Chris (Brazzell) in the end zone on the third down. So some things that he’s got to continue grow in, but that’s all a part of continuing to grow a little bit.”
On if anything on tape specifically was different for Nico Iamaleava from the first half to the second half
“I don’t think anything like super different. Missed a couple throws over the middle. Some of that’s the windows being tight. Maybe the timing being off just a little bit with the wide receiver, getting his eyes around. It’s all part of it. I do think settling in, being able to push back on everything that hadn’t gone right in the first half shows growth, but shows you what he’s made up of on the inside too, mentally and just as heart and his competitive makeup.”
On the update on Squirrel White’s injury
“Feel like Squirrel will be ready to roll and when we get to the next football game. He was limited today. One of those guys (that) has been dinged up a little bit, but feel like he’ll be ready to roll.”
On what having an atmosphere and win like the Alabama game does for recruiting
“Big time games, elite environment inside of Neyland and it’s always special, but for some of those rivalry games it’s ratched up another notch. I think those are great environments to see the competitive makeup of playing in this league, in the big games that recruits get an opportunity to see how special playing football on Rocky Top is. What the Neyland effect looks and sounds like. Those are are huge pieces of the recruiting puzzle for us.”
On what he wants he likes about his team and needs them to improve on heading in November
“Fundamentals, execution, precision in everything that we’re doing. Defense played really good football, but there’s things that they can clean up too. Obviously offensively, special teams as well. So you point those things out. As you’ve heard me say, good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. Every week is it’s own identity. The take away from this football team is the tough, we got competitive composure. That’s all phases of the game.
When it’s not going well on one side. How the other units are responding, the unit that’s not playing well, finding a way to get on the right side of it. For us, there’s a lot of football left to be played. It comes down to growing every single day. Being intentional in your work, competing for everything that makes a difference from fundamentals to technique to eye discipline within the scheme that you’re playing in. So we just got to continue to grow.”
On his reaction to people saying Neyland Stadium pipes in crowd noise
“I had not heard that. Neyland doesn’t need anything fake piped into the stadium for that to be the loudest place in America. Hopefully our fans take that personally, enjoy this bye week and come back and be louder than ever next time we’re at home.”
On what he has seen from the wide receiver room
“The last couple of weeks, they’ve continued to grow in what they’re doing. Chris Brazzell is a great example of that. Happens because of how you practice and how you prepare. You start stacking days and weeks of performing high at a high level on the practice field and it will translate to the game. And there’s still a lot of growth left in that wide receiver room. We played a bunch of bodies. We need that room to continue to grow. That will be a part of the puzzle of us executing the way that we need to.”
On if Dylan Sampson has done anything to surprise him this season
“I wouldn’t say that anything’s truly surprised us. Had great trust in who he is, his competitive makeup, continuing to add to his frame, durability piece. He’s a dynamic player, man. Is part of changing the way the game is played for us and you know, him creating explosive plays has been part of getting us jump started when we haven’t necessarily been functioning at our highest.”
On Nico Iamaleava struggling in the first half of late
“It’s a position that’s never going to be perfect. Ultimately, quarterbacks get judged on wins and losses no matter what it’s looking like. Being able to go lay it on the line, play aggressive, play the next play; those are the biggest things that we continue to talk about with him. And you know, I’m really proud of what he did in the second half.”
On why the defense has been good in sudden-change situations
“Really special what they’ve done in those situations. A lot of forced turnovers. They’ve found ways to push units the wrong direction and take them out of field goal range, or make it a long field goal. I think that besides this execution, alignment, assignment, technique; the competitive composure, the resiliency, the mental makeup of that group as a whole is really special. And we gotta keep that moving forward. We gotta continue to grow in it, but it’s, really special how they’ve competed and played no matter what the situation is. Competitive maturity is the best way for me to describe it.”
SEC Coaches Teleconference
Opening Statement
“Good practice with our guys today. Obviously an open date, but point of emphasis on how this football team’s got to get better and good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. So fundamentals and technique, precision in our pass game, a lot of things for us to continue to improve upon before we start preparing for Kentucky. And guys had a great demeanor and attitude and effort and energy out there today.”
On if he thinks the College Football Playoff being expanded to 12 teams has affected the regular season, for better or for worse
“I think the passion and pageantry of college football is what makes it the draw that it is to so many fans out there. I don’t think that the playoff has derailed any of the energy from fans and the importance of every game. It’s different in that you can stub your toe and still have a chance to get in, but there’s still such great urgency. And in this league and you got to come to play every single week. You just look at how everybody in this league, top to bottom, is really playing.”
On Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s play against Alabama, missing on some long throws and hitting others
“Nico made some really nice throws on the deep ball throughout the course of the game, too. The first half in particular, but there’s some in the second half, that we missed on. It’s all a part of it, from his eyes, his fundamentals being a part of that. And then also wide receivers and protections. So we got to hit on more. You’re never going to hit on all of them when you’re pushing the ball down the football field. But we got to hit on our fair share of them. And those are things that we continue to work on. But truly, a part of it is all 11 (players) working together. And for us offensively, when when we’ve had success, we’ve been doing the little things, the fundamentals, the technique, recognition of what we’re seeing on the other side of the football, (have) done it at a high level. When you don’t do those ordinary things well, you don’t have the success that you want. I do love the competitive makeup of our guys to regroup at halftime, come out, have the mindset to go play as hard as they can while while playing with fundamentals and the competitive makeup to be resilient and find a way to get a win.”
On Alvin Kamara being in his press conference, what former players like that bring to the program
“We have such a great past of storied players, but this program, for a long time, and certainly recently just our VFls, our former players being back and being a part of the fabric and the culture of this program. AKs back here multiple times throughout the off season and obviously shows up whenever he can during the course of the season too.
But Alontae Taylor, Darnell Wright, the list goes on-and-on of current NFL players that were back in so many storied players from the ‘80s, ‘90s, early 200s, were back too. This university does a great a job of providing them a great game day experience for the former players where they get a chance to interact, they’re down right on the sideline and get taken care of. And it’s just, it’s really special to have all of those guys back. You guys see them for the big games, but they’re here all year long and a number of former players that we have out on the practice field every single day. It’s unlike anything I’ve been a part of. It’s just, it’s a really special culture here.”
On how much the offense evolves throughout the course of the season
“No, I mean, you have ideas of things that you want to implement based on the trends of what you’ve seen defensively, to your own personnel, to some of the situational football that you want to attack a little bit differently based on your personnel, as well. And then during the course of the year, too, is things happen, you form an identity, things that you’re executing at a high level, things that you’re not. You’re asking the question, do we need to continue to invest in it and just refine it and get better at it, or is it something that we need to go in another direction. Each week is its own deal, too. And when I say that I mean, just what you’re seeing from the defense. So, you know, it’s a constant evolution and you’re trying to put your players in the best position to be successful.”
On how much he alters the play calls when he finds out who the officials will be for the game
“I think it’s certainly something that we’re aware of as a coaching staff, and make some bullet points for our players as well. Just not changing as much what we’re doing, but having a mindset of, you know, the things that we gotta make sure are right fundamentally to put us in the best position to play hard, but to play smart football as well.”
