Josh Heupel states Tennessee loss to Vanderbilt was 'not anywhere near' standard

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel didn’t mince words after last Saturday’s disappointing 45–24 loss to in-state rival Vanderbilt. He called the Volunteers’ performance far below the expectations of the program. 

Speaking postgame, Heupel expressed his frustration with the way the Vols collapsed after a competitive first half in Neyland Stadium: “Ultimately the performance we had tonight is not anywhere near the standard of what Tennessee football is,” Heupel said. “There’s been a lot of things we’ve had to deal with in the beginning and middle parts of the season. I felt like we took some steps these last couple weeks. 

“It’s my job to evaluate everything inside of our program. I told our players we’ve had some disappointing results, but this second half was extremely disappointing. Coaches and players, not just one.”

The loss capped a deflating regular season for Tennessee, which entered the weekend hoping to secure a ninth win. Instead, the Vols were overpowered by a surging Vanderbilt team that secured a 10-win season. Another electric performance from quarterback Diego Pavia was the driving factor.

The Commodores matched Tennessee at 21–21 entering halftime, before dominating the final two quarters. Vanderbilt controlled the ball for more than six minutes to start the third, before ultimately taking the lead for good.

In the process, Pavia threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and added 165 rushing yards with another score. That included a key 24-yard touchdown run that helped Vanderbilt pull away. His dual-threat impact fueled Vandy’s highest-scoring output against Tennessee since 1923.

Tennessee now awaits their bowl fate, hoping to finish the season strong

For Tennessee, the frustration was as much about missed opportunities as the result itself. Quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for 299 yards and a touchdown, while running back DeSean Bishop ran for 97 yards and two scores. 

However, the Vols’ offense stalled repeatedly in the second half, and the defense had no answers for Pavia’s explosiveness or Vanderbilt’s ball-control: “We went out there a little slow in the third quarter,” Aguilar said. “You only have so many opportunities. You’ve gotta take advantage of them.”

Alas, Tennessee ended their regular season with a loss to its in-state rival, and that’s a setback that stripped away the chance at another double-digit win campaign. Additionally, it injected an uneasy tone into the offseason. 

For Heupel, the coming weeks will be about evaluation and recalibrating the program back to the standard he insists Saturday did not meet. Time will tell which bowl game the Volunteers are selected for, but at least Tennessee will have one more chance to get this bad taste out of their mouths.