KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off back-to-back rivalry game victories at home over Florida and Alabama, No. 7/8 Tennessee will look to continue building off that success with a timely open date before hosting Kentucky and Mississippi State at Neyland Stadium in consecutive weeks.
The Vols and head coach Josh Heupel have seen great success when coming off an open week, posting a 3-1 record during his time in Knoxville, however, the team’s lone loss in that scenario came this season at Arkansas.
“Obviously after the last bye week, we didn’t play very well, so being intentional in how we work and how we prepare this week,” Heupel said on Wednesday. “We try to correct some things that we are in control of and continue to get better as a football team. I thought it was good work today, and we have to continue that tomorrow.”
Veteran wide receiver Bru McCoy echoed his head coach’s sentiments about using the open week to keep improving in all facets while ensuring that the attention to detail is there for each and every rep at practice and in meetings.
“Really honing in the details, kind of how I mentioned before, and taking the time to take a step forward not a step back and make sure that we’re keeping our eyes on what’s important and taking advantage of this time, get your body right but also get your mind right to refocus for next week because it’s still a big game coming up,” McCoy said. “Just coming off the field (today), we definitely did a really good job of attention, speed of how we play ball and then just correcting our mistakes as we go.”
Following the open week, UT will continue its four-game homestand with two more SEC contests under the lights at a sold-out Neyland Stadium. The unmatched atmosphere inside one of college football’s most iconic venues has been a major contributing factor to the Vols’ success at home throughout the Heupel era, as they have won 17 of their 18 games played in Knoxville since the start of the 2022 season.
“Big-time games, elite environment inside of Neyland,” Heupel said in regard to the team’s last two home contests. “It’s always special, but for some of those rivalry games it is ramped up another notch.
“I think those are great environments to see the competitive makeup of playing in this league, and 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.”
Quotes from Monday’s availability with Heupel and select players can be seen below.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening statement…
“I hope everyone is doing great. Good practice today. Obviously after the last bye week, we didn’t play very well, so being intentional in how we work and how we prepare this week. We try to correct some things that we are in control of and continue to get better as a football team. I thought it was good work today, and we have to continue that tomorrow.”
On the key to being more successful coming off this open week than the last…
“There were multiple reasons for us not executing the way that we needed to on game day. Us controlling what we need to control. The point of emphasis is us continuing to get better as a football team, and that is always the case. I certainly pointed those things out yesterday as our guys came into the building. At the end of the day, you are in the middle of your conference season. There is a lot of football to be played, and we have to take steps to play our best.”
On going back and watching the Will Brooks interception against Alabama…
“Great to see our defense go out and go finish it out. Obviously, offensively, we didn’t control it and pick up the first down on the four-minute drive. So, for those guys to go out and execute the way they did, apply pressure and for 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 for him.”
On the biggest difference to the approach of the second bye week…
“Again, you are mindful of some of the injuries. Today was a work day, and tomorrow will be too. Fundamentals, technique, special teams (and) offensively are a real point of emphasis, and some subtle things that we are doing differently to try to get some of that work. The guys that 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 Nico Iamaleava’s second-half performance boosting his confidence…
“I think it is tough when you play that position. Whether you are young or you have played a lot of football, but certainly when you are young, when things aren’t going well and you can hear certain members of the crowd and you have made some mistakes — which happens in this game when you play that position and you have 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. When it is not going well and it feels like the walls are pressing in on you, to have the courage, strength and fortitude to push back on it and go play really good football. Not perfect, but really good football and find a way to come away with the win. You have to be a tough dude mentally and physically to withstand all that. That is one of the real positives that you take away from the game with Nico.”
On what Nico Iamaleava needs to differently to connect on early deep balls…
“There are a couple of things fundamentally. Where you are 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 you want to throw it. All of that together with what’s going on up front in protection, there are times that you’re not going to be in a perfect position. You have to find a way to complete it. There are a couple things, just with his eyes leading to where he’s at body-position wise on a couple of those things. He made some really nice throws, too. You look at some of the big plays. (The throw to Dont’e Thornton Jr.) down the sideline, that’s a special throw on the run to be able to complete. (Chris Brazzell II) in the end zone on third down. There were some things that he has to continue to grow in, but that’s all a part of continuing to grow as a player.”
On what Nico Iamaleava did differently from the first to second half against Alabama…
“I don’t think anything super different; he missed a couple of throws over the middle. Some of that is the windows being tight and maybe the timing being off just a little bit with the wide receiver getting his eyes around. It’s all parties being a 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 and shows you what he’s made up of on the inside too, mentally, his heart and competitive makeup.”
On Squirrel White’s injury status…
“I feel like Squirrel will be ready to roll when we get to the next football game. He was limited today, one of those guys who’s been dinged up a bit, but I feel like he’ll be ready to roll.”
On the effect Neyland Stadium’s atmosphere has on recruits…
“Big-time games, elite environment inside of Neyland. It’s always special, but for some of those rivalry games it is ramped up another notch. I think those are great environments to see the competitive makeup of playing in this league, and 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 huge pieces of the recruiting puzzle for us.”
On what he likes about his team heading into November and the mental notes he took during the Alabama game…
“Fundamentals, execution, precision in everything that we are doing. Defense played really good football, but there are some things that they can clean up. Obviously, offensively and special teams as well, so we will point those things out. As you have heard me say, good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. Every week is its own identity. The takeaway from this football team is that they are tough, have 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 is 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 are playing in. So, we just have to continue to grow.”
