SB Nation - Tauren Poole

Ed Orgeron returns to Oxford, gives all of us the silent treatment

Joel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:31:27 -0000

Ed Orgeron will not be speaking with the media in advance of the matchup against his former employer this week. The Rebels, though, are talking, and if the Vols can find motivation in Tommy West's stupid joke about a talking dog, they might be able to do something with this:

[Some unidentified dude referred to only as "Hodge:"] The first one against Tennessee is kind of personal. Coach O never did anything to me, but the way I saw him treat some people, I know some guys are going to come out with a real fire in their belly and get after (UT) pretty bad."

Defensive end Kentrell Lockett added: "Great guy, but he just wasn't that head coach. He was a great D-line coach but he wasn't that head coach. I haven't talked to him (since Orgeron was fired). I might get a chance to talk to him after the game Saturday - might not, but life goes on, you know."

John Adams may have neglected to fully identify the source of that first quote, but he closed strong: "My guess is the Vols won't find talking Rebels any funnier than a talking dog."

All is well with Nu'Keese Richardson, who said that the weight of his homesickness and introverted personality was what was causing his issues last week. Credit Richardson's roommate Marsalis Teague for helping him through the situation, encouraging him to listen only to the advice of those closest to him -- his aunts and his high school coaches (!) -- who told him to tough it out. According to Kiffin, Richardson had one of his best weeks of practice, and against Memphis, he caught three passes for 54 yards and got his first touchdown. More importantly, he was laughing, joking, and at ease with his role.

And now it's running back Tauren Poole's turn, apparently. Poole was not demonstrably not happy with playing only on special teams against the Tigers, and Kiffin sent him to the locker room with time left on the clock (duplicate link). I'm guessing it was the confirmation that he was behind both Bryce Brown and David Oku in the pecking order. "I don't expect kids to agree with our decisions on playing time," Kiffin said. "I expect them to think that they're the best guy at their position. But they need to respect those decisions and not let their feeling show, and just keep practicing hard and playing hard when they get an opportunity." Kiffin met with Poole yesterday, and, not having had any problems with Poole in the past, Kiffin said he'll be available to play this weekend.

Not only is Jonathan Crompton ranked 1st in the SEC and 4th nationally in touchdowns thrown, he's done it on fewer attempts. Nationally, Crompton's behind only Houston's Case Keenum, Boise State's Kellen Moore, and N.C. State's Russell Wilson. But Crompton's done it on 264 attempts, and Keenum, Moore, and Wilson have 458, 268, and 293 respectively.

Huh. Despite both being charter members of the SEC, Tennessee has only played Ole Miss at Oxford three times.

The Challenge Going Up Against Tennessee's Monster Offensive Line

Nestor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:21 -0000

I wanted to delve a little deeper into the matchup between our defensive front-7 and the Tennessee OL. I think this will be the biggest challenge for our Bruins on Saturday. If our Price, Jerzy, Carter and co. are not able to hold their own against the behemoth Volunteers frontline, I think it will be a long day of watching prime time football on ESPN.

First, let's put the numbers of Tennessee front line in perspective. Here is a look at the Volunteers OL depth chart:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Chris Scott, Sr (6-5, 330)	Vladimir Richard, Sr (6-4,300)	Cody Sullins, Sr (6-1, 260)	Jacques McClendon, Sr (6-3, 324)	Jarrod Shaw, Jr (6-4, 332)+
Dallas Thomas, Fr.* (6-5, 268)	Cody Pope, So (6-6, 288)	Cory Sullins, Sr (6-1, 270)	William Brimfield, So (6-5, 346)	Aaron Douglas, Fr* (6-6, 282)+

*Indicates red shirt
+ Listed as "Co-No. 1"

And now here is a look at the depth chart of the San Diego State's OL heading into last weekend:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Tommie Draheim, So (6-4, 290)	Mike Matamua, So (6-4, 290)	Trask Losefa, Jr (6-0, 290)	Ikaika Aken-Moleta, Sr (6-2, 295)	Peter Nelson, Sr (6-5, 295)
Tom Rische, Jr, (6-4, 290)	Alec Johnson, Fr* (6-3, 300)	Damian Shankle, Sr (6-2, 295)	Emilio Rivera, So (6-4, 295)	Kurtis Gunther, So (6-8, 285)

*Indicates red shirt

You guys see the difference? It took couple of series for Brian Price and rest of the Bruin defensive frontline to generate pressure on the Aztecs. I don't think we can afford to have that luxury on Saturday evening. The Tennessee guys will come out right away and look to establish their own tempo and rhythm, by power running all over the Bruin defense.

