Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel addressed the media following the Volunteers' 42-17 loss to Ohio State on Saturday night.
"First, just want to thank our fans. I don't know what the actual number was that showed up, but it was a bunch of orange that decided to make the trip, and I appreciate them. Disappointed for them, disappointed for our team and everything that we had put into it since last January that we didn't coach and play better in this one early."
On not being able to hold up against the Buckeyes throughout the game:
"There wasn't a phase of the football game where we operated the way we needed to early in the game, and, you know, came back and made a couple plays at the end of the second quarter to tighten it up, and, you know, just didn't function well enough beginning of the third quarter either, so, and that's a credit to them, but just didn't do what you have to on the road in the game against a really good football team, so disappointed on all those records."
"Ohio State played really well. Coming into it, you know, I thought their skill on both sides of the ball were as good as you'll see. You know, defensively, you know, they led the country or were top five in pretty much every category."– Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel
On Ohio State's fast start to begin the game:
"Yeah, you know, defensively, first series, got a chance to get off the field, end up with a playing penalty, something that's going to happen during the course of the game. You know, had a couple of busts in coverage, and, you know, they made some plays, too, and that's going to happen against a good team. But what we didn't do is, you know, come back and find a way to get on the right side of it, and that's defensively, offensively, it's everybody."
On UT's inability to get its offense into a rhythm:
"We didn't separate at times, and it was a combination of a lot of different things. You know, early, the first couple of series, we just got behind the chains and weren't able to pick up a third down, you know, and then compile that with what was going on the other side of the ball. You know, the scoreboard kind of spread a little bit, and they were able to pin their ears back."
On the mood in the Vols' locker room:
"A ton of disappointment in our locker room for everybody that's invested. There's so much work that goes into it, but absolutely disappointed in, you know, the performance tonight for our fans. The amount of people that traveled, but it's every week. It's 365 days out of the year, so disappointed for them, absolutely."
"Ohio State played really well. Coming into it, you know, I thought their skill on both sides of the ball were as good as you'll see. You know, defensively, you know, they led the country or were top five in pretty much every category."
They did a good job tonight, you know. We weren't efficient in the run game early and, you know, got to the quarterback early, and you combine those two things and you're struggling offensively.
