Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge's step was a little lighter Monday morning.

Gone was the walking boot around his right ankle, a near constant companion for the past two weeks.

In its place was a white tennis shoe and the optimism that came with a return to the practice field.

And the hope that he could perhaps be ready for the 22nd-ranked Vols' trip to Vanderbilt on Saturday (TV: WVLT, 12:30 p.m.).

"It's just a matter of getting out there and feeling good enough to where I can just keep going," Ainge said. "I'm going to address that this week. I need to practice, because I haven't really practiced in about a week and a half.

"Whether it's still bothering me (Monday) or (Tuesday) and it's still primarily in the (shot)gun, then that's what I'll do. But I need to get out there with the guys and practice and show the coaching staff that I'm getting ready."

The goal remains the same as it's been the past two weeks: Getting healthy enough to move around in the pocket and protect himself from pressure.

"I can stand and throw the ball," Ainge said. "I can get in the gun and throw just fine right now. I've been able to do that since two weeks ago. It's about being able to move.

"I don't have to be able to move like I used to. I don't have to be able to get outside the pocket and scramble and make throws outside the pocket. I just need to move in the pocket enough to where I can get the ball off."

UT coach Phillip Fulmer said he was glad to see Ainge back at practice on Monday.

"I think Erik's ready to go," he said. "I'm expecting him to be out here and to get some things done and be there all week."

One of the main challenges for Ainge will be regaining his timing after being severely limited at practice for the past two weeks.

That timing is more mental than physical, he said.

"A lot of timing is just knowing, understanding," he said. "If you know where you're going with the football, you know where your eyes can be, you know how long you have to look somebody off before you've got to get back shifted to throw the football. That's all up here. I don't think I'll have a problem getting my timing down."

Ainge could have played Saturday against Arkansas in an emergency, but both he and UT's coaches felt that it wasn't worth risking further injury.

He said Monday that he did not plead with offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe to enter Saturday's ballgame when the Vols' fell behind.

"I never said, 'Let me give it a shot,' " Ainge said. "They knew what I could do. They watched me in pregame warm-ups and Thursday a little bit in practice. They knew what I could do physically and if we wanted to get to that, then they could have.

"It's just a matter of is it worth it or not? Is going and playing two series and getting rolled up in that game and not being able to play the rest of the year, that's kind of the question. We decided to let it rest and try to get it healthy so we can get it done this weekend."

Ainge started against LSU and played three series before the ankle was rolled again.

The junior first suffered the injury to his right ankle on a quarterback draw late in the fourth quarter of UT's victory against South Carolina on Oct. 28.

That's the last time the Vols won, and Ainge is as anxious as anyone to end UT's two-game losing streak.

Part of the reason for that streak is the competition -- LSU and Arkansas are a combined 17-3 and 10-2 in SEC play -- part is a lack of execution on offense.

"Just because we lost the last two football games, you can't change what we're doing," Ainge said. "There's a reason we won seven of the first eight games we played. We need to get back to that as a football team, and doing what we were doing practice wise. Obviously we're banged up and that hurts us, but we've just got fight through that."