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Tennessee Football Head Coach Josh Heupel Awards Game Balls Following Win Over Syracuse

Josh Heupel passes out game balls in the locker room after defeating Syracuse.
Dale Dowden|
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel during the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Vols got off to a nice start for the 2025 season after defeating Syracuse 45 to 26 in the Aflac Kickoff Game. The game was the first of two that will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Following the game, Josh Heupel addressed his team in the locker room with a direct message before awarding game balls to a few guys who not only had impactful plays, but plays that really altered the outcome.

The Message

"That... was fun, wasn't it," Heupel asked with a smile.

"I love it. Hey, all we're trying to do is be the best team every Saturday, we step on the field. That's it. That's the beginning of our journey. We get one more next week. Good teams, they keep getting? ('Better'). Great teams don't make the same mistake twice. We got a chance to have a really special group," Heupel finished.

Game Balls

The first ball would go to Jeremiah Telander.

The junior linebacker would get his hands on a tipped pass in the 3rd quarter, securing a takeaway for the Tennessee defense.

Jalen McMurray would get a shout out from the head coach, as McMurray tipped the pass that fell into the diving hands of Telander.

Nate Robinson would be the second game ball winner for a play that led to a defensive touchdown for the Vols.

The sophomore in-state DL forced a fumble that was returned for 6, by the next game ball winner, Colton Hood, a transfer DB that made multiple plays in yesterday's game.

Click here to see the footage from the locker room, which was provided by the Tennessee Football page on X.

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Dale Dowden
DALE DOWDEN

Dale Dowden is a multimedia sports writer with nearly 10 years in the recruiting field. He began covering recruiting in the Tennessee Vols market in 2019. From 2020-2022, Dale was with the Tennessee site at SI, before taking the Lead Recruiting role for VolReport on Rivals from 2023-2025.

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