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Josh Heupel explains why constant focus is required for teams to be great
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Josh Heupel is determined to keep his team’s eyes on the prize.
Heupel has taken Tennessee football to incredible heights, and he’s hell bent on keeping his team focused on the task at hand — which just happens to be a similar situation as the task that awaited the Volunteers before they went on their bye in Week 5.
In Week 6, Heupel’s 4th-ranked team that’s off to a 4-0 start will be playing a primetime road game at Arkansas, with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC from Fayetteville.
In Week 4, Heupel’s crew also had a primetime road challenge, which it met with flying colors in a 25-15 victory at Oklahoma that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
So, here the Vols are again, on the road, in primetime, against a tough SEC foe. Yes, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Tennessee a healthy 82.2% chance to win at Arkansas. But don’t tell that to Heupel.
In Monday’s weekly press conference, Heupel talked about the parity in college football and how losing focus could ultimately mean losing a game.
“Look at some of the scores from last weekend around the country. You have to have your focus right here, right now every day,” said Heupel. “You have to work and improve every day. The margins are that fine.”
#Vols coach Josh Heupel: Look at some of the scores from last weekend around the country. You have to have your focus right here, right now every day. You have to work and improve every day. The margins are that fine.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 30, 2024
Heupel will attempt to keep his team focused for the next few weeks, with top-ranked Alabama coming to Knoxville on Oct. 19.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
