After four games, Tennessee's football team is still a work in progress.

What team can't get better in the last week of September?

But when No. 15 UT hits the road Saturday for the first time this season with a noon kickoff (TV: ESPN) at Memphis (1-2), the running game and offensive line have plenty of work left to do.

Tennessee entered last Saturday's game against Marshall with the nation's 93rd ranked rushing offense.

In the SEC, only Kentucky and Mississippi State fare worse through four weeks of the season.

After rushing for 176 yards against Marshall, the Vols are now up to No. 77, but are still 10th in the conference.

They've moved the ball well on offense thanks to the SEC's most efficient passing game and the country's No. 13 pass offense, but UT coach Phillip Fulmer knows his team needs to run the ball better.

"I just want to move the ball and score points," Fulmer said. "But the thing I know is you're going to have times in a football game that you want to finish the game and run the ball or you have an injury somewhere, a quarterback or a tailback or something, that you need to be able to take over the game."

Redshirt freshman LaMarcus Coker did that Saturday, picking up 146 yards on just eight carries.

The bulk of those came on an 89-yard score — UT's longest run since 1977 — and sparked a running attack that had just 36 yards until that point.

"Definitely he'll be a lot more in the mix," Fulmer said of Coker.

Tailback Arian Foster, who missed Saturday's game after playing sparingly against Florida, could return this week, Fulmer said.

Add Montario Hardesty, who extended his touchdown streak to four games with a 20-yard run, and the Vols have some competition in the backfield.

"We're not 100 percent settled on just exactly a couple positions, several positions actually, on both sides of the ball. They're very competitive," Fulmer said.

The offensive line has a position battle brewing between Michael Frogg and Josh McNeil at center.

Frogg, who has started all four games, is being challenged by the redshirt freshman, who played nearly half the game Saturday after not taking a snap against Florida.

"Josh, he's trying to win the starting center position," Fulmer said. "Every week he's getting better. They're going to continue to rotate some, although I'm not sure right now who will end up being the starter."

Frogg played some at guard Saturday in the absence of backup lineman Ramon Foster, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury.

Saturday's game brought some progress, but the Vols still aren't as multiple on offense as they'd like to be.

"We're going to continue to work like heck for balance," Fulmer said. "I've always said I don't care how we do it as long as we're successful, but I do know that you need to have the ability to run the ball.

"We've got a long way to go to be where we want to be, but ... we were a little bit better with our steps and our angles and our pad leverage. We got some push a few times. Those kind of things were better."

Fisher Sees Action: Sophomore junior college transfer defensive end Walter Fisher got his first playing time of the season late in the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound player out of Hillsboro High School had been limited after shoulder surgery this past spring.

"We were able to get Walter in there that last series," defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell said Saturday. "I thought he did a couple of good things.

"We've just got to keep bringing him along slowly because we're definitely going to need him as time goes on."

Happy Returns: In addition to both Arian and Ramon Foster, Fulmer said Sunday he hopes that receiver Austin Rogers (shoulder), defensive end Jared Hostetter (knee) will be ready to play this week.

None of those players played Saturday against Marshall. Hostetter has yet to play after having preseason knee surgery.

Gaines, Morley Improving: Fulmer said that Demetrice Morley was impressive in his second start at safety.

"He did much better and I think the more he plays, the better he's going to get," Fulmer said of Morley, who had nine tackles and a fumble recovery against the Herd.

Reserve defensive back Antonio Gaines has improved as well, but Fulmer would like to see more out of the junior.

"I would really like for him to be more intense and more aggressive," Fulmer said. "He's smart and has been fairly consistent, but I'd like him to be dynamic."

Colquitt Moving Up: After his stellar performance against Marshall, UT punter Britton Colquitt ranks sixth in the country with a 47.3 yards-per-punt average.

Against the Herd, the sophomore averaged 56 yards on three punts with a long of 63. Each pinned Marshall inside its 10-yard line.

Colquitt is second in the SEC behind Auburn's Kody Bliss.

Poll watch: The Vols remained 15th in the AP poll, but jumped two spots to No. 17 in the USA Today coaches poll.

Injury Update: Frogg, who left Saturday's game with a sprained shoulder, and defensive tackle Turk McBride (concussion) are not expected to miss any significant time.