Josh Heupel: "Joe Controls The Football Game For Us"

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel gave interesting insights into his offense and how quarterback Joe Milton III has run it through four 2023 starts.

If you asked the common college football fan, they would assume that Tennessee is hand-holding quarterback Joe Milton III with his presnap reads. Social media and general narrative aren't the facts, though. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel shared that he thinks the Vols first-year starter is doing an excellent job running the offense and getting them into the right plays.

"We really haven't done a bunch of checks to the sideline," Heupel responded when asked if the staff changed any checks before the UTSA game. "Joe controls most of the football game for us, and that's been true since we got here. So that's not really something that has slowed us down typically." The uptick in offensive efficiency against the Roadrunners was notable, though the talent level was far from that of a Florida or South Carolina.

Still, Milton kept his eyes in the right spot all day and made winning plays with his mind. The first play of the game was an 81-yard touchdown from Milton on the ground, and the entire play was set up by him reading the backside safety's leverage before the snap. There are processing things he can clean up after four games when the ball is snapped, but such is quarterbacking. Right now, the Vols are 100% comfortable with Milton at the line of scrimmage.

Tennessee Volunteers QB Joe Milton III during a win over UTSA. (Photo by Saul Young of the News Sentinel)

How To Watch: South Carolina @ Tennessee

• Gameday: Saturday, September 30th, 2023.
• Game time: 7:30 pm ET
• TV: SEC Network
• Stadium: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
• Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

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• Conference Context: Where Tennessee Sits After Week One

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