Josh Heupel Proud of Run Game, Calls Air Raid Label 'Laughable'

Tennessee's head coach does not understand why anyone would call Tennessee's offense an air raid.

Sep 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel questions a call by the officials during the second quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It was a great weekend for Tennessee football. The Vols blew out NC State 51-10 and moved up to No. 7 in the AP Poll as a result of their dominating victory.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was very complimentary of his team's performance from Saturday night. The Vols dominated on both sides of the ball and made a national statement about the ability of their team to be a playoff contender and one of the best teams in the stacked SEC.

Tennessee finished with 460 yards of total offense, 211 of those yards were through the air, while 249 of them came on the ground. The running game was especially dominant when Dylan Sampson and Nico Iamaleava were carrying the ball. Sampson had 20 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Iamaleava had eight carries for 65 yards including a long 34-yard rushing touchdown on a designed QB draw.

What makes the Vols' running game even more impressive is that they were without Cam Seldon, their second-string running back. DeSean Bishop stepped into his role and had 10 carries for 42 yards. All in all, it was a very impressive day on the ground.

Despite Tennessee's success as a running team under Heupel, Tennessee is still perceived as a pass-heavy offense that some would even call an air raid system. Here is what Heupel had to say about that misconception during his Monday press conference.

“That’s kind of laughable to me, to be honest," Heupel said."You look at our ability to run the football since we’ve been here statistically, over the last close to a decade, we’ve always run the ball really efficiently and effectively. We have balance, we have to create big plays in the passing game, but we create those things in the running game, too."

Last season Tennessee's passing game took a step back with Joe Milton at quarterback, but the Vols were still one of the best running teams in the SEC. Running back Jaylen Wright was one of the best running backs in the country and finished with over 1,000 yards on an SEC-second-best 7.4 yards per carry in 2023.

Tennessee's running game is also at its best when it has a quarterback who can run the ball effectively. Hendon Hooker thrived in those running situations and Milton saw some success as well when his number was called. Iamaleava is showing signs that he may be the best running quarterback that Heupel has had at Tennessee.

Heupel also made sure to acknowledge the physicality of the running game, including the impact that the offensive line and tight ends made.

"I was proud of the physicality that we played with on the offensive line, our tight ends," Heupel said. "Running backs played that way too, and the same thing on the other side of the football. We liked the way our front seven played at the line of scrimmage. That was a big part of the football game.”

As long as Tennessee can keep running the ball the way it has so far this season, maybe Heupel's running game will finally get the credit it deserves.

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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