Tennessee coaches Josh Heupel and Rodney Garner made an appearance on “Vol Calls” on Wednesday night at Calhoun’s.
Heupel recapped the win over Florida and previewed the Vols’ upcoming game against Alabama this week. Garner also took some time to talk about his defensive line, which has been an anchor on defense this year for the Vols.
Before Heupel began taking fan questions, he reflected on the Vols’ victory over the Florida Gators last Saturday and highlighted the takeaways.
“The positive coming out of that game was no matter what had happened, we continued to compete with the mindset that you have to go attack the next set of downs,” Heupel said. “Finishing the football game the way that we did speaks to the competitive makeup that we have inside the locker room.”
This late-game mentality helped the Vols to find their footing late in the game. Tennessee was held scoreless in the first half but managed to score three touchdowns in the second half in the winning effort on Saturday.
They held the Gators in check, only allowing one touchdown in the second half after falling behind 10-0 to start the game.
He quickly changed gears and acknowledged Tennessee’s struggles on offense and cited what the Vols need to do better heading forward.
“Every Saturday, there’s things that you’ve got to learn from and get better at,” Heupel said. “Offensively, we’ve got to clean some things up. Mistakes put you on first-and-20 and second-and-15. They keep you from moving the ball the way you want to and take care of the football. We’ve got a chance to grow from it and be better when we get to Saturday afternoon.”
Mistakes on offense were big factors in the game. Tennessee incurred six penalties for 47 yards in the game.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava also struggled, throwing an interception and losing a fumble deep in Florida territory.
Tennessee also struggled to catch the ball at points, with Iamaleva’s passes going through the hands of Squirrel White and Chas Nimrod in crucial moments.
Turning his focus to the upcoming game against the Crimson Tide, Heupel highlighted the need to contain Jalen Milroe, Alabama’s quarterback.
“When they’re dropping back and throwing, you can’t let him sit back there all day,” Heupel said. “He’s been accurate and a good decision-maker. While you’re applying pressure, you must keep rush integrity, and if you get past him, he can be up and out and have a chance to make a play.”
Stopping Milroe will be crucial to the Vol’s success on Saturday. Through six games, Milroe is one of Alabama’s most dangerous rushers.
He leads the team with 77 carries, 26 more than running back Jam Miller. Milroe is second to Miller in rush yards but is only 41 behind.
Heupel also mentioned freshman wide receiver Mike Matthews who is expected to play against Alabama. Matthews was a five-star recruit a year ago and with wide receiver injuries the week prior, the fan base expected to see him on the field last week.
“Mike got some playing time early last week, but the way that things unfolded he didn’t get so much in the second half,” Heupel said. “He’s a young guy who missed time in training camp and has come back and continued to grow as a player. We’ve got great trust in him and expect him to play a lot of football on Saturday afternoon.”
Heupel didn’t mention anything specifically about Iamaleava until the end of the night.
He defended his signal-caller but still said he was partially responsible for the offensive struggles, citing that he needs other players to step up, but that he needs to improve as well.
“A part of Nico playing his best is the guys around him,” Heupel said. “Sometimes, it doesn’t start fast, and playing the next play is important. Nico needs the guys around him to do their jobs which makes his job easier. At the same time, he’s the quarterback and has to make it all right. He’s a guy with great confidence and does that because of how he prepares.”
Heupel wrapped up his night talking about linebacker Keenan Pili, who the Vols lost to injury for the rest of the season. Pili suffered a season-ending injury against Florida.
The veteran has suffered three season-ending injuries in his seven years of college football. With his most recent ACL injury, his college career is likely over.
“We’re all hurt that he’s not going to be out there with us just because of who he is and how he goes about his business,” Heupel said. “But in this game, inevitably, things happen. Whether it’s a series, game or the season, it’s got to be the next guy-up mentality. We’re intentional in developing our roster so that when their opportunity comes, they are ready.”
Garner joins the set
Garner continued to build on where Heupel left off in the second segment. He said that he is like the “proud grandfather” to his players and enjoys how he gets to see them develop.
“Seeing them grow in their craft is great but also seeing them grow as young men too is just as rewarding,” Garner said. “I’ve seen every one of them take steps that I think is going to pay dividends for the rest of their lives.”
Garner’s defensive line has been a clear strength for the Vols this season, and he says that it’s because of his core group. He mentioned Omari Thomas, Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey and Elijah Simmons as part of the guys from the previous era of Tennessee football and how they’re important.
“We’ve got a good core group of guys that we inherited when we got here,” Garner said. “Just to see those young men grow and to see them be able to chase their dreams and aspirations they had when they chose to come to the University of Tennessee. It’s been really rewarding and those guys helped set the culture in the room.”
He finished up his night talking about the defensive line depth and how his philosophy is to play as many guys as he could. The line has been an anchor for the whole team and seven defensive linemen have recorded a sack this season.
“My philosophy has always been to play multiple guys and the reason is that it’s good for camaraderie,” Garner said. “If you go out there and practice and you show that you can go out there and perform and play at a championship level, then I’m going to play you.”
