How should Tennessee fans feel about 8-4 season? Josh Heupel: 'The way that we feel'

After Tennessee finished the regular-season schedule with a 48-24 win over Vanderbilt Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, Josh Heupel was asked how fans should feel about the 8-4 record. 

The head coach answered by saying how he felt.

“They should feel the way that we feel,” Heupel said during his postgame press conference. “And when I say that, I’m proud of this group.

“They’ve worked extremely hard, they’ve prepared the right way … they continue to fight and compete.”

Tennessee’s 18 wins over two seasons the most since 2006-07

Tennessee’s eight-win season to follow the 10-win regular season a year ago is the most wins in back-to-back years since the 2006 and 2007 teams combined for 18 wins. 

Before Heupel’s arrival, only two teams had won at least eight games in the regular season —there were a pair of 8-4 regular seasons in both 2015 and 2016 — since Phillip Fulmer’s 10-win team in 2007.

Tennessee went 6-1 this season, giving the Vols 13 home wins over the last two seasons the most since the 1998 and 1999 seasons. The 13-1 record at home since the start of the 2022 season coincides with 13 straight sellouts in Knoxville. 

This season started with a capacity crowd in Nashville for a 49-13 win over Virginia at Nissan Stadium on September 2. Tennessee struggled a week later in a 30-13 win over Austin Peay in the home opener, then lost as a touchdown favorite at Florida after digging a 26-7 hole in the first half.

The Vols won the next three at home, against UTSA, South Carolina and Texas A&M and led 20-7 at halftime at Alabama before unraveling in the second half, losing 34-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

The bounce back included the 33-27 road win at Kentucky and a 59-3 win over UConn on Homecoming, before bottoming out with a 36-7 loss at Missouri and a 38-10 loss to Georgia. 

‘We’ve all had some disappointments … coaches, me, everybody’

What Heupel didn’t shy away from Saturday night was acknowledging the disappointments along the way. 

“Every Saturday is different,” he said. “And we’ve all had some disappointment. Everybody in that locker room — coaches, me, everybody — when we don’t end up on the right side of the scoreboard, man, there’s disappointment in that.

“This group has never walked out the field not thinking they were gonna win.”

After being asked how Tennessee fans should view this season, Heupel was asked if he likes the status of the program after his third season. 

“I’m really proud of where we started,” he said, “where we’re at, where we gotta continue to fight to go get to, but absolutely.”