If you recall they had decent amount of success against the Bruin defense rushing the ball last year as they ran for 177 yards in 34 attempts. They lost control of the game when for some inexplicable reasons they decided to go chuck and duck with Jonathan Crompton with astonishing 41 pass attempts. I don't see the Vols making the same mistake this time around.

You can bet they will come out at Neyland and serve up heavy doses of Hardesty and Brown. Don't forget though. Tennessee also has other talent at the tailback position. From Athlon.com's season preview:

Senior Montario Hardesty hits holes hard and possesses breakaway speed, and with a healthy spring behind him is on pace to enjoy his finest season. But before Hardesty can lead the Vols to victories he must first win his position. That figures to be a challenge with highly regarded prospects Bryce Brown and David Oku coming to fall camp. Brown, a 6'0", 215-pound super talent from Wichita, Kan., was ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, and a visit to various YouTube highlight reels shows why. Oku, a 5'10", 185-pounder, was Rivals’ No. 1-rated all-purpose back and offers quickness and receiving ability. Freshman Toney Williams enrolled early and was expected to challenge for immediate playing time, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in summer workouts. Tauren Poole is another shifty option who should get into the mix this year. Fullbacks Kevin Cooper and Austin Johnson could get competition in the event the coaches move a tailback to the position.

Looking the boxscore from last Saturday, it looks like Oku got a decent chunk of action. He carried the ball 8 times for 42 yards, scoring 2 TDs, while Poole also carried the ball 5 times for 62 yards. So no doubt Hardesty and Brown are going to get the spotlight. However, I am sure our coaches will also be aware of Oku and Poole.

It will be interesting to see how Bullough scheme up his defense for Saturday. I thought our defensive effort in the early going was fairly vanilla. It seemed like the San Diego State OL (who clearly are not in the same league as the Tennessee OL in terms of size and athleticism) handled our stunts pretty well. It took us a while to get serious pressure going on the Aztecs passing game.

So what do we do? For starters, I think we are going to need more intense effort from our LBers. For whatever reason, I though Reggie Carter and Akeem Ayers came out a little slow last weekend. I didn't think their concentration level pick up till the second half (perhaps I am being bit harsh here but calling it as I saw the action). I think those guys will need to focused and locked in so that they can help our defensive frontline in containing the Tennesee ground attack.

I think the key for us will be to disrupt Crompton's comfort level. If we can contain their running game early on and get some heavy pressure on the Tennessee QB by blitzing him through different looks, I think we might be able to get him rattled a bit and throw him off rhythm. It is going to be a huge challenge.

That is why it will be imperative for a total team effort. The defense will need all the help it can get from an offense that will need to play effective ball control and the special teams doing whatever it can to give us good field position on both sides of the ball. Otherwise with that kind of imposing size and experience, I can see their OL eventually wearing down our front-7 in front of a rocking Tennessee home crowd.

GO BRUINS.

Opening Our Files: Roundup on Tennessee Previews & Other Volunteer Notes

Nestor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:26 -0000

So let's officially open up our collective notebooks on Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols under first year head coach Lane Kiffin is coming off a picture perfect opener against newly minted D-1 Western Kentucky. The numbers the Volunteers piled up against the Hilltoppers were pretty sick. From the Tennessee team report posted over at Yahoo! Sports:

Western Kentucky turned Jonathan Crompton into Peyton Manning Lite, as the senior quarterback tossed five touchdown passes Saturday in a season-opening 63-7 annihilation at Neyland Stadium.

"To see Jonathan throw for five touchdowns today, more than he threw for all of last year, was really good for him," Kiffin said. "This is a quarterback and an offensive line that has been torn apart for a while now."

Crompton and the O-line did the tearing in front of a sun-drenched crowd of 98,761. Tennessee finished with 657 yards and 34 first downs, numbers that would have required three games to amass last year when the team went 5-7 and cost Phillip Fulmer his job.

Tailbacks Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown each rushed for more than 100 yards and scored a touchdown. Hardesty rolled up 160 and Brown, a highly touted freshman, ended with 104.

Monte Kiffin’s defense had the Hilltoppers in minus numbers during the third quarter and allowed only 83 yards in 46 snaps. Western Kentucky picked up just six first downs.

The Volunteers piled up video game numbers on both sides of the ball, racking up 657 total yards and 34 first downs on offense, while limiting the Hiltoppers to 6 first downs (apparently their only first down in first half came via a penalty).

Yeah, I know it's kind of easy to dismiss those crazy numbers because they were taking on a hapless Hilltoppers bunch that was apparently playing their first D-1 game. However, I am not going to discount this kind of performance in their opening game under new coach, because it (at least on paper) shows that they are trying to put together a team with lethal killer instincts.

