What Josh Heupel said after No. 10 Tennessee's 56-0 win at Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE — What Josh Heupel said after No. 10 Tennessee’s 56-0 win over Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville Saturday night: 

Opening Statement

“It was a good win for us tonight. I do want to start out just by thanking our fans. They were fantastic tonight, showed out in droves. A night where it was not the prettiest weather, they stayed. We feel them and appreciate them. Man they’ve been on this journey with us this season, but really over the last two years. We appreciate their support. Our players, it means a lot to them.

“I love the way that our kids responded and finished the regular season. It’s been a long time since we’ve won 10. It’s something that we talked about this week. It was important to go finish the right way. Our guys did that.

“Defensively they responded in a really positive way. They’re a prideful group and played a lot better football this week.

“I know there’s been a lot of talk outside of our program, just from different people, about what the culture is inside our locker room. When I got here two years ago nobody thought we’d win 10 by this point, but there were 30+ kids that left this program. This group chose to stay. They bought into me, they bought into our staff, they bought into the culture, the connection inside our locker room that we were going to build and they built it. They only did that by working hard, competing together and then competing for one another. We’ve been far from perfect, and that starts with me. I’ll tell you what, this group loves one another and that’s why we’ve turned this program in the right direction. The future is bright. I’ll go to battle with these guys any day, anywhere.”

The defensive success, who they did on the long runs later in the game

“Defensively a week ago all three levels playing together, gap integrity. A lot of what we saw tonight were things that we had seen a week ago. We didn’t play our best football. We didn’t play assignment, alignment and technique. Tonight we did. We made plays. We were physical. You’ve got to defeat blocks, we did that.

“It’s a group that at the end of the day was disappointed in the way that they played and you could feel that early in the week. They prepared and played really good football.

“Offensively, the big runs…the weather was tough tonight and I thought our offensive line took over the football game in the second half as far as what we were doing offensively. We were able to create big runs. Our running backs stepped through something typically in the first or second level, third level early and did a great job of extending the play.

“I thought we blocked cleaner up front in the second and created those big plays.”

Playing shorthanded in the secondary due to injuries

“There were a lot of guys that were out tonight. Defensively obviously we were missing three guys that probably started a week ago. Guys played different positions and played them well. Offensively we were missing a bunch of guys that weren’t able to play in this one. Next man up. Competed hard. Proud of the effort. Nobody batted an eye. When they got their opportunity they played good football.” 

What he saw from Jeremy Banks this week and if the culture was tested after what happened at South Carolina

“He was purposeful and wanted to play well. It meant something to play with the guys around him.

“Yeah, sure (the culture was tested). In the way that we were highly disappointed in how we played a week ago. How do you handle adversity man? It matters. This football team, like this program, has faced a ton of adversity in the last two and a half years. These kids have handled it the right way. That does not mean that we play perfect each week, obviously. But they handle adversity. They fight and they regroup and they come back. 

Scoring in 55 seconds on the first possession, setting the tone

“It set the tone for the first series but you still have to go out and get a stop. You’ve got to come back and create momentum on top of that. The weather pattern, we knew it was going to get rougher during the course of the ball game, the wind would probably pick up. I felt like we wanted to take the football first and try to create some big plays. Some of what we do in the RPO game and that type of thing, the weather had a factor on it. You’re in the belly, the ball is getting wet as you’re riding the back. I thought Joe did a really good job of taking care of the football tonight. We created some big plays. There were a couple of things that he’d like to have back, but all in all, with everything going on tonight I thought he played well.”

