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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Vols’ assistant coaches met with the media on Wednesday to discuss Saturday’s match-up at #3 Ole Miss. Both Rebels’ sides of the ball gained praise from the Vols staff. The coaches also updated some newcomers who could make an impact on Saturday including freshmen Evan Berry and Derrell Scott.
BERRY BRIGHT FUTURE AT KICKOFF RETURN
Time and again this year, true freshmen have been called upon to serve in critical roles for Team 118. Last week’s game against Chattanooga proved no different, as freshman defensive backEvan Berry stepped in to fill kickoff return duties following an injury to senior Devrin Young.
For special teams coordinator Mark Elder, Berry brought another element of speed to special teams while he continues to hone the fundamentals which could make him the go-to returner for the Vols.
“Speed is obviously a big thing because kickoff return is a little different than a punt return,” Elder said. “There’s not a lot of dancing involved with it. You’re looking to hit a certain hole and do it well. You’re looking for ball security and then you’re looking for a guy with good vision because you’ve got to make the right cuts at full speed. So we’re looking for a guy that can field the ball well, has great speed and is making good decisions.”
With each of those factors in mind, Berry’s first-ever return against the Mocs certainly looked promising. The freshman indeed found his hole to hit and proceeded to run for a 68-yard return, the Vols’ longest kickoff return this season.
“He did a nice job this weekend and we’re expecting him to play a role for us in that capacity in the future,” Elder said.
While kickoff returns may not typically involve much `dancing’ according to Elder, Berry’s kickoff return did not disappoint the fans at Neyland Stadium. Known for his agility and speed, Berry managed to leap over an opponent mid-run, forcing a missed tackle before his season-long run ended.
“I had never seen the hurdle before in practice,” Elder laughed. “He did a nice job of playing through an arm tackle, saw some green grass to the big field and took off running and used his speed. When his number was called, he did a nice job this weekend.”
DEPTH GROWING FOR D-LINE
With defensive lineman Owen Williams undergoing thumb surgery last week, more Vols were given the opportunity to gain game experience on the line. The experience they gained is something defensive line coach Steve Stripling calls invaluable.
“It was great,” Stripling said. “We played, I think, 12 defensive linemen last week. Those are invaluable reps. I think some guys really took a step forward. (Jaylen) Miller, (Dewayne) Hendrix, those guys really showed up inside. It’s still a learning process for those guys.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It was good to see some of those guys get out there and get quality reps and show up.”
Others joining the mix on the line were Dimarya Mixon, Jakob Johnson, Michael Sawyers, LaTroy Lewis, Kendal Vickers andTrevarris Saulsberry.
As far as Williams is concerned, Stripling is expecting him to rejoin Team 118 and has been preparing him as they look travel to #3 Ole Miss.
“I’m planning on him being there,” Stripling said. “We’re preparing him physically and mentally.”
COLLECTIVE ISSUES NEEDING A SOLUTION
Every team has their growing pains from season to season. Some of the issues can be fixed with just a couple of weeks of practice while others may take much longer. This year, Tennessee’s offensive line is the obvious growing pain for the team, and it’s a major one.
No one can deny the fact that the Vols’ offensive line has had its struggles. What can you expect, though, when no starters return from the previous year? Offensive line coach Don Mahoney has been working with his starting five each week trying to improve and make the pain go away, but it is showing to be a tougher task than many thought.
“We haven’t been as sharp as we needed to be,” Mahoney said. “I am not happy with it at all. There are things the line didn’t do that could have allowed for some opportunities to be there. Chattanooga did some good things against us, but it wasn’t a game, by any means, of playing to the standard that we expect. It was frustrating, and the players realize that. It was not acceptable.”
The problem isn’t just one individual on the line that is going through tough times; it’s the whole position.
“It’s a collective issue,” Mahoney said. “It’s a game of five guys always playing on the same page. At this point in time, it is not any one person. It is the whole group, which can be frustrating.”
Most positions give you enough depth to switch people in and out to see who fits best, but the offensive line doesn’t have that option this year. With a lack of numbers, coaches plan to stick with their same five who they feel gives them the best chance of success.
“I see guys making strides,” Mahoney said. “Guys like Brett Kendrick, Austin Sanders and Dylan Wiesman. I don’t want to get into a situation where we are just shuffling the lineup. Guys are seeing others improving, and they are working to improve their own play.”
The toughest part for the line may not be on the field from all the negative attention they are receiving.
“I tell them to just block it out,” Mahoney said. “I see all of the hard work that they are putting in, and I know how much it means to them to be able to play as well as they can play, but it hasn’t quite happened yet. We don’t have a high confidence level. The only way it will go up is by playing better and believing in themselves and as a unit. That is what we are working towards.”
Tennessee’s problems on the line have been noticeable all season, but the players continue to work hard to fix it. Coach Mahoney knows it will take time for the youthful group, but the pain will continue to remain in this lengthy process.