Bruins will have a puncher's chance though (even though at this point I am not seeing how we can pull out this win with a freshman QB and a completely revamped OL). The Tennessee team we are going to play this season is going to be a bit different than the one we shocked at the Rose Bowl. I have gathered some of the pre-season notes on their personnel from around the web with the latest update from our colleagues at Rocky Top Talk (RTT), after the jump.

So Kiffin (or should I say the Kiffins?) will be waiting for the Bruins with a team that returns 12 starters (7 on offense and 5 on defense) from last year's team. Paul Meyerberg from the New York Times has the following lowdown on the key losses from last year's team:

Key losses: Tennessee’s losses on offense are most felt at receiver, where the team lost two 2008 starters to graduation and another pair of potential 2009 starters to injuries. Lucas Taylor was one of Tennessee’s more dependable targets last fall, making 26 grabs for a team-leading 332 yards. The Vols also lost the part-time starter Josh Briscoe, who made 14 receptions for 176 yards and a score. Making matters worse, U.T. lost the senior Austin Rogers (14 for 180) for the season in the spring because of an A.C.L. tear, and may also be without the junior Denarius Moore for much of 2009. Moore, who made 11 receptions for 271 yards (a team-best 24.6 yards per reception), broke his left foot two weeks ago and may miss as much as three or four months. The team also faces a gap on the right side of its offensive line, where it lost guard Anthony Parker and tackle Ramon Foster (27 career starts). In the backfield, running back Arian Foster (570 yards, 1 touchdown) might have had a disappointing senior season, but he still departs as the team’s second-leading career rusher (2,964 yards). As a junior, Foster earned all-SEC honors after rushing for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also added 83 career receptions, 19 as a senior. The would-be junior Lennon Creer, the team’s second-leading rusher last fall with 388 yards, opted to leave the program in April.

On defense, Tennessee lost a pair of starters at each level: the line, linebackers and secondary. The biggest is most likely end Robert Ayers, who earned all-SEC honors as a senior. He seemed to put it all together in his final season, making 49 tackles, a team-best 15.5 for loss, and 3 sacks. At tackle, the 21-game starter Demonté Bolden had 35 stops (6 for loss) as a senior. Middle linebacker Ellix Wilson led the team with 89 tackles, and added a sack and an interception; a fine season for the first-year starter and team leader. Rounding out the losses at linebacker are Nevin McKenzie (53 tackles, 10 for loss, a team-best 5 sacks) and Adam Myers-White. The U.T. defense must also replace cornerback DeAngelo Willingham and safety Demetrice Morley. Willingham, a two-year starter, finished second on the team with three interceptions. The would-be senior Morley added 42 tackles and 2 interceptions, but was kicked off the squad after violating team rules. That’s the second time Morley has been kicked off the team in three years; he won’t get a third shot.

Now don't get lulled into a false sense of comfort after reading those grafs. ~~First of all not sure where NYT got their info on Lucas Taylor because I still see him listed in Tennessee's depth chart this season. So that's a mistake~~. As for their losses at WRs, they have plenty of youngsters sprinkled through their depth chart (PDF) (HT hooper at RTT via Chattanooga Times Free Press).

Also, despite the loss of Paker and Foster at the OL, the Voluntees will have a powerful, huge veteran OL ready for the Bruin front-7 this weekend in Knoxville. If I read their correctly everyone except their center is over 300lbs and all of their starter are upper classmen (except for Jarrod Shaw, the 6-4, 332 Jr. who is listed as "Co-No-1" with Aaron Douglas, 6-6 282 red shirt freshman) From Athlon Sports' pre-season capsule on the Tennessee OL:

Chaney (OC John Cheney, who who Kiffin pried away from the St. Louis Rams, - BN Ed.) has brought with him a zone blocking scheme that has enabled the Vols’ linemen to play with more aggression. The interior line is strong with fourth-year starter Josh McNeil at center flanked by fellow seniors Jacques McClendon and Vladimir Richard. Senior Chris Scott has a hold on left tackle duties, while Jarrod Shaw and converted tight end Aaron Douglas are battling for the starting job at right tackle. "Last season was rough," Richard says. "But Coach (Kiffin) is a competitor. He loves smacking people in the mouth." After years of defensive dominance in practice drills, the UT offensive line stepped up and proved it could hold its own in the spring.

