Tennessee’s offense ran 737 plays this season. For Erik Ainge, one stands out.

The junior quarterback’s most memorable — albeit regrettable — moment came late in the Florida game. The Vols faced a third-and-16, trailing 21-20. Ainge threw a pass to junior receiver Robert Meachem that fell incomplete.

On the following play, Ainge was intercepted on a desperation pass to Meachem.

Ainge regrets his decision because, while studying the tape, he saw sophomore Lucas Taylor underneath.

"He was wide open," Ainge said as he reviewed the season during Thursday’s media session. "Could have gotten a first down. Could have gotten us in field goal range. Could have won the game."

Ainge said he makes the correct read "eight out of 10 times" on that play.

"It was hard for those couple of days after the game to get over it," Ainge said.

As the regular season unfolded, the Vols finished a respectable 9-3. Florida, on the other hand, is 12-1, won the SEC and will play for the national championship against Ohio State.

That makes that one play tough to forget.

"It was a five-yard hitch route that could have changed the whole season," Ainge said.

Ailing Ainge: Ainge said his sprained ankles, especially the right one, limited him when he returned to action against Vanderbilt and Kentucky in UT’s final two games of the season.

"It was affecting me a lot," said Ainge, who played sparingly against LSU on Nov. 4 and was sidelined for the Arkansas game on Nov. 11 because of the ankle injuries. "I couldn’t really step into any throws. I was using all arm."

Ainge said the ailments caused his mechanics to suffer.

"I’ve been feeling real good lately," he said. "My mechanics have been getting back to normal. There’s still some things that hinder me a little bit but for the most part, I’m feeling really good."

Ainge said he’s not quite 100 percent but hasn’t been limited at all in practice.

Basketball Bob: UT receiver Robert Meachem said he nearly tried to play basketball during his college career. Meachem was often on the sideline while the basketball Vols were practicing.

His presence, Meachem said, prompted coach Bruce Pearl to ask football coach Phillip Fulmer if Meachem could join the basketball team along with cornerback Inky Johnson and fullback Cory Anderson. Fulmer was less than enthused.

"Coach (Fulmer) said ‘Nah I can’t take the risk of those guys getting hurt.’ " Meachem said.

Scouting Report: Ainge said Penn State’s defense is built around middle linebacker Paul Posluszny.

"He’s as good as there is in the country at that position," Ainge said. "They’re (Penn State) not as athletic position one through 11 as some of the teams we’ve played this year in the SEC.

"But you can pause any play halfway through and if you were to draw what a coverage should look like on the board and you look at the film when it was paused, they are in the right position every single time. They don’t make mistakes coverage wise."

While discipline may be the mantra for Penn State’s defense, aggression isn’t. Ainge said the Nittany Lions’ defensive backs tend to give bigger cushions to opposing receivers than SEC teams.

"They’re not quite as aggressive as some teams we’ve seen," he said.

Middle Man: Redshirt freshman Josh McNeil said he didn’t give up a one-on-one sack this season. The UT center started seven games.

"That’s one of my big goals," McNeil said. "I never gave up a sack in high school. That’s a streak that I want to keep going. That’s kind of a pride thing for me. I’ve been lucky. Sometimes Ainge or Crompton got away. It’s not all me."

Coker is Challenged: Ainge said if redshirt freshman LaMarcus Coker wants to be an all-purpose threat, he had better work hard in the offseason.

"He definitely could," Ainge said. "I think he’d have to take it upon himself to learn everything and get to where he needs to be but there’s definitely potential there."

Coker, UT’s leading rusher, has expressed interest in being more involved in the offense.