What Josh Heupel said after No. 17 Tennessee's 56-34 win at Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — What head coach Josh Heupel said during his postgame press conference after No. 17 Tennessee’s 56-34 win over Kentucky Saturday night at Kroger Field:

Opening Statement 

“Proud of our guys, the way they competed, coming on the road, getting a win. It’s a (Kentucky) team that took Texas to overtime a week ago, has lost some close ones. So in that way, really pleased with the performance. Offense, defense, both units, there’s things that we can certainly clean up as well. And we’ll need to as we keep going through conference play. You look at the turnovers early defensively, changed the way the game was played. Some of the explosive plays in the pass game certainly did that as well.” 

What makes Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar so effective on deep balls

“He’s calm. He does have really good touch. He trusts his wide receivers. He’s got good rapport with them. Protection, for most of it, has been really good too. Tonight, throughout the course of it, tonight he does a really good job sliding the pocket on one and delivering it. So it’s a combination of his fundamentals, he has a strong arm but it’s a catchable ball, too. And so all of it together. I thought he saw the field really well tonight, too.”

What can be done at this point in the season to fix a Tennessee defense that struggles to tackle, if it’s fixable eight games into the season

“Well, it is (fixable). It comes down to fundamentals. It’s body position — that is tackling. And some of it’s pulling your pin, too. And there’s a couple times tonight where we don’t do that. The big screen, the perimeter screen off a run, that’s a big play early for a touchdown, we just did it wrong and got two guys in the gap, essentially, with each just coming over the top. 

So it is correctable. It is correctable at this point. That comes down to fundamentals.”

Being upset with Tennessee’s defense during his halftime interview with the SEC Network

“Man, I don’t know if my tone was that way or not. I’m going to be honest. 

I just felt like offensively and defensively in the first half, there’s things that we control that we can play cleaner. And it’s alignment, assignment, fundamentals, technique, execution. Defense has two big turnovers that changed the way the game is played. The two explosives, man, inside fade versus man, we can match that out. We got bad fundamentals and technique on the perimeter screen. I think it was 21 they had a half, right? We gave up one real drive and gave up two big explosive plays that don’t need to take place.”

What he saw from Tennessee’s defense in the second half 

“The group is competitive. They compete the same way no matter what the scoreboard is. I do love and appreciate that about them. You got 30 more minutes of ball, so let’s go play the way that we’re capable of. And you start fast and change the way the game is played. And we’re able to do that. Get in stop, go score, and change it. The two-minute drive at the end of the first half was big, and it started to fast in the third quarter was.”

If Joey Aguilar has hit his ceiling yet

“He has not. He’s eight games into this. You watch the video, you talk to him, you feel like he’s made up of the right things, but you still don’t know what you got until the lights come on. The balls on the tee and he’s super composed. Never too high, never too low. Fierce competitor, very tough mentally, physically, emotionally. Very within himself and those are winning traits.”

Tennessee’s combo of David Sanders at right tackle and Jesse Perry at right guard

“It’s how they had worked during training camp. Obviously, David gets hurt and Jesse had worked at guard and tackle and Wendell had worked on both sides and the duration, or the extended time, that David was out made it tough early to go right back to that and play extended time. David’s played really well and has had a really good couple weeks of practice and ultimately started it that way this week and we got great trust in all those guys. (William) Satt(erwhite) at center. Sham, all of them. You guys hear me say this and you guys probably are like some of our young guys don’t necessarily believe me but you’re going to need them all as you go through this league.”

What he saw out of Tennessee’s Jadon Perlotte and Edwin Spillman with Arion Carter out

“AC (was a) game time decision. Could have played, just felt like ball and turn probably wasn’t the right thing. And some other guys got some play. I think they did some things really well. Perlotte made some big plays, huge sack in the fringe plus-30, 35 area knocks them out of scoring territory. He’s got fumble recovery. Edwin did some really good things fitting the run. There’s some things that collectively as a group in the second level, I’m not sure we played as well as we’re capable of too, but solid performance.”

The importance of Tennessee getting a touchdown before halftime

“Again, it changes the way the game is played. That combined with what we do in the second half. And it was a good response drive by the offense and some critical plays and throws by Joey and the skill guys. And then the big time throw and catch on the touchdown with limited time right there to get seven out of it.”

If it changed momentum of the game, how Tennessee played in the second half

“I’m not sure that it completely changes the momentum. It pushes the score back up, and then starting fast in the third quarter. Getting a stop and offensively going and  scoring, well now that does. And your ability to heavy run, play action pass, it changes what we were going to see defensively and changes what you’re able to do offensively.”