University of Tennessee Athletics
#15/15 Vols Ready to Turn the Page, Set Sights on UAB
September 15, 2025 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A new week presents a new opportunity as No. 15/15 Tennessee will look to bounce back from a narrow defeat to Georgia and close out a three-game homestand against UAB on Saturday afternoon (12:45 p.m. on SEC Network).
"At the end of the day in this game, you have to constantly move forward, and you have to take advantage of every day," head coach Josh Heupel said during his Monday press conference. "You can't look in the rearview mirror. You have to look out the windshield and keep driving forward."
The Vols know they will face another challenging test when it comes to dealing with the Blazers' balanced offense this weekend.
"We have to do a great job against the run. With who we're facing, what they do offensively, shift-trade motions, communications at all three levels, and then pass defense," Heupel said. "Again, when I talk pass defense, you guys hear me say this a lot, it's all 11 being a part of that. It's communication, second and third level, it's pattern recognition in our zone concepts, and it's applying pressure to the quarterback — which can be just your front four, but it can also be any of your 11 that are in that package."
On the offensive side of the ball, UT will look to keep humming along after putting up 41 points on the Bulldogs' typically dominant defense. Saturday's contest marked just the fourth time since the start of the 2021 season that Georgia had allowed more than 40 points in a regular-season game.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Brazzell II played a major part in Tennessee's offensive showing against the Dawgs, setting career highs with 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the day. Brazzell's development has been key to the Vols' success offensively this season.
"I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success," Heupel said. "Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He's playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job on Saturday, and he has the first couple of weeks too."
Video and the full transcript from Heupel's Monday press conference can be seen below.
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"Had a good morning with the guys. Obviously, everybody is disappointed with the outcome from Saturday, but good morning and good energy, and a lot of things that we're in control of that have an opportunity to change that game, coaches and players. At the end of the day in this game, you have to constantly move forward, and you have to take advantage of every day. You can't look in the rearview mirror. You have to look out the windshield and keep driving forward. So, good morning with the guys. We have an opportunity to be back home, see our fans again this coming week. Early kickoff, but expect them to be a part of the game here on Saturday. We need a great week of preparation, continued growth, get ready to go play our next football game and play it in a great way."
On David Sanders Jr.'s physical and mental state after missing the first three weeks…
"Mentally, I think anytime anybody in this game gets injured and isn't cleared to play, it's a tough battle mentally. You grow, you compete, you strain to get yourself prepared to go play, and he has certainly done that. Unique, unique injury that doctors are uncertain. That's why he's kind of been day-to-day here for a while and uncertain – it's not like a sprained ankle, and I say that meaning there's not a definitive timeline, so he's been having to fight through that. The guy wants to be out there. It hurts him badly. Our football team, the guys in his position room can see that, but he's been a good teammate too. I think as a young guy, staying the course through something that's a little bit unknown is hard. He's done a good job with it, just have to continue to do that and hopefully our doctors clear him here, at some point relatively quickly."
On having no timeline on David Sanders Jr.'s injury…
"It is, and that's why it's been day-to-day. He's not in control of it. Our medical staff is doing everything that they can. It's a little bit of an unknown timeframe. He could wake up tomorrow and be ready to go. Obviously he's had some time, some healing, and we hope that happens before we get to Saturday."
On who makes the decision for David Sanders Jr. not to play…
"Our medical staff always handles it. Guys are OK to play in this game. After day one in pads, nobody's feeling a hundred percent, right? But it always goes through our medical staff, and they handle those decisions."
On Jermod McCoy's potential to play before the first bye week…
"I don't know the timeline on Jermod. I say that meaning he's gotten started back out on the field, how his body responds, and also being ready to go play and compete are all things that he has to continue to prepare for. He wants to be out there, and he's been a great teammate. He's done a really good job in his rehab too, and so has our medical team, so it's all about how we can get him being prepared to actually go out there and play."
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On his evaluation of the team's third down defense…
"There's been some really good things, and then some things that we haven't done well enough. At times, we've applied great pressure to the quarterback, other times we can be better in it. Some of that's our pressure packages adjusting to the formations that they're seeing. At times, we've played really good coverage, and at some times. we've given up some things that we feel like we're in control of too. It can be an alignment, technique, whatever it might be. That's an area where we can continue to get better."
