Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel didn’t sound like someone coming off a 21-point road win over a Power-4 opponent on Monday during his weekly press conference.

I don’t want to say Heupel was annoyed or mad, but he certainly wasn’t “jolly.”

And he definitely sent a message about Tennessee’s next game.

Josh Heupel isn’t looking past Kennesaw State

The Vols will host Kennesaw State on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium before starting SEC play in Week 4 against Texas.

Many of us — fans and media — are looking at the Kennesaw State game as a “tune up game” for the Volunteers.

But Heupel isn’t.

In fact, Heupel seemed to take offense to the idea that Kennesaw State is a “tune up game” for Tennessee.

“It’s not a tune up,” said Heupel on Monday when asked about Kennesaw State being a tune up game. “You better show up every Saturday. You look at the scores (in college football) and the media, your family, your girlfriend, or whoever, might want to pigeonhole you, but you decide, collectively, who you are as a team.”

“You can look at the scores every week — you better get ready to go play when the ball is teed up. You better be playing at your best. The game unfolds how it unfolds, but you better prepare to go play for 60 minutes.”

You gotta love that mentality if you’re a Vols fan. If Tennessee plays to their standard, they should be playing the third stringers by the fourth quarter against Kennesaw State.

But the Vols aren’t going to win just because they have a Power T on their helmet. Tennessee has to go earn it on the grass against Kennesaw State just like they do against any other opponent.