BREAKING DOWN SCOTT’S DEBUT
After seeing his first action of the year last week against Chattanooga, true freshman running back Derrell Scott again stands to see his role in the offense grow at Ole Miss Saturday.
Running backs coach Robert Gillespie says that the freshman gained valuable experience last week, and that he hopes he will continue to improve going forward this season.
“He still has to learn to play without the ball in his hands, just being a physical blocker, chip blocking. Just things away from the ball,” Gillespie said. “Obviously, with the ball in his hands, I thought he did a few things, as far as, pressing the line of scrimmage, pad level…but obviously it was really good to get him some game-time experience so we could actually go in there, dissect it, and break it down. And now he has a product on film and we can grade it and get better from it.”
Offensive coordinator Make Bajakian also expressed confidence in Scott, whose skillset and knowledge of the offense is similar to that of starter Jalen Hurd, he said.
“I wouldn’t say his skillset is necessarily quite different,” he said. “Maybe a little bit more limited just because of his knowledge based on experience. So yes, there’s probably a limited menu you call with him, but at the same time, he’s only going to learn by doing. So, you have to expose him to the whole playbook.”
Although the Vols will be facing one of the SEC’s toughest defenses on Saturday, Gillespie is confident that Scott will be able to get the job done when called upon.
“Obviously, last week’s opponent was a good opponent, but SEC play is like none other,” he said. “Everything is faster. Reaction time has to speed up. So, this will be another jump for him. But, I feel better that he has got a few reps. I think his confidence has gotten a little bit better. So this week, he’ll be in there ready to play again.”
IT ALL COMES DOWN COMMUNICATION
The Vols’ linebacker corps has made great strides since last year. Linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen sees one main reason for the vast improvement and he has reiterated it this season: communication.
“It’s communication,” Thigpen said. “More than anything else the communication has gotten a lot better. They’ve been in the system for a couple years. With Coach Jancek, we go through a ton of walk thrus, a ton of talking and just getting used to guys playing concepts. When we came in last year the communication was kind of low. As guys went along with the season, the communication stepped up.”
As a defensive unit, the Vols are ranked eighth in the nation in tackles for loss with a total of 48 for a loss of 165 combined yards. This season, the linebackers have accounted for 153 tackles. They are led by senior A.J. Johnson and sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin with 68 and 49 tackles, respectively. That duo ranks in the Top 12 of the league in stops.
“With A.J. being an experienced linebacker and Jalen Reeves-Maybin being a really cerebral kid, it’s a good mixture,” Thigpen said. “We just have to get some more depth developed with Jakob (Johnson), (Cortez) McDowell and Kenny Bynum.”
SOUND BITES
Here are sound bites from the assistant coaches after Wednesday’s practice
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE BAJAKIAN
»(On Ole Miss’ secondary)
“Their secondary in general is outstanding. The nickel, number 12, I believe his name is Tony Connor and number 25 Cody Prewitt, those guys play fast, they are very, very physical. You can tell, they strike you. To me, obviously, they have a lot of experience up front with [Robert] Nkemdiche and the whole crew, their secondary really sets the tone for them.”
»(On lack of depth at receiver with injuries)
“Obviously when you have depth that works to your advantage because it takes a little bit of strain off the total number of snaps that each guy has to play. When you can take that away a little bit, they can play faster and harder when they are in. So losing a guy like Josh Smith and obviously Von Pearson being as limited as he was up until now has caused more guys to play more snaps. That wear and tear throughout the course of a game and the course of a season continues to accumulate.”
»(On Justin Worley’s pre-snap reads)
“He has done a good job up until now of seeing the coverage pre-snap and understands the challenges we are faced with going into this game and the ability that they have in disguising their coverages.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOHN JANCEK
»(On the defense ranking eighth in the country in tackles for loss)
“Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised but we just keep working. We’re not really paying attention to the statistical data. We’re going to wait until the end of the season, kind of catch our breath, and then we’ll look at all of those things whether it’s good or bad. From week to week, you just have to be ready to play so it’s a new season in itself. You just have to prepare for each week one at a time.”
»(On whether he expected his defense to be more disruptive this year)
“I’ll be honest with you; I didn’t really know what to expect. I just wanted a group of guys that were hungry, that worked hard, that were coachable and improved each and every time they had an opportunity to. If we could do that, then I was going to be happy with our results.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH WILLIE MARTINEZ
»(On tackling this year)
“That was a main focus in the offseason and spring and it’s showing up on the `yards after catch.’ It’s lower than last year and we’re missing less tackles, and we’ve emphasized that. But we also have new guys. Competition is one of the best motivators, and I think that having the young guys come in and really push the older guys has really been a plus for us on defense.”