Â
On what adjustments the defense can make this week…
"We have to do a great job against the run. With who we're facing, what they do offensively, shift-trade motions, communications at all three levels, and then pass defense. Again, when I talk pass defense, you guys hear me say this a lot, it's all 11 being a part of that. It's communication, second and third level, it's pattern recognition in our zone concepts, and it's applying pressure to the quarterback — which can be just your front four, but it can also be any of your 11 that are in that package."
On Caleb Herring finding passion again for football and being a different player this season…
"I think mentally, he has a real focus on what he wants to accomplish. Caleb's a guy that's had to deal with some injuries that have set him back from the opportunity to play, but also just the opportunity to grow as a player during your practices. He's super mature. He cares about the guys. He has great energy every single day. The guys that keep investing in this game reap the rewards. It's not always on your time or my time, but you are going to reap the rewards of it. He has continued to grow and play really well."
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On developing depth and considering the high volume of snaps for certain players…
"Sometimes with injury, guys get forced into playing more of a load than you anticipate. The other part of it is, that was a challenge for some of our young guys this morning. They have to continue to grow where we can trust them out there. Certainly in a ball game, but also just the totality of the season."
Â
On the biggest difference for Chris Brazzell II this season…
"I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success. Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He's playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job on Saturday, and he has the first couple of weeks too."
Â
On Daevin Hobbs' and Jaxson Moi's recovery process…
"Moi, day-to-day. Hobbs continues to do a really good job on his rehab. How fast that progresses here, I can't give you an answer today, but he's done a really good job. Hopefully we'll have him back soon too."
Â
On evaluating the linebackers' performance against Georgia…
"I think all-in-all, there were a lot of things that were really positive from them in identification, communication, fundamentals and technique within the scope of the scheme. There are a few things that we didn't hit on. Some of that could've been our pressure. All-in-all, as a football team, we weren't good enough on Saturday. Coaches and players together."
Â
On what the team learned from Saturday's loss…
"No moral victories in this game. We are certainly long past anything like that. I think competitive makeup and competitive composure. The ability to go play the next play. That's important in big games. I thought they handled themselves well the majority of the night. I think looking at the film today, the ownership that each individual person has to take in the things that they can do, where it's not me that allows a play to unfold. There are going to be competitive plays that you don't make when you're playing good competition, but it's the things you give away in this game that hurt you."
Â
On where he wants to see the offensive line grow the most regarding picking up the blitz and recognizing pressure...
"Well, some of that is all 11 being on the same page too, right? Quarterback knowing where you're hot, when you're hot, how you have to get rid of the football where the hot answer is. Some of that's running backs, tight ends. Then there are the five guys up front. There's been a lot of really good things in our protection. There are some things that are unique to handle, that we've got to handle in a better way off of some of our pull (protection), but all-in-all there's been a lot of really good. Joey (Aguilar) has been clean a lot of the time, and that's allowed us to get open down the field too."
Â
On the challenge of getting young players to understand the small details at the college level...
"Well, it's showing them. That can be in the position room, the unit room, the team room. Small little details matter. Back to me, back away. My leverage that I've got to play with, my eyes, the discipline that you've got to have, formation, motion, shift, trade, all of those things. Defensive football, there's checks, and all 11 have to get on the same page too. You can see that as you're watching the tape. Is it harder for a young guy? Yeah, because he doesn't have any of those experiences where it was him. That has to be the focal point, and it has been for our coaches and our leadership in all of those rooms, not just during game week. You've heard me say, young guys don't have time to be young since January, right? All of those things have to come into it."
Â
On how easy it is to move on after a close loss as a coach versus when he was a player...Â
"Man, there's nothing easy about the disappointment of competing in the arena and being on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Nothing easy about that. As a coach, you have to move forward. You watch the tape as a staff on Sunday morning, and then you have to move forward too. Your players, they're in the building on Sunday. They come in on Monday, and they're going to watch a tape with our staff on Monday. When you get done with that team meeting before you go out onto the field, you have to flush it. That's true whether you win or lose. It's always about progress, moving forward, and what's coming the following week. Ultimately, last Saturday defined that week, right? We've got another one this Saturday and that will define this week. We have to find a way to continue to grow."
"At the end of the day in this game, you have to constantly move forward, and you have to take advantage of every day," head coach Josh Heupel said during his Monday press conference. "You can't look in the rearview mirror. You have to look out the windshield and keep driving forward."
