With a supreme test against top-ranked Texas looming, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is not interested in suggestions that Saturday’s matchup against Kennesaw State is a “tune-up” game.
The No. 15 Volunteers face the Owls on Saturday night in Knoxville, Tenn., seven days before a marquee Southeastern Conference opener against the Longhorns.
“It’s not a tune-up,” Heupel said. “You better show up every Saturday. Like, you can look at the scores. 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 (1-1) is coached by former Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack and knows it can make a major statement with an upset.
Heupel is letting everyone know — including his players — that there is no time for a letdown.
“You can look at the scores every week,” Heupel said. “You better get ready to go play. When the ball is teed up, you better be playing at your best. The game unfolds (how) it unfolds, but you better prepare to go play for 60 minutes.”
The Volunteers (2-0) recorded a solid 45-24 road victory over Georgia Tech last Saturday behind DeSean Bishop’s career-best 147 rushing yards. He also ran for two touchdowns.
Tennessee is breaking in new quarterback Faizon Brandon slowly. He has passed for 374 yards and five touchdowns and has not been intercepted in 38 attempts.
Vols tight end Ethan Davis caught a touchdown pass in each of the first two games but tore his ACL against Georgia Tech. He will miss the rest of the season.
The Tennessee defense is tied for third nationally with 11 sacks and is seventh with 20 tackles for losses. Xavier Gilliam and Mariyon Dye share a team high of three sacks while Gilliam leads with 5.5 TFLs.
Kennesaw State is coming off a 31-17 home loss against Georgia State. The Owls allowed 230 rushing yards as the Panthers controlled the ball for nearly 38 minutes.
That result might not bode well for an upset bid against the Volunteers, and Mack was not pleased with the performance.
“I think one of the some of the biggest takeaways were just our team effort right now, that’s the one thing we talk about is always non-negotiable,” Mack said. “I didn’t feel like that was up to par. We have to get better in that aspect.”
The venue and atmosphere will also present challenges for Kennesaw State, in the eyes of Mack. It’s the first meeting between schools that are located roughly 190 miles apart.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere from a standpoint of it’s going to be at night, it’s going to be in Knoxville,” Mack said. “Our fan base is going to be there, that we’re bringing in. And also, too, we know what kind of environment that’s going to be (from) being there before.”
Quarterback Rickie Collins has passed for 431 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and also has 97 yards and three scores on the ground. Latrelle Murrell has rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Heupel remains concerned about the Owls due to the presence of Mack, who was Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2025 after Kennesaw State went 10-4 and won the conference in his first season.
“He’s a great leader of men. He’s authentic. He’s a really good recruiter, and he’s able to hire a really good staff,” Heupel said of Mack.
“You put all those pieces of the puzzle together — he’s smart, he’s organized — that’s how you have consistency in your program. That’s how you build a program. … He’s a really good coach.”
