Josh Heupel says his struggling Tennessee offense has to 'man up'

Josh Heupel got straight to the point Saturday night. His struggling Tennessee offense has a job to do and the Vols aren’t doing it. Shut out in the first half for a second straight week. Relying again on a strong defensive effort when points are at such a premium.

“At some point,” Heupel said after Tennessee’s 23-17 overtime win against Florida, “we got to say we’re going to man up and do our job and make this thing go the way that it’s capable of.”

For the second straight week the offense was nowhere near what it’s capable of. 

Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) finished with 312 total yards, the fewest in a win during the Heupel era. At one point Saturday night, the Vols had failed to score in five of their last six quarters and had failed to score a touchdown in seven of the previous eight quarters.

Nico Iamaleava finished 16 of 26 for 169 yards and an interception, failing to throw for more than 200 yards for the fifth time in his six career Tennessee starts.

Up Next: No. 11 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Alabama

Iamaleava was asked during his postgame press conference if the offensive struggles have been frustrating.

“Very,” he said. “I think Coach Heup and them do a great job of keeping us calm on the sideline.”

After a pedestrian two games, Heupel’s usually fast-paced, ultra-productive offense can’t find its footing.

Tennessee punted five times Saturday night after there were seven at Arkansas. The Vols had just three punts over the first three games of the season, then had two over the first two drives at Oklahoma and eight in total in the 25-15 win in Norman.  

The problems have been plentiful. Penalties putting Tennessee behind the chains or erasing big gains. Sacks stalling drives. Open receivers downfield being missed. 

Iamaleava was sacked three times at Oklahoma, four times at Arkansas and three more times against Florida. 

“Some of it’s us blocking it,” Heupel said. “It’s five guys. That’s your tight ends, it’s your running backs. Some of them, some of it it’s (Iamaleava) finding the soft spot in the pocket.

“Some of it’s recognizing what’s going on in the back end and hitting your hot (routes). Some of it’s the wide receivers winning.”

There were opportunities against the Gators, like the opening drive that quickly moved to the Florida 24-yard line, but ended just as quickly with an Iamaleava fumble on a bad exchange with Dylan Sampson. Or Squirrel White and Chas Nimrod open downfield, but the ball being too far in front. 

“Takes all 11 to go play good football, Heupel said. “Everybody’s got to do their job.”

Josh Heupel: ‘I don’t think we’re far off’

Tennessee had a 15-yard pass from Iamaleava to Dont’e Thornton on the first offensive snap at Arkansas, but it was erased when guard Andrej Karic was caught downfield. Tennessee tackles John Campbell and Lance Heard were called for holding three times in the first half against Florida and Campbell had a personal foul in the second half.

“We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot, man,” Iamaleava said. “A lot of penalties out there when we’d have a big play. And we’d be right back and starting off in first-and-20. Just haven’t been helping ourselves out with the penalties. We’ve been shooting ourselves with.”

Iamaleava didn’t excuse himself, either.

“First drive we come out,” he said, “we are in a good drive and then we fumble the ball. On me. I got to be better with the handoff. And then our defense gets a strip on the goal line and I come out and I throw a pick in the double coverage. 

“So stuff like that, man, I got to be better. We got to operate better, at a higher level. We just can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot.” 

Still, Heupel believes his offense isn’t that far away from getting back to the kind of production it has flashed.

“I don’t think we’re far off,” Heupel said. “But it’s not just the pass game, it’s the run game too. Missed assignments, fundamentals, technique. Like it’s guys open, we don’t hit it. Guys open, we’re getting pressured. It’s everybody taking their turn.”