Everything Josh Heupel and Nico Iamaleava said after Tennessee survives Florida

Tennessee football narrowly survived disaster on Saturday night. The Vols scored 17 straight points in the second half to overcome a double-digit deficit and take the lead. It took an extra period, but Tennessee won 23-17 in overtime to earn its second win over Florida in the past three seasons. 

The offense continued to struggle, and Josh Heupel and redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava emphasized that in their postgame press conference. The offense did just enough to win the game, but they both recognize there's still a lot to improve. 

Josh Heupel

Heupel opened his postgame press conference talking about his team's resiliency and battling back after facing an early deficit. The Vols' offense was struggling, but they rallied to the ten-point deficit and rallied. 

“Love the win. I think the resiliency of the group down 10 with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Offense not playing good at all, continuing to play, continuing to compete, and find a way to make some plays and get back into the football game.”

He also complimented the Vols' defense, which has been elite to start the season. They kept the Gators out of the endzone for most of the night, which helped the Vols win. 

“Really proud of our guys defensively. Elite performance. Physicality strained, most of the night assignment sound, made plays, I think James on the goal line forcing the fumble. So many things they did at a high level that kept us in the game.”

Heupel was also asked about rolling Nico out of the pocket and looking to create plays with Nico on the move. He touched on that and talked about protecting the football and not committing mistakes that stall drives. 

“Moved him early in the football game and had a completion on the sideline. Early in the football game, first drive we got things going and we read the edge and the ball ends up on the ground. 

“There’s another drive, maybe the third one, we’re on the plus side of the territory and we get a holding call, get pushed back again. It’s not doing anything out of the ordinary it’s really all 11 operating as one, and we can play a lot better than we did tonight. 

“Nico misses a couple of deep balls during the course of the football game, sometimes that’s going to happen. We have to be better at protection inside the pocket for him, but I do love the way he continued to compete throughout the course of the game. 

He was then asked how he balances the personalities, egos, and overall makeup of players on both sides of the ball when one side is playing well and the other is struggling. 

“At no point since I’ve been here has it been anything less than all of us together. Our defense, their competitive makeup, but also their belief in the other side of the football that they’re going to go make a play is what a team is about. We haven’t been perfect, we have an opportunity to get a lot better.”

The Tennessee offense has struggled to push the ball down the field in the passing game. When asked if he thinks they're getting close to where he wants to be, Heupel was physically frustrated. 

“Not tonight. I don’t think we’re far off, but it’s not just the pass game it’s the run game too. Missed assignments, fundamentals, technique, guys open and we don’t hit it, guys open and we’re getting pressured. At some point, we’re going to have to say we’re going to man up and do our job and make this thing go the way it’s capable of.”

Another issue offensively is the pressure Nico is facing. The redshirt freshman quarterback and offensive line have shared the blame for failing to move the ball when facing pressure.

“Some of it is us blocking it. Some of it is [Nico] finding a soft spot in the pocket. Some of it’s recognizing what’s going on in the backend and hitting your hots. It takes all 11 to go play good football. Everyone has to go do their job.”

Nico Iamaleava

Nico hasn't been perfect in recent weeks, but he has been able to lean on his defense throughout the first half of the season. He was asked what it feels like knowing the defense will always have his back, regardless how he is playing. 

“It feels great, man. They’re doing a great job, we have to do a better job complimenting them when they get a stop or three and outs we have to do a better job of coming out there and executing for them.”

The Tennessee offense has struggled to get into a rhythm in recent weeks, which has been one of its biggest criticisms as the offense struggles. Nico recognized that and said the offense has to stop shooting itself in the foot and keep the ball moving. 

“We keep shooting ourselves in the foot. A lot of penalties when we have a big play we will be right back and starting off in first and 20. Haven’t been helping ourselves out with the penalties. 

"First drive, we come out, we’re in a good drive, and then we fumble the ball. On me, I have to be better with the handoff. Our defense gets a strip on the goal line and I throw a pick into double coverage. Stuff like that, I have to be better, we have to operate better at a higher level, and we just have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Tennessee will look to continue improving as they prepare for Alabama to come to town next weekend for the Third Saturday in October in another big rivalry game with both teams competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff.