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The playbook Tennessee's defensive players carry around this spring is a bit heavier in both a literal and figurative sense.
Defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, now with a full year of experience at UT, has added a number of different schemes and complexities into the Vols' repertoire. A number of factors - including his personal comfort with the personnel and the experience gained by a handful of players who never saw the field before last season - have allowed Wilcox to settle in and attempt to stretch the Vols' football IQs.
The additions have been intimidating for some players, but time is on their side. There's still plenty of time to learn.
"It's kind of difficult stuff to learn because they gave us a lot of stuff," defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. "If we just get in our books and learn by working an extra 20 minutes at night then we should be fine."
Wilcox, who didn't land with the Vols until after National Signing Day last season, said the defense is "ahead of the game" compared to this point last year, when he was having his players learn the basics of his base defense. The lingo and terminology were brand new to a team that had seen three defensive coordinators in as many years.
Now, Wilcox is using the time that was previously devoted to rudimentary fundamentals to tweak certain things in one formation, or completely enhance another defensive package.
The key, Wilcox said, is not giving the players too much too quickly. There's only so much thinking he wants the Vols to be doing in the course of action.
"You've got to ride that line where you want them playing fast, but you want to give the offense enough to make it complicated for them," Wilcox said after Thursday's practice, the sixth of the spring. "We're always going to ride that line and make sure that we have enough in our arsenal but also aren't slowing our own guys down."
Coach Derek Dooley said, as of Thursday's practice, the defense was probably "starting to pull away a little bit" from the offense because it wasn't making as many mental errors. As a method of preventative damage control, Wilcox said he'll pare down his playbook for Saturday's scrimmage, especially when the younger, more inexperienced players are on the field.
"They can go out and just play fast and see what they can do physically and not lock them out mentally," Wilcox said. "We just need to continually every day make those small improvements and over the course of spring, summer and into the fall, that will make us that much better."
Goins Watch: Secondary coach Terry Joseph said Melvin Goins, a former point guard on the UT men's basketball team who started practicing with the football team Tuesday, has been asking plenty of questions and frequently stops by the Neyland Thompson Sports Complex just to "check in."
"What we do know is what we knew before he came: He's athletic," Joseph said. "He gets in there and competes. The biggest thing for him is to get back to a football mentality. That's going to be a work in progress but, obviously, he has the skill set."
Joseph said "I'm game as long as he's game" when it comes to working with Goins and exhibiting patience with a player who hasn't played organized football since his freshman year of high school.
"I think he has some ability there," Joseph said.
Worley Watch: Freshman quarterback Justin Worley isn't getting any special treatment as he learns the intricacies of a completely new offense.
Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney said he hasn't slowed anything down for Worley, who ran a spread offense that predominantly featured short passes at Northwestern High in Rock Hill, S.C.
"He's a little lost on some things, but for the most part he's doing it really well," Chaney said. "He's doing a really good job."
Practice Report: The Vols were in full pads for Thursday's practice and will be again for Saturday's scrimmage at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols installed their two-minute offense Thursday, Dooley said.
"We certainly found ourselves in two-minute situations we didn't finish last year. We've got to get a lot better," Dooley said. "We've got a long way to go from an ability to overcome some bad plays early on offense. I think that's still kind of hamstringing us right now."
Andrew Gribble may be reached at 865-342-6327. Follow him at http://twitter.com/Andrew_Gribble and http://blogs.knoxnews.com/gribble
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Comments » 27
keepitreal4vols writes:
I would like to see how much improvement Bray, Da'Rick and Hunter made during the off season. And Milton too.
Would like to see Worley get some meaningful minutes Saturday and see this record setting arm he has.
Is the scrimmage open to the public?
GO VOLS!!!!!
tree_em_smokey writes:
Nice piece Gribble!
Early realistic prediction for next year: 8-4!
VOLliven2it writes:
Let's get the defense revved up this year Coach JW. You will have enough players and plenty who have played. Let's get back to Big Orange Football smack mouth no apologies defense. If we do that and our offense makes notable improvements the record will take care of itself.
GainesvilleVol1 writes:
Way to early to start making predictions, but I do think UT will be better on defense. Let's not have any serious injurys during the spring, survive the very looooog hooooot summer here, and look foward to "Football time in Tennessee"
As always, GO VOLS!!!!
VOLliven2it writes:
tree_em I believe I too see 8 very winnable games on the 2011 schedule. We must take care of the ball, hold down mental mistakes, and for heaven's sakes play 60 full minutes every game. If we do that 9 might even be possible. I am getting excited even though we have a long way to go!
