What Josh Heupel said after Tennessee Football's first scrimmage of fall camp

What Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during his press conference Saturday morning after the Vols held their first scrimmage of fall camp at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement 

“Great to be out here inside the stadium for scrimmage. As close to a game day environment as we’re going to get before we kickoff here in a few weeks. A lot of good. A lot of things to learn from, too. Got situational football in, which is good for everybody, in particular quarterbacks. But excited to go watch the tape.

“I also wanted to say this, too. You guys can see we got a ton of families that are here for today’s scrimmage, so appreciate all of them coming by and it’s always great to get our entire family together.”

How Tennessee’s quarterbacks benefitted form being in the scrimmage setting in Neyland Stadium

“Yeah, it’s as close to game day (as we can get). We try to make practice like game day when we get into our team periods — how we function, operate, make it game-day like (with) officials, that type of thing. But this is as close as you’re going to get. So them having to own it. Controlled situations, unique situations that come on just in the normal football flow. And the situations that we put them in. Four-minute (drill), coming out today. So football awareness and control and everything.”

How they performed in those situations 

“Overall, there’s a few things that we can clean up at quarterback, but really on both sides of the football too, some subtle details. Which, at this point in training camp, you’re constantly growing and pushing to go master the details of the game. And that doesn’t just end during training camp. Good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. And these guys have had a good mindset, have grown each day. But we got a lot more that we got to get to before we get to kickoff.”

Tennessee players being out during practice and the scrimmage 

“Your practice habits matter in keeping guys healthy. Some of it you can’t control. Guys have continued to push and take advantage of their opportunities. During the course of the season, game day from week to week, there’s an ebb and flow, and next guys got to be ready to go. 

“And our guys that have been out, some of those guys are coming back. I like what they’ve done in particular in our walkthroughs, the detail of it. But as a football team, we just got to continue to grow.” 

If the number of players being out changes the way they evaluate fall camp

“Well, I think you understand the totality of what’s going on in the situations that they’re put in. But in each phase of the game, it truly is the details. And that’s for all 11 guys continuing to grow. The guys that didn’t get that rep, one of the things we talked about is not making the same mistake twice. And if you want to be elite, you learn from guys that made a mistake that you weren’t in on and are playing your position. And I like the growth that we’ve seen. There’s a lot more out there for us still.”

If the picture is any clearer with Tennessee’s quarterbacks

“I’m not naming a starter today, but all three of those guys have shown some really good characteristics of doing some special things with the ball. Also managing the game, eliminating negatives. And there’s some things that each of them collectively as a group, we got to get better at. And that’s always the nature of this point in training camp.”

Joey Aguilar spending the summer learning the offense, how he has executed during camp 

“With what we’re doing offensively in our installs, from protections to run games, controlling it, and what he’s seen on the other side of the football, how multiple he’s been here in the early part of training camp, I really like overall what he’s done. There’s still more for him within the structure and the details of it, but I like what he’s done.”

If they adjusted reps in the scrimmage based on any progress made in the quarterback competition so far

“We haven’t got a chance to go watch tape …I don’t anticipate us dramatically changing the reps right now.”

Where this team is at this point in camp, where he wants to see progress 

“There has been good growth. Practices have been competitive. They’ve been physical, good fundamental and technique growth, which ultimately leads you to be in a position to go make play plays in all phases of the game. We still have a lot left individually and collectively by unit, to continue to be our best. So a growth mindset and let’s continue to push.”

If receivers Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews were involved in the scrimmage 

“Braylon was not. Mike was. Mike did a good job today. He’s been with us the last couple of days.” 

If Boo Carter was involved in Tennessee’s scrimmage on Saturday morning

“When we started training camp and I talked to you guys, there were steps that he had to take to continue to earn his place in the scope of what we’re doing as a football team. He has taken those steps. He’s continued to grow. I like what he’s been able to do here, in particular the last four days. What’s going to transpire, it’s a day to day. We’re taking it day to day at this point, I guess is the best way to say … Boo was involved in what we’re doing (in the scrimmage).”

Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy (ACL) returning to the practice field 

“Yeah, cool moment for Jermod. Big moment getting back on the field, doing some of the individual work. It was cool to see the way his brothers were excited for him in that moment and how big that was, too. He broke us down before practice. And he’s done an elite job throughout his rehab, and there’s still more that he’s got to continue to do, but excited to get him back out with us.”

What makes him believe George MacIntyre can win the job, his development

“Well, I think George— we challenged him post spring ball in some of the areas that he had to grow, some of that physical, some of that fundamental and technique. You’ve seen a lot of that growth from him, and you’ve seen his level of play be dramatically different than where we finished spring ball. And that’s from day one of training camp, he’s had good presence, good control of what we’re doing. There’s some areas that he’s going to have to continue growing, as all of our players have to do at this point. But I really like what George has done so far.”

If he liked what he saw from Tennessee’s banged-up receiver group

“Yeah, overall, I thought they made a few plays. There’s some more plays that are there to make, but they operated relatively efficiently in the confines of what we’re doing offensively. And for them, there’s some subtle details in how they operate, that this is as close as they get to game day too. Which is going to be a great learning experience from them. But overall, I really like what they’ve done.”

How David Sanders has handled the weight he’s added

“I thought David has done a really good job, eight practices in throughout training camp. I thought today, he handled himself extremely well. Really good player in spring ball. Continue to grow mentally and physically and then the fundamentals and technique too. So here through the early part of training camp, he’s done a really good job for a young football player expecting him to play at a really high level.”

On his takeaways from the defense

“I like how hard they are playing. We use the word attack playing through the echo of the whistle, how they’re running the football. The ability to not go one for one out in space and in the core, block destruction. For us, in the details of what we’re doing, from a shift, trade, motion, whatever it may be, all three levels, communicating, being on the same page would been solid, but there’s more growth for us on a play in, play out basis right now with ones, twos and threes. But they’ve had a great mindset and they continue to grow.”

Where Tennessee is with the center competition

“Still a competition. Ultimately, you know who to start with. Five are moving pieces. Find the best five that fit cohesively together at that position. Multiple guys got to be ready to go play and potentially have some moving parts as far as guys sliding from center to guard, guard to tackle, whatever it might be. Those guys have repped extremely hard. They’re playing hard. They’re playing well as a group with the moving pieces too. The communication, I think, has been really solid but we’re eight practices in. There’s a lot more for us to continue to get to.”

If he’s seen a step forward from Tennessee RB Star Thomas from spring to now

“A dramatically different player. Just his body, his movement, explosiveness, his physicality with the ball and without the ball. Some of the details and fundamentals that it takes— pass protection, special teams as well. He’s done an elite job from end of spring ball to where we are practice eight.”

Edwin Spillman’s scrimmage 

“Edwin made a couple plays behind the line of scrimmage. He’s taken a step as a leader. He’s taken a step in his understanding and ownership of what we’re doing defensively. His ability to communicate at all three levels on the same page. Young player that’s only going to continue to get better. He pushes extremely hard every day to go chase his best.”