No. 16 Vols focus on discipline and fundamentals during bye week

Tennessee football is in the middle of a much-needed bye week after opening the season with eight straight games. The Vols are 6-2 after dropping their game at South Carolina Saturday, and while the players and staff have put it behind them, what happened in Columbia shouldn’t be forgotten that fast.

Tennessee lost that one in the worst way possible. Penalties and mental breakdown in key moments did the damage, and knowing that simply being disciplined and mentally locked in would have changed the outcome has to be a hard thing to accept.

Oct 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and select players spoke with the media Wednesday morning. Heupel was asked whether there is ever any sign during the week that players are lacking focus and discipline, and how good practice translates to game day. His answer was short and simple.

“Guys that consistently show that they’re not gonna play smart aren’t playing on game day,” Heupel said. “So that’s the best way I can answer it. We are evaluating. We have officials out at every practice.”

People always say practice like you play. While one would not believe this team would lack focus in preparation, that just makes what took place even more mind-boggling.

Defensive back Ty Redmond said the attention to detail starts long before Saturday.

“It goes to everything,” Redmond said. “It’s just how we go about our day and how we implement it in practice. Just doing the right technique or getting our hands on the knees, not hitting the quarterback too late. Good tackle position. So we just won’t get those minor flags to set us back.”

Whatever the deal was in Columbia just came at the worst time, but it’s behind them, and nothing can change the past. What the Vols can’t do is let history repeat itself. It’s good to move on and flush, but the lessons have to remain stamped in the minds of every player.

Starting nickel and punt returner Qua Moss has moved on and is ready for Kentucky. He said what took place at South Carolina wasn’t like Tennessee at all and chalked it up to a lack of focus.

“Like I was just saying, that’s not our standard at all,” Moss said Wednesday. “We just got to come together as a group, and we got to focus. Just dialed in.”

The Vols will host No. 9 Kentucky on Nov. 7. A win and Tennessee is back in the right direction in pursuit of a playoff spot. Yes, it’s a week-to-week league, but everyone knows what the overall goal is. To reach that, a day like Saturday can’t happen again.

“We got to be perfect going out,” Moss said. “So we got to be dialed in. No more penalties. None of that.”

Redmond spoke to that as well and said the key is simply getting out of their own way.

“It’s on our mind for sure,” Redmond said. “But if we just play our brand of ball, everything’s going to work out, just not killing ourselves. So that’s really the main thing we focus on is just not Tennessee beating Tennessee. Everything else is going to work out.”

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