KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Saturday, Tennessee football defeated Arkansas in Fayetteville for the first time since the 2001 season. The Vols got off to a slow start and had to overcome some self-inflicted miscues to pull out a 24-17 win. Senior running back DeSean Bishop scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:57 left. Earlier in the drive, Bishop broke off a 59-yard run from deep in Tennessee’s own territory.
On Monday night, head coach Josh Heupel joined The Mike Keith Show to put a bow on the Arkansas game and look ahead to the Third Saturday in October. No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Alabama on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Sean McDonough (play-by-play) and Greg McElroy (analyst) will be on the call, with Katie George reporting from the sideline.
Below is everything Heupel said on Monday night’s show.
What Tennessee vs. Alabama means to him
“Third Saturday in October, best day on the calendar year. Year one, I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, and it’s a great, great game. It’s a special rivalry, and looking forward to going and playing Saturday afternoon.”
When he first became aware of the rivalry
“I’ve known of Tennessee, Alabama from a long time, when I was a kid watching games on TV. But once you get into the rivalry and you feel the passion, the pageantry of the fan bases, this is a really special game inside the landscape of college football.”
Final thoughts on the Arkansas performance
“A lot of good. I love how we finished the game. We played smart, played physical, finished it in a great way. Elite competitive composure to continue to respond and go play. We have to start faster in the first half offensively. We can’t change the way the game is played. The controllables before the snap and some of post-snap, just assignment sound. We have to start faster as a football team in the third quarter, but the competitive makeup to go on the road, find a way to win, love that part of it.”
Evaluating George McIntyre’s performance in Fayetteville after watching the film
“Collectively as a group, as an offensive unit, we’ve got to do a better job taking care of the ball. But you look at George’s performance, decisive with the football, going to the right spot, accurate, made some plays in the pocket. There’s some things that he’s got to do better. A winning performance and a lot of good to continue to grow on for him.”
Whether the 68-yard catch and touchdown can be a breakthrough for DaSaahn Brame
“We like him too. And it’s a young player that has a lot of confidence because of the work that he’s put into it. We knew he would continue to grow as a football player. The role with Ethan going down was going to continue to grow. I love the way that he played on Saturday. His best football is still in front of him. I’m excited for him to continue to chase that and make impacts for us as a football team.”
Whether Brame’s improved blocking has boosted his overall confidence
“Absolutely. When you understand what’s going on structurally in all parts of the game, from the routes, coverages that you’re seeing in the box, protections, run game, understand structures, identifications, that all parlays itself into you being a much more confident player. Because you understand what’s going on around you.”
The illegal touching call on the second-quarter deep throw to Staley explained
“If you go out on your own, you can’t be the first guy to touch the football. If you’re forced out, you’ve got to immediately come back into the field to play. On the coach’s cut, it’s tough to tell truly if he went out of bounds or not. You do see the back judge throw his hat immediately once he thought he went out of bounds. So it’s the official’s decision.”
What’s different about this Alabama team compared to last year’s
“I think what they’re doing up front on the offensive side of the football, much more efficient running the football. You combine that with the quarterback that’s playing extremely well, efficient, making plays down the football field, breaking plays that are broken down, escaping the pocket, doing that as a thrower first, but also has the ability to tuck it and create real yardage when he runs it. And then defensively, their ability to create turnovers. They’ve gotten their hands on, I don’t know, seven or eight picks already. It might be nine, but they’ve created a lot of turnovers.”
How the last three physical games prepare Tennessee for Alabama
“In this league, typically they’re going to be tight contested fourth quarter games. I think for our football team continuing to grow, each of the games that we’ve played in is going to help us this week. We understand the type of team that we’re getting ready to play. They’re big, strong, athletic. They’re playing physical. They’re playing smart football. It’s going to take us being at our best to go get a win on Saturday afternoon.”
