Tennessee football suffered a disappointing loss last week, but there is still a lot the Vols will have to say this season with nine games remaining this season.
Knowing that, Josh Heupel has spent the UAB week focusing on competition and growth for the Vols coming off their first loss of the season.
another chance to compete and grow 🌲#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/P5VQP9ED5h
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 19, 2025
"Competitive makeup, competitive composure, the ability to go play the next play," Heupel said to begin the video. "I thought they handled themselves well. It’s always about progress, moving forward, and what’s coming. Ultimately, last Saturday defined that week. We have another one this Saturday that will define this week, and we have to find a way to continue to grow."
It sounds like Heupel and the Vols are focusing on playing the season one week at a time, which is a common theme throughout the sport.
Heupel is also playing into the competitive nature of his leaders. Between Joey Aguilar, Chris Brazzell II, and Star Thomas on the offensive side of the ball, they thrive off competition, and it showed last week against Georgia.
With those themes headlining the UAB game, expect the Vols to come out with a lot of energy and focus on taking it to UAB this Saturday in their final tune-up game before they jump into the long SEC schedule, which starts with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi. Before that happens, though, the Vols have to handle business against the Blazers.
Tennessee and UAB is set to kick off their Week 4 matchup at 12:45 PM ET on SEC Network. Tennessee is a big favorite, and it looks like the Vols could easily cover the 38-point spread based on recent history.
According to Brandon Zimmerman, Heupel's Vols average 57.5 points in every game after the Georgia week, dating back to 2021, which might not be good news for the Blazers.