What Josh Heupel said about Tennessee-Syracuse on The Mike Keith Show

Everything Tennessee Football coach Josh Heupel said Thursday during his appearance on The Mike Keith Show, previewing the season opener against Syracuse on Saturday (Noon Eastern Time, ABC) in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta:

Tennessee wearing its traditional orange and white uniform as the home team against Syracuse on Saturday in Atlanta

“If the fans don’t like it, don’t blame me, blame our leadership council. Those guys are the major decision makers in what we wear from jersey to pants to cleats. I try to let them have fun and enjoy the journey in the areas that they can and the things that are going to affect the game. Certainly I’m a part of that decision. But for some of our rival games we typically are in our mainstay (uniforms), what we’ve worn for a long time. And outside of that, those guys get a chance to have a little fun with it, too.”

What keeps him up at night leading up to Tennessee’s season opener 

“First of all, I don’t have any problems sleeping. When I get an opportunity to, I got no problems sleeping. But I think in Game 1, it’s like the end of the season, when you have a long layoff, it’s penalties, it’s turnovers, securing (the ball) and going and getting it on the defensive side of the ball and special teams. The little things are always a huge part of the game. You’ve got to be on the right side of those things. That’s why we try to make practice as close to what a game situation is going to be like.”

How difficult it is to decide playing time in a season opener after watching a team go through fall camp for a month

“Well after a guy shows and proves that he’s going to be consistent — this game’s not perfect — but consistent in the way they compete, consistent in the way that they reset to the next play after a good play, after a bad play. The ability to communicate. Offensively, it signals/ Defensively, it signals and a lot of communication between all three levels of the defense. Once you understand that a guy has shown that and has the fundamentals and technique, then It’s our job to get them in a position where they can go be successful. In Game 1, but throughout the course of the season, understanding it’s not going to be perfect and being able to go play the next play that’s the only one that matters.”

Trusting Tennessee freshmen with playing time after going through spring practice, summer offseason and fall camp

“Earlier in the week got a question about all the new guys that we have. As a coach, I understand that. Man, you feel like you got so much time on task, too, that you’re confident in these guys. And there’s a ton of growth that happens in training camp, during the course of the season. But I’m excited to go play with these guys. For the guys that are running out of that tunnel to a huge crowd for the first time in their life, they’ll remember that moment forever. I’ve said it to the guys throughout this week. When you get between the white lines, it’s 11-on-11 and let’s go play hard. Let’s go play smart and go have fun.”

His excitement for Tennessee’s entire freshman class 

“They’re extremely talented. They have the physical traits that you want by position. As much as anything, it’s a very accountable group. They handle themselves with maturity at every phase of what we’ve done from winter conditioning. And beginning the installs to spring ball, how they came back from the end of spring ball to what they showed early in training camp. I said it to them when I met with them during the course of training camp, man, they did an elite job of really growing. It’s a group that loves to come in here and compete. Our veterans have done a great job with them as well. What are the standards of who we are outside the building, but inside of the building, in the meeting room? How do you prepare? And I think that’s been a huge part of their quick growth inside of our program.”

If he’s noticed any difference in Joey Aguilar since naming him Tennessee’s starting quarterback 

“I think for him, he understands that he’s going to be the guy behind center. He’s always been extremely calm, extremely confident in who he is as a person and as a player. Throughout the course of training camp, you saw continued growth from him in his decision making. I think the biggest thing that we’ve seen is just continued growth in the ownership and his presence being felt. Whenever you’re new to an offense, you’re trying to learn it. And you’re in a competition, you’re so hyper focused on that, that it’s harder to go infect and affect the guys around you. And we’ve certainly seen that here the last couple weeks.”

What he expects from Tennessee’s new-look wide receiver group against Syracuse 

“I expect them to play at an elite level. I really do. Those guys have continued to grow. It’s a relatively young group. Chris (Brazzell II) played a lot of football last year. The other guys played some or we got some true freshmen. But how they’ve competed, grown, who they’re going against every day in practice, I got great trust in those guys and I expect them to play at a really high level.”

Tennessee sophomore wide receiver Mike Matthews not seeming to be bothered by the pressure because he expects to be elite 

“He does. He expects to play at an elite level. You can only expect those things when you’ve put in the work. What he’s done since January when he got back here, just his consistency and his focus every single day. Mentally, his growth, his extra work, all of that has parlayed itself into the confidence that he has and the expectation to go play at a really high level.”

How Tennessee’s defense can set the tone against Syracuse 

“I think it would be important to win the line of scrimmage. That’s a part of putting them in third-and-long situations. Communication from all three levels, assignment sound with our eyes on our keys. And then you got to do a great job of tackling as well. So looking forward to seeing the guys in orange go play ball.”

Feeling like Tennessee’s linebackers could go from good to special this season 

“We expect our defense to play at an elite level. Our backers, that second level, they’ve done a great job with Coach Inge just understanding communication, being able to adjust what we’re doing up front, communication to the third level as well. You look at Arion Carter, you look at (Jeremiah) Telander, Ed Spillman, those guys handle themselves like pros every single day. Their mindset as far as how they approach the meeting room, the extra work that they’re putting in, and the energy and effort that they they bring in demand from the guys around them. That group is a really mature group.”

What to expect from a Fran Brown-coached Syracuse team

“(They’re) multiple offensively. Heavy RPO (run-pass option). They’re going to spread the field. They’re going to make you play in some space. We’ve got to do a great job of tackling. Heavy shift-trade motion, where the communication comes in, all three levels of the defense being tied in. That’s in pass coverage, but it’s also in your run fits. Defensively, extremely multiple, a lot of new personnel. We’ve got to do a great job as a staff and as players adjusting early in this football game.”

Syracuse starting Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli at quarterback, if he can play fast from the jump in a new offense

“Well, we’re going to find out. In openers the game unfolds — and every game has its own identity, but in Game 1 you get a better feel as the game goes. And that’s why I think us as a staff and players, being able to adjust quickly is super important in this one.”