Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer says he’s speeding up parts of the Vols’ practices to better simulate the speed of games.

Fulmer has said his Vols, who are now 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the SEC, have often practiced well this season but have struggled to carry that into games.

Fulmer said Tuesday he hopes by increasing the amount of light contact among players during practice they’ll be better prepared to face fast, physical SEC opponents.

But there’s a balance involved, he says. Tennessee has several games in a row against physical teams such as Mississippi State and second-ranked Alabama, and players are at a greater risk of injury if they spend too much time practicing and playing at full-speed.

The Vols face Mississippi State on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

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