Tennessee began its second to last week of spring football on Tuesday at Haslam Field.

Tennessee’s first practice of the week featured a physical start, complete with tackling drills and the Circle of Life. From there, positional drills led into more game-like simulations as the Vols’ offensive and defensive units continue to compete for spring superiority.

Only five practices remain for the Vols this spring, culminating with the DISH Orange & White Game on April 16 at 2 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. Admission to the Orange & White Game is free to the public, but it will also be televised nationally on the SEC Network.

Butch Jones | Head Coach | 4th Season

With Tuesday marking the start of the pentultimate week of spring ball for the Vols, head coach Butch Jones continues to drive home the maxims of competition. The fourth-year head coach recalled this spring’s theme, “Searching For The 25,” to accentuate just how critical these spring practices can be for a team striving for a championship. Though the 2016 season opener against Appalachian State is still five months away, Team 120 has no time to waste in the process of getting better.

“We have five opportunities left, and we have to get the most out of them. It’s all about composure in competitive situations. We are searching for those 25 points. It’s about making clutch plays and being clutch players. I spoke to the team about [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Kris Jenkins from Villanova] that hit the game-winning shot Monday night [in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship]. One shot changed his life. He is a legend now. It’s having that composure in those critical moments, and the only way you can manufacture that is to be in a competitive situation.”

Kahlil McKenzie | DL | Sophomore | Walnut Creek, Calif.

After playing in all 13 games last season as true freshman, Kahlil McKenzie begins his second year on Rocky Top under the tutelage of a new defensive coordinator. Still, the adjustment to Bob Shoop’s system this spring has not been taxing for the sophomore McKenzie, who believes that Shoop’s ability to simplify technique and scheme will only accelerate the learning process for the entire defense, not to mention the underclassmen still battling for spots on the depth chart.

“Coach Shoop, with him it’s about scheme and just making sure that everyone is doing everything perfect. He’s not trying to throw a billion things at you, he’s just trying to make sure that you’re doing everything right. When you’re not, you can see why because if you would’ve done it right then it would’ve worked. So why try to learn all of these eight thousand different things if you could figure out something, get it to work and let it work all of the time.”

SOUND BITES

Head coach Butch Jones
(On wanting to have balance on both sides of the ball)

“You want that because it makes for competition on the final plays. Today’s practice came down to the [final drill between offense and defense]. Now, we will go back and revisit to see who were the clutch players and what were the clutch plays. We have to understand that every rep counts and every rep is for a point even in the middle of practice. Sometimes, a football game can come down to four to six plays and make the difference between winning and losing. You don’t know when they will be. Everyone remembers the fourth quarter and the final possession, but it may be a play that happened in the first possession of the game.”

Defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie
(On the difficulty of playing on the defensive line in the SEC)

“Every single day for a lineman in the SEC is not an easy day. You have to bring your hard hat and lunch bag to work every day because it’s never easy. Every day is going to be a fight.”