Arkansas football continues its 2024 season against No. 4 Tennessee in just four days at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, and Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel spoke to the media Monday to preview the matchup.
Tennessee opened its season with a 69-3 home thrashing over Chattanooga before picking up a dominant 51-10 win at then-ranked No. 24 NC State in Week 2. The Volunteers then defeated Kent State 71-0 before starting SEC play with a 25-15 victory over then-ranked No. 15 Oklahoma.
A former Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2000 for the Sooners as the team's quarterback, Heupel led Oklahoma to a national championship in the 2001 Orange Bowl and was drafted 177th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Following his short professional playing career, Heupel spent time in various coaching roles at Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah State and Missouri before being named head coach at UCF (2018-20) and Tennessee (2021-present).
Under Heupel, Tennessee has racked up a 31-12 (15-10 SEC) overall record with an 11-win campaign in 2022 and a nine-win season a year ago. Heupel was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2022 for his efforts.
This will mark the 20th meeting between the two teams, as Tennessee leads the series 13-6. Arkansas has won the last three matchups between the two programs, with the latest coming under head coach Sam Pittman in 2020.
Here's everything Heupel had to say about head coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks:
On the matchup against Arkansas:
Heupel: "For us, guys got back in the building today, had good work out on the grass as we push forward to get ready for Arkansas. First of all, I know it’s going to be a great environment there. This is a really good football team. They’re a couple plays away from being undefeated. You look at the way that they played this past weekend, they’re playing extremely physical, both sides of the line with scrimmage.
"Defensively, one of the best teams in in the country. And offensively, they’re rushing the football about as good as anybody and they’ve created plays on special teams. So, a huge test for us this week to prepare the right way and get ready to go play our best football."
On Arkansas' defense:
Heupel: "Well, that’s the first part, they create a bunch of turnovers. I think they play extremely hard. All three levels of the defense are tied in on the run game. They’ve done a really good job against the rush. They’ve done a really good job on third downs, too. They make it difficult to go create and pick up first downs and create explosive plays."
On Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green:
Heupel: "Dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. That’s quarterback design, quarterback runs, it’s read game, which can be first or second level reads for him. It’s when plays break down, he’s got the ability to escape, out run people, get outside of the pocket and make plays. Anytime you’re facing a quarterback that’s that dynamic, that is where the game starts for you defensively.
"On pass plays, push the pocket, but you can’t let him escape in the quarterback run game. You better have your eyes in the right place, play the play based off of what you’re seeing the right way and then be in a fundamental position to squeeze and and go make the play."
On Arkansas' run game:
Heupel: “Their offensive line’s playing at a high level, but he’s got the ability to make the numbers right for them. Anytime the quarterback run game’s a part of it, you get a chance to make the numbers right and so you gotta play gap integrity, assignment sound, but then you also got to destruct blocks to get off and go make a play. His speed, how dynamic of a player he is makes that a difficult thing to do because he’s got the ability at times to just outrun the defender."
On limiting a mobile quarterback:
Heupel: "All three levels of the defense have got to be tied in together. Your first and second level in particular, guys do a great job of bottling him up in the run game, but when he drops back in pass, rush integrity, and that can be off your pressures. It can be off your twist game, it can just be a base four-man rush. You have got to push the pocket, you have got to make him uncomfortable. At the same time, you have got to keep him bottled up."
