Tennessee came away with a big road win versus Georgia Tech, and coach Josh Heupel was upbeat in his postgame press conference from Bobby Dodd Stadium.
He touched on what needs to improve before the SEC games looming ahead, but praised players and coaches who contributed to the 45-24 win.
Each week, Knox News brings you the postgame press conferences live, as well as our new Volunteer State Postgame Live show with instant reaction and questions from fans like you. Catch it all on knoxnews.com or youtube.com/knoxnews after the final whistle.
Here's everything Heupel said Sept. 12 after the game:
Josh Heupel's opening statement
At the end of the day, you can look around the country and understand that every week is its own entity, its own week. I'm proud of our team for coming here,
getting a win and playing the way that we needed to ultimately end up on the right side of the scoreboard.
Obviously, there's a bunch of things to clean up. Special teams early. Offensively, some of the penalties changed the way the game was played. Defensively, a lot of really solid things, and then the second half wasn't up to the standard. Certainly, the fourth-quarter penalties were not very good. That's multiple phases of the game.
I'm disappointed in that, but I've also learned and understand that you better appreciate every win, too. So, I'll open it up for questions.
On running back Daune Morris
Q: Can you talk about Daune Morris? He had the late touchdown, but also had three carries for 29 yards on that drive late in the first half.
Heupel:Yeah. Young guy that, through the course of spring, you guys know that we have liked, I've liked, where he's grown, matured and what he's done. Through training camp as well. So, not surprised with anything that he did tonight, and I say that as a compliment to him. He's ready to play at a really high level. Love what we saw from him.
On Tennessee's response to momentum swings
Q: The momentum of this game was pretty up and down throughout. Do you feel like you learned anything?
Heupel:Welcome to college football. Go play the next play.
Every week's its own identity. You can look across the country and see scores. If you want to try to compare scores, that's just not real. This game comes down to a call, a play, a six-inch step, communication. It's hard.
At the end of the day, pleased to get a win here. There is so much that we have to learn from. If we take ownership of that as a staff and as players, then we have a chance to gain ground and become a better football team.
Q: How do you think your team reacted when there were opportunities when it looked like Georgia Tech could get back into the game?
Heupel:I thought the competitive composure, the look in their eye, they went and played the next play. That's something that I stress, we stress.
If you want to look at the scoreboard early, that's not real. You just have to keep plugging away and keep playing. Each play is a play that will change the way the game is played. It can be the difference in the game. You've got to fight to be on the right side of it, knowing perfection is probably not attainable in this game.
On ignoring predictions and point spreads
Q: Do you talk to your team before games – before the game, do you reference games like what happened with Oklahoma State and Oregon today? Because your team was a big favorite coming in. Everyone is picking them. .. Are you pretty transparent about, the elephant in the room says this, but look at what's going on?
Heupel:Yeah. If you want to get caught up in looking at the ticker on the bottom of the TV and the prediction, point spread, percentage of chance to win and all that, whatever, you're going to get your butt beat.
It comes down to your preparation. It comes down to being dialed into your game plan, being on the competitive edge every day during the week, gaining the ground that you need to, and certainly at the end of the week your competitive spirit to go play.
Our guys hear it all the time. We've got to be the same competitor every day inside our building and certainly on game day, too.
I've referenced it in the locker room, too. That's also why you have to appreciate wins. It's not always perfect, but you better appreciate them, too.
On quarterback Faizon Brandon's first road start
Q: What did you see from Faizon Brandon tonight?
Heupel:The stat sheet's not going to be elite. I actually really liked the way he played the game.
I thought he was composed. He handled himself in situational football pretty well. First game on the road, 18 years old, handled himself well, took care of it. He scrambled and made some plays.
There's a couple things that he's going to learn from and get better from, but all in all, really good. He had a great look, demeanor. He's been consistent in that way.
On Jeremiah Telander's development at edge
Q: With Jeremiah Telander, you've used him on the edge the past couple weeks. What makes him suited to do that more physically and mentally?