On other key returnees let's go back to that capsule from the NYT:

Players to watch: He’s undoubtedly the best defensive player in the F.B.S. But in my mind, the strong safety Eric Berry is the best player in the country – regardless of position. Yeah, there’s that quarterback down in Gainesville, so maybe Berry’s coming in second. That shouldn’t detract from what we’re all seeing from the talented junior: he’s the best defender U.T. has developed since Reggie White, and in my mind, if Tennessee shocks the SEC and wins 9 or 10 games, Berry should receive very heavy consideration for the Heisman. Through two seasons, Berry stands second in the N.C.A.A. with an SEC-record 487 interception return yards, a total coming off of 12 interceptions. His single-season outputs in this category rank first (265 yards last fall) and third (222 in 2007) in SEC history. Last fall, Berry tallied 73 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3 sacks and 7 interceptions, two of which he returned for scores. (He may have been Tennessee’s best offensive weapon.) For his efforts, Berry was a unanimous all-American – U.T.’s first since 1990 – and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The only college safety I’ve seen match Berry’s combination of speed, ferocity and ball skills was the late, great Sean Taylor. So, as you see, he’s the king of the U.T. defense. Who will help carry the load? The Vols return the junior Dennis Rogan at one cornerback spot, as well as the 2007 starter Brent Vinson. Also competing for a starting spot at corner are the sophomores Art Evans and C.J. Fleming, though I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Tennessee’s heralded incoming freshmen make a push for playing time. U.T. will look toward the freshmen Prentiss Wagner and Rod Wilks or the sophomore Stephaun Raines at free safety. The senior Rico McCoy (87 tackles and a sack last fall) is the lone returning starter at linebacker. Making the push to join him in the starting lineup are the juniors Nick Reveiz (middle) and LaMarcus Thompson (strongside), each of whom played important roles on special teams a season ago. Besides McCoy, U.T. is very young and untested at linebacker. The situation is a little clearer on the line, where the juniors Ben Martin (18 tackles, 1 sack) and Chris Walker (15 tackles, 3 sacks) have secured their places as the starters at end. You’ll likely find the senior Dan Williams (48 stops, 8.5 for loss) on the nose, while the senior Wes Brown (37 tackles, 2.5 sacks) finds himself in competition with the freshman Montori Hughes for the second starting spot on the interior.

On offense, the senior Jonathan Crompton will again be the starter at quarterback. Let’s ignore the fact that his starting job has come by default. Quite simply, Crompton must be better in 2009 than he was a season ago. It shouldn’t be too difficult, as he did not play up to his potential last fall: 86 of 167 (51.5 percent) for 889 yards, with four touchdowns against five interceptions. He can – and should – be better, but some aspects of Crompton’s game must improve. His touch, for example. Crompton lacked it last fall, when he seemed to throw every pass as hard as he could. His decision-making must also improve. His only competition for the starting job is the junior Nick Stephens, who has missed most of the last five months while recuperating from a hand injury. Stephens started six games last fall, putting up numbers similar to Crompton’s (840 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 picks). The senior Montario Hardesty ascends to the top spot in the backfield after rushing for 271 yards a season ago. That total leads all returning Volunteers. He may be the lead back, but the Vols will also give carries to the sophomore Tauren Poole and the true freshman Bryce Brown, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2009 cycle. Brown chose U.T. in part because of the potential for immediate playing time, so expect to see his number called early and often. Three starters return up front, led by the potential all-conference center Josh McNeil. The senior enters his final season with 35 career starts, the most of any active Volunteer. McNeil was a freshman all-American in 2006 and an honorable mention all-SEC selection in 2007. He’s joined up front by the senior left tackle Chris Scott and the senior left guard Vladimir Richard. I’m intrigued by the potential of the redshirt freshman Aaron Douglas, a former tight end who is in the hunt to start at right tackle. Given his experience and lack of prototypical size (he’s only 282 pounds, my word), can Douglas be the presence required of the right tackle in the run game?

Well as mentioned above looks like Douglas impressed the coaches sufficiently enough that he earned a spot on the depth chart as "co number 1" (whatever that means) with Jarrod Shaw. In some ways, Douglas sounds like he is the same situation as Nate Chandler found himself last year (when we were hurting for bodies at OL) as the coaches are doing whatever they can to incorporate his size and athleticism into the lineup.

Now in terms of what to expect next week, my bet is that Kiffin and Cheney will devise a plan on offense in which they will rely on a power running game. Again from Pete Fiutak's preview at Scout.com:

What to watch for on offense: Power running. The coaching staff will try to pound the ball, rely on the tremendous defense, and try to control the game and the clock. The passing game will try to push the ball deep a little more to stretch things out, but the offense will spend most of its time using its humongous, veteran line to pave the way for a fantastic group of backs. The backfield was good enough to get by, and then came the recruiting class with Toney Williams, David Oku, and the No. 1 prospect in America according to CFN, Bryce Brown, all ready to make a huge impact and upgrade the stalled ground attack.