The Vols know they will face another challenging test when it comes to dealing with the Blazers' balanced offense this weekend.
"We have to do a great job against the run. With who we're facing, what they do offensively, shift-trade motions, communications at all three levels, and then pass defense," Heupel said. "Again, when I talk pass defense, you guys hear me say this a lot, it's all 11 being a part of that. It's communication, second and third level, it's pattern recognition in our zone concepts, and it's applying pressure to the quarterback — which can be just your front four, but it can also be any of your 11 that are in that package."
On the offensive side of the ball, UT will look to keep humming along after putting up 41 points on the Bulldogs' typically dominant defense. Saturday's contest marked just the fourth time since the start of the 2021 season that Georgia had allowed more than 40 points in a regular-season game.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Brazzell II played a major part in Tennessee's offensive showing against the Dawgs, setting career highs with 177 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the day. Brazzell's development has been key to the Vols' success offensively this season.
"I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success," Heupel said. "Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He's playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job on Saturday, and he has the first couple of weeks too."
Video and the full transcript from Heupel's Monday press conference can be seen below.
Â
Head Coach Josh Heupel Transcript (9.15.25)
Opening statement…"Had a good morning with the guys. Obviously, everybody is disappointed with the outcome from Saturday, but good morning and good energy, and a lot of things that we're in control of that have an opportunity to change that game, coaches and players. At the end of the day in this game, you have to constantly move forward, and you have to take advantage of every day. You can't look in the rearview mirror. You have to look out the windshield and keep driving forward. So, good morning with the guys. We have an opportunity to be back home, see our fans again this coming week. Early kickoff, but expect them to be a part of the game here on Saturday. We need a great week of preparation, continued growth, get ready to go play our next football game and play it in a great way."
On David Sanders Jr.'s physical and mental state after missing the first three weeks…
"Mentally, I think anytime anybody in this game gets injured and isn't cleared to play, it's a tough battle mentally. You grow, you compete, you strain to get yourself prepared to go play, and he has certainly done that. Unique, unique injury that doctors are uncertain. That's why he's kind of been day-to-day here for a while and uncertain – it's not like a sprained ankle, and I say that meaning there's not a definitive timeline, so he's been having to fight through that. The guy wants to be out there. It hurts him badly. Our football team, the guys in his position room can see that, but he's been a good teammate too. I think as a young guy, staying the course through something that's a little bit unknown is hard. He's done a good job with it, just have to continue to do that and hopefully our doctors clear him here, at some point relatively quickly."
On having no timeline on David Sanders Jr.'s injury…
"It is, and that's why it's been day-to-day. He's not in control of it. Our medical staff is doing everything that they can. It's a little bit of an unknown timeframe. He could wake up tomorrow and be ready to go. Obviously he's had some time, some healing, and we hope that happens before we get to Saturday."
On who makes the decision for David Sanders Jr. not to play…
"Our medical staff always handles it. Guys are OK to play in this game. After day one in pads, nobody's feeling a hundred percent, right? But it always goes through our medical staff, and they handle those decisions."
On Jermod McCoy's potential to play before the first bye week…
"I don't know the timeline on Jermod. I say that meaning he's gotten started back out on the field, how his body responds, and also being ready to go play and compete are all things that he has to continue to prepare for. He wants to be out there, and he's been a great teammate. He's done a really good job in his rehab too, and so has our medical team, so it's all about how we can get him being prepared to actually go out there and play."
Â
On his evaluation of the team's third down defense…
"There's been some really good things, and then some things that we haven't done well enough. At times, we've applied great pressure to the quarterback, other times we can be better in it. Some of that's our pressure packages adjusting to the formations that they're seeing. At times, we've played really good coverage, and at some times. we've given up some things that we feel like we're in control of too. It can be an alignment, technique, whatever it might be. That's an area where we can continue to get better."
Â
On what adjustments the defense can make this week…
"We have to do a great job against the run. With who we're facing, what they do offensively, shift-trade motions, communications at all three levels, and then pass defense. Again, when I talk pass defense, you guys hear me say this a lot, it's all 11 being a part of that. It's communication, second and third level, it's pattern recognition in our zone concepts, and it's applying pressure to the quarterback — which can be just your front four, but it can also be any of your 11 that are in that package."
