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Fresh(man) look at QB
Schaeffer, Ainge liven up UT scrimmage with exciting plays
By MIKE GRIFFITH, knsgriff@aol.com
August 13, 2004
Everyone has heard the hype over Tennessee freshman quarterbacks Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge.
Seeing was believing on the first day of hitting Wednesday.
Schaeffer, with his fleet feet, and Ainge, with his quick release and arm strength, stole the show.
Schaeffer turned in an electrifying 45-yard touchdown run during an 11-on-11 full-contact scrimmage. The baby-faced Schaeffer, known as "Little Vick'' during his high school career, left UT defenders strewn in his wake.
Rolling to his right and finding no one open, Schaeffer left onrushing defensive end Jared Hostetter grasping at air before turning the ball upfield.
Heavy hitter Jon Poe was the next victim. Schaeffer cut sharply and ran past the Vols' back-up middle linebacker with ease.
James Banks who prior to Schaeffer's run was regarded as the team's most-dangerous openfield runner was the last line of defense. It was a mismatch; Schaeffer made another sharp cut that transformed Banks into a statue.
"Obviously we saw him (Schaeffer) do those things in high school, but all these guys make plays in high school,'' UT offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said. "To see him do it against college athletes ... that was a pretty good bunch of guys he left laying on the ground.''
Ainge had three successive plays during his scrimmage time that brought attention.
On the first, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Oregon product turned a sure-fire sack into a 3-yard gain by eluding three would-be tacklers in the backfield. On the next play, Ainge read the blitz quickly and hit freshman fullback David Holbert in stride. Holbert did the rest, breaking tackles and outrunning linebacker Daniel Brooks into the end zone for a 45-yard TD. Ainge showed off his arm on the next play, drilling a pass to Jayson Swain, who made a leaping, onehanded grab.
"I was impressed with what Erik did,'' Sanders said. "His plays weren't as flashy, but he did a great job getting the ball to Holbert and Swain, and he showed great pocket presence when he made people miss and kept his head and eyes upfield.''
UT senior captain Michael Munoz, once a Freshman AllAmerican, enjoyed the performances.
"You could tell this summer they had some ability,'' Munoz said. "But it was fun to see them out there and see what they could do.''
Vols' coach Phillip Fulmer couldn't help but smile when asked about the exploits of the two freshmen quarterbacks.
"A couple of plays like we had today livens everybody up,'' Fulmer said. "Both of them opened eyes. ... It's amazing when you have ability what you can do.''
But how soon will the freshmen quarterbacks be doing it on Saturdays?
Fulmer said he "has a plan'' for when he'll start paring down the QB repetitions. The repetitions are being split five ways, between the two freshmen, incumbent C.J. Leak, Rick Clausen and Bo Hardegree.
"They get to play,'' Fulmer said, "and we get to decide.''
Fulmer said the point of having a limited 11-on-11 scrimmage the first day of hitting was to see what the freshmen could do.
Seeing was believing.
Schaeffer, Ainge liven up UT scrimmage with exciting plays
By MIKE GRIFFITH, knsgriff@aol.com
August 13, 2004
Everyone has heard the hype over Tennessee freshman quarterbacks Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge.
Seeing was believing on the first day of hitting Wednesday.
Schaeffer, with his fleet feet, and Ainge, with his quick release and arm strength, stole the show.
Schaeffer turned in an electrifying 45-yard touchdown run during an 11-on-11 full-contact scrimmage. The baby-faced Schaeffer, known as "Little Vick'' during his high school career, left UT defenders strewn in his wake.
Rolling to his right and finding no one open, Schaeffer left onrushing defensive end Jared Hostetter grasping at air before turning the ball upfield.
Heavy hitter Jon Poe was the next victim. Schaeffer cut sharply and ran past the Vols' back-up middle linebacker with ease.
James Banks who prior to Schaeffer's run was regarded as the team's most-dangerous openfield runner was the last line of defense. It was a mismatch; Schaeffer made another sharp cut that transformed Banks into a statue.
"Obviously we saw him (Schaeffer) do those things in high school, but all these guys make plays in high school,'' UT offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said. "To see him do it against college athletes ... that was a pretty good bunch of guys he left laying on the ground.''
Ainge had three successive plays during his scrimmage time that brought attention.
On the first, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Oregon product turned a sure-fire sack into a 3-yard gain by eluding three would-be tacklers in the backfield. On the next play, Ainge read the blitz quickly and hit freshman fullback David Holbert in stride. Holbert did the rest, breaking tackles and outrunning linebacker Daniel Brooks into the end zone for a 45-yard TD. Ainge showed off his arm on the next play, drilling a pass to Jayson Swain, who made a leaping, onehanded grab.
"I was impressed with what Erik did,'' Sanders said. "His plays weren't as flashy, but he did a great job getting the ball to Holbert and Swain, and he showed great pocket presence when he made people miss and kept his head and eyes upfield.''
UT senior captain Michael Munoz, once a Freshman AllAmerican, enjoyed the performances.
"You could tell this summer they had some ability,'' Munoz said. "But it was fun to see them out there and see what they could do.''
Vols' coach Phillip Fulmer couldn't help but smile when asked about the exploits of the two freshmen quarterbacks.
"A couple of plays like we had today livens everybody up,'' Fulmer said. "Both of them opened eyes. ... It's amazing when you have ability what you can do.''
But how soon will the freshmen quarterbacks be doing it on Saturdays?
Fulmer said he "has a plan'' for when he'll start paring down the QB repetitions. The repetitions are being split five ways, between the two freshmen, incumbent C.J. Leak, Rick Clausen and Bo Hardegree.
"They get to play,'' Fulmer said, "and we get to decide.''
Fulmer said the point of having a limited 11-on-11 scrimmage the first day of hitting was to see what the freshmen could do.
Seeing was believing.