Heupel:Tough. Relentless. Plays with fundamentals and technique. He's smart, understands what we're doing defensively. High level of communication. Understands what he's seeing on the other side of the ball.
Obviously, a big-time pick when he was dropping tonight. He's a big asset to us.
Q: How hard is that transition for a guy?
Heupel:I think the fundamentals and technique early in that teaching pattern, he realized and recognized that he had to spend time on that.
Our defensive staff, Coach Knowles, Coach Inge, Coach Brautigam, Coach AJ, all of those guys, they've done a really good job of cross-training and developing that part of the game. Intentional in our individual periods to get those guys comfortable and ready to go play there.
On Tennessee's two interceptions
Q: What did you think of those two interceptions?
Heupel:Yeah. Telander's changed the game. The swing in momentum with DeJuan, reading it, recognizing it, pulling the pin and attacking the football, was a huge, huge play in the football game.
Big-time play by him.
On defensive red-zone stops
Q: In the fourth quarter, what did you think about the stop you got after Georgia Tech's drive continued into the fourth quarter?
Heupel:Mentality on defense is give us an inch and we'll defend it. They continued to defend and play the next play.
On Tennessee's rushing attack
Q: A lot of the rushing yards came between the tackles tonight. What does that say about the toughness of your guys?
Heupel:The run game, you're fitting in. You're getting a feel for what you're seeing on the other side of the line of scrimmage. It's a little bit like a boxing match where you're feeling the opponent out.
Ultimately, the threes and fours became sixes and sevens, and then late you start popping a couple of them, too.
DaSaahn Brame had a big-time block on the last one. He's done a tremendous job growing. I thought our tight ends for most of the night did a really good job. There's some things we've got to clean up.
I'm proud of all of the offensive linemen. I'm going to say the five guys up front, but it's more like seven or eight.
On the importance of early nonconference games
Q: How important are these big nonconference games early in the season for young players?
Heupel:It's important for us to get better every single week.
You come play a quality opponent on the road. For our young guys, getting a taste of what it looks and feels like on the road will help us as we continue to go through the season and ultimately end up on the road.
There's a lot of things we've got to clean up on that side of it as a staff and as a team. But if our team is willing to take ownership, enjoy the win, and when we come back on Monday get a lot better from it, then we'll have a chance to continue to grow. That's what good teams do.
On JJ Finch's availability
Q: JJ Finch was not available?
Heupel:Yeah, just weren't available. Didn't practice through the week.
On Tennessee's fan presence in Atlanta
Q: Does it ever get lost on you when you see that amount of orange on the road?
Heupel:You know, I'm going to be honest. Bill did a bad job of reminding me. That's how I should have started tonight.
["Catching strays, buddy," followed by laughter]
But legitimately, we leave our hotel and you see nothing but orange and white on the way here. From older fans that have been here for a lot of generations to some new ones that don't know how to tie their shoes yet.
You walk into the stadium 60 minutes before kickoff, and the majority of the crowd is orange Tennessee.
It's pretty special. I've said it before, this fan base is the best in college sports. We don't take that for granted and appreciate them.
On Jackson Ross' punt block
Q: Jackson Ross talked in the preseason about studying opponents and wanting to know what every team was doing. Do you think he overthought the punt block?
Heupel:He did. Yeah. He'll learn from it. We'll be better for it.
It's the first time he's done that in his career. Those guys take a lot of pride. Sometimes you get defined by one play in the game.
We're fortunate that we overcame that play. But he'll learn from it and ultimately we've got to be better than that.
On the right side of the offensive line
Q: How would you assess the right side of your offensive line, especially having to manage injuries and different bodies rotating in?
Heupel:In general, I thought the offensive line played really good football tonight.
The right side, Jesse gets banged up late. We had a false-start penalty that was critical late in the third quarter.
But all in all, a really good night from them. It's hard to rush for 300 yards. You know what I'm saying? I was proud of those guys.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Josh Heupel's postgame thoughts Faizon Brandon, a blocked punt and those two INTs
