Subscribe
Follow Us
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers had a week off following their emotionally-charged win at Oklahoma two weeks ago, but that additional week of recovery and preparation didn't pay off, as the Vols were stunned in Fayetteville at the hands of an unranked Arkansas Razorbacks program that earned their first win over a top-5 opponent since 2007.
After a sluggish start led to a surprising 3-0 halftime deficit, Tennessee scored on their first two drives of the 2nd half to take a 14-3 lead. At that point, folks back in Knoxville had to be thinking that the Vols were on track and heading toward a fifth straight win to start the season. But by the start of the 4th quarter, the Razorbacks had chipped away at the lead and trailed by only a point.
With just over a minute to go in the 4th quarter, Arkansas back-up quarterback Malachi Singleton capped a 59-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Razorbacks a 19-14 lead, which they held onto to stun the 4th-ranked Vols.
After the game, Josh Heupel delivered a message to his team in an attempt to keep the Vols on track as they pursue their first National Title since 1998.
“When moments like this happen, the outside world's going to have a narrative for you. We talk about it when it's going good, and tonight it didn't go good,” Heupel said after the loss. “You've got to look your teammates in the eye. Those are the opinions that matter.”
Right now, the outside world will tell you that Tennessee's hot start to the season was a bit fraudulent. The eye-popping numbers Nico Iamaleava and the Volunteers offense put up were a result of a soft schedule, and as soon as SEC play began, Josh Heupel's squad crashed back down to reality.
That may end up being the case, but in this sport, and especially during this particular season with the College Football Playoff field expanded to twelve teams, it's possible that this loss will be nothing more than a blip on the radar for Tennessee. That's why Josh Heupel is imploring his team to keep pushing forward. Or rather, to keep pulling.
“You've got to continue to pull the rope harder. We've got to continue to grow. Good teams get better throughout the course of the year. [We] still have a chance to be a really good football team.”
