Tennessee is off to dominating start in 2024, but its toughest test yet awaits on Saturday night.
The No. 6 Vols (3-0), winners of their first three games by a score of 191-13, will go on the road for the first time this season at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) in a game that features a no shortage of storylines, including the return of Tennessee fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel, who won a national title as the Sooners' quarterback in 2000 and was an assistant coach there.
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The match up at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will also mark Oklahoma's inaugural SEC game since joining the league.
Ahead of kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (TV: ABC), Heupel and Sooners' head coach Brent Venables spoke on the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday.
Here's everything they said.
Opening statement
"We have an opportunity this week to go play a really good opponent on the road. I know it's going to be a great environment there. For our football team, we've had really good work on the field. Just finished up our Wednesday and I like the preparation that we have, the attention to detail right now. We've got to continue to push as we get closer to kickoff. Understand the quality of the opponent that we're getting ready to go play. Length, athleticism, all sides of the football, they do a really good job at the line of scrimmage and special teams have been good for them. For us, we've got to continue to prepare and understand that it's going to be a four quarter game and play each play independently. Get ready to go play our best."
On what having in-helmet communication as a quarterback at Oklahoma would have been like
"I'm certainly glad that we didn't have helmet communication back then, really for both (Oklahoma assistants Mike Leach and Mark Mangino). With Mike, you'd have no idea what he'd be talking about if he was in your ear and Mangino, when it wasn't going well or you did something he didn't like, probably was glad that he didn't have direct communication with me. Looking over and seeing him on the sidelines was enough for everybody, probably. And I say that out of love and respect for coach."
On using helmet communication on the road for the first time
"I know it's going to be loud. Hopefully, we want to make sure that the green dot communication is working as well as the headsets for the coaches, make sure that we're able to operate as usual. I think that in certain situations, obviously the communication helps, but when you're in a really good road environment, it's got a chance to be difficult for the quarterback to be able to hear, too."
On Nico Iamaleava experiencing road games from the sideline last season
"Throughout my career, I've always tried to take all of the young quarterbacks (on the road) and certainly, Nico (Iamaleava) was our back up last year. Have always done that to try and get those guys exposed to what it's going to be like playing in an opposing stadium. The level of consistent communication that it takes and understanding the flow of the game, the momentum swings. It is just 11 on 11 when you're between the white lines. Young guys, at times, can get overwhelmed by the momentum of the game, but from the crowd, too. Nico has got a super calm demeanor. He's got really good command and control of what we're doing, got a great presence. He's able to play each play independently. That's what you've got to do in this football game. You go on the road, the little things add up to all of the big things that everybody sees. So, we've tried to replicate that here in our practices and know that it's going to be a great environment in Norman."
On first workout for Oklahoma coaching staff in 1999
"I probably was a little pasty. I was hiding in hibernation in the early part of my life. But when we got (to Oklahoma), I certainly had to continue to grow as a player. I might have always had a little wobble on my ball. The staff there, Mike (Leach) and obviously the strength staff there, did a great job of helping me transform, but really our entire football roster."
On seeing departure from Oklahoma as 'blessing in disguise'
"Absolutely. Proud of a lot of what we did and what I was a part of while we were there. I wouldn't change anything. I'm fortunate and blessed to be here. Absolutely love it on Rocky Top and have had an opportunity to meet so many great people along the way that have impacted me. But also, Oklahoma impacted me that way, too. From a player, the relationships that I got with teammates, fellow coaches as a coach and as a player, too. It was a great journey and I wouldn't be here without everything that happened at Oklahoma."
On what stood out about Brent Venables as a coach and facing his defenses every week
"There's so many things that I learned from Brent. As a player, you saw his energy and his passion. His focus everyday. Super consistent inside of the building and in the meeting room. His preparation, the detail that he had in his preparation and how he poured into his players. I saw those same things as a coach working with him there as well. Brent has had a huge impact on my career."
On the lessons he learned from Venables and applied to his own coaching career
"Brent's got great attention to detail and has the ability to relate to his players extremely well while still pushing them to be their best. Those are things that absolutely stick with me."
On playing through an elbow injury during the second half of 2000 season
"(The arm) still doesn't look right if you look at it closely. There were a couple of other nicks and bruises, too that cause me some problems at the end of the year. But, you know, that team in general, the ability for guys to be resilient and play through what ever they were going through is part of why we were able to go win a championship."
On challenges of facing Oklahoma's defensive line
"Strong, explosive power. Speed off of the edges. They play with great fundamentals and technique. They strain really hard. Their second and third level is doing a good job of playing off of what's happening up front, as well. They've been really good against the run. They've got really good talent, but you can tell that it's been developed, too."
Brent Venables dishes on Vols, relationship with Heupel
Venables has had a front row seat to Heupel's career.
The two arrived at Oklahoma the same year with Venables joining Bob Stoops' staff as a co-defensive coordinator and Heupel arriving as a transfer quarterback in 1999.
One year later, the Sooners won their seventh national championship in program history and, so far, their last. Heupel joined the staff as a graduate assistant and then later as the quarterbacks coach and co-offense coordinator until 2014.
Here is everything Venables said about Heupel, Oklahoma's SEC opener and facing Tennessee.
On facing Tennessee in first SEC game
"Really excited to go into conference play. Historical on many fronts. Joining a new conference, being our first SEC game. Two highly ranked teams. Tennessee, as a I said yesterday in our press conference, is playing as good of football as anybody in college football. I love how our team has been tested. Improved last week, coming off of a win against Tulane, led by our defense, who is playing at a really good level right now. I love the adversity that our offensive players had to go through, especially our quarterback, Jackson Arnold. Threw a pick six. Loved his toughness and how he responded in the last quarter and a half of that game. Again, great challenge this week for us. As I said yesterday, again, Tennessee's defense hasn't given up, counting their bowl game, a touchdown in 16 quarters. Just playing outstanding, led by their front. They've done a really nice job helping their younger players transition and I think they've fortified their offensive line, as well in the offseason.
"They're playing at a really high level. Their quarterback is incredibly confident and comfortable, and tremendous skill around him. Josh has done a fantastic job around him. No surprise. Incredibly well coached and aggressive. We're going to have to play really well on Saturday night."
On what stood out about Heupel as a quarterback
"I think just his best quality was his poise, his control, belief in the players around him. Just as consistent of a player that I've been around. You know, the 2000 season, many people probably on the outside don't know this, but he spent the back-half of the year injured. His throwing arm, his elbow was as big of a watermelon, swollen up to at times, the last probably five or six games. The way he managed that, his toughness really incredible."
On Heupel's coaching career
"He just always had great humility. You know, loved the locker room. Loved the staff room. Just always wanted to learn. Really eager to understand defense, even more so. He was just a sponge. In order to be a sponge, you've got to posses great humility. He is one of the most humble people that I've been around."
On if what makes Tennessee's offense difficult to defend
"The pace and the vertical challenge from the get-go to put great pressure on you defensively. Those two things in particular. They run the ball really, really well. They've got great balance. Again, rushing for over 300 yards per game. Passing for two or 300 yards a game. Really, those three qualities is what I think are the best parts of their offense."
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