Tennessee football: Kirk Herbstreit says Volunteers fans will love Josh Heupel

Tennessee football is hopeful first-year coach Josh Heupel can rejuvenate the program, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit made a strong case as to why he will. In an interview with The Sports Animal in Tennessee, Herbstreit talked about the exciting offensive play style the coach brings to Knoxville.

“He’s going to bring in ability to put a lot of points up on the board,” Herbstreit said. “The offensive style is very reminiscent of when Baylor had things really going with (Robert Griffin III). I remember going to a couple of Baylor games and they had one (receiver) two feet from one sideline and another guy two feet from the other sideline.

“What they’re essentially doing is making you decide, are you gonna go outside and cover these receivers or load up the box and stop the run? Josh has kind of got into that world of offense and it’s worked for him. They score and they score in a hurry. They make it really tough with their vertical seams they create on the perimeter. You’ve got have good linemen to win at scrimmage, but the numbers are typically gonna be right.

“You’re gonna love his style.”

Heupel spent the past four seasons as the coach of UCF, where he compiled a 28-8 record. The Knights finished as a top five offense in the country each year. They averaged 568.1 yards per game in 2020, second to Kent State, which played only four games.

Josh Heupel will have a new quarterback in his first season as Tennessee football coach, with Michigan transfer Joe Milton looking like the next starter. He also brought in Tijon Evans, the No. 1 JUCO running back in the country. With as rough as some recent seasons have been — the Volunteers have failed to make a bowl game in six of the past 10 years — Herbstreit said a fresh start was needed.

“It’s been a challenging time for this program for the last I don’t know how many years,” he said. “Especially with this turnover. New AD, new coach, a lot of players have left through the transfer portal. You’re essentially starting over. You’ve gotta like Josh Heupel and the attitude he brings.”

Tennessee begins its season Sept. 2 against Bowling Green. The relatively non-threatening opponent should provide a nice first look for fans before moving on to Pittsburgh on Sept. 11.

“The worst thing that can happen to these guys is to get off to a slow start and there’s a roll of the eyes, ‘Here we go again,’ kind of thing,” Herbstreit said. “Hopefully they start fast and regain some confidence.”

Photo courtesy of Julio Aguilar/Getty Images.