TENNESSEE VOLS FOOTBALL: Heupel quick to dismiss Kennesaw State as ‘tune-up’ game.
Tennessee · Kennesaw StateTennessee football head coach Josh Heupel isn't overlooking the Owls . Heupel has learned to appreciate the wins.
He's also learned not to overlook the opponent in front of him. Media, your family, your girlfriend, whoever – they might want to pigeonhole you as this, but you decide who you are collectively as a team and as a program."
Kennesaw State is fresh off a C-USA Championship and its most successful season in a short FBS stint. Former Tennessee assistant coach Jerry Mack has led the ship.
Mack's three seasons in Knoxville helped lay the foundation for his next step in coaching. He arrived at Tennessee after building NC Central into a MEAC contender, then coached a Tennessee running back room that included Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson during his time with the Vols.
KEY POINTS
- TENNESSEE VOLS FOOTBALL: Heupel quick to dismiss Kennesaw State as ‘tune-up’ game.
- Tennessee welcomes a familiar foe to the opposing sidelines for its last tune-up game before a grueling nine-game SEC schedule...
- So when a reporter addressed Kennesaw State (1-1) as a "tune-up," the sixth-year Vols head coach set the record straight.
- The Owls finished 2025 with a 10-4 record and won the Conference USA championship.