FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Everything head coach Jos Heupel said after No. 4 Tennessee’s 19-14 loss to Arkansas Saturday night at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium:

Opening statement

“It was a disappointing evening for us as a football team. I didn’t think we handled it well or started quickly. Didn’t do the usual high-level stuff. Offensively, we consistently hurt ourselves there in the first half. They were able to expand some drives, some third-down conversions. At the end of the day, starting with me, tonight wasn’t good enough. And between all three phases, we have to find a way to be on the right side of the scoreboard. And we have to get better. So at this point you had the opportunity to come together, pull harder, fight stronger, play for each other and continue to grow. Of course, there is still a lot, as everyone can see. But the most important thing is that we have to keep getting better.”

What the problems were with Tennessee’s offense

“I mean, just early on, we find a way to get ourselves behind the chains early. If you look at the first three stages, there was something that really hurt us. Man in the field, false start, hold, whatever it was. So you do that, you add up their possessions and suddenly you’re looking at the scoreboard as it was at the end of the first half. We have to play smarter, we have to play better up front. We had to play better with our veteran players on the perimeter and we had to play better at quarterback. But again, it starts with me. We all get better.”

Tennessee’s struggles on the offensive line

“Conglomeration of several things. Some of it is me, some of it is not done by our staff. So it’s a combination of all that.”

No long field goal attempt at the end of the first half

“It just felt like it was just on the outside of (field goal range). I know the wind had changed a little bit. It was a conversation we had and that was a decision I made to try to work my way to the sidelines and give us another chance.

If Tennessee’s Jordan Ross were to go for the block when he encountered the gambler

“We were in a safe call and played fake. He will hold the shield there. When he was hit, when I spoke to the officer, I think he may have hit him in the face with his hands as well. I haven’t seen the whole clip, but that’s what I was told.

If Tennessee lets Arkansas score on the final play of the touchdown drive, go ahead and get more time

“Yeah, right at the end, just with the clock timeout situations that we were trying to give ourselves a chance to go and answer.”

Tennessee’s offensive penalties, identifying the problems

“Before it was for us, whether they clapped on one or two of them or not, I don’t know. We’ll see when we watch the tape.”

Tennessee’s final snap, which was the right play for Nico Iamaleava

“Yes, it is a complete concept. Finally he climbed off. At the end of the day, in that scenario, you’ve got to get the ball up and give one of your guys an opportunity to make a play. Nico, just like me, and just like our football team, wishes we had played better. In that situation you can’t keep the ball in your hands. You want to give someone the opportunity to go and make a play. He’s disappointed about it, but he has to come back and recover from it. He has played far too well not to respond in the right way. And I know he will.”

Why that’s happened twice now, with Joe Milton doing the same against Ole Miss in 2021

“Different situations. Older quarterback versus experienced first man.”

What it says about the state of college football that three top-10 SEC teams went on the road today and lost

“It says what I almost certainly said I said on Monday. Man, in this league you better come and play really good football, play smart football every Saturday. The separation in this league is very small and you know, we have to get better. When we come back, we have to get better and get ready for next week. And we haven’t been home in a while. I’m looking forward to seeing our fans. We have to play really good football to give ourselves a chance to win.”

How Arkansas was able to sustain long drives in the first half

“Running the football, converting on third down and vice versa. We weren’t doing that. We didn’t convert on third down. We converted a few third downs early in the third quarter and moved the ball to score points.

Squirrel White is in a sling and Bru McCoy is in a cast after the match

“I don’t (have an update). We’ll find out as we go.”

What Arkansas did so well to make it difficult for Tennessee to run the football

“Yeah, you know, the structure was a little bit different than what they showed on tape. I thought we adjusted after the first ride. As much as anything, shooting ourselves in the foot early and playing from behind the sticks and you know, and then not being efficient on third down. So if you add those two things together, you get half like us.”

His message to the team after the loss

“Man, pretty simple. When moments like this happen, the outside world will have a story for you. We talk about it when things are going well, and tonight things didn’t go well. You have to look your teammates in the eye. Those are the opinions that matter. You have to keep pulling harder on the rope. We have to keep growing. Good teams get better as the year goes on. I still have a chance to make a really good football team.”