Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe watched as his offense took a step back in Saturday afternoon's scrimmage.

Then he watched as his quarterbacks and receivers took extra steps afterwards.

Lots of them.

"I didn't care for the energy, the execution, the intensity level. I thought there was a lot lacking," Cutcliffe said. "From the naked eye, we took some steps back."

Thus Tennessee's quarterbacks found themselves running up and down the steps on the lower level of the west stands while the receivers did the same on the east side.

Dropped passes, bad throws, interceptions and sacks dominated Tennessee's second full scrimmage this spring.

While the receivers and quarterbacks did the extra work, Cutcliffe wasn't too happy with anyone on his side of the ball.

"We're not getting good play at quarterback," he said. "Not getting good play at receiver, not getting good play at tight end, not getting very good play on our offensive line. Not getting as good of play as we were getting at running back.

"That should tell you something."

The 100-plus plays on the field said plenty.

With starting quarterback Erik Ainge watching with Cutcliffe in the press box following knee surgery on Monday, quarterbacks Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens struggled to complete passes for most of the afternoon.

Crompton finished 15-of-30 for 141 yards and an interception, while Stephens was 14-of-27 for 117 yards and three picks.

Quintin Hancock turned in the best performance of the wide receivers with five catches for 75 yards, including a 36-yarder on Stephens' first series.

That was the only completion in UT's first six passing attempts, prompting a stop in practice for a lecture followed by up-downs courtesy of receivers coach Trooper Taylor.

"The drops are really the things that stand out," Taylor said, calling Saturday the receivers' worst day for dropped passes this spring. "When you separate on our defensive backs and get an opportunity to make a play, you got to make that play.

"I feel bad for those quarterbacks because they're throwing it on time and where it's supposed to be, and we're not making the plays. We'll get that done."

Still, the quarterbacks weren't entirely blameless.

Tennessee's defense recorded seven sacks by seven different players, and Stephens and Crompton combined for three interceptions late in the scrimmage.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer praised Hancock and tailback Montario Hardesty, who missed all but the last three practices while recovering from knee surgery.

Hardesty finished with 58 yards on 17 carries, while Arian Foster had 47 yards on 11 carries and the only touchdown.

LaMarcus Coker rushed for 23 yards on eight carries.

"(Hardesty is) running his rear off. He's running hard and tough. Those three guys complement each other," Fulmer said. "In the first half, I thought Coker and Foster looked 'SEC ready.' "

Trooper Taylor said that Lucas Taylor (2 catches, 21 yards), Austin Rogers (6 catches, 37 yards), Hancock and Casey Woods can all play in the SEC.

Josh Briscoe (6 catches, 55 yards) and Slick Shelley (2 catches, 19 yards) need to improve, he said.

For all the receivers, time is running out.

The Vols have just two more practices before next Saturday's Orange and White game.

Two months after that, a talented group of incoming receivers will be on campus.

"That scrimmage is big," Trooper Taylor said. "It's an interview. Because when those freshmen step on campus, guys, your interview was in the spring. Their interview's going to be two-a-days.

"The SEC is unforgiving," he said. "It doesn't say, 'My bad.' 'My bad' means you lost. I need these guys to understand the sense of urgency."

For all the talk of urgency, the season is still five months away.

Trooper Taylor pointed out there's no scheming the opponent in spring drills, something that will help receivers make plays.

And every play the offense doesn't make is a credit in the defense's ledger.

Saturday, the offense came up way in the red.

"We took steps back, and I'm not very pleased at all," Cutcliffe said. "I didn't see anything out there today that I thought was good."