​Josh Heupel veered outside coaching protocol when he told his Tennessee football team that it usually loses in Arkansas.The Vols have lost four straight games in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in sporadic trips there. They haven’t won at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium since 2001.Heupel told his players about that history during the team meeting to start game week. He said in his opening statement at his weekly press conference. And he repeated the line about UT’s futility in Fayetteville on the SEC coaches teleconference.“(Fayetteville) is a place that historically has been a challenge for our program,” Heupel said on Oct. 7. “I made mention of it to our players early in the week, and certainly everyone out there is aware that we haven’t won there since 2001.”No. 14 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) plays at Arkansas (2-3, 0-2) on Oct. 10 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network).The Vols have a 2-5 all-time record in Fayetteville and a 12-2 record against Arkansas in all other locations – Knoxville (7-2), Little Rock (2-0), Memphis (2-0) and Dallas in the Cotton Bowl (1-0).Heupel highlighted that disparity to his players, who didn’t know about the full history. They echoed it during media appearances.UT media relations also joined in. In the game notes given to reporters as a preview of the matchup, there’s a bullet point mentioning that 27-year-old punter Jackson Ross was the only current UT player alive the last time the Vols won in Fayetteville in 2001.Coaches usually don’t like to bring up the past. They don’t want their players being overconfident about a winning streak over an opponent or carrying a burden of a losing streak in the series.When an exception is made, there’s usually a reason behind it.Tennessee players remember field-storming loss to ArkansasHeupel wants his team alert and on edge when it arrives in Arkansas.In 2024, No. 4 Tennessee suffered a 19-14 upset loss to unranked Arkansas. The Vols were admittedly unfocused, out of sorts offensively, beaten at the line of scrimmage and plagued by penalties.Arkansas fans stormed the field in celebration after that game, and some UT players recall that vividly.“I didn’t know the history (until Heupel said it). But I was a freshman when we went there and lost (in 2024),” wide receiver Mike Matthews said. “I remember that time and that feeling, so I know enough.”Tennessee is a Top 25 team again, and Arkansas is in desperate need of a win again. The Razorbacks lost 43-10 to No. 12 Utah, 45-17 to No. 2 Georgia and 34-7 to Texas A&M.“But they knocked us off a couple of years ago when they were not having the start they wanted then either,” running back DeSean Bishop said. “It’s a team you definitely can’t sleep on.”As favorite or underdog, Tennessee has underperformed at ArkansasTennessee has lost four straight games in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That included two of the seven largest home crowds in Razorbacks’ history – 76,728 in 2006 and 75,573 in 2024.As an underdog