Based on the first scrimmage of fall practice, Lane Kiffin has to be pleased with his offense, especially the running game. Tennessee had an enormous amount of success running the football, and they did it with a variety of different tailbacks.
Tauren Poole, who isn’t considered by most to be a big-play back, surprised a lot of people with two long rushing touchdown runs on Saturday (75 and 44 yards). Poole finished with 144 yards on eight carries.
The two true freshman, David Oku and Bryce Brown, both ran the football extremely well. Each had a touchdown on the afternoon.
And don’t forget Montario Hardesty. He didn’t get many touches on Saturday, likely because the coaches were able to evaluate him in the spring, but Hardesty brings toughness and experience to Tennessee’s backfield.
No question, this stable of running backs is a very talented group. But when each one of them is able to produce as they did on Saturday, it can only mean one thing: the offensive line is having their way.
If Tennessee’s running game is going to be effective this season, the young tailbacks must contribute, but more importantly, the offensive line must play well. With four seniors likely to start, this is an experienced group that has made a lot of progress over the summer and Lane Kiffin is taking notice.
“I would say it would be a fair assessment to say our offensive line has improved the most of any group since the spring,” Kiffin said. “We’ve had a great offseason. Aaron Ausmus has done a great job with our strength program, especially for our guys who needed to lose weight. Guys have dropped a bunch of weight.”
Kiffin specifically named junior Jarrod Shaw, as one who is benefiting early this fall from Ausmus’ strength program.
“For a guy like Jarrod Shaw, who’s lost more than 24 pounds since we got here – Saturday there was a 47-yard touchdown run and he’s on the backside and I promise you in the spring he wouldn’t have gotten that cut,” said Kiffin. “He wouldn’t have been able to do it. So that’s a seven-point play just from losing that weight. I’m extremely excited about improving our offensive line.”
Shaw’s block and Poole’s run on that play was just one highlight from a day when Tennessee’s offense was able to put up points in bunches. They scored at will most of the afternoon and Kiffin was thrilled to see guys making big plays — something that was missing in the spring.
“To see the explosive plays was really good for us,” said Kiffin. “In the spring on offense, I did not think we were very explosive. So to see some big plays was very good. I think it’s very good for our team.”
Tennessee’s offense will look to sustain the level of production from the first scrimmage and carry it forward into the second week of practice. However, the smart money says Monte Kiffin’s defense will have something to say about that.