• When: Saturday morning.
  
  


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• Where: Haslam Field.
  
  
• Gear: Full pads.
  
  
• Kicking Work: As is tradition, the final scrimmage before game week begins was dedicated to all phases of the kicking game. Assistant coach Steve Caldwell used a microphone to amplify his instructions to the various groups of personnel on different special-teams units. "Today," Caldwell said, "you get to cover all the unusual things that can come up in a ballgame.’’

• Return Game: Kickoff returns were a disappoint aspect of special teams last season. The Vols ranked seventh in the SEC and 53rd in the nation with a 20.7-yard average. While different candidates are being evaluated, head coach Phillip Fulmer said incumbent Corey Larkins would probably be the No. 1 man on kickoff returns with Jonathan Heffney leading on punt returns. Larkins averaged 20.4 yards on 19 returns last season with a long of 33. Heffney, Jonathan Wade, Derrick Tinsley and Cedric Houston are also kickoff-return possibilities.

"You’ve got a lot of speed back there and that makes a big difference,’’ said Caldwell. "The toughest thing about working on kickoff return and kickoff coverage is that right now we try not to do it completely live because that’s a place where there’s some big collisions.’’

• Wilhoit Ready: James Wilhoit said the emphasis of his summer was strength and conditioning to prepare for his second season as the Vols’ top kicker. "I want to balance my strength as much as I can so I don’t wear down in the middle of the season,’’ he said. "This time last year I was hurt and I felt like my conditioning wasn’t as good as it could have been.’’

The added strength breeds confidence. "Last year we pooch kicked (punted) on a 55-yard field goal (opportunity) in the Peach Bowl,’’ Wilhoit said. "If we try that again, if coach Fulmer asks me again, I’d say, ‘Let’s kick that.’ The difference is I’ve kicked some in practice and I feel comfortable from there. I feel like I’m just as accurate from 40 yards as I am from 50.’’

• Praise From Chavis: Defensive coordinator John Chavis handed out a strong compliment to a unit Saturday, but it was one he works against rather than with. "This is the best receiving corps I’ve been around in 26 years of coaching college football,’’ Chavis said of UT’s receivers.

• Toeaina Update: Fulmer said offensive tackle Albert Toeaina could be out seven to 10 days due to a bruise around his knee area. "I think what he has is a bruise on his tibia, a pretty significant bruise,’’ Fulmer said. "Albert told the trainers he had the injury from junior college and he got a pretty good lick two scrimmages ago.’’

• Name a Starter?: Fulmer said the staff hasn’t decided whether to name a starting quarterback prior to the opener one week from tonight. True freshmen Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge will both play. There is some strategic advantage to not naming a starter — to keep UNLV guessing — but it’s a two-sided coin. "Our team would probably like to have somebody to look at as a starter,’’ Fulmer said.

• End Game: Defensive end is a position at which the Vols would like to have plenty of available bodies to keep the rotation fresh. This year that’s especially true because a couple of ends will probably have to take a few snaps at tackle.

"Parys Haralson, Karlton Neal, Jeff Hall, Turk McBride, they’re all ready to play,’’ Fulmer said. "We’ve got to get (freshmen) Xavier Mitchell and Antonio Reynolds up to speed from that physical standpoint.’’

• Safety Valve: Chavis and Fulmer are feeling more comfortable about the safety positions after Tuesday night’s scrimmage. Corey Campbell and Brandon Johnson are the likely starters.

"Contrary to what some people think,’’ said Chavis, "we’re very multiple on defense and our safeties have a lot to learn. Being in the right position gives you an opportunity to make plays and on Tuesday they were in the right position 99 percent of the time. Of course, we need to get that up to 100 percent.’’