While speaking to the media in the immediate minutes after the Vols’ loss at South Carolina last weekend, head coach Josh Heupel said that Tennessee has to be a smarter football team. This came directly after a loss in which Tennessee committed 12 penalties for 90 yards, including three passing touchdowns that were erased off the board.

Tennessee altered its weekly interview schedule with the team on a bye week this week, so Heupel’s weekly press conference was moved from Monday to Wednesday. Early in his press conference, Heupel was asked a direct follow-up to his comment from Saturday night: How can the Vols become a smarter football team?

“Well, for some of it, experience is going to help you in those moments, for sure,” Heupel said. “But some of it is your preparation. There’s some unique things that happen during the ball game. Braylon (Staley is) out, Mike (Matthews) moves to slot, then we’re subbing (at wide receiver). You’ve got to get the full signal, go communicate, and go execute. So it’s nothing extraordinary. It’s doing ordinary things at a really high level consistently for 60 minutes.”

The last part is a phrase that’s been commonly heard during Heupel’s Tennessee tenure. Regardless of the opponent, he doesn’t want his team to be straining to do extraordinary things that could lead to breakdowns. He trusts his team’s preparation and wants them to do their ordinary jobs at a high level throughout all four quarters.

For some key players, that’s upwards of 60 snaps in any given game. For other rotational players, that could be anywhere from five plays to 15 plays. Either way, the coaching staff believes in the idea of going out onto the field, communicating clearly, and executing at a high level.

Later in the press conference, Heupel was asked if there are instances during practice where he sees any trends of players not making smart decisions, potentially leading to in-game penalties. Heupel gave a clear and direct answer.

“The guys that consistently show that they’re not going to play smart aren’t playing on game day,” Heupel said. “So that’s the best way I can answer it. We are evaluating, we have officials out at every practice.”

His comments obviously weren’t intended to call anyone out, but they were made as a baseline for how his program operates. If you don’t practice well, don’t practice hard, or don’t practice smart, your game day opportunities are limited. Perhaps even non-existent.

Positions and the depth chart clearly play a role in determining play time. You’re not going to take David Sanders or Ty Redmond off the field for very many reasons, for instance. But there is an expectation in the program that practice habits earn time on the field.

Tennessee, a team that wants to be in the playoff picture annually, has to play smart football on a week-to-week basis. During the Vols’ game against Alabama, Tennessee committed eight penalties to the Crimson Tide’s 10. In the Vols’ loss to South Carolina, the Vols had 12 penalties to the Gamecocks’ nine. Even with small margins, these things can make a big difference.

No. 16 Tennessee will return to action on Nov. 7 with a rivalry matchup against No. 9 Kentucky in Neyland Stadium. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee Football news, notes, and coverage.