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Josh Heupel explains what went wrong for Tennessee on defense vs. Ohio State

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•12/30/24•

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Josh Heupel, Tennessee Football | Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
(Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images) Oct 12, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during a game against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Tennessee allowed the most points it had all season in its 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. After the game, Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel discussed what went wrong for Tennessee’s defense.

“Defensively, first series, we got a chance to get off the field; end up with a playing penalty. Some of that’s going to happen during the course of a game,” Heupel said. “Had a couple of busts in coverage, and they made some plays, too. That’s going to happen against a good team.

“But what we didn’t do is come back and find a way to get on the right side of it, and that’s defensively, offensively; it’s everybody. Going into it there were guys that had been out for a couple weeks that we felt like were going to be able to play in this one, were probably going to be a little bit limited. The injuries just kind of started piling up on us early in the game.”

As Heupel mentioned, the issues started early for Tennessee. On Ohio State’s first drive of the game, Tennessee stopped the Buckeyes on a third-and-2 on their own 32-yard line. However, Tennessee linebacker Bryson Eason was called for a facemask penalty, gifting OSU a first down.

OSU took advantage of Tennessee’s mistake, scoring a touchdown only four plays later. The Buckeyes kept their momentum rolling all game, racking up 473 total yards of offense against Tennessee’s defense.

Ohio State’s offense was dominant in both the ground game and through the air, finishing with 317 passing yards and four rushing touchdowns. While Josh Heupel was far from happy with his team’s performance against Ohio State, he’s proud of what the Volunteers accomplished this season.

“At the end of the season, even after a really disappointing performance tonight, at the end of it, recognized what the team had done throughout the course of the season. I think that’s important,” Heupel said.

“The guys that have been a part of building this program, I’m talking about inside the locker room, the seniors that you’re losing, what they’ve meant to this program. But I started it out by recognizing how disappointing this was. I think everybody — you’d better let that soak in, and it’s got to propel you for whatever is next.”