Josh Heupel shares what bowl eligibility means in first year at Tennessee

Last year under Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee went 3-7. This season, Josh Heupel has the Volunteers on the verge of a bowl game in year one of his tenure.

Tennessee is 5-5 this year, one win away from making a bowl game for the first time since 2019. In his weekly press conference this week, Heupel was asked about what making a bowl game would mean for the program in his first season at the helm.

“It’s big because it shows progress in year one over the course of the season, but then the practices on the back end of it [are] instrumental,” Heupel told reporters on Monday. “Continuing to develop your young guys. You get another few weeks with them, strength and conditioning in the weight room, too. All those things are huge as you push your program forward.”

The path to a bowl game runs through South Alabama, which Tennessee is getting ready to face Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Josh Heupel: ‘The big thing for us is just focusing on this week’

But Tennessee’s not bowl eligible just yet. The Volunteers have a matchup with South Alabama coming up this week, and a victory would put them in a bowl game.

Heupel said he’s trying not to get too far ahead of himself.

“The big thing for us is just focusing on this week, though,” Heupel said. “I think that’s really important. Our football team understands when you play really good opponents like we did last Friday in Georgia, they’re going to make some plays. we’re going to compete and make plays too.

“Controlling what we can control and being in the right spot at the right time are the things that we’ve got to continue to get better at, to be the absolute best team that we can. … You’re in a race against yourself. Our kids have taken great pride, great care. They were hurt by the end result of last Saturday, but, shoot, we’re going out on the grass today and they’re ready to compete and work and get better.”

Heupel came to Tennessee this offseason after three years as head coach at UCF. He took the Knights to bowl games in all three seasons in Orange County, and is looking to get Tennessee back to the postseason, as well.

The Volunteers are coming off a 41-17 loss to No. 1 Georgia and are 27.5-point favorites over South Alabama this week.