What Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference

Everything Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday afternoon during his appearance on the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference:

Opening Statement

“Good practice with our guys today. Obviously an open date, but point of emphasis on how this football team’s got to get better and good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. So fundamentals and technique, precision in our pass game, a lot of things for us to continue to improve upon before we start preparing for Kentucky. And guys had a great demeanor and attitude and effort and energy out there today.”

If he thinks the College Football Playoff being expanded to 12 teams has affected the regular season, for better or for worse  

“I think the passion and pageantry of college football is what makes it the draw that it is to so many fans out there. I don’t think that the playoff has derailed any of the energy from fans and the importance of every game. It’s different in that you can stub your toe and still have a chance to get in, but there’s still such great urgency. And in this league and you got to come to play every single week. You just look at how everybody in this league, top to bottom, is really playing.”

Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s play against Alabama, missing on some long throws and hitting others

“Nico made some really nice throws on the deep ball throughout the course of the game, too. The first half in particular, but there’s some in the second half, that we missed on. It’s all a part of it, from his eyes, his fundamentals being a part of that. And then also wide receivers and protections. So we got to hit on more. You’re never going to hit on all of them when you’re pushing the ball down the football field. But we got to hit on our fair share of them. And those are things that we continue to work on. But truly, a part of it is all 11 (players) working together. And for us offensively, when when we’ve had success, we’ve been doing the little things, the fundamentals, the technique, recognition of what we’re seeing on the other side of the football, (have) done it at a high level. When you don’t do those ordinary things well, you don’t have the success that you want. I do love the competitive makeup of our guys to regroup at halftime, come out, have the mindset to go play as hard as they can while while playing with fundamentals and the competitive makeup to be resilient and find a way to get a win.” 

Alvin Kamara being in his press conference, what former Tennessee players like that bring to the program

“We have such a great past of storied players, but this program, for a long time, and certainly recently just our VFls, our former players being back and being a part of the fabric and the culture of this program. AK’s back here multiple times throughout the off season and obviously shows up whenever he can during the course of the season too. 

“But Alontae Taylor, Darnell Wright, the list goes on-and-on of current NFL players that were back  in so many storied players from the ‘80s, ‘90s, early 200s, were back too. This university does a great a job of providing them a great game day experience for the former players where they get a chance to interact, they’re down right on the sideline and get taken care of. And it’s just, it’s really special to have all of those guys back. You guys see them for the big games, but they’re here all year long and a number of former players that we have out on the practice field every single day. It’s unlike anything I’ve been a part of. It’s just, it’s a really special culture here.”

How much the offense evolves throughout the course of the season

“No, I mean, you have ideas of things that you want to implement based on the trends of what you’ve seen defensively, to your own personnel, to some of the situational football that you want to attack a little bit differently based on your personnel, as well. And then during the course of the year, too, is things happen, you form an identity, things that you’re executing at a high level, things that you’re not. You’re asking the question, do we need to continue to invest in it and just refine it and get better at it, or is it something that we need to go in another direction. Each week is its own deal, too. And when I say that I mean, just what you’re seeing from the defense. So, you know, it’s a constant evolution and you’re trying to put your players in the best position to be successful.”

How much he alters the play calls when he finds out who the officials will be for the game

“I think it’s certainly something that we’re aware of as a coaching staff, and make some bullet points for our players as well. Just not changing as much what we’re doing, but having a mindset of, you know, the things that we gotta make sure are right fundamentally to put us in the best position to play hard, but to play smart football as well.”