The signs he saw this week that the culture would help this Tennessee team recover from last week

“You guys heard me say I was disappointed, right? And we were real honest in the locker room after the football game last week. Everybody knows it was an opportunity that was lost. Nobody to blame but ourselves, and it starts with me, our staff and our players. Highly disappointed in the outcome of that football game. But that happens because our competitive spirit wasn’t what it needed to be to be dialed in in everything that you’ve got to do. At the same time, you talk about resetting all the time. You’re only as good as your next one. For the coaches, it’s done on Sunday when you get in the office. You’ve got to flip forward. For players, on Monday they’ve got to go watch the tape. You could feel that it hurt. By the time we got on the grass (at practice) on Tuesday, guys were bouncing around and we had good practices. And we were good in the meeting room. You combine that, then you have an opportunity to do a lot, play a lot better football. It doesn’t guarantee it, but it puts you in a position to.”

Having Hendon Hooker on the sideline, around the team this week

“I think it’s important for our football team that Hendon is around. Leadership doesn’t change just because you’re not the guy taking the snaps. Your influence doesn’t change. But I think it’s important for Hendon, too, to be around the guys. To see him dancing the locker room with the guys afterward. He’s a huge part of the culture of this program, the success that we’ve had. The stamp of him will be felt and on this program forever.”

Which Tennessee players spearheaded the effort to rebound from last week

“There are a bunch of guys that spearhead that. But at the end of the day, the culture is everybody. Like I said, we’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. But we are true to that. And compete, man. Like I said, man, this is a group that cares. They’re prideful in how they play, but they’re prideful in what they’ve built, too. Early in the week we just challenged them. This was an important game for us. It’s about finishing, man. Everybody starts something. How do you finish? It’s a good finish to a special regular season. Special group, what they’ve done.”

How Joe Milton III handled this week

“The first thing you worry about is just turnovers, and we played pretty clean. Exchanges, no turnovers. So that’s the first part on the playing side of it. All in all, I thought he handled the game really well. During the course of the week, he stayed in his routine when he was in our building. I think that’s the way he had prepared as a backup, too. His habits really didn’t change as far as extra time spent in the building, time spent with coaches, extra preparation during meetings. He was excited for his opportunity. Has prepared for a long time to have another opportunity and prepare better.”

If he has a preference in bowl games

“Don’t have a preference at the end of the day. I’ve learned that your preference typically doesn’t come true anyway. Obviously you’ve got to sit back and watch another week of ball. For us, wherever we end up is where we end up. Look forward to competing with these guys again. Obviously feel like we’ll be in a special bowl and expect our fanbase to travel well. And for us to get ready to go play well.”

Dee Williams taking the punt back for a touchdown, using two punt returners deep

“Just what they (Vanderbilt) do on their punt unit, just felt like we needed to have two guys back there at times. Dee has been really close throughout the course of the season. A cut here or there, maybe, or the other 10 guys competing and straining. We got a chance to get one to the house tonight. Dee did a great job, but the other guys on the unit did a really great job too of creating space for him. Multiple returns. Obviously the big one that goes all the way. Squirrel (White) was back there, we trust him with the ball in his hands, too. Did a great job.”

The long touchdown runs — 50, 52, 80, 83 yards — in the second half

“Exactly how you thought it was going to happen. End of the day, we were pretty clean up front. There were a couple of pull schemes that that happened on. Up front, did a really good job on double teams but got off on the second level, too. The backs pressing the course, too, was important, just holding the backers inside. A couple of them, they stepped through some stuff too. D-Samp (Dylan Sampson) stepped through one. Jaylen Wright stepped through one, too. So it was everybody involved in those runs.”

Importance of the next few weeks with recruiting, the transfer portal opening and bowl practices

“Bowl prep is extremely important. You get a chance to kind of reset, get into fundamentals early part of it. Your vets continue to grow as you get ready and get closer to the bowl game. Your young guys, so many valuable opportunities to grow and compete. Really good things that some young guys did late in the ballgame tonight .There are obviously some things they can be a whole lot better at. The urgency of bowl preparation will be important. Obviously we’re getting ready to go finish the ’23 recruiting class here. Two years ago we talked about what we were going to do. They can see what the culture is. They can feel it. They see the connection inside the building. They understand what the coaching staff is all about. They understand this program is on solid ground and only going to continue to get better.”