What to watch for on defense: A ton of interceptions. All the pieces are there for the secondary to come up with a phenomenal year. Not only is there track star speed across the board, but there’s all-everything safety Eric Berry as the sheriff in the Tampa 2 scheme, but the pass rush should be better. Even with Robert Ayers off to the NFL, the Vol defensive front should be more active with Ben Martin and Chris Walker two speedsters on the ends who should be camped out in opposing backfields.

Going back to their offense, I am still shocked at how the Tennessee coaching staff from last year forgot to run the ball down our throats last season at the Rose Bowl. They had piled up around 180 yards rushing and 2 TDs running the ball against our defense last year yet for some inexplicable reasons they decided to go away from that and depend on Crompton's arm. I just don't think Kiffin is going to make the same mistake. I fully expect them to come after our front-7 all evening long with their powerful OL, and do what they can to wear us down on their home turf. This is going to be a huge challenge for our defense.

I think the key for us on Saturday is going to be somehow get on the board early. If they we can get on the board early and then force them to go away from the game plan of running the ball down our throats, we will have a shot.Needless to say special teams is going to be a huge factor. We are going to need our kickers to give us good field position as much as possible forcing the Volunteers to go long drives. Otherwise if we fall behind early and make early mistakes on offense, the situation has the potential to snowball out of control like last year in BYU.

It will take supreme concentration and focus on our part to hang in there early against the Volunteer emotion, and then somehow put ourselves in position to steal the game in second half. My head tells me that we are simply too young and inexperienced (on offense) to pull this off. My heart is pulling for our guys to make me eat crow on Saturday night. So that's what I have for initial notes on the Volunteers to get the scouting started for this week. I will throw it back to you start filling up the info. folders on Tennessee (either via comment thread here or in the FanPosts).

GO BRUINS.

Talking Points: dust settles, positive attitude remains

Joel — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:27:59 -0000

by Wade Payne - AP

4 months ago: Tennessee's Montario Hardesty leaps over players during football practice Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. It was Tennessee's first day in pads. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

View full size photo »

The folks who were challenged and/or displaced by underclassmen through competition this fall are having a good attitude about the whole thing. Montario Hardesty finds himself a co-starter with true freshman Bryce Brown, but says, "I think we can all do good things with the ball in our hand," and Dan Williams, who was practically a lock to start at nose tackle for much of the fall but has recently found himself as a co-starter with freshman Montori Hughes, concedes that he was making mistakes while Hughes was improving daily and says that Hughes is going to help the team.

Tauren Poole took the biggest hit as he would have almost certainly been the second-string running back under the prior regime, yet he now finds himself fourth on the depth chart behind senior Hardesty and true freshmen Bryce Brown and David Oku. Poole, though, has this to say:
It's been [competitive] the whole time, ever since Bryce and Oku got here. We all knew it was going to be like that, and it's been healthy competition. It makes each and every one of us better each and every day, and I think it's a great thing for the team.

As competitive and fast-paced as fall camp has been, Tennessee coaches and players are kicking it up yet another notch for the first Game Week of the Chimera Era. They are somehow also working on getting their legs back, an apparent inconsistency explained by more energy but fewer reps.

The offense is still missing some folks -- Gerald Jones, Denarius Moore, Austin Rogers, and Josh McNeil -- but the entire defense is back and ready to go ($?). Kiffin's conclusion? "[W]e must have practiced a lot harder on offense than defense this camp." Moore, by the way, is running agility drills during practice and looking like he could be back for UCLA.

Special teams will feature an abundance of starters, including Eric Berry and Montario Hardesty.

Newsflash: Tennessee is going to run the ball against Western Kentucky. Oh, and Hilltopper quarterbacks coach Bob Cole was Wyoming's offensive coordinator last year, and hopes to have two consecutive years of success as an opponent in Neyland Stadium. Unless he can figure out how to get Kiffin fired before Friday, I don't see that happening, do you?

QB prospect Tyler Bray is taking his official visit to Tennessee this weekend. Tall. Skinny. But QB.

Tennessee football: IT'S ALIVE!!!

Joel — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:24:07 -0000

View full size photo »

The offense dominated the team's first scrimmage on Saturday. NOT A TYPO! The first team offense drove 70 yards for a TD on its first drive, and Jonathan Crompton started the game 9-for-9 and finished it without any interceptions. NOT A TYPO, SERIOUSLY! In fact, both quarterbacks were hot ($). Crompton led the team to three TDs in seven possessions, and Nick Stephens got the team three TDs in five possessions. I'M NEITHER KIDDING NOR WRONG.

And the QBs really weren't even the main story. There was also running back Tauren Poole, who ran for TDs of 75 and 44 yards and caught a 20-yard screen pass for a score to boot. Oh, and don't forget wide receiver Gerald Jones, who Lane Kiffin says has been "phenomenal," catching everything despite playing with one hand in a cast.

