Watch: Josh Heupel previews No. 17 Tennessee at No. 11 Alabama during Monday press conference

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel started Alabama week with a closer look at the game between his 17th-ranked Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) and the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide (6-1, 4-0) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa:

Opening Statement

“Proud of our football team, the way they played and competed. Physical football game. But the resiliency, the ability to continue to just play the next play, I’m really proud of that. A lot of really positive things and things that we gotta clean up before we get to this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Really good (Alabama) football team that we’re playing. They’re playing well, all three phases of the football game. Their quarterback (Jalen Milroe is) playing extremely well, been accurate with football down the field. Obviously he’s extremely dynamic with his feet as well. Defensively, they’re creating a bunch of negative plays, quarterback sacks and tackles for loss. And special teams are, are really good. So a huge test for us. One that we’ll be excited for and gotta get focused on our preparation here this week.”

The physicality of Tennessee’s offensive line and rushing for 232 yards against the SEC’s best run defense

“(The offensive line) played extremely physical. I thought they did a really good job with everything that was going on from the perspective of what we’re seeing defensively from them. The communication was elite. Coop (Cooper Mays) did a great job getting everybody on the same page. Our running backs were really solid with the football, press and the aiming points, bouncing when they need to. They made some plays, but running tough too. Moving the pile during the course of the ball game too. Initial contact might’ve been at three, four or five (yards), and (they were) finding a way to, to eek out more yards there. And turn the third down into a short-yard situation. Or getting the first down on some of those runs. So all in all really good performance from those guys. Offensive line, tied ends and the running backs.”

What Tennessee learned about playing in a hostile environment at Florida and how it can help the Vols this week at Alabama

“End of the day, we gotta do a great job of communicating. You gotta focus on your job and be dialed into that. It’s 11-on-11 when you’re inside the line, so we’ve continued to work that. Believe we’ll be be ready for it when we hit game day.”

The biggest factors in the lack of connection between Joe Milton and Tennessee’s wide receivers

“There are a few things fundamentally that Joe did (against Texas A&M) that cause a couple passes to be a little bit off target. There’s a couple catches that we gotta make. End of the day, we gotta continue to grow that way. We do have great belief in in our guys and where we can get to.”

If in hindsight he would’ve made some different decisions against Texas A&M based on how the game was controlled by the two defenses

“Each game, you hear me say, each Saturday essentially is a new season. Each game unfolds and the identity of the game takes place during the course of the game. You gotta manage all those situations, from, from play calls to what decisions you’re making and special teams, all of it. So I’m proud that we got a win. And you continually evaluate what you’re doing in all areas and then also try to push those lessons forward too.”

How the transition has gone from Alex Golesh to Joey Halzle at offensive coordinator and the group effort in Tennessee’s offensive scheme

“Really pretty seamless. The transition, Joey’s been with me for, I mean, since 2006 we’ve been together some form or fashion except for a couple years. So the communication from up top, what we’re seeing, what we’re doing, the adjustments that we made from drive to drive based on defensive structure really hasn’t changed much at all.”

How much fun it was to watch the tape of Tennessee’s defense and the group’s physical play against Texas A&M

“Man, just really proud of the effort. All 11 that were out there on the football field. Up front, front six, front seven, and in particular our front four. Just played really good football, man. They came off the ball. They were destructive in the run game, guys snagging off and making plays, backdoor cuts, playing with gap integrity, second-level fit extremely well. And then the ability to get after the quarterback with just the front four rush, too. Felt those guys did a really good job of changing the way the game was played. I feel like they are continuing to improve as we go through this season. Proud of the effort. We’re gonna need a great one from on this Saturday, too.”

How Tennessee can get Ramel Keyton going at wide receiver after struggling with drops this season

“Yeah, in this game there’s a really fine line. And I say that and, until you watch the tape and and truly understand everything that’s going on, I think it’s tough to truly understand. Last Saturday, this coming Saturday and Saturday after, you gotta do the ordinary things at an extremely high level, and that just happens through your preparation and your practice. And you gotta wipe the previous one clean. You gotta take the lessons forward with you, but you gotta wipe it clean, good or bad. And you guys have heard me say that before. So, Ramel has played really well and (we have) got great trust that he’ll play extremely well on this Saturday.”

