Josh Heupel heaps praise on Trey Flowers for his resiliency in overtime win vs. Pitt

Saturday’s game at Pitt was a bit of a mixed bag for Tennessee defensive back Trey Flowers. He intercepted a pass at a crucial moment in the first half, but also muffed a punt that helped keep the Panthers in the game late in the fourth quarter.

But even after his big mistake, Volunteer coach Josh Heupel was pleased with how Flowers responded the rest of the way. Here he was after the game giving props to the UT DB:

“He has grown so much and you can see that in the way he physically looks, how he approaches every day and then that shows up in the way that he plays,” Heupel said. “And it doesn’t mean that we’re going to play perfect this game. Ain’t never going to be perfect. But to be able to reset after that play, the look in his eyes. When the defense got back in the huddle you could tell he’s disappointed. But you could see it in his eyes when he reset and it showed in the way that he finished the football game.”

Sometimes, mistakes are more about the response than the actual screw-up. Credit to Trey Flowers for getting back on track. That performance showed Josh Heupel a lot.

Flowers catches tipped interception vs. Pittsburgh

With Pitt pushing ahead to a 10-0 lead over Tennessee and threatening to stretch it to three scores, the Volunteers needed a play when Trey Flowers provided. Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis rolled right and chucked a pass intended for Bub Means in the back of the end zone, going for a 17-0 lead in the first quarter.

But Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden stuck a hand in as Means went for the ball, deflecting it upward. Flowers loomed in from the middle of the field, navigated both Means and Hadden while securing the ball and placing both feet inside the white line at the back of the end zone.

This was such a crucial interception by Flowers in the end zone. pic.twitter.com/SYrRrsarev

— DRVawl (@DRVawl) September 11, 2022

It was a big swing for the Volunteers, who parlayed the possession into their first points of the game shortly before the end of the quarter with a 1-yard Jabari Small rushing TD to end the first frame down 10-7, instead of 17-0.