#VolReport: Bajakian On Dobbs’ Improvements

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After accounting for five touchdowns and nearly 500 yards of total offense in Saturday’s win at South Carolina, Joshua Dobbs took the college football world by storm, garnering multiple national “player of the week” honors.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian says the sophomore quarterback’s elevated level of play is due to improvements made across the board with his decision making, his mechanics, and his confidence.

“There’s a few things (he’s improved on),” he said. “He’s doing a better job of getting rid of the ball more quickly. He’s cleaned up some mechanical issues that slowed down his release.

“He’s making quicker decisions, that’s first and foremost, if you ask me, which allows him to be more decisive with the ball and allows him to be more accurate in smaller windows. When you’re throwing the ball on time and making timely decisions, I’d say those are the main things.”

In addition to Dobbs’ improved mechanics, Bajakian also praised Dobbs’ improved ability to read defenses and quickly and accurately process what he sees on the field.

“He’s able to come off the field and give me very detailed accounts of what he saw, which is usually very accurate,” he said.

“He’s got a very good memory, and that, in turn, allows him to process information more quickly. And that comes along with reps. Obviously the reps, the game reps he got last season, were invaluable, and the reps he got through spring and training camp and this season were invaluable. But there’s definitely a decision making process that’s sped up.”

To add to the mental improvements Dobbs has made, he has also made strong physical improvements, putting on 20 pounds of muscle since the end of last season. The added weight, Bajakian says, has made him a new player.

“That’s huge, and that’s something we’ve stressed since day one with him – making sure that he puts on the size and weight -as much as anything, yes, to improve his athleticism, but also to improve his durability, and I think it’s paid off,” he said.

“It’s added to his durability, added to his athleticism, and added to his arm strength.”

And while his improved play and recent performances have made him a campus celebrity, Bajakian says that Dobbs is still the same person he was three weeks ago.

“Well, he’s obviously very bright and he’s ambitious in his schoolwork as an engineering major, so he’s got a little bit of an extra load when you add all the labs and everything that goes with that,” he said.

“But, he’s taken things in stride, he always has. He’s a tough guy to rattle, both on the field and off the field. So he’s managed to keep going and focus on what’s important and go through his daily routine.”

YOUNGSTERS BENEFITING FROM OPEN WEEK

While the Vols’ open week is providing a chance for defensive starters to rest and recover, Defensive Coordinator John Jancek is using this valuable time to work with and develop the young players within his defensive unit.

“There are two things that we want to accomplish,” Jancek said. “Number one, we want to get our older players on defense, on offense and special teams some rest. The second thing is we want to begin to develop some depth, primarily with our youth and getting those guys some really good, quality work in the last couple of days.”

With three games left in the regular season and numerous players having already experienced injury stints, Jancek continues to stress the importance of every rep to his young group.

“There are some guys who are right there on the cusp and if something happens, they’re in the ball game,” Jancek said. “That’s really been the mindset that we’ve tried to create with them is, you’re really one play away from being a full time player.”

With so much on the line for Team 118 this month, game-like experience and a complete grasp of every player’s position will be vital moving into next week’s contest against Kentucky. Among those defensive players gaining more instruction, several are beginning to prove their abilities and improvements on the field.

“Devaun Swafford has had some really good reps in there,” Jancek said. “Evan Berry – Man, he’s showed us a couple of things. I think Jakob Johnson has done some good things at the Mike linebacker. With Cortez McDowell, you know we threw some things at him the other day and I was really happy with the way he responded. Dewayne Hendrix is getting some good work in there and is making progress. Those are the guys who, like I said, are one play away from playing.”

With a select few carrying the workload for the Vols defense this year, including linebacker A.J. Johnson and defensive tackle Jordan Williams, Tennessee will need their young crop of talent to rise to the occasion, perhaps now more than ever as the team continues to strive for a bowl game.