Of course, none of this happens without the offensive line, which Kiffin says is the most improved offensive unit. Kiffin's crediting seven of those points to right tackle Jarrod Shaw's 24-lost pounds. Josh McNeil, the guy who'd started 35 games and found himself in a battle for the starting center position with a former walk on, thanked coach Kiffin for the competition and the motivation to put on some good weight and work especially hard during the summer. It's paying off, as the team ran for a first down on third-and-two on Saturday. YES, I'M TALKING ABOUT TENNESSEE. And still, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney wants more aggression and violence ($).

And the freshmen! The freshmen are a never-ending source of amusement. They have counted the legs of the returning players and are not afraid. They may be saying prayers about not getting hurt, but they're not afraid. David Oku is a quote machine and a diverse talent like Derrick Tinsley. Nu'Keese "size doesn't matter" Richardson is doing standing back flips when he's bored. Jerod Askew is guaranteeing that he'll steal former teammate QB Phillip Sims from Alabama and get him to sign at Tennessee. And that doesn't even get to Bryce Brown, who made SI.com's list of impact freshmen for 2009. And Marsalis Teague would like to remind you that most of these guys were probably headed somewhere else before the Kiffin Chimera got here.

It's only one day. But it's a new day, and so far the forecast is good.

Tennessee Scrimmage Report - August 8

Will — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:15:19 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

4 months ago: Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton, left, pitches the ball to Montario Hardesty (2) during football practice Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. It was Tennessee's first day in pads. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

[Note from Will 10:21 PM - Updated with video highlights & interviews from UT's official site]

The Vols went into Neyland Stadium for their first fall scrimmage of the Lane Kiffin era, and came out with the offense feeling a lot better about itself than it had all week in practice.

Playing with the ones against the first team defense, Jonathan Crompton finished 11 of 14 for 178 yards (KNS), including a 9-for-9 start. That's right kids, it's good news about our man under center for a change, and what a great way to start his first live action under Kiffin's watch. Nick Stephens also filled the stat sheet with the second team offense, going 9 for 13 for 100 yards.

Several players saw limited action: Rico McCoy and Brent Vinson did not participate as they nursed injuries, and Eric Berry and Montario Hardesty played only a few plays; I would assume both of those guys are considered to be ready.

In Hardesty's absence, it wasn't Bryce Brown or David Oku who got the most publicity, but Tauren Poole, who was the star of UT's official scrimmage release. He pulled in a 20 yard screen pass TD from Crompton, then ripped off a pair of touchdown runs of 44 and 75 yards against the second team defense. Clearly, his leg "injury" from yesterday was no big deal.

You're going to continue to hear the names Nu'Keese Richardson, Marsalis Teague, and of course Brown and Oku as camp progresses, as all four continue to see significant action with the offense. Hooper attended practice first hand on Friday and mentioned how much fun it seemed like the guys were having, and with the offense showing some spark today, it makes us all feel better about our chances of having some fun too this fall.

Lastly, to build on a theme that won't go away this offseason...are those just practice unis we're seeing in the picture from today up there, or are we actually going to have something new on the field this fall?

The new stripes on the jersey down the side are new and an adidas touch, they weren't used in spring practice, and nothing has been said about them...but if they do make the field on September 5, hey, I kinda like 'em. The white road ones also look kinda like our RTT Create Your Own Uniform contest winner from devildogutk...

The team gets Sunday off for UT Media Day, so you're sure to hear plenty more about this team in the next 24 hours...quotes of interest and updates as we get them...

Toney Williams, RTT#21 in 2009

Joel — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:30:21 -0000

Somewhat lost in the hoopla of Bryce Brown and David Oku, Williams enrolled early, and success during his first spring was likely a factor in Lennon Creer leaving the program. He and Montario Hardesty and Tauren Poole combined for 2201 yards on 42 carries for a 4.8 yard average in the Orange and White Game.

Keeping Williams ranked this low in the Class of 2009 is the fact that his offer list includes only Kentucky, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, and Indiana. But he committed early, and that often has the effect of limiting additional offers. The bad news is that Williams tore his ACL during the offseason and will miss 2009.

Practice? Awesome. Orange and White Game? Deliciously bland.

Joel — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:45:55 -0000

First this, because it's awesome:

Now for bland.

Tennessee fans had been told all week that the Orange and White Game was going to be "just like a real game," except without live punt returns and with a wacky scoring system designed to reward the defense for success that usually goes unmeasured in real games.

Um, not exactly. Not unless Lane Kiffin's going to be permitted in the huddle and the officials throw flags for blitzes. I was much more concerned about Kiffin's huddle-presence than was hooper, who rightly guessed that it was only because they hadn't installed hand signals yet. If Kiffin was only there to tell the QB the play and then get out of the way, then okay. But it appeared that he was also coaching while he was in there, including instructing players where to line up.

