What Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday on SEC Coaches Teleconference

Everything Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday during his appearance on the SEC Coaches Teleconference, previewing Saturday night’s game against South Carolina (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement

“Huge opportunity for us. Excited we get a chance to open up conference play here at home. This (South Carolina) football team is playing really good football. They’re good on both sides of the football and the special teams. Do a really good job of changing the way the game’s played, changing field position. The line of scrimmage is extremely important in this one. Offensively we gotta be able to have balance and be able to protect in third-down situations. They hurt us in that way last year.

“And defensively, the inverse of that, we gotta do a really good job against the run, but also make the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket. And Spencer (Rattler) is a really good player, special player, and you gotta apply pressure to him. But he is also got the ability to extend and make plays with his feet, so you gotta keep him bottled up in the pocket as well. Last year, he created a bunch of big plays for them escaping the pocket, using his feet and throwing it down the football field as well.”

What can happen if Tennessee players focus too much on what happened last season against South Carolina

“It has nothing to do with what’s gonna happen in this one, good or bad. It’s to me, the team that wins this game is the team that plays the smartest, which means you gotta be in control of your emotions. It also speaks to your preparation and what you need to do during the course of the week to be able to play your best and not be out there strictly thinking. Just you’re seeing things, you’re anticipating and you’re playing with great fundamentals. And I think it’s really important that your players stay engaged during the course of the week to be at their best.

“For our fanbase, if they want to use last year as motivation, I got no problems with that. That’s a great thing about being a fan. I expect our stadium to be rocking like it always is. It’s going be an electric atmosphere, so if they want to use it, that’s awesome. For us, it’s about our preparation, how we practice and make sure that we’re in a great competitive spirit (and) mindset as we go take that field Saturday night.”

What he sees in the future for Tennessee’s Caleb Herring, Elijah Herring and Arion Carter

“Elijah, obviously with the injury to Keenan (Pili), he’s been thrust into to even more action. He’s handled it well. Developed as a first-line player. Moved back to the second level when he got here. He’s smart, he is instinctive, he’s physical and continuing to grow. And in his understanding of the game, that can be our schemes or what he’s seen on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He prepares hard. He’s in here early, he’s here late. I love the competitive makeup of him. And he’s continuing to grow.

“Arion, I would say the same thing. He’s in Year 1. The guy has done a really nice job on special teams, done some really good things on defense, continuing to grow from the time that he’s got here. He’s been one of the most mature first-year players that I’ve been around. And I say that, (it’s) how he carries himself in the building, how he competes every single day. His purpose of doing extra things. (It) could in the weight room, could be on the grass, could be in the film room. He’s handles himself much more like a vet than he does a first-year guy.

“Caleb’s doing the same thing, man. He got nicked up in spring ball, but he is long, he’s athletic, he’s competitive, he’s helping on (special) teams, playing on defense. He’s gonna be a really special player.”

How much enrolling early at Tennessee helped Arion Carter’s development for this season

“There’s a huge difference of who you are when you get to training camp. If you’ve been here for an entire spring, they get adjusted to college life. They learn how to handle academic, social life, football. They get all the installs, they go through spring ball, they’re able to reset by the time they get to training camp. They’re much more like a vet than they are a first-year player. And just what they’ve been exposed to, it’s a huge growth in the development of all those guys.”

How the new clock rules, with the clock not stopping on first downs with more than two minutes left in each half, has changed the game

“I just think that the game has been shortened with the management of clock. I don’t think it necessarily changes the way the game’s played during the course of the first quarter, second quarter. But it has shortened the game. You have to maximize your opportunities. I think over the next coming weeks we’ll have a real definitive (feel) as far as how much possession wise and play wise it is impacting the game. And I say that just because as you get in conference play, I think you get a truer sense of it versus out of conference.”

What he wants to see as the next step taken by this Tennessee team

“Playing dialed in, competitive, consistent football for an entire four quarters. Not having to dip at any point of it. Not that you’re gonna play perfect, but just the competitive spirit, the competitive edge. I think that is something that I’ve challenged our team (with), that it’s time for us to put those four quarters together in that way. I think we gotta continue to play smarter football as well. And I told the team today, the team that plays the hardest, and the smartest football team, on Saturday wins.”

Tennessee wearing its ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniform Saturday and how much the players enjoy alternate uniform games

“Our guys love it. First of all, we love wearing the orange and the white. But to be able to mix it up a little bit, hope they guys have some fun with it. They do enjoy being able to wear those and, again, it’s a part of recruiting too for us.”