Everything Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said about Georgia on Monday

What head coach Josh Heupel said during his weekly press conference on Monday, looking back at the 72-17 win over East Tennessee State and previewing No. 15 Tennessee against No. 6 Georgia on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ABC) in the SEC opener at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement

“Pleased with what our guys did last weekend. And today’s about getting better. They’re great in the building. Obviously we know the test that we have in front of us facing a really good Georgia football team. It’s a great weekend, opportunity for (ESPN College) GameDay to be here on the greatest stage in college football. And while that’s going on, get a chance to also recognize and welcome back one of our own, John Henderson, College Football Hall of Famer, one of the greatest to have ever played the position and certainly one of the greats here. It will be great to have a bunch of his teammates back here as we get a chance to celebrate him too. 

“Checker Neyland, anticipate our fans helping bring in the Neyland effect here and create a great atmosphere on Saturday afternoon. So looking forward to the contact and the preparation during the course of the week.” 

What he’s seen from Georgia junior quarterback and first-year starter Gunner Stockton

“He’s played really well. You look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football. He’s been accurate with it. He’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extending, creating plays on his own. You got to do a great job of applying pressure, but still bottling him up inside of the pocket, not letting him get outside of it. And if they choose, he certainly can be a part of the quarterback run game as well and try to tilt the numbers. So a huge test for us defensively. Communication will be an important. All shift-trade motion before the snap of the football as well. We got to be at our best.”

Georgia’s defensive backs being known for physicality, facing young Tennessee receivers this week

“In this football game there’s one-on-ones that guys are going to have to win all over the football field. You’re talking about the wide receivers, that’s going to happen at the line of scrimmage as well. You got to play with fundamentals and technique and get off of it. That’s press man and all the coverage variations that they have. You also have to be able to recognize those things as well. And protecting the quarterback, winning the line scrimmage, is going to be important and vice versa for us defensively. We got to do a great job against the run. You got to get them in third and longs, and then you got to be able to get off the field.” 

What excites him about Tennessee-Georgia week after watching film

“I’m excited to go compete. This is a conference opener, great opponent. And it’s going to be a great atmosphere. So for us, the preparation is going to be important, focusing in on what matters, which is your preparation and the details of it. The subtleties of this game, you’ve got to go win one on ones, but you’ve got to play assignment sound. You’re playing a really good opponent and you can’t give them anything. And then through your preparation, when a play presents itself, you’ve got to be able to make it.”

Georgia being good on the line of scrimmage, how much of that is personnel and how much of it is philosophy and scheme

“They are extremely physical as a football team. They’re well coached across the board. But the line of scrimmage, the combination of those things with their skill sets, their talent, the athletic traits they have, I think it’s a combination of all those parts.”

How much of an emphasis he puts on Joey Aguilar taking care of the ball, not taking risks that are too big

“Ball security will be important in this one. It’s a game of limited possessions. You’ve got to maximize your opportunities. The ball is everything. You can’t give them short fields and you’ve got to maximize your opportunities when you’re on the plus side of the 50 as well. And that comes in the form of a guy that has the ball in his hands, as far as our skilled players, securing it. Is the quarterback taking care of it in the past game? Being decisive and reading things the right way? It comes in the form of protection too. So it’s all 11 that have to do a great job of it.”

Tennessee left tackle Lance Heard taking on a bigger leadership role in his second season with the Vols 

“A lot of new guys in there. He’s one guy that had time on task inside of our program. That was a challenge that I and Coach Elarbee and our staff presented to him during the course of the offseason. Lance has grown a bunch in the time that he’s been here. Came in as a transfer, really six months into college football. Dealt with adversity last year, some injuries, played through a lot of it and has had a great off season. But really grew as a leader for our program and excited about the steps that he’s taken in that way.”

Injury updates for Tennessee

“Yeah, I’m going to refer you guys to the injury availability report. I’m not sure what day it comes out, but it’ll be out on Wednesday.”

The importance of Tennessee’s play at safety with how much Georgia throws over the middle

“You’re going to have to defend the entire field in this one. But the middle of the field is important. I feel like we’ve done a good job. There’s a couple of things that we’ve given up, a couple of weeks ago on some third downs in particular that we can play better with some of our zone principles, pattern reading, those types of things. But all in all, it’s been sound.”

What he has seen from Georgia skill players, Zachariah Branch specifically

“Still really talented. Got speed, playmakers. Branch is a guy that’s played at a high level, has experience, played really well here the first couple of games, dynamic in the return game as well. He poses a big test for us.”

Having a high transfer hit rate, why Tennessee has had success in the portal

“Yeah, through the recruiting process, the portal recruiting is sped up. I think our personnel and staff, our coaches have done a great job background identifying the traits that we look for in recruiting. Not just portal guys, but high school guys as well. And have been able to attract the right player and the right type of kid here. I also think our leadership here is a big part of that too and helping on board those guys and get them going in the right direction right away.”

Keeping Tennessee grounded after 2-0 start

“Previous Saturday has nothing to do with what’s going to happen or transpire the following Saturday. Nothing good or bad follows with you. You got to learn from your lessons and your preparation practice, take you to a position where you’re ready to go play at a high level. And in this one, the details are going to matter. And that comes in your fundamentals, your technique, your eye discipline, everything post-snap can be really important.”

If this game being much earlier than it has been changes their preparation at all

“Yeah, I think all of your early season games, we talked about it before week one after week one too, but even at this point there’s less current video of what they’re doing so communication adjustments are important in this one.”

Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar being in the huddle late in the ETSU game when he wasn’t playing

“Great teammate. That’s who he’s been from the time that he got here developing relationships. 
As he was first onboarding into our program and certainly a guy that cares about the guys that are around him. And you go cheer on the other quarterbacks, the other young guys, they’re getting an opportunity. Speaks to who we know them to be on a day-to-day basis. And I think that’s important in your leadership from your team.”