I really like the instant feedback aspect of this. Rather than waiting to see the video and having a meeting with the players, telling them right then and right there what was good, what was bad, and why is a great thing. But it's certainly not like a game. Hopefully, the hand-holding will be the first thing that goes in the fall.

On the other hand, Kiffin appeared to be highly-focused on maintaining the element of surprise. He said he only showed about 20% of the offense and didn't allow the defense to use Eric Berry or to really show anything other than a basic front. So they might be further along with their hand signals than they're letting on, and they just didn't want video of them this early.

So yeah, it was a lot like vanilla with vanilla swirl with no fixin's in a kiddie cup, but it sure did taste better ($) than that fancy stuff we had last year, huh? Jonathan Crompton played mostly against the 1st team defense and went 14-27 for 143 yards, a 16-yard TD, and one interception, which Kiffin says was not his fault ($). B.J. Coleman played mostly against the second team defense but went 13-22 for 160 yards, three TDs (one of which was called back due to a delay of game penalty), and no turnovers. The best receivers of the day were Quintin Hancock and Brandon Warren. Hancock caught eight passes for 96 yards and a TD, and Warren caught four passes for 50 yards and two TDs.

But the best news of all is that the running game looked great. Montario Hardesty, Tauren Poole, and Toney Williams together rushed for 201 yards on 42 carries for a 4.8 yard average.

There were a lot of positives (and some negatives) to take away from the Orange and White Game, but contrary to what we thought we were going to see, it wasn't really just like a game, so we can't be too quick to conclude much of anything from it.

Bootlegging Is Big In Tennessee: Notes From The Orange And White Game

Hooper — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:23:43 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

8 months ago: Tennessee wide receiver Brandon Warren, top, catches the ball as he is defended by Cory Eichholtz (15) and Prentiss Waggner (23) during the first half of the spring Orange and White game Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Browse more photos »

I'm back from the Orange and White game (sort of - I'm actually in the library typing this). Here's a quick rundown of some of the things we saw at the practice/scrimmage/game/thing.

Pregame

The Vol Walk was pretty cool. Joel was in terrific shape to get a lot of great pictures, so I'm sure you'll see them at some point.

During the warmups, the team was run similar to practice conditions, including the horn to signal the end of a drill and the running between drills. The progression made a lot of sense, starting with gentle warmup and stretching routines, then finishing with 11-on-11 drills.

The presentation of the Neyland award went very well. Fulmer was actually given two standing ovations - once when the crowd first saw him and once when the award was actually presented. Other than a couple of very close-in snarky comments, I heard no boos or any other negative vibes from the crowd. In other words, the presentation was not a fiasco, and the media-driven fears turned out to be much ado about nothing. We can move on.

The Orange and White Game

The game itself was a lot of fun to watch. As any spring game goes, it wasn't exciting from a pure football perspective, but it was a great opportunity to connect the practice reports to the play on the field and get a perspect on the team. The oddest thing was watching Lane Kiffin: he spent the entire game on the field, first huddling with the offense then watching from behind the quarterback and running backs. The view was great, I'm sure, but it took a bit to get used to seeing.

Here are a few of the things I took from the game.

Quarterback Play

We'll start with the big question first. When you look at the stats, you'll notice that Crompton threw the only interception. That is not to say that Crompton was the only one who deserved to be intercepted; all three quarterbacks threw a few ill-advised passes and had inconsistent days. If I were to quantify the problems though, I'd fault Crompton for holding the ball too long, Stephens for floating passes, and Coleman for being inaccurate.

Because of the Kiffin-in-the-huddle routine, you really couldn't get any perception on the on-field leadership abilities of the three quarterbacks. One of the most common compliments in Crompton's favor has been his command presence, but that could not be differentiated between the three today. C'est la vie.

The quarterbacks played better in the first half than the second half. If you watch the replay on Sunday, you'll see that reflected in the scoreboard as the defense nearly brought the game back to a tie.

Offensive Line

I love the zone blocking. The grain of salt is this: they have more work to do to be truly proficient at it. That said, the linemen really explode off the snap well and opened up some terrific holes for the running backs. The cutback lanes were available, just as they were drawn up. They did well with zone blocking for short yardage plays as well, and the one goal-line play that really got blown apart by the defense didn't appear to be a zone scheme in the most proper sense of the term.

On the replays, though, you could see the offensive linemen carry defenders laterally past the play when the defender over-committed, and you could see them seal off a defender who took too aggressive of an angle. They are really taking to the system, and I think they can go a long way with it. As I said before, there's work to be done, but there was enough there to see where things are headed, and I like it.

