Short-yardage failures soured defense

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer, defensive line coach Dan Brooks, and defensive coordinator John Chavis talk with players during the game against Florida in Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer, defensive line coach Dan Brooks, and defensive coordinator John Chavis talk with players during the game against Florida in Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

Robert Ayers didn't want to hear it.

He sat at the post-game podium and bristled at the idea Tennessee's defense had done a "good job."

"We lost," Tennessee's senior defensive end said after Saturday's 30-6 loss to No. 4-ranked Florida. "We don't play this game to do a good job. We play this game to win.

"A good Florida team got a win in our house. We look at it as we have to go back and get better. We all played hard, but you can't say good job because we lost."

Ayers had a little shake and quiver to his voice when he spoke.

He was angry. Not with the effort, but with the result.

Another reporter asked if UT players were embarrassed.

"No sir," Ayers said. "We come out and work hard every day. We've got great coaches and great leadership on this team.

"We don't feel embarrassed. (Florida) executed and they won the game."

While Tennessee's offense sputtered in the red zone and special-teams blunders were costly in the first half, the defense limited the Gators to 243 total yards.

In last season's 59-20 loss in Gainesville, Florida torched the Vols for 554 yards of offense.

Still, it was no consolation for UT defensive coordinator John Chavis.

"When you don't win the game, there's not a lot you can feel good about," he said. "But I'm proud of our players. We grew up some today."

One of the primary goals for Chavis was to limit Florida's big-play ability.

For the most part, the Vols were able to do that. The Gators' longest play from scrimmage was a 34-yard pass from Tim Tebow to Percy Harvin.

"We played against a team with a lot of speed on offense and there were very few times we got outflanked," Chavis said. "Obviously, there were plays we could have done better, but that was one of our goals - not to get outflanked and stay out of the chase situations."

Instead, it was the short-yardage situations where Tennessee at times had trouble.

Florida converted on 8-of-13 third-down situations and controlled more of the clock in the second half.

"We needed to make plays on third downs and we didn't get it done," UT defensive line coach Dan Brooks said. "They hit the plays they had to hit. They did a good job of mixing it up.

"We did limit the big plays and that was a big challenge for us with the skill they've got and the players they've got. Still, if it's third-and-3 and they get three and a half, that's too much."

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer saw the same things from his defense.

Most of the questions were about missed opportunities for the offense - no one was putting this one on the defense.

"We never really gave our defense a chance during the course of the game," Fulmer said. "I think our defensive team played really hard today.

"(Florida's) a good offensive team and we knew they were going to make some plays along the way."

Linebacker Rico McCoy led the way with 10 tackles, nine of those coming on assists.

Eric Berry had eight tackles, including the only sack. Berry made big hits in the secondary, but the ball-hawking defense that had seven interceptions the first two games couldn't force a Florida turnover.

"You've got to hand it to them," Brooks said of Florida, "they've played three games now without a turnover. They did a nice job."

One consolation: The Vols were in virtually the same position a year ago and ended up in Atlanta at the SEC championship game.

Asked if the Vols could pull off the same feat this season, Chavis didn't hesitate.

"Certainly," he said. "If I quit feeling that way, somebody else needs to be doing what I'm doing."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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