Vols Locked in For Prime Time Battle With N.C. State
(utsports.com) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Following another successful season opener under head coach Josh Heupel, No. 15/15 Tennessee was back to work on Monday morning as it begins prepping for a ranked matchup against No. 24/22 NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic on Saturday night in Charlotte.
The Vols opened their 2024 campaign with an emphatic 69-3 victory over in-state foe Chattanooga but know this weekend’s opponent will present a steep challenge and will require a locked-in mentality throughout the week and on gameday.
“We have a big football game this week,” Heupel said during his Monday press conference. “Really good opponent that we are playing. They play all three phases of the game really well together.
“Defensively, they’ve been really good. It will be a great test for us up front, on the perimeter and at quarterback. Offensively, they have a really experienced quarterback. They have great playmakers around him. Their special teams are really good too. Huge test for us this week. It’s one we’re excited about, travelling a few hours down the road. Looking forward to seeing Vol Nation show up. It will be a great contest.”
Heupel made it clear on Monday that learning from last Saturday’s victory and finding areas of improvement will be important for the team in order to continue improving each and every week.
“Everybody faces the same challenge,” Heupel said. As a competitor, you can live in what everybody is talking about last week, but the reality is that you’re only as good as your next performance. Prepare, practice the right way and get ready to go play.”
Redshirt senior safety Will Brooks added to Heupel’s point when asked what the defense could improve upon from week one.
“There is obviously always something to improve on,” Brooks said. “Our coaches do a great job of finding our weaknesses, pointing those out to us and just making sure we are continuously improving throughout the season so we are getting better each week.”
The Vols and Wolfpack will square off 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium on ABC with Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe on the call.
