What Josh Heupel said about Tennessee going to the Citrus Bowl, facing Iowa

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on Sunday night held a conference call with reporters to discuss the 21st-ranked Vols (8-4) being selected for the Citrus Bowl against No. 16 Iowa (10-3) on New Year’s Day in Orlando.

Here’s everything Heupel said on the call:

Opening Statement

“So excited to be with you here today and be the representative that is able to talk about us having the opportunity to go play in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Our entire program is so excited to have the opportunity to, to come to the City of Orlando, represent Tennessee football and our university on New Year’s Day. This is a huge opportunity for us. Appreciate Steve Hogan and everybody that’s associated with the Florida Citrus Sports in choosing Tennessee. 

“As was just said, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to be down in Orlando and we’re forward to the opportunity of coming back. For myself, it’s an area that I’m familiar with. Our family is as well. We’re really excited about the opportunity to be there. I know that our players are gonna enjoy a great week of festivities as they have an opportunity to partake in some of the things that are available there inside of the community. Excited about being in Orlando, playing in this football game. It goes without saying that we understand the quality of the opponent that we’re facing in Iowa. It’s a proud football program. Coach Ferentz has done an unbelievable job over his tenure there. You look at them winning their division two out of the last three years, having an opportunity to compete and play for their conference championship last night. You know, statistically you look at them, they’re one of the best in college football defensively. And it’s a program that prides itself on playing hard, playing smart and playing physical. They certainly do all of those things. So, again, looking forward to the opportunity to be down in Orlando, playing them. Great game. One that, as a kid I, I grew up watching on New Year’s Day, and excited for the opportunity.”

What Tennessee knows about Iowa, what stands out about the Iowa defense

“Yeah. Haven’t had an opportunity to watch a lot of them as we’re wrapping up the season here, we’ve been in recruiting. I know this, you know, philosophically they haven’t changed a whole lot over the years. They’re big, strong, physical (at the) first and second level. Have really good athletes on the third level of the defense. You look statistically, they’re always difficult to run the football against. They typically do a great job on third downs. You look at them statistically this year, their pass defense is one of the best in their league, but across the country as well. They make you earn it. They’re not gonna give you anything. You gotta go out there and take things and earn it. They don’t make mistakes. They play with great discipline and fundamentals. So this will be a huge test for us on the offensive side of the football.”

How Tennessee will prepare for a punter as strong as Iowa’s Tory Taylor

“I haven’t watched a bunch of him, but I do know statistically (he’s) one of the best in the country and has been a huge part of flipping and changing field position for them.”

The Iowa connections at Oklahoma, facing Iowa in 2011 Insight Bowl

“Spent a lot of time, as you mentioned, with the Stoops brothers, Jay Norvell. We had a lot of other guys, Chuck Long, Jonathan Hayes. Those are all guys that were a part of my playing days and a part of my coaching career that have a long history that and played their football at Iowa. It’s a program as we prepared in 2011, you knew it was gonna be tough, smart, physical, disciplined. It’s a football team that doesn’t beat themselves and you gotta go out and match those things. Haven’t had a chance to watch the tape yet but I know those things are still true with Coach Ferentz leading that program.”

The excitement of Tennessee returning to Orlando

“For our players from the area, it’s an opportunity to get back home. So many families and friends that are gonna have an opportunity to watch them play, but get a chance to be a part of the entire week and the build up to it. Those guys have great pride, first of all, but, are gonna take a great amount of pride in their preparation, the way they go play, and having an opportunity to share that experience with the family during the course of the week. 

“For myself, some of our staff that was with me previously there (UCF), so many friends that are in the area, having an opportunity to catch up with them. We absolutely loved our time. It’s a great city and it’s an opportunity for us to get back to an area that we love and are extremely familiar with.”

The balance of preparing for the game but also getting the young Tennessee players work for next season:

“Yeah, we had a couple of young guy emphasis practices last week as we were conducting our exit interviews before we got out on the recruiting trail. Our older guys were there for some of the individual, just getting movement knowing that we were gonna be gone for an extended period of time before we got back before this weekend. But our young guys were able to get really good intentional work in some of our group settings and all of the team stuff was designed for them. So, we’ll continue that as we get back off the road this weekend. And we’ll always be extremely intentional in continuing to build those guys. In some ways it’s an extra spring ball for those guys. We’ll have some high school midyear guys that will show up in the middle of December as well, and they’ll get their first exposure to college football.”

How much he weighs how a quarterback is playing in practice versus what you’re actually seeing on game day

“Yeah, I mean, there’s no perfect science, no equation that gives you a percentage of what you should be weighing. In general though, whether it’s the quarterback position or other things, the things that you’re seeing in practice are inevitably gonna show up during the course of a ball game, too, positive and negative. As a coach, whether it’s quarterbacks, whether it’s offensive line, whether it’s (defensive backs), whatever it might be, you’re gonna put the guys out on the football field that you feel give you the best opportunity to go win a football game. And all the little things add up to the big things that everybody sees as you go and play in the football game.”

When he needs to hear from Tennessee players who will opt-out of the game

“Well, I think that’s something that typically happens as they get closer to finalizing their decision. Last year we had a good bulk of guys that were gonna be in the draft that ultimately participated in the Orange Bowl. This is a great game against a great opponent. Certainly hope that we get a bulk of our guys that are gonna help us go be ready to play on Jan. 1. But as those guys continue to have their conversations and get closer towards a decision on, whether they’re coming back for a year or going into the NFL draft, those are things that you continue to talk about with them at that time.  

Closing remarks:

“Thank you to everybody. Couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity we have to come to the city of Orlando, playing this great football game and obviously for us, representing the University of Tennessee.”