Everything Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel Said After Defeating Alabama

The Volunteers head coach met with the media after upsetting the Crimson Tide in Knoxville.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Florida in Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2024. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers defeated the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide 21-17 in the annual "Third Saturday in October" rivalry game. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with the media after notching his second win in the matchup in four seasons.

Full Josh Heupel Transcript After Defeating Alabama

Opening Statement

"Third Saturday in October, college football is as good as it gets. Neyland effect. Our fans, elite. Elite performance from them all night. I appreciate them hanging in with us on the offensive side of the ball when we were struggling. What a performance?

"Defensively, just absolutely elite performance. Line of scrimmage, controlling the quarterback, everything that you had to do going into it. Did an unbelievable job on third down.

"Offensively, not good early, not far off. Man, everything's got to tie together. We've got to be able to run the football, got to continue to improve. Love a lot of what I saw in the second half.

"Special teams a solid performance at the end some things early that we've got to be better at but. I said it was another prize fight, you've got to answer the bell. These guys answered the bell every single round. Would go to battle with these guys any day. Man another great night on Rocky Top, so we'll open it up for questions."

What do you think about the offensive struggles and what's it like to win when those are happening?

"Listen, wins are wins in this league. Every Saturday in this league margins are tight. You've got to be on the right side of the scoreboard. You've got to be the best team on the field. That's our goal. Our goal is also to become the best that we can offensively. Nico's got to settle in a little bit earlier with some things down the football field we've got to execute. Run game, we've got to execute the blocking part of it. Pass protection, too. I mean the first drive, again, just like last week, we're moving down the field. We're in the plus territory. We end up fumbling on the 20-yard line. It wasn't pretty early. 102,000 saw it, everybody on the TV, we did too. It's not that far off either. That's why you've got to appreciate it when it's going really well and you've got to be on the right side of it as a competitor and we've got to find a way to start faster and be better."

What did you learn about Nico after coming back from getting a big hit?

"Young quarterback that's going to continue to get better. Guys around him got to help him too and that means just doing their job at a really high level. To me, quarterbacks, it's toughness, it's mental toughness, when it matters the most. How do you perform and how do you control the game? And there's a lot of things, just physical, mental toughness, that really liked tonight. Obviously, there's some things that we've got to get better and him too and we'll keep pushing for that."

What about your team's resiliency?

"At halftime, nobody blinks an eye, they've got competitive composure. Understand that we've got to make some adjustments, we've got to go execute, we've got to go do our job. But inside the locker room, you talk about guys that have belief, confidence and trust in one another and continue to play for one another. On their side of the ball, on the other side of the ball. It's awesome. It's the culture that you want to have inside your locker room. It's really special."

How fitting for Will Brooks, Alabama native, to make that interception?

"Yeah, you talk about a journeyman and coming out on the other side of it. A guy who continues to invest every single day and you reap the rewards. That'll be a moment in his life and I'm sure he'll tell that story to all his grandkids and great-grandkids and anybody who'll be able to listen to it as he continues to grow older. What a special player, but really what a special young man....I was on the Ipad getting ready for the next offensive possession if needed. I didn't even see it. Boy, I sure like taking a knee at the end of the game, though."

What about your offensive line?

"Early I felt like we they were playing on edges and pushing a little bit. Misidentified one of their protections. Nico's scrambling around on the back end of it. Some guys who're going to be open on the back end of the secondary. Run game, not good early, but second half resiliency, physical, I'll take that part of it for sure."

Did you think you could hold an Alabama running game to 75 yards?

"This group believes that it's really good. If they play 11 guys together and play physical they've got a chance to be really special. They played really well tonight. This team's got a lot of confidence. They also know that we've got to improve, but on a Saturday night at end of it, no matter how we got there. They're able to appreciate a win, which I think is really important in the landscape of college football. As a program, when we got here, I never talked about it, because at the end of the day nobody cares, they care what the scoreboard looks like each and every week, but there were obsticales that as a program we had to navigate and overcome. This coaching staff, this administration and the players they did it in a pretty special way, not perfect, but a pretty special way. As a program, we've got to improve this year, but I do feel like we're just getting started as a program.

