Kirk Herbstreit evaluates Tennessee after big road win over Oklahoma
Kirk Herbstreit has seen Tennessee up close twice already this season. That’s a lot, considering we’ve only reached Week 4.
And the ESPN college football analyst really, really likes what he sees from the 6th-ranked Volunteers, who went to Norman and took down No. 15 Oklahoma, 25-15, on Saturday night. After the Vols’ victory, Herbstreit took to social media to give Tennessee a little love with what he just witnessed.
In his postgame speech to his players, Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel got emotional talking about his return to Norman, where he once starred as the Sooners quarterback. Herbstreit liked that emotion — a lot.
“Some good things brewin in Knoxville. Cool to see Coach getting vulnerable with his guys. Special,” wrote Herbstreit.
Some good things brewin in Knoxville. Cool to see Coach getting vulnerable with his guys. Special. https://t.co/ks3OVhg9LV
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 22, 2024
Herbstreit didn’t stop there though. He had a specific message for the Vols after the big road win in their SEC opener.
“If @Vol_Football keep their “edge” and can stay healthy they are very real!” Herbstreit wrote. “I’ve called 2 of their games this year-really like this teams potential. Hope they keep playing angry with something to prove. Don’t listen to the compliments-keep your edge!”
If @Vol_Football keep their “edge” and can stay healthy they are very real! I’ve called 2 of their games this year-really like this teams potential. Hope they keep playing angry with something to prove. Don’t listen to the compliments-keep your edge!
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 22, 2024
Tennessee, which improved to 4-0 on Saturday night, has a bye week now before it visits Arkansas on Oct. 5.
Real good time for an open date. Heal up and study up cause it only gets tougher! GO VOLS!
Brokeback. That is a rough screen name.
Ut is a good team, there is no denying that. How good is the question. The first 3 games were against inferior programs. The 4th while against a historical power was also against a team that has the local orthopedic floor of the local hospital filled. Oklahoma has played for games and has not started the same OL yet, due to injuries. They are also down about 4-5 receivers. That made it obvious early that they were not going to be able to generate enough offense. Don’t take this as a slap at UT, they are good, it is merely pointing out that no really knows how good.
I proofread this the same way the writers of SDS do. With the same results.
Thanks for owning it, LOL. Can’t wait for the third Saturday in October. Ought to be a dandy.
I think it is going to be reminiscent of the slugfest that used to occur regularly between these 2 teams. I remember in the 60s it was a battle.
The gumps won’t stand a stance in Knoxville.
*chance
Everyone has to have dreams. When they play Alabama, they will be playing a team with an offense and a defense. It should be a good one.
Tide8X5. I have gone back and forth with you over the years. You are a legit poster and your posts make a lot of sense.
Tidefan8x5, You are exactly right, this year is crazy, it seems as if every big team doesn’t know where they are yet. People are almost getting upset by teams they should be blowing out or playing really close to teams they should easily beat. I look forward to the Alabama game, but to be honest Ole Miss looks like the scariest team in the country and yet again they haven’t played anybody either! OK was a good win and test compared to who we played the first 3 games though.
Tidefan8×5, what I’ve seen of Alabama this season would be worrisome if I were an Alabama fan. This Tide team doesn’t look nearly as dominant as they were in past years under Saban. They’ve struggled putting away these pedestrian teams. They’ve pulled away late in these games, basically winning on depth. They won’t have that edge on Georgia this week or against Tennessee. Now, I’m not foolish enough to make any guarantees here, but I think Tennessee is going to be tough to beat in Knoxville.
There is no place like Rocky Top, home crowd is a huge advantage, especially for inspiring and amping up a vwry aggressive defense. DeBoer will have his hands full but I think the Bama defense forces a young Nico into a few huge mistakes that cost them the game.
Still haven’t played a real good team but who else has played teams like nc state and Oklahoma and neither was even close
So…the gimmicky offense goes up against the 8th best defense in the SEC and scores a whopping 3 points after halftime adjustments eh? And now Heupel has a 90 percent blitz happy defensive gimmick to compliment it? I cannot wait for the beat down in Athens…
That was for volchoochootrain…to the rest of the decent Vol fans, congrats on a huge SEC road win last night. Very impressive on both sides of the ball.
You beat KY by 1 point and you’re offense looked worse than ours last night so you just sound like an idiot.
