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Josh Heupel stresses importance of fast start to second half

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•11/17/22•

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Bryan Lynn | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

One of Josh Heupel’s big emphases at Tennessee is starting the second half strong. The Volunteers are outscoring opponents 99-49 in the third quarter, and that’s a big reason why they take a 9-1 record into this week’s game against South Carolina.

Heupel said that’s part of a bigger plan. He wants his team to start fast and stay fast.

“That’s something we talk about wanting to do in every football game,” Heupel said. “All offseason, we talked about starting fast, finishing strong. But if it doesn’t, I think it’s important that your kids settle back into the ballgame and understand that’s OK, man. It’s a 60-minute game and no matter how it starts, what it looks like in the middle, you’ve got to continue to put on more steam. … It’s one of the things that we talk about all the time. We’d love to, but let’s go play football for 60.”

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Tennessee bounced back well last week from its lone loss of the year to Georgia, cruising to a 66-24 win over Missouri behind its high-powered offense. The Volunteers will try to keep things rolling against South Carolina Saturday at 7 p.m. ET before next week’s regular season finale against Vanderbilt.

Josh Heupel not putting stock in 2021 win over South Carolina

Josh Heupel isn’t allowing Tennessee’s beatdown of South Carolina last season bleed into the Volunteers’ vision for this weekend’s matchup. In Knoxville during the 2021 season, Heupel and company handed Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks a 45-20 loss. 

Hendon Hooker tossed three touchdowns in that game, while Luke Doty of South Carolina didn’t throw one. Of course, teams have changed and the situation is much different than it was this time last season, and Heupel made sure to point that out during his press conference this week.

“One play doesn’t have anything to do with the next play in the game, last week doesn’t have anything to do with it, one of the things that I think has been good about our players is their ability to reset and continue to compete, no matter what’s happened,” stated Heupel. “Last year has absolutely — it’s two different football teams.”