Josh Heupel points out two areas where Tennessee Vols need to improve in 2023
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel pointed out two areas where his team needs to improve in 2023 during an interview with a Jacksonville radio station at SEC Media Days last week. Heupel joined 1010 XL Jax Sports Radio last Thursday and he admitted that Tennessee needs to be better on defense. Specifically, Heupel wants […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel pointed out two areas where his team needs to improve in 2023 during an interview with a Jacksonville radio station at SEC Media Days last week.
Heupel joined 1010 XL Jax Sports Radio last Thursday and he admitted that Tennessee needs to be better on defense. Specifically, Heupel wants to see the Vols improve their third-and-long defense and their pass defense.
"Third and long defense [and] pass defense," said Heupel when asked what it will take for Tennessee to have a "championship defense" in 2023.
"Now that doesn't just happen because of your secondary," continued Heupel. "Pass defense is all 11. You have to be able to rush the passer. We've gotten better fundamentally — Coach (Rodney) Garner and Coach (Mike) Ekeler — we've added athleticism….the other thing is we've gotta be healthy."
Heupel has only been at Tennessee for two seasons, but he's already quickly earned the trust of Vols fans in the sense that when he says his team needs to improve in an area, they typically do.
Tennessee wasn't great in 2021 at converting short yardage situations. The Vols were much improved in that area in 2022, often breaking out special short yardage packages in those situations (for all of the talk about UT's spread offense, there were several times when the Vols featured a fullback in 2022).
The Volunteers also improved their third down defense during Heupel's first two seasons.
Tennessee allowed opponents to convert third downs 42 percent of the time in 2021. In 2022, that number dropped to 34 percent.
It was the third-and-long situations where Tennessee surprisingly struggled last season, which goes hand in hand with the Vols' poor pass defense (UT's pass defense was ranked No. 127 in the nation last season). At one point it was a running joke among Vols fans that a third-and-12 situation was an advantage for Tennessee's opponents.
Everyone knows Tennessee can score points at a ridiculous pace. If they can put just an average defense on the field, then the Vols could be ready to dominate in 2023.
There were times last season when the Vols' defense played at a high level. And those games ended up being blowout wins for Tennessee (40-13 against LSU, 44-6 against Kentucky, and 31-14 against Clemson). Once the Vols find a way to do that every week, it could be game over for the rest of the SEC.
Comment from Joe Milton should scare every defensive back on Tennessee’s schedule in 2023
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton made a comment on Thursday at SEC Media Days that should scare every defensive back on UT’s schedule in 2023
Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
