Watch: Josh Heupel brings mindset to Tennessee Vols that's been missing for a long time
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is bringing a mindset to UT that's been missing for a long time — probably since Lane Kiffin was the head coach in 2009. Heupel plays aggressively. Every time the Volunteers have the ball, it's an opportunity to score points. It doesn't matter if there are only 20 seconds […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is bringing a mindset to UT that's been missing for a long time — probably since Lane Kiffin was the head coach in 2009.
Heupel plays aggressively. Every time the Volunteers have the ball, it's an opportunity to score points. It doesn't matter if there are only 20 seconds on the clock, Heupel is going to push the ball down the field and try to change the way the game is played.
The UT head coach talked a little about that philosophy this week during a "film session" that was put out by Tennessee.
"We want to be aggressive in everything we do in all three phases of the game," said Heupel.
Heupel specifically talked about a situation where Tennessee scored a field goal just before halftime against Kentucky this past season with less than 20 seconds on the game clock.
"Had an opportunity to change the way the game was played in the beginning of the second half," explained Heupel.
"[We] feel comfortable and confident in giving our guys an opportunity to function and operate in this type of setting."
This is a far cry from the Vols' offensive philosophy under previous head coach Jeremy Pruitt, who was comfortable with simply running the clock out before halftime.
"It's my opinion that if you've got the ball in the last four minutes of the first half, the number one goal should be to run the clock out," said Pruitt during an appearance on Vol Calls in late 2020.
Not trying to score points at the end of the first half against Kentucky — a game the Vols won 45-42 — could've led to a loss for Tennessee.
There are times to be conservative in football. But typically, the more aggressive team is going to win. And that's why Heupel is finding more success offensively at Tennessee than Pruitt did.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
