Everything Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel Said About Facing Alabama

The Volunteers coach has his team ranked in the top 10 and set to host the No. 3 Crimson Tide in the Third Saturday of October rivalry.

Christopher Walsh | Oct 11, 2022

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Here's the full transcript of Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel's press conference as they prepare to host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday:

"Obviously this is why you come to Tennessee and why you want to be in this league. We gotta big-time matchup this weekend, really excited. You know GameDay and SEC Nation in the environment, they will be here on Saturday. Really excited about that and our players have earned the right to build, to get to this point to play a game like this. So preparation is going to be critical in this one.

"Alabama is really good. Offense, defense, special teams, they’ve got really good personnel and in all three phases of the game. [It] will obviously be a huge test for us, but our players are excited and this morning was good preparation, we’d have a great week of practice and get ready to play our best football."

Dealing with success:

The expectations that we should be concerned about are our own expectations. The reason our kids have gotten better and continue to build is because they've paid attention to things that matter this week. We gotta prepare the right way. We’ve got to practice well and the playing part of it will take care of itself. The outside noise has no bearing on how we play, and let's go compete and be our best on game night.

On Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr.:

Long. Athletic. Disruptive in the run game, and in the pass game he's got the ability to play on an edge and cause havoc. Between their personnel being good enough to win a lot of one-on-one matchups and then all their pressures and all their games up front you gotta do a really good job. You have to win the one-on-one matchups and then you gotta do a great job working together as all five guys.

How rewarding was it to see offensive improvement from Florida game to LSU win?

I like that we continue to get better. You know, I told our players today and I said at the end of last week too, our practices on the playing surface were really good last week. We continue to get better, [and that’s] what good teams do throughout the course of the season. Their focus, their urgency, their energy are all things that led to us playing the way that we did last Saturday. And so points of emphasis that our coaching staff has every single week, being critical of yourself, continuing to challenge yourself and grow take coaching has allowed us to continue to grow the four minute-drill. We’re really excited about the amount of time that we were able to chew up and eat on the clock -- still wanna go finish that drive and punch it in, but there were a lot of positives during the course of that dive: physicality, playing with technique and our running backs did a really good job too.

Update on safety Jaylen McCollough (who was arrested on felony assault charge) :

No, I don't. We learned a bit, you know, really late yesterday and as we gather more information then I'll have more for you.

On special teams:

Yeah, two huge plays early in that football game. [Will] Brooks, he being able to scoop that fumble up on the sideline I don't think anybody understands how difficult of play that is to be running full speed, you know, have the ball come out last second right on the sideline and be able to stay in, catch it, get down and get hit. Great play by him. And then the punt return was a huge play to see [Dee Williams] out there, and we've talked about him. I've talked about him I have great trust and belief in him, but for him to go out and do it right away it was awesome to see for him, and then the ten other guys on that unit.

Special teams is going to be critical on this one, field position’s critical. Obviously what they're doing with their punt returner is special and we gotta do a great job on all of our cover units.

How is wide receiver Cedric Tillman (high ankle sprain) doing?

Cedric’s doing good. Part of the reason why he had the surgery is to try and be back for this one. He's continuing to progress over the weekend and so we'll monitor him and you know at the end of the day our medical team, like I said last week, our medical team and Cedric will make the right decision for him for now and in the future too.

What are your options at strong safety?

We figured out the guys that have played at that position, we have flexibility in in the secondary, guys who have been trained to play multiple positions, you know? So we'll see as the week unfolds here, but I have a great trust in all those guys.

On the opening kickoff against LSU resulting in a fumble:

The sun might have been a factor. Where it was at, in the stadium, was part the decision process for us if we won the coin flip, but I can't tell you what exactly was the reason why he didn't catch it.

Why was left tackle Gerald Mincey unavailable on Saturday and what's his status?

He just wasn’t available. We anticipate him being ready to play in this one.

On Jeremiah Crawford, who rotated with Dayne Davis at left tackle against LSU:

High-level execution. Did a good job in the run game. You know combinations working with the guard and some of his man blocking, did a really nice job in pass protection, too. So I mean you saw we didn't change the way we played, we didn't change anything. We’ve got great trust in him.

