Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Jonathan Crompton got a lesson in speed on Saturday against LSU.

Crompton said his performance against the Tigers will be a significant learning tool. It's the first real chance he's had to watch himself on film, too.

"After the game you can say, 'I did great,' or 'I did real bad,' and then you go watch the film and it wasn't as good or as bad," said Crompton, who completed 11 of 24 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns against the nation's top defense. "I did OK. I could have done better. That's about all you can say about it."

That, and how much faster a game is than practice.

"It helps a lot," he said. "Now you actually know the speed and you know what to expect and things like that. "I really never understood what it meant to practice like a game. After being in there now, you understand things happen 10, 15 times faster in a game than they do in practice."

Crompton could get another lesson in game speed Saturday at Arkansas (TV: ESPN2, 7 p.m.). He'll get a lesson in life on the road in the SEC, too.

Junior starter Erik Ainge did not practice for the second day this week, still nursing an injured right ankle that limited him to just nine plays in a 28-24 loss to LSU.

"I think we're probably in a very similar place to where we were last week," UT offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe said. "Tuesday it was very uncertain. It's still very uncertain, and we're just taking it one day at a time. I think the sooner we can get a real good idea what we're doing, it's probably easier for everybody."

Among teammates and coaches, though, there's little doubt that Crompton can be effective if needed again this week.

"I think he'll do fine," senior wide receiver Jayson Swain said. "I know he has a new challenge, playing away. He'll have to communicate better and deal with the crowd. As far as going out there and making plays and the speed of the game, I think he'll be fine."

Coker Watch: Redshirt freshman tailback LaMarcus Coker was limited during practice.

Cutcliffe said the Vols can't depend on Coker, who suffered a left-knee injury on a kickoff return against Alabama on Oct. 21, to be ready to play by Saturday.

"I think all of us saw what LaMarcus meant to us when he came on the scene at a very needed time," Cutcliffe said. "He's a guy that has the speed and the skill to make a little impact for us. We can't depend that right because we don't know where he is. But hopefully soon we'll have him back full speed."

Mitchell Improving: Marvin Mitchell returned to practice with his injured shoulder in a protective brace.

The senior middle linebacker, who is second on the team with 73 tackles, said he suffered an AC joint sprain in the second quarter against LSU.

"I had one last year, played through it. I was fine," he said. "The only thing is just getting your strength back. If I was a receiver, I'd probably be practicing right now."

Ainge O'Brien Semifinalst: Ainge was named one of 18 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, given each year to the nation's top quarterback.

The three finalists will be announced Nov. 21.