What Tennessee Football Coach Josh Heupel Said About the Vanderbilt Rivalry

What the Tennessee Volunteers college football coach had to say about losing to Vanderbilt last season.

Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea during the NCAA college football game against Tennessee on Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers have multiple tasks this season that they would like to accomplish. After finishing last year in a disappointing way, all eyes are on the Vols, as they have the hopes of turning things back around.

The Vols have a talented squad and will have the chance to do so, but they will need to win as many games as they can. One of the games that they will be looking to win this year, even though they lost it last year, is the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores. This is a game that left a sour taste in the mouths of the majority of the fans, as well as the players and staff.

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel was quick to discuss the disappointment of losing against the Commodores last season when he was asked about it during his SEC Media Day session. Here is what he had to say about the game last season, along with a message about playing them this season.

Josh Heupel Talks Vanderbilt Rivalry

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea watches football pro day at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 20, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"You don't ever want to lose Vandy. It's one of our rivals. So, you know, you look at that football game, the play right before half where we get hit with a penalty, gives them an extra play they score seven to tie it up, and, a couple possessions later, a few key plays and you're chasing from behind. So, really good football team last year, disappointed in that result, disappointed in really how we played in that second half. But looking forward to traveling to Nashville later in the season and getting an opportunity playing them again," Josh Heupel stated when discussing how things played out against the Vanderbilt Commodores a season ago.

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