On defensive lineman Byron Young’s growing confidence:

Yeah, sometimes as a pass-rusher you don't always have control about the end result. You know, you try to win your one-on-ones, you win your gains that your running you’re your interior guy, you try to apply pressure to the quarterback, can't always get home based on him getting rid of the football. But he's been consistent, violent, disruptive, playing with speed, came with great urgency, energy, and was able to get home for a couple huge plays in the football game for us and change the way the game was played. He's got great confidence. He continues to get better. His best football still way out in front of him. He's a young football player but continuing to get better and his effort and how he's practicing is showing up in the way that he's pulling.

On UT’s young defensive linemen like Dominic Bailey and Bryson Eason:

[Defensive line coach Rodney Gardner] and [outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler] with those too, those young players have really continued to grow and a lot of those guys that you talked about just changed their attitude and the way they approach things, and I'm talking about in the offseason. Because of those things, man, their purpose and the way that they practice every day is so different and now they're gaining a bunch and just their level of play. They understand what we're doing. They understand the why behind it more. They're playing with a lot better technique. Coach G has done a great job of developing these guys, it’s a huge difference for us from a year ago at this time to who we are now up front across the board. Just playing with great technique and understanding what we're doing that's allowing our guys to be extremely disruptive, to be able to win one-on-ones in pass protection, in pass rush,, but then also being able to make plays in the run game, snag off and be disruptive.

On facing Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs:

Yeah, he's explosive so you know that they’re going to try to find ways to get the ball in his hands in the run game, you best not let him get started. If he does he’s got the ability to take it the distance. He's got good vision and pace behind the line of scrimmage, when he sees the whole he's able to hit it. He does a really good job of making people miss too, so we got to bottle him up in the run game and then when they use him in the passing game too you gotta do a great job of taking him away and matching him up.

How do you go about dealing with the McCullough situation?

As they gather information we’ll have conversations based on the facts of it and then go from there.

On Alabama quarterback Bryce Young:

Bryce is played on an elite level for a long time. Arm talent, be able to be accurate with the football, great decision maker back there. The X factor for him is his ability to move and extend and make plays outside of the pocket, and inside of the pocket does a good job of finding the soft spot. When he escapes he's a thrower first and you know finds guys. If you don't match him out and you're in zone coverage and then has the ability to tuck it and make big plays too. So he's got the ability to and apply pressure to you in all ways.

Athletic. Dynamic with the ball in his hands.

On wide receivers winning one-on-one matchups:

Yeah, it's a big part of creating explosive plays in the pass game. We’ve got great trust in those guys and and obviously Hendon [Hooker] does too, and we've been able to create a bunch of big players in this one that's got to be a part of the game too.

On the mindset facing an opponent that’s had so much success:

I mean for us it's about us, you know? And we look back at last year and the things that we did that hurt Tennessee. So prepare a great way, practice well and that will lead you to kickoff. We don't have to do anything extraordinary. We gotta do the ordinary at a really high level and then go lay it on the line and compete for 60 minutes.

On other SEC teams going for it on fourth down so often to try and keep up with the UT offense:

I think our players have gained confidence, you know, because the way that they continue to grow in the way they continue to play as much as anything. There's a lot of things that go into that our kids have been so much more consistent in their preparation, their habits and getting to kick off the right way. That's got to be the focus for us right now.

Everybody in the program is excited about Saturday afternoon and I know our fan base is too. The great thing about being a fan as you get to enjoy the week of just the buildup. As competitors, coaches, and players, man it's about your routine. It's about your habits. It’s about preparing the right way and then you’ll be ready to play.

On Alabama’s aggressive defense:

Yeah. Typical. Great personnel. They’re long, they’re athletic at all positions. They’re physical in their front seven. Their ability to run sideline to sideline, which can cover things up. And then scheme-wise you gotta be able to handle everything from them, you know? I mean that's front variation, that's coverage. You gotta be in sync with your front, and that’s in your run game, that’s in your pass protections. And your wideouts and have got to see the secondary the right way. It’s a great test for us. They're a really good football team on that side of the ball and in all three phases too, but one that we’re excited about.

On LSU's Brian Kelly admitting at halftime you were out-coaching him:

That we're playing well is what it comes down to, man. So it's not about me. It’s we got a full locker room, 125 guys and a great staff. The way that we've continued to grow, the way we continue to compete, strive to get better, that's why we're playing the way that we are. We gotta have a great week this week.

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