Josh Heupel did not limit Tennessee’s problems against Texas to one player or one position group.
The Vols’ coach started his weekly Monday afternoon press conference by taking responsibility for shortcomings against the Longhorns.
“I got to take ownership of the things that I got to do better,” Heupel said. “Our staff does as well.”
That was Heupel’s message as Tennessee began preparing for Auburn.
“There’s a lot of good,” Heupel said. “There’s a lot of things you got to get corrected. So every individual, collectively as a position group, and then ultimately as a team.”
Brandon must take advantage of opportunities
True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon faced his first SEC test against Texas, and Heupel acknowledged Brandon has played better.
But Tennessee’s focus is not simply rebuilding the freshman’s confidence.
It is helping him recognize and capitalize on opportunities that were available against the Longhorns.
Heupel pointed specifically to throws Brandon could have attempted.
“There’s windows and opportunities, timing, whatever it might be, where some of those things you gotta let rip,” Heupel said.
Brandon has yet to throw an interception, but Heupel indicated protecting the football cannot come at the expense of passing opportunities. He described that balance as part of Brandon’s development.
Heupel also stressed Tennessee has to put its young quarterback in better situations.
“You got a young quarterback, and the talent, the guys around him got to do their job at a high level,” Heupel said.
Tennessee needs more consistency up front
That responsibility extends to Tennessee’s offensive line.
Heupel said the group needs to play at a higher level for an entire game, both in pass protection and in creating movement in the run game.
But he pushed back against placing every protection issue on the five offensive linemen.
“It’s everybody involved in it,” Heupel said. “It’s tight ends, it’s backs, it’s quarterback, it’s wide receivers doing their job too.”
Tennessee also left opportunities on the field in the run game. Heupel said there were snaps where the Vols needed more movement up front and others where Tennessee created space but failed to finish the play.
That remains an emphasis entering Auburn.
“Ultimately, we got to go execute,” Heupel said. “We got to create movement.”
For the running backs, that means seeing the opening, attacking it and finishing runs. For everyone else, it means functioning together well enough for those opportunities to develop.
Auburn puts those corrections to the test
Tennessee will not have much time to work through its offensive issues before another SEC challenge.
Heupel described Auburn as a well-coached defense capable of presenting different pressures and rotations. That makes communication and recognition particularly important for an offense coming off an uneven performance.
“Identification and guys working together, have the right bodies, all going to be a big part of this football game,” Heupel said.
For Tennessee, Heupel’s message is that the same must be true for everyone around him.