What Tim Banks has built?

"I thought we would have a chance to be a really cohesive unit, 11 guys, tied in, being able to play all three levels of the defense together. The depth up front would give us a chance to be good at the line of scrimmage. How some of the young guys on the back end would grow and develop would be critical. Tim and our staff have done a great job. I just talked about some of the obstacles when we first got here. Have done a great job of personnel, scheme, just continuing to grow the young men over there. Special, special performance tonight, man. That's an elite defensive performance."

What are your feelings to the players who have beaten Alabama twice and the young players who got to win for the first time?

"First of all, all of our former players, Darnell Wright, Alontae Taylor, so many guys that were back tonight to be a part of this. AK. AK [Alvin Kamara] I almost forgot, AK. They've helped build this thing and still cherish and love it and give back to it. Unbelievable to have them all be back tonight. You see what it means. You're a Vol for life, that's not just words. For it to be the second time, this program, when we walk on the field we feel like we're good enough to go win every Saturday. Does this one matter? Yeah, absolutely. You know the historical nature of this game. What it means to the fanbase, what it means inside of our walls. In the new landscape of the league, what it means too. The expectation was to go out and play great football tonight. Did that defensively for 60 minutes. Offensively, we're on the right side of it enough, special teams, enough. Great win. We've won in two unique ways, the last two times here in Neyland that I think our fans, our players, I'll remember for a long time. There's nothing better than walking off with the crowd surrounding you and a cigar in your mouth."

How does it feel to beat two of Tennessee's two historical rivals, a lot of joy in that?

"Joy in being on the right side of the scoreboard each Saturday. There are two big games historically, our fanbase, what it means to them. You know what I mean? To our players, it's big games because it's league games, man. Understand what it means and the things that you're trying to accomplish and what you've been working for since January. The last two weeks on that field. It's really special because of what it took to find a way to be on the right side of the scoreboard with all the ups and downs, just continuing to compete. Proud of the guys for that."

How crucial was the first half interception in the end zone?

"Huge play in the game. Changes the way the game is played there on out, just because of the score. Offensively, got to go do something with that. Third down defense, red zone defense. Special, special performance. Offensively, we can't hurt ourselves when we're in the red zone. If you don't get seven, you've got to get three. Can't do that all the time either, that'll get you beat. We found a way not to do any of those things for the beginning of the game."

How important is Jermod McCoy to what you want to do?

Jermod, Rickey, Jalen when he's in, like it changes what you're able to structurally do defensively. It changes the game for the coordinator. It gives you the ability to open up your playbook."

How much are you talking about the expanded playoff?

"Our guys are aware of, I mean, like. I wish I could put blinders on them. That's not real. Whatever the TV's going to have on the bottom of the ticker. For us to have a chance to be the team we want to be, it's about being in the present, it's about competing as hard as you can every single day to grow and play the way that they're capable and that the unit is capable of. There's still things on defense, there's a lot more things on offense that we've got to clean up. Good things get better and this team's got to continue to get better. If it does that it'll have a chance to be a good team."

What allowed Dylan Sampson to get going?

"It epitimizes him as a competitor --coughes- It's the cigar, alright. He's special. His feel, ability to run, get out in space, get behind his pads. We blocked a little bit cleaner in the second half, gave him an opportunity to get started and created some plays. Resiliancy from him too, gets banged up a little bit, fumbles early, just comes back and keeps competing. Huge part of the game tonight."

The run game in the second half, is it adjustments or wearing people out?

"Some halftime adjustments. Some just straight execution and then as you get going the ability to physically move people, you know what I mean, as the game goes on. So, combination of everything. Capable of being a lot better early."