Everything Josh Heupel Said Ahead of Tennessee vs. Arkansas

The Tennessee Volunteers have another important road test as they travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on the Razorbacks. This is only the second game of the season for the Vols on the road, and only the third road test for Heupel and company thus far.

Ahead of the game between the Vols and the Razorbacks, Josh Heupel spoke with the media. Here is what he had to say.

Josh Heupel Opening Statement

“First SEC road game here coming up this week. It's a place that, historically, hasn’t had a ton of success recently as a program. Opportunity for us to continue to grow and get ready to go play a lot of physical football here on Saturday afternoon. A ton of respect for Arkansas, Year 1 (head coach Ryan Silverfield), continued growth from them. It will take us being at our best," Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on the QB Decision

“Did you draw the short straw, or what? We’ll find out as the week goes here. George (MacIntyre) came in and did some really good things. Faizon (Brandon) obviously wasn’t at his best, dealing with getting injured in the Texas game. It was affecting his game, and we’ll go through the week here. You’ll find out Saturday,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Faizon Brandon's Reaction to Being Pulled From the Game

“Yeah, I think Faizon handled it well. He was a good teammate during the course of the football game. Disappointed in that moment, but also I think he realized that he wasn’t playing his best, but major part because of what he was dealing with physically from the week before. Those guys have been great together in the room. I’m not saying they’re the best of friends hanging out outside the building, but they have been really good inside the room, on the practice field, and on game day together. So I expect that to continue as we go,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Faizon Brandon's Injury Affecting Him on Game Day

“Yeah, being limited in the early part of the week, certainly, those reps, those opportunities allow you to progress during the course of the week. I thought he did a really good job of staying engaged, getting mental reps. We were making him take drops in the early part of the week, right behind the pocket. Ultimately, just everybody together, we weren’t playing our best football early. He’s a competitor, he’s extremely tough, he’s resilient, he’s a winner, and he’ll continue to bounce back from what he was doing,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on What Faizon Brandon Needs to Do Differently

“It’s all 11, first and foremost, right? Secondly, he’s got to get back healthy. Those two things," Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Keeping the Quarterbacks Focused Narrowly

“This week is the only thing that matters. Look at scoreboards, each week is its own season. Said that to the team this week. Said it a couple of weeks ago too. That’s for everybody in our building, not just quarterbacks. It’s everybody in our building,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Dejuan Lane

"He's big and physical, absolutely. He's very athletic, great top-end speed, you know; Coach Poindexter and Coach Knowles had experience with him last year. They felt like he was continuing to grow and played his best at the end of the year. Had a lot of trust in him and where he was going as a ceiling. I wouldn't say that he has surpassed our expectations, but he is certainly playing at a really high level, and I love the growth with him understanding football schemes, how he has continued to grow as a practice player, and that's parlayed himself into playing high-level football," Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Nic Moore at Guard and Where He Thinks The Group Goes Moving Forward.

“We’re gonna need them all. Every week, things happen. I thought Nic played well during the course of the football game. Felt that way after the game when I talked to you, and then getting the chance to go back and watch it. There’s some fundamental techniques, small detail things that he can be better that will allow him and us to be able to a little bit more efficient at times. That’s true for everybody, all 11. Continuing to get better, but first action at guard, I thought he played well,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on What He Sees From Arkansas

Sep 19, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Ryan Silverfield looks on from the sideline during the second half of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, one, wide receiver's extremely explosive out on the edge. You gotta know where he’s at and limit his ability to change the way the game is played, create explosive plays. You’ve got to do a really good job bottling the quarterback up. Defensively, they’re big, thick up front. We’ve got to create movement and stay ahead of the chains, stay out of third and longs against this group," Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on the Punt Game

Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) and punter Jackson Ross (98) warming up before the starts of the college football game against Kennesaw State on Sept. 19, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Snapper did a great job, punter did a great job. But I thought we did a really good job in our cover portion of the game. Five of them, I think, inside the 11-yard line. I said to the team today, Joel Wyatt, young player that has got challenged late in training camp to take some serious steps. We have seen him grow as a practice player, compete extremely hard. Saturday was his best day on special teams in general, and in particular in that unit. Really proud of what he’s done, and it made a difference in the football game,” Heupel said.

Josh Heupel on Mike Matthews and The Rest of the Wide Receivers Playing Well

“Yeah, anytime Mike makes a big block or big play, there’s a release of energy. He’s extremely competitive. But to be at our best, we gotta get that part of it going at a higher level than we have. I love the competitive composure, the demeanor of our wide receivers. When they weren’t getting a lot of touches out on the perimeter, I thought they handled themselves like pros, like veterans, and continued to make a difference in the game however they could. Showed it to the team today, just some of the attack clips. Those guys were playing extremely hard without the ball, changed the way the game was played in the running game, too,” Heupel said.

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