Tennessee football: 3 giant warning signs for Vols after messy win over Austin Peay
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No. 1 Tennessee football warning sign: Josh Heupel's mentality
Josh Heupel is an offense-minded head coach. So offense should never be the issue for the Vols. But it was on Saturday against a vastly inferior opponent.
Austin Peay gave up 49 points in a Week 1 loss to Southern Illinois. Comparing games is a flawed tactic, but the broader point stands. The Governors do not have a special defense by any stretch of the imagination. Meanwhile, Tennessee is supposed to have one of the most unstoppable offenses in college football. SP+ had them ranked No. 1 nationally behind only USC.
It's one thing to have one sloppy quarter or even a half. It's another thing for those miscues to continue into the second half. Clemson had a tough time against Charleston Southern but they came out in the second half with the pedal to the metal, turning a 24-17 game into a 66-17 blowout.
What did Heupel do? With a mere 23-6 lead in the fourth quarter, the head coach responded to his defense getting an interception with three straight runs leading to a punt. The Governors scored a touchdown on the next possession to pull within 10.
Next. Tennessee fans call out refs for aiding Austin Peay upset bid. Tennessee fans call out refs for aiding Austin Peay upset bid. dark