“It’s just crazy the amount of reps these guys are getting,” Jancek added. “It’s too much. We’re letting [the young players] play football, teaching them the fundamentals of their positions, tackling, communication and everything that it takes to be a good defensive player. We’re not going to make any excuses and these kids are not making any excuses. We’ll keep pushing forward and we’ll continue to get better.”

COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL ON DISPLAY

Tennessee’s emphasis on complementary football has never been more evident as the coaching staff continues to recognize the impact of that ideal in the Vols 45-42 overtime win at South Carolina last week. On Tuesday, Coach Jones defined `complementary football’ as “offense, defense, and special teams playing off each other.” The ideal was further endorsed on Wednesday as more UT coaches recalled the dynamic effect of complementary football on Saturday’s comeback in Columbia.

“It was fun,” said running backs coach Robert Gillespie. “We never panicked. It’s probably one of the best sidelines I’ve ever seen as a coach. The offensive guys did a good job talking to the defensive guys as they came off — `Hey, don’t give up, keep fighting.’ Defensive guys would come to the sideline and say, `Hey, keep doing what you’re doing. Keep making plays.'”

That unwavering, unified belief paid particular dividends when the Vol defense made critical stops towards the end of regulation and into the overtime period — even after surrendering more than 600 yards of total offense to the Gamecocks over four quarters.

“I never saw anybody’s head drop,” said associate head coach and defensive line coach Steve Stripling. “And what was really encouraging was to see the offense over at our end like, `it’s good defense — we’ve got your back.’ It’s what Coach Jones calls complementary football. There was a lot of it that night. The offense was backing us up.”

Belief bred confidence, as Gillespie recalled, leading ultimately to an unforgettable Tennessee victory.

“In the huddle, whenever we got ready to send those guys out to the field, the look in their eyes was never one of panic. It was good to see a young team like that play together … it was just one of those nights you always remember.”

SOUND BITES

Here are sound bites from the assistant coaches after Wednesday’s practice

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE BAJAKIAN

»(On Justin Worley)

“It’s disheartening for him, I know, because he’s such a competitor, but it’s part of the game and he’s such a great leader that he’s going to find a way to contribute in some form or fashion by mentoring the young guys and mentoring the whole offense.”

»(On the importance of the open week)

“Any time you go into a bye week, you take a step back, you take a deep breath, you focus on yourselves, in addition to your next opponent. So we’re able to analyze our self-scout tendencies and as individuals, guys have targeted certain areas of improving and can slow down and really absorb all the teaching that they’re getting and all the different situations that they’re getting in practice.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOHN JANCEK

»(On freshman defensive back Todd Kelly Jr.)

“He came by after the game on Sunday and wanted to know what he could do to get better and that’s a great sign. Todd is a fine young man and he’s going to play a lot of football here. He’s already shown that he can make some plays for us and he’s just going to keep getting better.”

»(On freshman defensive back Rashaan Gaulden fighting for playing time)

“Rashaan Gaulden is extremely talented. He’s got a really good skillset. He can help us at a couple of different positions. It’s just a matter of him getting some experience and getting some reps. Rashaan shows up on special teams, makes some tackles on our kickoff team. I think he can help us at nickel, safety and corner. He’s that versatile.”

DEFENSIVE LINE COACH STEVE STRIPLING

»(On if Derek Barnett has hit a wall)

“They usually hit it a lot earlier but he has pushed through it. To be honest, right now we are being smart with our starters and really worked in developing the next wave this week. So I think the thing with Derek is he has fit right in with the older crew if that makes sense. Whether it is A.J. [Johnson], or Curt [Maggitt], or Jordan Williams. He is like one of them.”

»(On the depth at the defensive line)

“I think we have been able to manage reps, when [Trevarris] Saulsberry left that hurt a little bit, but we have been able to manage reps. I think Curt Maggitt being able to handle various roles, he plays linebacker a time and then he jumps in and plays end. So all of that put together. You are trying to keep them fresh out there which is really important. We couldn’t do that last year. This year we are able to do that a lot more. And now the message this week is young guys develop because any type of injury out there, you will be in the rotation.”

