Q: The Tennessee offense has gotten most of the attention during Heupel's tenure, but there's no question that the defense leads this team. What makes that group so dominant?
A: The run defense has been great all year. Heupel has made it a priority to recruit defensive players hard, especially since the 2022 season, and that’s the biggest difference in this team and previous Heupel teams. The front seven have put every team they have faced in a position where they have to throw the football if they want to move downfield. Tennessee’s secondary isn’t great, but the pressure they get up front makes a world of difference compared to past teams.
Q: James Pearce Jr. is one of the nation's very best pass-rushers. Is there anything you can do as an offense to slow him down?
A: You could double team him and hope that slows him down, but that’s what has made Tennessee’s defensive line so great this season. That forces offenses to either block one-on-one with one of the best pash rushers in the country or give one of Tennessee’s other pash rushers a chance to rush the quarterback. Pearce might not be having his best season statistically with sacks and TFLs but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t consistently been the best player on the field and an impact player for the Vols defense.
Q: If you had to try and gameplan to attack the Tennessee defense, what would you do?
A: That’s tough, but the biggest thing an offense needs is a mobile quarterback. That has been one of Tennessee’s biggest areas of weakness, so using a mobile quarterback to move the ball through the air and on the ground is the first step. If you can catch Tennessee’s secondary on an off night then that’s step two. It’s going to be hard for virtually any team in the country to consistently run the ball, so you are going to have to be able to throw the ball and take advantage of Tennessee’s aggressive defense. Mobile quarterbacks have excelled in the passing game against Tennessee so far this season, so I would use my quarterback’s legs to my advantage and try to push the ball down the field through the air. And keep the ball away from Will Brooks.
Next: Q&A cont.