Josh Heupel recaps rainy scrimmage, offers insight into QB separation
By Keith Farner
Published:
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was glad to have a rainy scrimmage on Tuesday for the Vols to prepare for conditions like that this season.
“We’re going to play in the rain at some point, good to be prepared for it,” he said after the final major scrimmage of fall camp. “Thought we handled it well, honestly.”
About the quarterbacks, Heupel said he thought they handled the weather efficiently, and that he didn’t have any update on Brian Maurer, who has missed multiple practices recently. About the other quarterbacks still competing for the job, Heupel did not offer much information.
“When we see separation, we’re ready to say something, I’ll come down here and do that,” he said. “That group has continued to compete and handle things the right way. I like the growth of that group from day to day, but you’re just looking from the first scrimmage to the second scrimmage, who they are and the course of practices leading up to today. That group’s continuing to trend and go in the right direction.”
Also on offense, Heupel said the offensive line showed progress from the first scrimmage to the second scrimmage.
“I thought they were more efficient, did a pretty good job of protecting the quarterback,” he said.
On defense, he was pleased with the tackling, though some offensive skill players made defenders miss.
Heupel said without another scrimmage on tap, it comes down to finding players you can trust and go out and compete the way you want them to.
“Guys that understand their alignment and assignment and can communicate out there,” Heupel said. “… I think there’s been tremendous growth on this football team. You look at where we finished spring ball, the guys we’ve gotten back from injury, the guys that we brought in through the transfer portal, the development of some of our young guys, we’re a much deeper football team than we were.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