BigVolFaninSC writes:
I agree, it's way to early for any realistic predictions! I'd love 8-4, but we've got to stay patient and realize that we will have a LOT of youth going against everyone else's veterans! I do like what I'm hearing from Dooley & Co., though! Maybe Hamilton got lucky with this hire! GBO! Can't wait for September!
CharlotteVol writes:
Hope Wilcox works on improving tackling. Started out ok last season but by the end of the year tackling was a big liability. GO VOLS!
CroKev writes:
Having a bit more depth is going to help us in the 2nd half of our games (do you remember how many games we were in at half-time last year, only to lose in the 2nd half?). We should be 2 deep at every position (no superstars) and be able to do a lot more rotating throughout the game. Winning 8 games this year should be very 'do-able' by simply not collapsing in the 2nd half. We should also be able to start cracking the top-10 in recruiting regularly after we've had more success on the field (recruiting came in 13th this year after a 6-7 season) so I'd think 10 wins in 2012 and a BCS bowl game in 2013 are strong possibilities.
volsfannsc writes:
A loss to SC is NOT etched in stone. Leave it to Spurrier to have already started a QB controversy with the freshman QB. Rumor has it Garcia is just plain tired of the games Spurrier plays. The offensive linemen also stated that the two have such different styles that they too have to play different which puts a load on them. A witness that saw a practice says Lattimore is not hitting holes as hard as he did his freshman year. Could it be due to that hit he took in their last game? Maybe it's because his best blocker/ fullback graduated and his replacement hasn't gotten with the playbook yet. SC has talent, but it must gel to become effective. Thanks to Spurrier for keeping it upside down.
PeeEllthree writes:
Add some looks, but please take out the D call where we blitz the OLB and CB and leave our DE running down the sideline covering the back out of the backfield. That happened too often.
Bigger_Al writes:
The best point of this article is what has me the most excited about this year: We have both coordinators back for a 2nd year for the first time since 2007. Instead of installing the basics, we can build.
69grad writes:
I'm all Vol, so I'm going to go waaay out on a limb and say we will beat LSU. They won't steal from the collection plate this year.
FarmerVol writes:
GBO - predictions on hold until after O and W game.
hikerdude writes:
7-5 at best. 6-6 unless the defense learns to tackle. The team is a little deeper but still won't be very good. Dooley needs one or two more years.
Mobbdeep4life writes:
One key will be how much depth is established in the secondary. That will allow UT to play more nickel and dime packages. They lacked depth last year which lead to linebackers covering receivers and defensive ends sometimes covering running backs.
I wish I could fast forward to September already. How many days until the first game?
easleychuck writes:
Naval,
You nailed it when you pointed out that 'it' was trolling at 4:18AM. Very, very sad.
hueypilot writes:
Wilcox's defenses at Boise were very disruptive, guys in the offensive backfield blowing up plays and that was against quality offenses like TCU and Oregon. I'll be looking forward to what he can do with SEC players against SEC offenses after he has a couple/three years to mold his players to his schemes.
CoverOrange writes:
That is when his shift ends after loading KNS newspapers at the loading dock.
givehim6 writes:
I'd say Brey and compy. have a great 2 min drill.
Smokey_Told_Me writes:
What are we hearing about special teams. If we can make improvement here some very good things might happen.
...Smokey knows where the bones are buried.
Orangeblood13 writes:
you guys start with your predictions
I am just looking forward to 1-0 then on to #2
govolsbaby writes:
2-0 headin into the swamp that'l be somethin thats not happened in a long time
jawga writes:
Finally a realistic prediction. Looks like a 6-6 season at best for the Vols. Good for probably 4th in East behind GA,SC & FL.
murrayvol writes:
Nightshift. Still sad.
brokendownoldvol writes:
I hope it doesn't include more of that prevent which directly lost two games for them last yr.
VolGrad writes:
You must have hit your head on that stone.
GBO!
johnlg00 writes:
That situation you mentioned is not due to lack of depth, it is actually a feature of the zone blitz in which nearly everybody on one side of the defense rushes the QB while the rest of them, even DL's, play coverage. They are not expected to have to cover those backs and WR's all the way down the field because the idea is that you overwhelm one side of the offense and either sack the QB quickly or chase him so he can't throw to the side where the DL's are covering. That did in fact burn us a few times last season because we didn't do a great job of rushing the QB, but the idea is sound. With more familiarity and experience, that could still be a viable tactic this year.
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