A little smash-mouth goes a long way for Vols

Tennessee’s top two tailbacks, junior Arian Foster and sophomore Montario Hardesty, averaged 5.5 yards per carry in Saturday night’s scrimmage, thanks in large part to some large men upfront.

“I think we’re definitely going to try some smash-mouth football and run the football a little more,” senior left tackle Eric Young said when asked about the 2007 season.

In limited roles, Foster ran for 41 yards on eight carries while Hardesty carried the ball five times for 30 yards.

The Vols also had better success running off the right side of the offensive line than they did in last Saturday’s scrimmage, when most of the rushing yards were gained going left.

The right side of the line was revamped earlier this week when junior Ramon Foster was moved from right guard to right tackle, swapping places with sophomore Chris Scott.

“Both of them have played both,” offensive line coach Greg Adkins said of the smooth transition. “I wasn’t really worried from a mental standpoint.”

The offensive line also looked plenty athletic as offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe called plays that forced his linemen to move outside the pocket area, such as screens and bootlegs.

The Vols also showcased their athletic quarterback package, which resulted in two positive gains, as junior Lucas Taylor took the snap from the shotgun.

“I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Taylor said.

Injury Report: Strong side linebacker Ryan Karl did not practice Saturday. Fulmer said the senior is expected back by Monday, having been sidelined with a sore back resulting from an offseason weight room injury.

Freshman defensive end Ben Martin was taken to UT hospital for X-rays on his left knee. Martin left the field midway through the scrimmage unable to put little, if any, weight on the leg.

Junior punter/kicker Britton Colquitt pulled a quadriceps on his first kickoff of the night. Senior defensive end Xavier Mitchell suffered a mild concussion, but is expected to be OK.

Hot and Cold: Freshman cornerback Eric Berry registered two big plays, one good and the other bad. First, Berry fumbled a kickoff that shot off his foot towards the scrum of players in front of him.

Receivers coach Trooper Taylor said Berry was trying to call to one of UT’s up-backs to slide back and catch the ball, which caused Berry to hesitate. Taylor said that’s not what UT’s returners are taught. The players in front of the return men are only supposed to catch the ball if it’s kicked directly to him.

On the other end of the spectrum, Berry turned in a sensational interception when he sprinted downfield and made a leaping interception off senior quarterback Erik Ainge.

Limited Seating: Trooper Taylor said the Vols plan to take six to eight receivers to California for the season opener on Sept. 1 as part of the NCAA-limited travel squad. The exact number of receivers will depend on how many tight ends UT takes to the season opener and what receivers will be expected to contribute on special teams.

Taylor said he expects four to five receivers to play in the game against Cal. The experienced quartet, Austin Rogers, Lucas Taylor, Josh Briscoe and Quintin Hancock, are in solid shape to make the trip, according to Taylor.

After that, the competition truly begins, especially after Saturday’s scrimmage, which Trooper Taylor said was void of mental mistakes.

“We didn’t have any missed assignments,” he said. “We didn’t jump off sides and we were where we were supposed to be. That was something we harped on.”

Dandy Tackle: Dan Williams said he’s gained a whole new understanding of playing defensive tackle. He said he just became comfortable at the position this week. Williams had four tackles and a sack on Saturday night.

“There’s still a lot of room for improvement,” the sophomore said.

Williams said UT’s second team defensive line felt challenged after Fulmer called them soft earlier this week.

“It’s kind of sad,” Williams said, “but he’s going to be brutally honest.”

All Smiles: Hardesty was much more pleased following Saturday’s scrimmage than a week ago, when he complained about not getting enough carries.

“I think I got some good reps this week,” the sophomore said. “I like to compete. I would like to get some more (game reps).”

Coaches have held Hardesty back because of a sore hamstring he had in the opening stages of preseason camp. Hardesty maintained all along he was fine.

Visitors: Offensive lineman Barrett Jones from Evangelical Christian in Cordova visited the scrimmage. Jones was accompanied by close family friend Jimmy Sexton, also a well-known agent.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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