Josh Heupel sends emotional message to Tennessee fans following Georgia loss

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers have been turning heads. After a couple of huge victories, some theorized they could be the team that upset the Georgia Bulldogs. Heck, Lane Kiffin even picked them on ESPN’s College GameDay.

While Tennessee raced out to a 10-7 lead early in the game, Georgia found their footing. In the end, the Bulldogs stomped another opponent — winning 41-17.

Following the tough loss, Heupel sent a message to Tennessee faithful to begin his press conference.

“It’s been almost a month since we’ve played a home game. Fans were electric and awesome,” said Heupel. “Before the game, Vol Walk was as good a sight as I’ve ever seen. The energy early inside of the stadium was fantastic. Appreciate what they did. Disappointed with the outcome.”

As you can see, Heupel took the loss to the Bulldogs hard — the disappointment was evident on his face. Still, Tennessee fans are encouraged by the way their team has been playing. It’s easy to see why the Volunteers believe the right guy is in charge.

Tim Tebow believes in Josh Heupel

Tim Tebow knows the SEC East well. Earlier this week, the Florida legend stated his belief in just how good Josh Heupel can be for Tennessee — and how scary he can be for the rest of the SEC East.

“This isn’t a knock for Tennessee, but Heupel is doing this without most of their best players from last year,” Tebow said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “Henry To’o To’o left to go to Alabama and a bunch of players left to go to other places. They’re everywhere. And they’re still having a lot of success. When he gets in some more three, four, five-stars here? Man, I think it’s watch out, especially in the SEC East. I think you’re going to have something special here in Tennessee.”

Tebow went on to sing high praise for Tennessee prior to their loss against Georgia. Though he didn’t pick Tennessee in an upset win, he did say that he believes the Volunteers had a chance.

“In [Tennessee’s] formations and in their plays, it all looks the same. So, if you’re a defense, when you’re evaluating it, you’re thinking, ‘OK, I’m seeing a receiver screen,’ and then off of it is a screen and go. Or off of it is a screen and a pump,” Tebow said, explaining how Heupel’s offense is hard to read. “Everything plays off of one another, so if you’re a defense … you just can’t really [read the plays] against Heupel.”

Josh Heupel didn’t defeat the Georgia Bulldogs, but that task is looking more and more impossible in 2021. Still, he’s proving to be a coach capable of leading Tennessee back to a competitor.