On his reaction to the notion that Tennessee uses artificial 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 personal, enjoy this bye week, come back and be louder than ever next time we are at home.”
On continual growth in the wide receiver room…
“The last couple of weeks, they have continued to grow in what they are doing. (Chris Brazzell II) is a great example of that. It happens because of how you practice and how you prepare. You start stacking days and weeks of performing at a high level on the practice field, it will translate to the game. There is still a lot of growth left in that wide receiver room. We have played a bunch of bodies. We need that room to continue to grow. That will be part of the puzzle of us executing the way that we need to.”
On Dylan Sampson’s exceptional start to the season and managing his workload…
“I wouldn’t say that anything has truly surprised us. We had great trust in who he is and his competitive makeup, continuing to add to his frame, durability piece. He’s a dynamic player and is a part of changing the way the game is played for us. Him creating explosive plays has been a part of getting us jumpstarted when we haven’t been necessarily functioning at our highest.”
On advice for Nico Iamaleava from a former quarterback perspective…
“It’s a position that is 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. We are really proud of what he did in the second half against Alabama.”
On why the defense performs well in sudden-change situations…
“Really special what they have done in those situations. A lot of forced turnovers. They have found ways to push units in the wrong direction, take them out of field goal range or make it a long field goal. Besides just execution, alignment, assignment, technique — the competitive composure, resiliency, the mental makeup of that group as a whole is really special. We have to keep that moving forward, and we have to continue to grow in it. It is really special how they have competed and played no matter what the situation is. Competitive maturity is the best way for me to describe it.”
RS-Senior DL Dominic Bailey
On the defensive line’s success containing Alabama QB Jalen Milroe…
“I think as a team, we just all try to do our job the best way we can to make sure that we have him in the pocket and not let him play the game on his feet.”
On rotating the defensive line quickly and maintaining composure in those situations…
“Well, we just don’t try to look at what happened before that. We just try to go out there and do what we can to help win the game. You never know how a game is going to go, there’s a lot of changes in the game, so you just have to go out there and do your best to stop the other team from scoring.”
On the focal point for the defensive front during the open week…
“Just trying to stay focused, to stay locked in on the main goal, and really this week is more about us. Us focusing on us and getting better, because there are still a lot of things to work on and get better at.”
Senior OL Cooper Mays
On if the offense can build off its performance in the second half against Alabama…
“For sure. You always want to improve and clean up. Not every game is going to be perfect, but there is always a perspective where you see growth, more things you want to replicate and things you want to get better at. It is definitely something that is hopeful for us.”
On what he learned from Nico Iamaleava’s performance vs. Alabama…
“He kept playing and kept calm. Not everything is going to go your way, and things aren’t going to be perfect, especially being a young guy. He is learning on the fly and keeping his confidence while you’re at it, and things are going to work out for you.”
On how difficult it is to practice against the Tennessee defensive line…
“Super difficult. The best thing that came out of our fall camp in the last few years is how strong our defensive line is and how good they are top-to-bottom, depth wise. They make you better. I have played against a lot of good defenses, and they are right up there with the best of them.”
RS-Senior WR Bru McCoy
On the focus of this open week and if there is a difference…
“Not letting the intentionality and the speed that we play at fall just because we don’t have an opponent on Saturday. Really honing in the details, kind of how I mentioned before, and taking the time to take a step forward not a step back and make sure that we’re keeping our eyes on what’s important and taking advantage of this time, get your body right but also get your mind right to refocus for next week because it’s still a big game coming up. Just coming off the field, we definitely did a really good job of attention, speed of how we play ball, and then just correcting our mistakes as we go.”
On message to teammates to move past difficult situations in the first half…
“You don’t want to panic and create panic because if you start to panic and freak out then you’re worried about not doing your job so I think the message from me is to just do your job at a high level and if everyone is doing their job and not worried about something else, taking their playoff or whatever the case may be, just focus on what you need to do and do it at a high level and then things will click. You can’t be worried about what other guys got going on when you’re on the field.”
On the growth of Nico Iamaleava’s leadership…
“I think how he is and his vocal leadership is super prominent, especially on the sidelines during games and during practice, he’s just really good at dealing with people and pulling them to the side, still getting his message across. As a vocal leader I think he’s done a really good job in taking a step forward and maturing in that regard. He takes good command of the field, he’s super accountable, almost over accountable at times but he’s gonna put everything on himself and when you’re a quarterback, especially me as a receiver it pushes you to want to play a bit harder for guy that’s willing to take accountability for something that wasn’t necessarily his fault. Nico has done a really good job of being our quarterback and our leader.”
Sophomore LB Jeremiah Telander
On how he felt like the communication was in the linebacker room without Keenan Pili on Saturday…
“I thought the communication was still on par. I feel like the communication was good. It was very sad seeing Keenan leave because he’s one of our biggest leaders. One of the biggest things we’ve always talked about since January in the linebacker room is the next ball mindset. You never know what is going to happen in the game of football, so the next man in better be ready for their number to be called.”
On Keenan Pili’s words of advice to him and how he feels like he’s stepped up and embraced more of a role within the defense…
“He basically just told me to be myself and trust the preparation that we’ve all put in together. Each week, we prepare like each one of us is a starter because you never know what’s going to happen. It’s been a weekly thing with me and Keenan, and I know that I always have to be ready when my number is called.”
On what is different for the team this week compared to the first open week…
“It’s still just us versus us. Continue to practice like we have a game this Saturday although we don’t. Communicating that throughout the whole entire team and throughout all of the different position groups. Just show up every day ready to practice and play like we did on Saturday.”
