During the Tennessee Vols' loss to the Florida Gators in Week Two, ESPN's Chris Fowler pointed out that UT quarterback Joe Milton has never thrown a touchdown while on the move in college. 

After the Vols' loss to Florida, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was asked about the importance of a quarterback's ability to make plays while on the move. 

"Extending plays is a big part of any offense in today's game," said Heupel. "Because of what you're facing up front, the pressure packages that you're inevitably going to see. The ability to move and make plays with your feet is a part of the game. That can be tucking it [and] running it, it can also be extending it and making plays outside of the pocket where you're throwing the football down the field."

On Saturday evening, after Tennessee's 45-14 win against UTSA, Heupel was a little more direct in suggesting that Milton needs to improve at making plays while on the move. 

“Want him to continue to make plays, [he's] going to have to use his feet," explained Heupel. "You saw it tonight in the run game. As we go into our drop back pass game, he’s going to have to work the pocket, climb the pocket and escape and make plays with his feet. Extend and make plays with his arm. That will be critical as we continue to go. Need him to take great care of the football. There’s still a level of efficiency that we can get to in our passing game. I’m saying that to Joe, it’s our wideouts, it’s our tight ends. It’s all that together that we can take another jump.”

Milton opened the game against UTSA on Saturday with an 81-yard touchdown run on Tennessee's first play from scrimmage. 

The 81-yard run was an example of the explosiveness that Milton can provide with his legs. Milton, however, rushed for just eight more yards against UTSA after his long touchdown run. 

So far, it appears that Milton is much more likely to find success on the ground when it's a designed run (whether that's him keeping it on a zone-read or just a straight designed quarterback run) as opposed to when he's forced from the pocket. 

Joe Milton said he was about to jump from the 5 on his 81 yard TD run but he said he could hear Josh Heupel in his mind saying “don’t do it” ? pic.twitter.com/wXez8oB2LI

— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 24, 2023

For now, Milton's biggest issue seems to be knowing when to climb the pocket and/or when to take off running. That's an element that Hendon Hooker brought to Tennessee's offense last year that we just haven't seen from Milton this season. 

And it's clear from Heupel's words that it's an area where Milton has to improve as the Vols approach a tough stretch of conference games that will have a massive impact on how Tennessee's 2023 season is viewed. 

Milton acknowledged after the game on Saturday that he's been watching film of guys like Cam Newton in an effort to improve his ground game. The 81-yard run against UTSA was a nice start, but Milton needs to show better improvisation skills with key games against South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Alabama on deck. 

Josh Heupel sends message to true freshman after tough mistake during Vols’ win against UTSA

It was a tough break for the true freshman

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports