NORMAN, Oklahoma — All head coaches Josh Heupel said after No. 6 Tennessee’s 25-15 win over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday night at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium:
Opening speech
“Good win. It’s always tough to play good football teams on the road. And tonight the atmosphere was great. And I just thought our defense controlled the line of scrimmage. They played relentless. Really tight coverage early on and they did a great job of getting off the field. They changed the way the game was played. In the second half, you can see our game plan changed in terms of possession (and) time. Different than it’s probably ever been in my career.
“And the special teams were solid. Max (Gilbert) did a great job of shooting the ball through the post and changing the game in terms of possession. And the kickoff coverage was solid. We allowed a little more than we wanted on the punt return, but all in all it was a solid night.
“And on offense, we made some big plays at times. The structure changed from them, which was a little bit anticipatory. I didn’t know exactly what the structure was going to be. I’ve played against him (Brent Venables) enough times in my career that I kind of expect the unexpected. But we adapted, got some things going in the first half and scored some points, and then it was pretty close in the second half, the way the game unfolded.
“Great win for the football team. And proud of how we approached the week, how we prepared, how we trained and how hard we played.”
How Tennessee dealt with this adversity when it was without Lance Heard at the offensive tackle position and John Campbell with an injury in the game
“Overall, I felt like the guys that came in and played and replaced those guys played solid tonight. Between adjusting our personnel and the structure to get everybody on the right track, it took a little bit of time at the beginning. But they played well. I’m looking forward to hopefully having both guys back here when we get back on the field.”
Tennessee made eight straight runs on a touchdown drive in the second quarter. What does that say about this team?
“Running the football is our staple, our bread and butter. That’s how we start. I thought with the structural changes and the pressure that came with it, we needed a little time to get into it and create some vertical seams. Our backs had to get used to the angles that everything was developing from. But that drive was great and some of the conversions were great later in the football game, too.”
Coach this season after the death of his mother
“She’s been looking forward to this game. She has a lot of friends across the state who know she’s been looking forward to this. So it was a unique game to come back to and it had to be an away game for me and this football team, but a home game for a lot of my family.”
The flexibility that this type of defense gives him as a playmaker in Tennessee
“Every game is different, but in the first half, you could feel the way we played defensively. We controlled the line of scrimmage, made it really difficult for the quarterback, played tight back, left the field on third downs, and as the game went into the second half, the way we played changed and the situations we put Nico in with our personnel changes on offense. I mean, all of those things play together, and at the end of the day, if you really want to play high-level football, you need a high-level defense. And our guys are playing really well. They’re excited about the way they play, but they also know there’s more to it, and it’s been fun to watch this group continue to grow.”
His thoughts on Oklahoma, which plays with two quarterbacks
“Yeah, man (Oklahoma OC) Seth (Litrell) is a really good football coach and does a great job with these guys. He’ll be able to find the right guy for them.”
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava gives him the game ball
“This game was never about me coming back here. Not for this football team. And I say all this, they also understood that this game was a little different for me personally. But that wasn’t the point. But I appreciate that they recognized that and want that for me.”
His favorite part of his time in Oklahoma, aside from football
“It was a pretty good feeling to leave the field with the win.”
The importance of Tennessee’s two big passing plays in the first half when the offense struggled
“When we figured out the structure of the passing plays, two big passing plays helped us score points at the end of the day and create some spacing on the scoreboard. Two of the biggest explosive plays and both guys did a great job of getting to the right areas as well.”
How Tennessee’s good defense changes its game
“Well, it changes because field position changes the way the game is played for everybody and what kind of position you want to put everybody on your football team in. So it changes the way the game is played and tonight the game developed its own identity midway through the second quarter, certainly as the third quarter started, but every game is different so you have to be ready to play it when it starts to develop.”
If this is the most versatile Tennessee offense he has ever had
“We’re more versatile than ever before, thanks to our personnel. The trust we have in him, that he can move the guys around to different positions, and that Nico is so good at understanding and handling everything that’s going on, gives us that luxury.”
If he believes he has developed as a coach to the point where he can win with defense as a pioneer
“Look at the steps our defense has taken. Their team develops its own identity every year. It’s my responsibility to put them in a position to play a complete game together and find the best path to victory. And that’s how the game unfolded tonight.”
How he thinks the Tennessee team handled the environment
“Overall, we handled it really well. A first-year quarterback playing his first away league game, but there are still a few things we can improve. But all in all, pretty solid.”
If there is a sense of relief that the Oklahoma game is over with
“It meant something to be here, to play and to win. Yes, but that’s just not what coming back here was about. We have a good football team that has high expectations. They continue to fight extremely hard every day to get better. This was our first away test in the league. Tonight was about that 2024 football team and I’m really proud of their performance.”
How often has he been given the ball in his career as a coach and where does it go?
“It’s definitely going to the office. There were a few of those, first win.”
What it says about the growth of the Tennessee program to win on the road after overcoming adversity
“Yeah, look at what the defense is doing. We’re on third down, allow a strip sack from the side, sudden change (and) they go out, force a turnover and get the ball right back. Despite the adversity tonight, everybody kept playing and fought and played for each other. I’m really proud of them. That’s one of the things we talked about before this thing. But the defense’s ability to handle sudden adversity has been a big part of his football game.”
The long-term advantage for Tennessee winning its most physical football game of the season:
“I think in this league you have to be able to win in different ways throughout the season. Every game is different. Every opponent, every matchup, all of that. We have to be the most physical football team on the field every Saturday.”
How important it is that Tennessee is out of season this week and how important it is to get healthy in the next two weeks
“We talked about starting this season fast and that’s what we did. We have some guys that need to get healthy, but as a football team we need to continue to grow and get better next week. The areas where we’re not playing at the level we’re capable of will show up over time and we need to continue to get better at those things. So let’s get some guys healthy, practice really well and get ready for the next game.”
