A stretch of 36 days between games is long enough to heal the bruises of the regular season and freshen up for a bowl date.

It’s too long, in fact.

That’s one reason Tennessee will gear up in full pads and scrimmage tonight.

"I think it’s the best way to prepare for a bowl game,’’ offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said Friday.

"You’ve got to have the speed of the game. You can’t wait that long. I’ve been around where we did and it wasn’t a good thing.’’

The Vols need to play better on Jan. 1 against Penn State in the Outback bowl than they did on Nov. 25, when they held on for a 17-12 victory against 20-point-underdog Kentucky.

And that’s another reason to go full speed tonight.

"To be quite honest with you, we didn’t play very well on either side of the ball in our last game,’’ Cutcliffe said.

"So the emphasis is to get better and sometimes the only way you can do that is go play football.’’

Cutcliffe and defensive coordinator John Chavis ran Friday’s practice. Head coach Phillip Fulmer addressed the team beforehand and then left on a recruiting trip.

Recruiting is one of three balls the coaching staff are juggling this month.

Another, obviously, is Penn State preparations.

"I can’t speak for John (Chavis),’’ Cutcliffe said, "but offensively we’re pretty deep into our game plan.’’

A third objective is to use bowl practice as a building block for spring practice and the 2007 season.

Friday, for example, after the seniors were dismissed, everybody else stayed for extra work.

"We’re getting a great head start,’’ Cutcliffe said. "I think it’s been the best young-guys work we’ve had that I’ve been around.

"That’s a bonus, particularly coming off a year where you missed it last year.’’

The young guys don’t complain.

Redshirt freshman center Josh McNeil said he’d much rather be in Knoxville working toward a bowl than repeating the prolonged holiday break he got last year after a 5-6 season.

"I was home three or four weeks,’’ he said. "That’s too long.

"I like to go home (to Mississippi) to see my momma and daddy, but I like to play football, too.’’

Senior defensive back Jonathan Wade cautioned the young guys to take this opportunity seriously.

"They wont’ know how important it is until the games start next season,’’ Wade said.

"When it’s time for you to play, it’s time for you to play. You have to be ready.

"If not, someone else will be.’’

First, however, the staff wants to see who’s ready for Penn State. Tonight’s scrimmage will provide some clues.

"We’ll look at everybody, the first team, the second team and the threes,’’ Cutcliffe said. "We’ll get quite a few snaps.

"We want to see who’s going to compete, who’s going to get what done.’’

Practice Report: The Vols worked indoors Friday morning before most of the coaching staff joined Fulmer on the recruiting trail.

After two days in full pads, the format was helmets and shoulder pads.

Defensive end Walter Fisher (shoulder) did not participate.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.