TENNESSEE VOLS FOOTBALL: Heupel quick to dismiss Kennesaw State as ‘tune-up’ game

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Tennessee 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. So when a reporter addressed Kennesaw State (1-1) as a “tune-up,” the sixth-year Vols head coach set the record straight. 

“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 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.

Now, Mack returns to Knoxville with a program of his own.

He took over a Kennesaw State team that went 2-10 in 2024, its first season at the FBS level, and immediately helped turn things around. The Owls finished 2025 with a 10-4 record and won the Conference USA championship.

The Owls spent the offseason performing a quarterback trade. Amari Odom, who led Kennesaw State's 2025 turnaround, transferred to Syracuse. Mack then brought in Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins to fill the void. Collins has picked up where Odom left off, leading Conference USA in completion percentage (69%) and points responsible for per game (16) through two games.

Kennesaw State enters Knoxville coming off its first loss of the season, a 31-17 defeat to Georgia State. The Owls were outgained 483 yards to 332 yards, but Collins finished 22-for-35 for 260 yards and accounted for two touchdowns.

But Tennessee represents a different challenge.

The Vols enter Saturday's matchup 2-0, having won 20 straight nonconference games, while Kennesaw State will be playing its first game against an SEC opponent in the program’s history. 

Saturday will provide Collins’ first chance to see how those numbers translate against an SEC defense — and give Mack his first game back in Knoxville from the opposite sideline.

That task is easier said than done against a Tennessee team returning to Neyland Stadium for its first night game of the season. Jim Knowles’ defensive unit has been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, and players say the playbook still hasn’t been opened up just yet. 

The Vols allowed just 43 passing yards in a Week 1 blowout against Furman. As the competition improved with Alberto Mendoza and Georgia Tech, Tennessee’s defense found a different way to affect the quarterback. The Vols forced their first two turnovers of the season — both interceptions — while limiting Mendoza to 221 passing yards on 40 attempts. 

If there is an opening for Kennesaw State, it could come from the very thing Heupel was quick to dismiss: overlooking the opponent. No. 1 Texas comes to Neyland Stadium next week, but Tennessee's immediate concern is Kennesaw State. The Vols have to handle the Owls before turning their attention to the matchup that awaits. 

Except Heupel hasn’t lost to a nonconference opponent since falling to Pitt in 2021, suggesting that the head coach has a firm grasp on focusing on the opponent right in front of them. 

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