Arian Foster has looked so good he might get a surprising break tonight.

The sophomore tailback looks healthy after offseason shoulder surgery, and Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer wants to keep him that way going into tonight’s scrimmage at Neyland Stadium.

"I’m really excited about Arian," Fulmer said after a relatively short practice in shorts and shoulder pads on Friday. "The offensive coaches aren’t going to like this, because I haven’t told them yet, but we’re going to limit him to some degree because I think he has come out and done an excellent job.

"He has shown that he’s back healthy, playing physical and falling forward."

Foster burst on the scene in 2005 after Gerald Riggs and Montario Hardesty suffered season-ending injuries.

All Foster did was rush for 879 yards and five TDs, including 100-yard efforts in each of his five starts.

"Physically, I feel 100 percent," Foster said. "I’m great.

"Mentally, I feel about 98.7 percent. We’ve still got a few kinks to work out and (today) is a big day with the scrimmage. It’s big because this week of practice we feel like we gelled a lot more."

First-year running backs coach Kurt Roper obviously has been excited by what he has seen from Foster.

"He gives great effort every day, he goes to work every day, and every drill he does it with the right mindset to get better," Roper said. "I tell you what, he’s one of the guys who gets the huddle going and has a lot of energy.

"He’s just a playmaker. That was obvious from last year."

Hardesty A Go: Redshirt freshman tailback Hardesty has been cleared to participate in the scrimmage after experiencing some swelling to his surgically-repaired knee earlier this week.

"He’ll play," Fulmer said. "We’ll certainly try to not give him too many snaps, but his knee is fine.

"He needs to get live work for sure."

Fellows’ Surgery On Hold: Backup cornerback Roshaun Fellows is still scheduled for surgery on an injured pectoral muscle, but he’s going to wait awhile.

"School starts Wednesday, so we’re going to let him get settled into school and maybe do something like a week from next Friday," Fulmer said "That’s what I’m encouraging them to do, and we’re also a little at the mercy of the doctor’s schedules."

Rocky Top Fever: The Vols were serenaded by the "Pride of the Southland Marching Band" late during Friday’s practice session.

The band walked in formation from Stokely Athletics Center down onto the Lindsey Nelson Stadium practice field with "Rocky Top" blaring just like game day.

When they were done, players clapped and walked through the band handing out some high fives.

"The band came down and that got things livened up and let us know how close the start of the season really is now," Fulmer said. "I appreciate Dr. (Gary) Sousa and the band doing that very much."

Focused Friday: Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor kept his guys late after practice.

It wasn’t any kind of punishment, but just a new routine Taylor is installing this season.

He has all of his receivers line up and catch balls from a passing machine.

"It’s focused Friday," Taylor said. "We’re going to catch 50 balls in a row without a drop. If they drop one, we start over.

"That puts pressure on all of them."

Roll Call: Defensive tackle J.T. Mapu returned to the practice field after missing Thursday’s work with a twinge in his hamstring. He’s expected to be full go for tonight’s scrimmage.

Safety Jonathan Hefney was not at practice to be with his mother during a medical procedure. He’s expected to return today.

Tickets Available: The UT Athletics Department has "a very limited" number of tickets available for home games against Air Force (7 p.m. Sept. 9) and Marshall (4 p.m. Sept. 23 on homecoming).