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Tennessee

Josh Heupel says all coaches prefer early kickoffs

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•10/04/22•

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11 a.m. kick-off in Death Valley at Tiger Stadium. That’s not something you read too often when it comes to LSU home games, especially when it’s an SEC matchup. But it will be the case on Saturday when Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers roll into town.

Fans across the country largely prefer the later kickoff, having the opportunity to enjoy the tailgating a bit more before entering the stadium. Heupel says coaches feel the opposite, wanting to have the game scheduled for as early as possible.

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“If you ask coaches everywhere, they say ‘give me the earliest kickoff possible,'” Heupel said. “For us, it’s going to be a great environment. I’m sure it will be a packed house and it’s a tough place to play.”

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Heupel has not gotten his wish much this season, with Saturday being the first noon ET kickoff of the season for Tennessee. Two games have been at 3:30 ET and two more in primetime. All but one of those have been at home. Early kickoffs can help on the road, especially at a place like Tiger Stadium.

Josh Heupel focused on Tennessee, not kickoff time

Even with his preference, Heupel says there’s more to the game than when it starts. It said Tennessee needs to take care of the football and be disciplined when it comes to penalties. At the end of the day LSU is a “really good team” according to the head coach.

“It’s so much about us and out preparation,” said Heupel. “Making sure we handle things the right way. We have to take care of the football, you can’t have penalties. You can’t do things that hurt yourself in this football game because it’s a really good team that we’re playing.”

The Vols will be in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2010, looking to continue the momentum Heupel has brought into the program. If they are able to get a win, it will be a long time coming for Tennessee. LSU has won five straight in the series and with the Volunteers’ last victory coming in 2005.

Lively crowd or not, Heupel will have his team ready to go as a tough part of the schedule comes to fruition.