Tennessee's football pads were popping Tuesday afternoon.

The Vols held their most-physical practice of the spring when they closed the afternoon session with a 60-play scrimmage.

"I think we took a few good steps," UT head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "We have lots of young guys that need to understand what it means to play 11-on-11."

Fulmer and his staff have a far-different challenge this spring as opposed to last year. UT had a veteran club in 2005. This year, the Vols have only a handful of returning starters who are participating in spring practice.

"We obviously are very limited because some of the guys aren't out there but that's not what it's about right now," Fulmer said. "It's about seeing who is going give us effort and improve fundamentally and technique wise."

Fulmer said his players gave him "decent" effort Tuesday and that, at this point, leadership is not what he's looking for.

"I'm not looking for chiefs," he said. "I'm looking for warriors. I'm looking for guys who are going to fight."

Junior quarterback Erik Ainge said UT's practices have been plenty challenging this spring. The key, Ainge said, was that UT's offense is having more fun this spring as opposed to last fall.

"We're having fun but we're working hard," Ainge said. "That's the number-one job of a coach is making hard work fun. I think they're doing a great job right now."

Said Fulmer, "Erik's working hard. He's trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He's trying to be consistent for his team. That's all I want him to be."

Fulmer said UT's limited depth at running back didn't limit its efficiency during Tuesday's scrimmage. Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty are sidelined this spring with knee injuries. Fulmer said freshman LaMarcus Coker also will be sidelined until the Vols reconvene from spring break in April.

Fulmer said fullbacks Corey Anderson and David Holbert and tailback David Yancey did the ball-carrying Tuesday.

"Those injured guys better be hustling to get their butts back out here," Fulmer said, "when they can in the fall."

Fulmer said it is important for his team to push itself on the practice field and off. He said that includes extra film study, which should be led by UT's upperclassmen.

"That's when you've got your good teams," Fulmer said.

Ainge's Assessment: Ainge said he's still getting used to new offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe's practice tempo.

"It's a lot every day," Ainge said. "We're still learning how Coach Cut wants it to be. We're still learning tempo. We have a long ways to go but I think we're a lot further along than we were four days into spring last year."

Ainge said he agreed with Cutcliffe's assessment on Saturday that UT's quarterbacks were off target.

"It could be real good, but if it's not perfect," Ainge said, "it's not good enough."

Ainge said freshman Jonathan Crompton is going through the same growing pains that Ainge faced when he first began practicing on the college level.

"I remember my first four practices here," Ainge said. "I was hitting the other team in the chest with the ball. I was doing a lot of the same things he's doing right now.

"He does some real good things and, like all of us, he does some real bad things. That's just young. For four practices in, I think he's looking pretty good."

Crompton is not available for interviews as per UT's freshman media policy.

Rico Report: Freshman linebacker Rico McCoy was in full pads Tuesday but was extremely limited in practice.

"From our standpoint, he's getting behind because he's not doing full-speed work," Fulmer said. "They (doctors) said maybe after the break, he might be 100 percent or closer."

Spring Breakers: Fulmer said there are pros and cons to having a spring break in the middle of spring practice. On one hand, his injured players have more time to recuperate. On the other, his players have more time to lose focus.

"We have to come back with some great intensity, ready to get back into it," Fulmer said. "We can't go get our butts sunburned somewhere."

Hoops Report: Fulmer said he has great respect for Bruce Pearl and speaks to the first-year UT basketball coach often.

"I wish him well in the tournament," Fulmer said. "I hope he wins it all."

Fulmer said UT's basketball players are to be admired for turning around a program that floundered last year.