»(On the benefits of practicing against own receivers every day)
“It helps us every week. Anytime you have the long, physical, big guys along with the quick slots, that’s going to always help you week in and week out. And that’s really the advantage we have, we’re able to practice against those guys every day.”
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH STEVE STRIPLING
»(On how much the defense has improved in tackling)
“Each Monday we go in and have a defensive meeting and call it the data meeting, and we go over the data and one of the first ones we go over is number of missed tackles. Last week I think we had five. That’s drastically better than last year. We had one bad game this year. Other than that, we’ve really reduced our missed tackles. That’s key. I think that shows the athleticism first of all on the back end, guys getting there. The tackling technique itself we worked hard on. I think it’s showing up on the field that we’re a better tackling defense.”
»(On the high number of TFLs)
“Each Monday we go in and have a defensive meeting and call it the data meeting, and we go over the data and one of the first ones we go over is number of missed tackles. Last week I think we had five. That’s drastically better than last year. We had one bad game this year. Other than that, we’ve really reduced our missed tackles. That’s key. I think that shows the athleticism first of all on the back end, guys getting there. The tackling technique itself we worked hard on. I think it’s showing up on the field that we’re a better tackling defense.”
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH ZACH AZZANNI
»(On challenging receivers with physicality)
“I do that every week. This league is a big boy league. Everybody is physical. There is no one thatcan say, ‘Hey, you are good this week. Take it easy. These guys are soft.’Every week in this league is a street fight. This one will be no different.”
»(OnJohnathon Johnson stepping up)
“I have schemed some passes for him. He has a unique skill set. I have been telling everyone since the day he got here that he is one of my best receivers. It takes some catches for everyone else to see that, but I see it everyday. We have some other players that maybe out shadow him because of recruiting, but as far as football players go, he is one of the best that we have.”
»(On Aaron Medley’s kickoff success against Chattanooga)
“He certainly did really well on kickoff. Seven of the eight [kickoffs] were in the end zone and not returnable so, that’s what we like to see and would like to see him do that on a consistent basis. That’s huge for us because knowing that there’s no opportunity for the ball to get past the 25, we’re going to start with good field position on defense. That’s really big in the overall scheme of things. When you’re going to play tight ball games, you need to have good field position.”
»(On what he sees from freshman Vic Wharton)
“He’s a guy that’s athletic. He’s getting reps on several of the special teams and has done a nice job. He got in there on kickoff return and did a nice job on his rep there. He’s getting some reps at punt and punt return. We see a guy that’s an athlete and that’s a playmaker. You saw that on film in his high school games and he’s continued to show that being a guy that can play both ways, he can tackle a guy. So, he’s not just a receiver. He can go down and tackle a guy for special teams as well.”
RUNNING BACKS COACH ROBERT GILLESPIE
»(On the running backs performance against Chattanooga)
“Took care of the football. They had no MA’s (missed assignments) in pass protection. Obviously, we could be a bit more physical with the younger guys, but overall, the main thing about us is taking care of the football and taking care of the quarterback, and I think we did pretty good with those things. Now we just have to work on, you know, continue to get pad level a little bit lower, breaking tackles, and creating runs and space on our own.”
»(On playing hurt as a running back)
“That’s life in this league. You look around at all the rosters in the country, young guys have to step up at other places and make plays. You’re never going to be 100% right now. Running backs have to be able to play through little thigh bruises, hand injuries, and things like that. I think it’s par for the course right now. I think where we are as a team is where everyone else is. The great teams have enough depth where they can overcome it, and also the great teams have tough football players that fight through it. So that’s where we are now, and I think this week will be a great test of who we are as a team and as a running back group.”
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH DON MAHONEY
»(On when to be tough on the line and when to encourage them)
“It is kind of a feel thing. It is like when you’re a parent. You have to know when to show the tough lough and when to discipline. I have been doing this long enough. I know that these guys need to be corrected. They need to be addressed in a manner of what is acceptable and what isn’t. I think is all about timing and who it is. I reminded them that Saturday wasn’t acceptable. We need to improve.”
»(On how the line did in practice)
“They responded much better today. I told them that we have to play well as a group. I have addressed them at the end of practice to clean up things that could result in negative outcomes. They have been coach-able all year long. They want to be coached.”
LINEBACKERS COACH TOMMY THIGPEN
»(On the SEC competition)
“Everybody is going to be good. You see Kentucky and they have five wins already. Georgia is playing really good football. Anybody can beat you on any given day. That’s the beauty of the conference. You know even if you’re ranked #1 or #2, you know you have to bring your A-game each and every week.”
»(On Ole Miss)
“They have really fast backs. They’re really active, probably the best offensive line that we’ve seen thus far. The guys make plays. They stick around and then all of a sudden you see an explosive play, so you can never ever go to sleep on them. They do a good job. They have one of the best receivers in the conference.”
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