Are Josh Heupel or Nico Iamaleava responsible for Tennessee's loss at Arkansas?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Tennessee football fans want to know who is responsible for a disappointing 19-14 loss to Arkansas.

Didn't Josh Heupel and his coaches prepare the team for a tough away game? Was quarterback Nico Iamaleava to blame? Or were the problems due to poor offensive play?

UT fans are angry and want answers.

More than 100 questions were submitted by UT fans through our free Vols text group.

So before we turn our attention to the Vols' home game against Florida on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), let's take a look at the post.

Who should I blame for this loss?

Heupel and his trainers first. The players were unfocused and cocky as they left the open week. And Arkansas had a better plan to win the game than UT.

This is a coaching problem.

After that, I would say the offensive line is to blame. It lost one-on-one duels. It did not handle the Arkansas plan well. And too many penalties were imposed.

Iamaleava and others are probably third on the list.

Volumes in the top 25 poll Rankings updated following Tennessee's loss to Arkansas

What happened to Tennessee's offense?

The offense played poorly, especially the tackles on Lance Heard and John Campbell. They were beaten all night long.

Penalties led to bad down-and-distance situations. Therefore, UT was unable to launch its uptempo offense as it failed to gain any first downs.

Iamaleava was fooled by an unorthodox defensive scheme that Arkansas saved just for this game. The receivers didn't do a good enough job of outscoring the one-on-one coverage. And the coaches were slow to adapt.

Have the opponents recognized Josh Heupel's offense?

There is definitely a blueprint to contain it this season. Opponents leave additional defensive players in coverage to prevent deep passes. And they mix up running blitzes and obscure what they're doing before the snap.

Oklahoma displayed one defensive look before the snap and quickly switched to another after the snap. Arkansas used an unorthodox 3-2-6 system for the first time this season and also practiced deception very well.

It confused Iamaleava, a redshirt freshman making just his sixth career start. But neither plan would have been as effective if UT had won one-on-one matches on the line.

These defensive schemes require a deluded quarterback, an unsteady offensive line, and poor blocking. UT gave the Razorbacks all three.

Why does Heupel have a Dud Road game every season?

If he knew why, he would stop. But we all know it's a problem.

In 2022, UT lost to unranked South Carolina 63-38. In 2023, UT lost at Missouri 36-7. And that was one of the worst offensive performances of Heupel's career.

Admittedly, most teams occasionally struggle in tough SEC road games. Crowd noise, physical opponents and the feeling that nothing is working can be difficult to overcome.

But the trend is undeniable for the Vols.

Why did Nico Iamaleava run out of bounds?

I wrote about it after the game.

Iamaleava said he couldn't find an open receiver. And when he finally did, the ball slipped into his hands.

My opinion: The decision making is different when it's the last play of the game, so he shouldn't be picky about which receiver to throw to. Beggars cannot be choosers.

Is Nico Iamaleava overrated?

It's unfortunate that many fans blame much of the defeat on Iamaleava because he made a lasting impression in the last game. There's a lot of blame to go around.

But no, he is not overrated.

Iamaleava is a five-star talent. But he's also an inexperienced quarterback playing against SEC defenses with veteran coaches intent on deceiving him.

There is give and take in playing a highly talented young quarterback. But the Vols aren't doing a good job of compensating for his deficiencies.

Were tackles Lance Heard and John Campbell still injured?

UT is not releasing information about the extent of the injuries. Both offensive tackles were medically cleared to return after either missing or not completing the Oklahoma game.

Heard and Campbell had a terrible game against Arkansas. But I don't think injuries were the main factor.

Did Heupel screw up his time management on the final drive?

In hindsight, Heupel should have called a timeout at the start of the drive when Iamaleava slipped just short of the first-down mark. It cost the Vols 15 seconds on the clock.

However, Iamaleava missed an open receiver later in the drive. And the final play was a failed fourth down. The extension may not have made a difference.

Can the Vols still make the College Football Playoff?

Yes, but I would say that would require at least a 10-2 record.

That means the Vols would have to beat either Alabama or Georgia and win all other remaining games. And that still may not be enough.

Every SEC team except Texas is coming off a loss, so many scenarios are on the table.

But the Vols should be more concerned that their offense hasn't played well enough in the last two games to beat many of the remaining teams.

Did UT take Arkansas for granted after open week?

Yes, and running back Dylan Sampson essentially said that.

And I think the Vols got complacent during that game too. After taking a 14-3 lead, the Vols appeared overconfident despite minimal success.

What can coaches do to prevent the terrible penalties?

If you have a suggestion, they can use it.

Heupel's teams have always been among the most penalized in the country, at both UCF and UT.

The offensive tempo partly contributes to this. But it's more noticeable in low-scoring games where every penalty has a price.

Why did UT continue to let Dylan Sampson run under center?

I thought they should have roughed him up more, not less.

Sampson rushed for 140 yards and both touchdowns. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which was better than the passing game through three quarters.

If the penalties hadn't helped the Vols on early downs, Sampson probably would have kept running the ball and moving the chains.

Does Alabama's loss to Vanderbilt lessen the damage of that loss?

Yes. Five of the top 15 teams lost on Saturday – Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Michigan and USC.

Each team loss in the playoff hunt lessens the damage of a UT loss to Arkansas. However, the Vols still have Alabama, Georgia and other strong opponents ahead of them.

Does your 9:3 forecast look a little better now?

To be fair, I predicted a 9-3 record in the preseason. Then I changed it to 10-2 or maybe 11-1 after seeing how well the Vols played early in the season.

UT will likely be the favorite in five of its remaining seven games, so 9-3 is very plausible. But there are still some twists and turns this season.

What is the injury update on Bru McCoy and Squirrel White?

Wide receiver Bru McCoy injured his right hand early in the game and wide receiver Squirrel White wore a sling after suffering an injury in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Heupel said he didn't have an update on either player.

The SEC availability report will be released on Wednesday, when UT must report the status of all injured players.

Did Arkansas really play “Rocky Top” during fieldstorming?

Yes. There were many similarities to the UT fans who stormed the field after the win over Alabama.

There was a red team and an orange team. Students jumped off the edge of the stands to run on the field. The goalposts fell down, although stadium staff immediately brought down the goalposts to save them.

And the home team trolled the visitors by playing their song. UT played “Dixieland Delight” after beating Alabama. And Arkansas played “Rocky Top” after beating UT.

Whatever happens, happens, just not always against the same opponent.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. e-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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