Josh Heupel Comments On Oklahoma And The Success They Have Had So Far This Season

Josh Heupel comments about his former school.

Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images / Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Josh Heupel spoke with the media on Monday as it is finally Oklahoma week. This is extra special as he is set to take on his former team as he was a Heisman-contending QB.

He answered plenty of media questions about the Sooners. Here are some of the responses from the press conference.

He spoke on how he feels answering the media’s questions about the Sooners.

"I'm good with any question about Oklahoma. You know, like the opportunity that I got, you know, from Bob and from Mike to come there and play. What we were able to build there in a short amount of time as a player but then my coaching career, from the guys that I played for to all the coaches that were there during my career, all made a huge impact on me and I wouldn't be here today at Tennessee if I didn't have all those experiences. So, tremendously grateful for all those people. You know, Brent (Venables) is somebody that I learned and grew from as a young coach so much and a ton of respect for him.”

He added more about the Sooners’ head coach.

"A guy that, again, I got so much respect for, got a great family, somebody that poured into me as a young coach and learned so much from him. He's as good as they come. When you look at what he's done, you know, historically as a defensive coordinator, a lot of respect. A huge challenge for us this week."

He will be forced to scheme his defensive system against talented freshman QB Jackson Arnold who will be playing in his first SEC game of his career similar to Vols QB Nico Iamaleava.

"He takes great care of the football. You know, I think he's got great command and presence in what they're doing offensively. He has the ability to use his feet to make things right. That can be when the pocket breaks down. Design quarterback run-read game. You know, he's a really talented young player,” Heupel stated.

Heupel would even go on to crack a joke at the press conference.

“Should be a great crowd. It's a passionate fan base. I'm expecting them to be extremely quiet for us out of respect to me and our program, too,” Heupel said jokingly. We all know that one won’t be the case as Oklahoma fans have already been scheming up a plan to be loud all over social media for this one."

This will be the toughest test for Iamaleava up to this point as he will be taking on a team with 10 forced turnovers this season already. The Vols head coach would comment on this.

"Ten is the right number. Their front is really active. They play tight coverage on the back end with all the structure that they show you on the back end. They play really assignment sound. They understand where they're supposed to be in recognizing patterns and getting into windows. They tie all three phases, all three levels of the defense in extremely well, and then when you have the ball in your hands, they're extremely active, punching, ripping, putting their hat on the ball. You know, they've changed the way the game is played with a lot of those turnovers.”

The Vols will not only be looking for a win but a statement as they will kick off at 7:30 against a very tough Oklahoma team in the biggest test of the season so far.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel Previews Matchup vs NC State
• Tennessee Volunteers Look Like True College Football Contenders
• Josh Heupel Updates Tennessee Injury Report - Rickey Gibson Available vs NC State

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