You didn’t have to see Saturday night’s scrimmage to appreciate the improvement in Tennessee’s offense. You only had to see offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe.

Don’t get the wrong idea. He wasn’t doing cartwheels at the thought of facing Cal’s defense in two weeks. But he wasn’t looking for a bridge, either.

A week earlier, his disappointment and concern were evident in his expression and tone. Hope was evident in both Saturday night.

Starter Erik Ainge threw the ball with more authority and played with more confidence on Saturday. Backup quarterback Jonathan Crompton didn’t struggle with the center snap as he did in the previous scrimmage and also demonstrated a strong arm.

Cutcliffe said the improvement began last Sunday after "a heart-to-heart talk."

"I kind of got their attention," he said. "We were so much better (Saturday night). On the other hand, we still had some penalty problems and too many wasted plays for various reasons."

The most glaring weakness was in pass protection. Ainge was sacked twice on the first possession, and the blocking deteriorated after starting tackle Arron Sears and guard David Ligon were replaced in the starting lineup later in the scrimmage.

But the pressure wasn’t all bad. At least, it didn’t seem to have a lingering effect on Ainge.

He was more consistent in his throwing than in the previous scrimmage. He also was effective on rollouts, as was Crompton, whose best throw came on a rollout left, followed by a strong throw right to the middle of the field.

Cutcliffe was impressed by their poise, but more impressed by their toughness.

"I feel better because I thought for the first time I saw some real toughness in our quarterbacks," he said. "I thought they played under a lot of pressure, saw a lot of looks and managed themselves better."

Ainge completed 17 of 26 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He hooked up with wide receiver Robert Meachem and tight end Brad Cottam on deep passes. He also threw a hard strike to Meachem over the middle for the touchdown.

Crompton was 9 for 14, and third-stringer Bo Hardegree continued his accurate passing by completing eight of nine passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Hardegree has thrown only two incompletions in three scrimmages.

"This week, we had one of the best sets of seven-on-seven drills that I’ve been around, period," Cutcliffe said. "It showed me we’re getting where we needed to be. If we put the protection together and get the rhythm we’re capable of doing, we’re going to be able to throw the football."

Based on Saturday’s scrimmage, the blockers now loom as a greater concern than the passers. Certainly, UT’s promising defense is a factor in the pass-protection woes. But unlike other seasons, when UT has opened against a less formidable opponent, the first opposing defense might not drop off from the one it has been facing in preseason.

Cal has an experienced, talented front seven on defense, and cornerback Daymeion Hughes is a preseason All-American. Like the Vols, Cal has an aggressive approach to defense, according to Cutcliffe.

"They put a lot of pressure on you," he said. "A lot of man (coverage) and blitz. They’ll certainly test your protections."

It’s obvious Cutcliffe has two teams on his mind at this point. He’s not just building an offense, he’s building a game plan for the ninth-ranked Golden Bears.

"We pay a lot of attention to (what’s going on with Cal)," Cutcliffe said. "We talk about them as a staff every day. We’re already doing game-plan stuff. By the end of (this) week, I hope we have our game plan ready."

Throwing long might figure prominently in that game plan. Cal’s safeties are the least-experienced members of the defense. Starting cornerback Tim Mixon was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury last week.

Throwing deep takes time. Too often, the quarterbacks didn’t have that Saturday night.

"We’re not there yet," Cutcliffe said. "We’ve got a long way to go."

But the distance isn’t as great as it was a week ago.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.