KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two days out from a top-3 road matchup, Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel took the podium Thursday morning to address the media one last time before the No. 1 Vols clash with the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs Saturday afternoon inside Sanford Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
Heupel expects a raucous atmosphere between the hedges in what numerous media outlets are dubbing the Game of the Year. ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site in Athens—previewing the Vols for the third time this season after two appearances in Knoxville earlier this fall—and the game will be nationally televised on CBS.
“Anticipate it being a great environment, big football game,” Heupel said. “Obviously, they have been highly successful, and their fanbase is excited for this one. Ours is, too. It will be a great environment, so anticipate crowd noise being a part of the football game, for sure.”
Scoring at a clip higher than any offense in the country averaging 49.4 points per game and 1.86 points per minute, Tennessee’s up-tempo scheme will be put to the test against a Georgia defense that leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in scoring defense (10.5). Heupel spoke to handling the environment the Vols will be placed in Saturday and emphasized the importance of communication and execution against such a stout defensive unit.
“At the end of the day, there have been times since we have gotten here that we have handled being on the road extremely well,” Heupel said. “There are other times where we have not handled it. A lot of that is on us. The communication and playing smart football will be important on Saturday, but anticipate us handling it well.”
With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the game, the Vols remain focused on the task at hand—preparing and practicing with the ultimate goal of going 1-0 each week, as they have throughout the entire fall.
“The outside noise and the fact that this is a big game, everybody knows that right?” Heupel said. “But the reality is as a competitor, you’re so entrenched in preparation, or you should be, that the week kind of unfolds in a normal routine for you. Our guys are confident, and they’ve prepared in a really good way. I don’t feel like they’ve changed their habits in any way that’s going to hurt us during the course of the football game because we’re not prepared.”
Thursday’s press conference transcript can be viewed below.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | Nov. 3, 2022
Head Coach Josh Heupel
On how the team has prepared so far this week…
“The week has been really good; guys have been focused [and] urgent in the way that they have entered the building, their meetings, out on the practice field, too. So, I like what we have done up until now; the lead-up to kickoff will be important as we finish our preparation.”
On Tennessee’s tempo impacting the effect of a road environment…
“We will find out on game day. At the end of the day, there have been times since we have gotten here that we have handled being on the road extremely well. There are other times where we have not handled it. A lot of that is us. The communication and playing smart football will be important on Saturday, but anticipate us handling it well.”
On how Georgia’s atmosphere will compare to others they have played in…
“Anticipate it being a great environment, big football game. Obviously, they have been highly successful, and their fanbase is excited for this one. Ours is, too. It will be a great environment, so anticipate crowd noise being a part of the football game, for sure.”
On if he has reflected on being the No. 1 team in the country since Tuesday’…
“[I] did not. I just have been game-planning; for us, we moved right back into it as soon as I was done with the show. I am absolutely proud of what we have done up until this point, from the time we have gotten here until now. There are a lot of things that we can continue to get better at. The reality is, that is the first show, first rankings, everybody remembers what you do in November. The only one that matters is the last one. The reason we have gotten to the point where this is a big football game is because we have handled things the right way, coaches and players alike. Preparation, practice, and understanding the type of football team. This is a really good football team, and they have been winning for a while. Great opportunity for us.”
On Doneiko Slaughter’s development throughout the year…
“I just think he has constantly continued to push himself, and the early part of this season, for sure had great confidence in him. Sometimes, every opportunity that he wanted or that we had planned on does not always come around, just the way the games unfold. [He is] someone that inside of our building, our coaching staff has great trust in. He is physical, he is mature, he prepares. His best football is still out in front of him, which is exciting. [I am] anticipating him playing well in this one too.”
On the importance of in-game chemistry with his assistant coaches…
“The communication, being able to adjust quickly within a drive or certainly after a drive and at halftime, it is a huge part of putting our kids in hopefully the best position to be successful. The amount of time we have spent together allows us to draw back on past experiences and learning opportunities as we continue to grow and develop what we are doing.”
On Wesley Walker’s development…
“As someone who was not here for spring ball that started in June with us, June and July getting in shape and getting used to the habits that we have inside of this building, and then learning a defense. Able to draw, certainly. Guys that have played college football, the verbiage might be different, there might be subtle tweaks in some of the coverages, but they have some experience to draw on that helps them in the learning process. (Wesley) has continued to heighten his understanding of what we are doing. He does have versatility. When we recruited him, we felt like he would have that type of versatility. It’s important, just as the season goes on (and) guys get dinged up, being able to play guys in different spots. I am excited about the way he is playing here really all year long, but certainly the last three or four weeks, too.”
On any changes to the game plan because of Georgia OLB Nolan Smith’s absence…
“They do not just have one guy that can get after the quarterback. They are deep, and they have guys that can affect the quarterback. It is next-man-up for them, and for us, it does not really change a majority of what we are doing.”
On Jaylen Wright’s progress and ball security…
“Confidence, which stems from understanding. Practice habits, doing little things at a really high level every day. He was proud, excited. We recognized him in the building (for) his ball security last week, and some of the unique body positions that he got into that are tough to do that in. He is still a young football player. He is a year and a half into his college career. He is going to continue to get better at everything that a running back needs to do, but he is certainly playing with a great amount of confidence right now.”
On having faced Kirby Smart at previous stops and the intricacies that involves…
“Everywhere you’re at, the personnel is different, so your schemes are subtly different. Everybody continues to evolve in what they’re able to do. The personnel that they have gives them a great amount of flexibility. I say that just because it’s tough to find mismatches against them. They’re deep. From pressures to coverage rotations, all of those things, it’s all a part of how the game unfolds.”
On treating this game like any other game and drawing from his past experience…
“I haven’t really talked about my playing experiences this week with this football team. What I have talked about, the outside noise and the fact that this is a big game, everybody knows that right? But the reality is as a competitor, you’re so entrenched in preparation, or you should be, that the week kind of unfolds in a normal routine for you. Our guys are confident, and they’ve prepared in a really good way. I don’t feel like they’ve changed their habits in any way that’s going to hurt us during the course of the football game because we’re not prepared. I think handling the emotion in the early stages of the football game is important in any big ball game. You have to play extremely smart and settle into the football game early. I think that’s important.”
-UT Athletics