WIDE RECEIVERS COACH ZACH AZZANNI

»(On the improvement of wide receiver Pig Howard)

“He has really done that since training camp. I think he kind of hit a little wall here in the middle and was kind of inconsistent, but he kept grinding and kept after it. And he is still doing it. He has a little bounce in his step right now. Because we have more depth, he is fresher than he was at this point last year. If you watch him at this point last year, you watch the last three or four games, he is like a different player than he is right now. It is us really diving in this year. One of our goals as receivers, our number two goal, is take crazy care of our minds and bodies this year. So you can tell he has been doing that.”

»(On there being less pressure after the win against South Carolina)

“I wouldn’t say that there isn’t any less pressure. When you are in this league and you are a coach or a player in this league there is always pressure. Pressure to win every single week. We enjoyed that one for probably the plane ride home and then that was it, honestly, we created the film on the plane. What I will say is maybe it reinforces our style of play and our culture. The pressure for us as coaches, `man, I hope they are buying in, we aren’t producing wins, please just keep buying in, it is going to happen.’ So the pressure from that regard is taken off a little bit, hey, I think they are buying in because we just had a really tough victory that the way that we do things contributed to it. So for me, that has added some relief. `Hey they understand, they believe.’ As far as just winning a game, no it is always going to be tough.”

TIGHT ENDS COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR MARK ELDER

»(On preparing kickers for game-winning kicks)

“We do the best that we can as far as putting someone in pressure situations, whether it be bringing the whole team up and them kick with maybe gassers on the line if we make it or not, doing it in as many pressure situations as we can prepare them for with music on and things like that. Obviously, nothing is going to be quite like a field goal live with the game on the line, nothing quite prepares you 100 percent for that. But we do try to put them in as adverse situations as we possibly can. So that they are as prepared as possible.”

»(On tight end Alex Ellis)

“It is great to see Alex to go out and find success. He has been doing it a nice job and his role has been increasing and increasing, felt like a year ago he would have had a significant role for us and would have gotten a lot of playing time for us at tight end. Unfortunately he had injuries occur to him last year. It is neat to see him, a guy that works really hard and has gone through position changes and it starting to find his niche at tight end as one of the guys that is contributing and it helping us win ball games.”

RUNNING BACKS COACH ROBERT GILLESPIE

»(On if freshman running back Derrell Scott is ready to play)

“It depends on him. The kind of practice that he has, he has to have practices that one, give him confidence, two give me confidence, give Coach Jones confidence, give the play callers confidence, and his teammates have to gain confidence. So whatever you put on film is shown throughout the building the entire day, that quarterback has to have confidence that when you are in the game you are ready to play. He just has to continue to work and put a good product on the film. The last two days he has done that. We have been doing a lot of youth inside drills and youth team periods, he just had a really good practice today and got everyone excited about him. Those are the things I tell the guys all the time, your job is to make your teammates excited when you get in the game. You have to make me excited, you have to make Coach Jake [Bajakian] excited when you go in the game. Right now Jalen [Hurd] makes everyone excited, Marlin [Lane] does some things that get you going. So Derrell understands that, he is competing, he has not once said a thing, nor will he because he knows his time will come and when the time is right he will play.”

»(On if freshman running back Derrell Scott is ready to play)

“It was fun. We never panicked. It was probably one of the best sidelines I have seen as a coach. Offensive guys did a good talking to the defensive guys as they came off, `hey, don’t give up, keep fighting.’ Defensive guys would come to the sidelines and say, `hey, keep doing what you are doing, keep making plays.’ The sideline was great. In the huddle, anytime we got ready to send those guys out to the field, the look in their eyes, was never one of panic. So it was good to see a young team like that play together. Obviously, a lot of guys made plays at the end. It was just one of those nights you will always remember.”