On Caleb Herring finding passion again for football and being a different player this season…
"I think mentally, he has a real focus on what he wants to accomplish. Caleb's a guy that's had to deal with some injuries that have set him back from the opportunity to play, but also just the opportunity to grow as a player during your practices. He's super mature. He cares about the guys. He has great energy every single day. The guys that keep investing in this game reap the rewards. It's not always on your time or my time, but you are going to reap the rewards of it. He has continued to grow and play really well."
Â
On developing depth and considering the high volume of snaps for certain players…
"Sometimes with injury, guys get forced into playing more of a load than you anticipate. The other part of it is, that was a challenge for some of our young guys this morning. They have to continue to grow where we can trust them out there. Certainly in a ball game, but also just the totality of the season."
Â
On the biggest difference for Chris Brazzell II this season…
"I think attention to detail has been a huge part of his success. Understanding coverage, understanding his role in the scheme, playing with great fundamentals and technique. He's playing really confident, going up and attacking the football. He did a great job on Saturday, and he has the first couple of weeks too."
Â
On Daevin Hobbs' and Jaxson Moi's recovery process…
"Moi, day-to-day. Hobbs continues to do a really good job on his rehab. How fast that progresses here, I can't give you an answer today, but he's done a really good job. Hopefully we'll have him back soon too."
Â
On evaluating the linebackers' performance against Georgia…
"I think all-in-all, there were a lot of things that were really positive from them in identification, communication, fundamentals and technique within the scope of the scheme. There are a few things that we didn't hit on. Some of that could've been our pressure. All-in-all, as a football team, we weren't good enough on Saturday. Coaches and players together."
Â
On what the team learned from Saturday's loss…
"No moral victories in this game. We are certainly long past anything like that. I think competitive makeup and competitive composure. The ability to go play the next play. That's important in big games. I thought they handled themselves well the majority of the night. I think looking at the film today, the ownership that each individual person has to take in the things that they can do, where it's not me that allows a play to unfold. There are going to be competitive plays that you don't make when you're playing good competition, but it's the things you give away in this game that hurt you."
Â
On where he wants to see the offensive line grow the most regarding picking up the blitz and recognizing pressure...
"Well, some of that is all 11 being on the same page too, right? Quarterback knowing where you're hot, when you're hot, how you have to get rid of the football where the hot answer is. Some of that's running backs, tight ends. Then there are the five guys up front. There's been a lot of really good things in our protection. There are some things that are unique to handle, that we've got to handle in a better way off of some of our pull (protection), but all-in-all there's been a lot of really good. Joey (Aguilar) has been clean a lot of the time, and that's allowed us to get open down the field too."
Â
On the challenge of getting young players to understand the small details at the college level...
"Well, it's showing them. That can be in the position room, the unit room, the team room. Small little details matter. Back to me, back away. My leverage that I've got to play with, my eyes, the discipline that you've got to have, formation, motion, shift, trade, all of those things. Defensive football, there's checks, and all 11 have to get on the same page too. You can see that as you're watching the tape. Is it harder for a young guy? Yeah, because he doesn't have any of those experiences where it was him. That has to be the focal point, and it has been for our coaches and our leadership in all of those rooms, not just during game week. You've heard me say, young guys don't have time to be young since January, right? All of those things have to come into it."
Â
On how easy it is to move on after a close loss as a coach versus when he was a player...Â
"Man, there's nothing easy about the disappointment of competing in the arena and being on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Nothing easy about that. As a coach, you have to move forward. You watch the tape as a staff on Sunday morning, and then you have to move forward too. Your players, they're in the building on Sunday. They come in on Monday, and they're going to watch a tape with our staff on Monday. When you get done with that team meeting before you go out onto the field, you have to flush it. That's true whether you win or lose. It's always about progress, moving forward, and what's coming the following week. Ultimately, last Saturday defined that week, right? We've got another one this Saturday and that will define this week. We have to find a way to continue to grow."
Players Mentioned
WR
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DL
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DL
/ Football
DB
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DL
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OL
/ FootballFB | Miles Kitselman Media Availability (9.15.25)
Monday, September 15
FB | Jesse Perry Media Availability (9.15.25)
Monday, September 15
FB | Edwin Spillman Media Availability (9.15.25)
Monday, September 15
FB | Josh Heupel Press Conference (9.15.25)
Monday, September 15
