The poetic John Majors used to say “They remember what you do in November.”
The colorful coach was spot-on.
If Josh Heupel’s Volunteers win all four games and earn a place in the playoffs, be sure Dr. Danny will remember. Josh would likely get a contract extension and another complimentary raise – to keep Oklahoma from knocking on his door.
Considering the quarterback kindergarten he’s been teaching, a 10-2 record would be a borderline miracle.
Yes, I hear your argument. It was Heupel’s decision to go with what he had instead of purchasing experience from the transfer portal.
It is what it is and that would make a really good November even better. Mostly because of the defense, the Vols have a chance to derail Kentucky’s sensational season. They get to go to Texas A&M and prove they are not intimidated by the famous 12th man in the stands.
Oh boy, after that comes the main event, the return of Lane Kiffin to Neyland Stadium and another chance to get even for what he did to Tennessee. No matter what happens, please do not throw mustard bottles.
The grand finale will be at Vanderbilt. We’ll see how good are the Commodores without six-year shining star Diego Pavia. If all goes well, Vandy will be 0-8 in the Southeastern Conference by then.
Alas, there is a possible flip side to this daydream. Fans would remember that, too. As I recall, Heupel has not gone undefeated in five Novembers with the Vols.
The coach has often said good teams get better throughout the season. After the loss to South Carolina, he said teams that make the playoffs are playing their best at this time of the year.
Heupel is correct. Look at all the craziness in college football. Teams that just hang in there, keep trying, stay together might still be standing at the end.
Will Stein, 36, head coach of Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky is 7-1 and has a hot hand in the SEC but we can’t say for certain if it is that good or just lucky.
With success on two-point conversions, UK won both overtime games. UK trailed in all six games during the winning streak. What I think I see is the audacity to tempt fate and whatever it takes to get away with it. What I really think of the Wildcats will have more validity after Saturday.
ESPN says kickoff at Neyland Stadium will be 6:15 if the preceding telecast is over by then. In my humble opinion, this is a “must win” for the home team.
Vol fans and Kentucky coaches would like to know if quarterback George MacIntyre still has his job or if Faizon Brandon’s right shoulder is well and he is about to get another opportunity.
MacIntyre’s statistics indicate some progress. He’s up to 67 percent completions for 530 yards, one TD and three interceptions in winning games against Auburn, Arkansas and Alabama.
In the very uncomfortable loss to the Gamecocks, George completed 16 of 23 for 136. More than a hundred additional yards and three touchdowns were erased by penalties.
Lest we forget, Brandon wasn’t bad against Furman, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. Texas was a tough outing.
For his 30 snaps in the Auburn clash, Pro Football Focus gave Faizon a very low 34.1 grade. Decisions seemed deliberate and he didn’t spot some open receivers. We later learned about the bad shoulder.
Against those same Tigers, MacIntyre’s PFF grade was 81.8.
The bottom line is Tennessee passing hasn’t frightened any foe. The Vols are last in the SEC and No. 116 nationally. We know coaches talked about improvement during open date week but we really don’t know if any was made.
We do know Kentucky has a genuine air attack, crisp and efficient. Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Will Stein brought the precise execution details with him when he became head coach at Kentucky. He acquired QB Kenny Minchey from Notre Dame.
As for precision, Minchey has more than 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns against one interception. It hurts to tell you he is from Hendersonville.
There are other stats of greater value. Kentucky is plus 13 in turnovers, best in the SEC and No. 3 in the country. Kentucky has been penalized half as often as Tennessee. As with most of the UK story, you can attribute both factors to good coaching or good fortune.
As coaches go, Stein is breezy. Just the other day he said Tennessee is obviously one of the elite teams in the country, good in all three phases of football. He praised Heupel’s play-calling. He said Jim Knowles is a phenomenal defensive coordinator.
He included our famous stadium and enthusiastic fans in his remarks.
“I know it’s going to be a really tough environment to play in. Our guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
When he said how much he loves the Bluegrass, loves being a home-grown guy from Kentucky and how he loves the Wildcats, I thought of lie-detector tests.
Stein is from Louisville. He was a walk-on quarterback at Louisville. He was a graduate assistant coach at Louisville. There’s a good chance he learned to hate the Wildcats.
Of course, he now feels good about Kentucky. He has a five-year, $28.5 million contract. He earned a $100,000 bonus for his seventh victory – at the expense of Vanderbilt. He’ll get $200,000 extra if he beats Tennessee.
Marvin West welcomes comments and questions from readers at marvinwest75@gmail.com Read more westwords. Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our free newsletter.