“your”
What’s gimmicky about it? Being one of the leading rushing teams in the nation? Lining up in 2 TE sets? A QB who can scramble? The deepest receiver in the country? The uptempo process or the slow it down and milk the clock part? What’s gimmicky about it lil’ pup?
Tide fans love to kick rocks on Tennessee. Got nothing else better to do I suppose.
Actually, dumb@$$ it was a Georgia fan that said it, but there I go, expecting a Tennessee fan to be able to do something as basic as read.
RX. It is the curse of Phat Phil. It never goes away. Alabama and Tennessee are meant to not like each other. It is a rule. Alabama owned Tennessee for 15 years. You Rocky Toppers are suppose to be cranky around Alabama. We have beat you critters into submission for a long time.
11 play playbook…22 plays if you mirror the set up. So by the time your Vols get to the 2nd half, the entire playbook has been used…hence the inability to re-adjust once a decent defense makes it’s adjustments. Same gimmicky shhtt Heupel used at UCF, same gimmecky shttt that got him fired after the 2014 season at OK. The same gimmicky shttt offense that would have got him fired for 3 years of regression at UCF if not for the Vols hiring him. The same gimmicky shtttt offense that will lose to talented and balanced teams this year.
ALL this being said, I am very impressed with Nico, he certainly has the talent to succeed in spite of the offensive play calling limitations and will certainly become a difference maker with the right weapons around him. BTW the slow it down and milk the clock part failed pretty miserably last night imho. 13 total first downs and 2.7 yards per rush makes it difficult to run clock.
Leg. Big game on Saturday for sure. What is your prediction?
Leg. The Georgia injury report looked concerning to me. What say you?
I’ve said it preseason that simply based on team talent rankings I believe we are more likely to lose to Bama in Tuscaloosa then we are to horns down in Austin. And as you mentioned our injury list sure isn’t going to make it any easier. I expect a very good nerve wracking game, that’s my prediction. How about you luvie?
Every team is the best. Until they are not.
This^
I hope when we play Alabama and Georgia , we are all full strength and no key injuries. If we get dragged and embarrassed , so be it . It only proves we still have a ways to go. I don’t want any of us to have excuses for what ends up happening . And hopefully the zebras let us all just freakin play.
They call it “gimmicky” because its not a traditional spread or pro style offense that everyone knows how to defend.
Everyone knows how to defend it, the key is having the talent to be able to match up with the skill position players. Any mismatch will result in the Vols winning. The problem is that if Heupel meets up with a team with the skill to match up…here it is…HE HAS NO PLAN B. He cannon adjust. He loses everytime.
Leghumper, but the Vols have shown twice this season that they do have a plan B. The 12 personnel with 2 TEs smoked NC State. And they just beat Oklahoma in a defensive struggle. Vols are one of the leaders in rushing this season. We’ve already found out that Georgia is likely to struggle against a good defense. Kentucky got whipped by South Carolina and then turned around and nearly beat Georgia. How can anyone watch that game and come away brimming with confidence? You would have to either be delusional or you think Kentucky should win out. I’m guessing it’s option 1.
I appreciate your civil comments, revcort. The Vols rushed for, what was it, 2.7 yards a carry against a talented middle of the pack rated SEC defense and were completely shut down after the halftime adjustments. You are right in that they tried different schemes and also even tried to milk the clock, but neither adjustment was successful. An experienced and talented QB behind a solid O line is going to light that 90% blitz package defense up. You wait and see.
As for NC St…the team we held to 3points lit them up for more than the Vols did so I wouldn’t take a lot of stock in that game. They clearly had no answer for your excellent group of WRs so when they had to double team the edges, game over for the running game and TE passes up the gut.
They didn’t need to lol. The adjustments made at halftime was to control the clock and not keep playing D. They had 98 total yards after the 3rd quarter and at one point went 10 straight plays without gaining a yard. Literally everyone who watched that game and knows football realized this. I forgot though, how many points did UGA score on Kentucky after those halftime adjustments 2 weeks ago?
Scored enough, just like Tn.
I am curious though, related to your claim that they adjusted to “control the clock” in the second half…funny thing about that, the Vols controlled to ball around 4 minutes longer in the first half, you know, when they weren’t trying to control the clock, may want to ppass that on to those literal everyones who watched the game…