Keeping David Pollack from beating up your quarterback is a handful in the best of circumstances. For Tennessee, Saturday at Georgia might not be the best of circumstances.

Arron Sears, the Vols' right offensive tackle, is doubtful due to an ankle injury from the Auburn game, muddying UT's plan for dealing with the Bulldogs' two-time All-America defensive end.

Pollack, the 2002 SEC Player of the Year, has recorded two sacks in each of Bulldogs' past two wins over the Vols.

"He plays hard like a Tasmanian devil every play,'' said UT offensive line coach Jimmy Ray Stephens.

"If you weren't playing against him,'' added UT head coach Phillip Fulmer, "he'd be fun to watch.''

Although he needs only 2.5 sacks to become Georgia's all-time quarterback-harasser, numbers don't do Pollack's disruption factor justice. Take last year's 41-14 Georgia victory in Neyland Stadium.

Even though he wasn't credited with any statistic, it was Pollack who first blew up UT's fateful goal-line play that resulted in the fumble being returned 92 yards for a touchdown at the end of the first half.

"We made it easy on him - we didn't block him,'' offensive coordinator Randy Sanders recalled Tuesday. "I don't know what happened, but we turned him loose and he came free and totally disrupted the play.

"Maybe he cussed one of our guys and scared him.''

In the third quarter, Pollack again had a hand in UT turnovers that turned the game into a rout. The Vols are dead set on seeing that history doesn't repeat itself on Saturday.

However, Sears' injury hardly works in Tennessee's favor.

Albert Toeiana and Richie Gandy may end up in a tag-team plan at right tackle. Toeiana, a junior college transfer, has made minimal appearances in the past two games after overcoming a knee injury.

Neither he nor Gandy, a junior, has started.

"We'll make sure we know where he (Pollack) is as best we can all the time,'' Fulmer said.

"I know Albert will compete and we'll give him some help along the way.''

The help could come in the form of a tight end protecting his outside flank. However, starter Justin Reed also is doubtful due to an injury against Auburn. Redshirt freshman Brad Cottam, true freshman Chris Brown and former starter Victor McClure, reinstated from a suspension, are the options.

Pollack plays both sides of the line, generally going to the side where the tight end lines up. In some cases, that will put him opposite UT's All-SEC candidate, left tackle Michael Munoz.

"There's some guys when you have 'em blocked, they stay blocked,'' said Munoz. "If you have Pollock blocked, he'll do whatever it takes to get unblocked.

"That's hard to defend.''

The best plan to defuse Pollack's pass rush is a vibrant running game that keeps him guessing.

"Last year,'' said Sanders, "when we got behind and got in a position where we had to start throwing, he took over the game.''

"We've got to keep mixing in the run so he can't just pin his ears back.''

If that happens, Pollack might just pin back more than Tennessee's ears.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.