If he feels like Tennessee has the right personnel to create explosive plays on offense

“Absolutely. We’ve had guys open and we haven’t hit them. Communication has been off at times. It’s gotta be a little bit better. It wasn’t pretty on Saturday, I’ll be the first to say that. But it’s not that far off either. We gotta do ordinary things at a really high level.”

Bryson Eason continuing to play well for Tennessee on the defensive line, if there was a moment where it clicked for him

“I do think there’s been consistent constant growth from him throughout our time here with him. I do feel like late (in) training camp, early part of the season, the consistency of his mindset, being able to attack up every rep every single day has changed and continued to mature. And that’s why he’s playing the way he is. He’s become a really good practice player. You can count on him being consistent every single day. That’s led to his growth and him playing the way that he is inside.”

What Tennessee can do offensively to scheme around an Alabama defensive front that pressures the quarterback

“I’m gonna say this and it’s kind of on repeat from last week, too: You gotta have some efficiency in the run game. You get into the long-yard situations, these guys are gonna be able to pin their ears back and come after the quarterback. They are multiple in what they do. All five guys (on the Tennessee offensive line) gotta operate together in the run game, but you gotta be in sync in your pass protections too. And you gotta get the ball out on time. There’s gonna be a bunch of one-on-one matchups out on the outside. You gotta go win some of those matchups and be accurate with the football. So it’s gonna take all 11. They all play a piece in what goes on in the run game and in the pass game too.”

If he knew before the season that Tennessee’s run game could be this good

“Yeah, I mean, in this game it changes from year to year and sometimes week to week, too. And I did think that we had a chance to be a very mature, physical football team up front. The three running backs that you alluded to all were playing their best football. They had the best understanding of what our schemes were. Fundamentally, they were at their best. I thought they had a chance to be a group that would do a really good job in the run game and at the line of scrimmage. So, you guys know this, guys have gotten, or people have gotten caught up in the pass game, (pass-game) numbers at times with us, some of the explosive plays. But the bread and butter of what we do, it all starts with the run game.”

Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. and Dee Williams earning SEC Player of the Week awards on Monday

“Excited for both of those guys because they continue to grow. And how they prepare, they continue to grow and their understanding of what we’re doing. (They) are playing their best football right now. Two guys that continue to invest and grow, and that’s why they’re playing the way that they are. Extremely proud of those guys.”

How similar the quarterback and cornerback positions are in terms of having to deal with outside criticism

“Everybody notices when it’s not right, for sure. And, make some plays, everybody notices that too. So the further you get away from the ball, the more obvious it is what plays you made and which (ones) you didn’t make.”

What Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is doing when he’s at his best

“He’s making a bunch of plays from inside of the pocket, pushing the football down the football field. His ability, if you don’t have rush integrity, to get out and make plays with his feet, it’s something that pops out on the tape. And then he obviously, like when the ball’s in his hands and he’s a part of the run game, he’s dynamic. So he’s somebody that you gotta have bottled up every snap. He’s a dynamic playmaker.”

If there’s an injury status update for Tennessee defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott and offensive tackle Gerald Mincey

“I believe all those guys will be ready as we go through this week and anticipate we being ready to go (at Alabama).”

The confidence of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III through six games

“I think when you don’t play your best football, you gotta be able to wipe and clean. When you play your your best football, you gotta be able to wipe the clean, too. And, at the end of the day, have a routine that takes you to kickoff so that you are putting yourself in a consistent position to go play your best. Joe’s been really mature in how he is prepared. There’s some things fundamentally that he’s done really well that he didn’t do in in the last (game). You gotta be a little bit better in the pass game. That’s him. That’s wide outs. It’s everybody.”