The other beauty of the zone blocking was that it was hard to tell if the line was blocking for a run or blocking for play action passing. Not having linemen head downfield with their first step helped mask the play. This also I like.

Defensive Line

The first-string line is indeed much better against the first string O-line than the second strin line is against the seconds string O-line. Linemen were in the offensive backfield all day long, especially on pass plays. The line was hampered, however, by an early injury to the right leg of Ben Martin. He was helped to the sideline in the first quarter, where he was treated for a while before being taken to the locker room, never to return. Montori Hughes appeared to tweak something at one point, though he continued playing.

The biggest D-line weakness was their tendency to bite on play action. Perhaps it was a sign of respect for the running game, but the linemen tended to chase the runner on a play action fake far more frequently than they chose to chase the quarterback. This made for a lot of space in front of the quarterback for decision-making, which was a very good thing.

Brandon Warren

I think the guy had more receptions (and certainly more touchdowns) in the Orange and White game than he had all season last year. His two touchdowns were pretty and he made some very difficult catches. He's a handful as a wide receiver and, if he keeps on progressing through the offseason, he'll be a terrific addition.

Eddie Gran has to be the most pleased position coach

You are going to love the running game in the fall. The running backs run hard, make decisive cuts, and almost always fall forward when they get tackled. If you remember how Gran's Auburn running backs used to run over people (Williams, Brown, etc.), that's the kind of thing you can look forward to seeing. I'm not saying that our guys are going to be as talked-about as the Auburn guys were, but they're going to make life very unpleasant for defenders. Toney Williams had an absolutely terrific day; the kid has really picked up the system and plays with a lot of intensity and effort. Hardesty and Poole had really nice days as well, but Toney deserves a little publicity as he's so often left out of the discussion because of the hype around David Oku and Bryce Brown.

I think having 5 high-end running backs will work well for the program. They can run hard and lay licks on tacklers without worrying about being overextended throughout a season. A healthy rotation will give all five ample opportunity to shine while giving defenses a lot to be concerned about.

BOOTLEGGING: Back in Tennessee

Kiffin ran the bootleg on play action. A lot. No, a lot. I don't know if the defensive tendency to bite on the play action was more a fault of the defensive read or if it was due to a good job on the fake by the offense, but it worked very well. Lane went away from the bootleg play action plays somewhat in the second haf, but the first half is absolutely packed with them.

Odds and Ends

Ed Orgeron really is that loud. We were halfway up the lower bowl, and we could really hear him out there. We couldn't understand a word of it, but it was still impressive.
Very few penalty flags. I can only remember two: one that was declined on the interception play, and one that nullified a touchdown. The defense had zero penalties throughout the day.
NFL advertising for the program. Well, technically not advertising for or from the NFL, but they do use it in the JumboTron spots. One in particular noted Kiffin's time at USC and with the Oakland Raiders. (By the way, it's really weird to see a UT promo begin with highlights of the Trojans.)
Gang tackling. People were really flying to the ball. I think you'll love watching the defense against Western Kentucky in the fall.
51,488. That was the announced attendance, though I have no clue how they counted it. I walked through by showing my student ID, and Joel didn't even have to show his ticket. But that qualifies for second-highest ever at Neyland, second only to the 1986 attempt at the Guinness Book of World Records.

Orange & White Game: Top 10 Players to Watch

Will — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:30:22 -0000

With one practice remaining before Saturday's annual spring game, optimism is still in full bloom around Vol Nation. Lane Kiffin and the Super Staff have said all the right things, they've said them in new and interesting ways that many in Big Orange Country have found refreshing, and with every positive practice report the memories of 2008 move further and further into the rear view.

But on Saturday, somewhere between 20,000-80,000 of us will stop listening and start watching. It will, for the majority, be our first look at the '09 Vols...and there's nothing more powerful than a first impression.

Apperances can still be deceiving - we learned that in the '08 edition of the O&W. But it was the strength of that first impression, combined with our uncanny ability to be positive about something just because it's new, that helped fuel the legend of the Clawfense right up until kickoff of the UCLA game.

This time around, you'll see less smoke and fewer mirrors, and a more accurate representation of what the '09 Vols will actually look like (minus the impact freshmen). And we know about Eric Berry. We know, to a lesser but still fairly certain degree, about Montario Hardesty, Dan Williams and a handful of other returning starters.

But there are several Vols, both returning starters and new faces in the rotation, who we'll get a first or fresh look at on Saturday. There are position battles still up for grabs, spots on the second team still unaccounted for, and question marks that still hover over several players' heads.

So on Saturday, when we see it with our own eyes for the first time, these are the names we'll be watching most closely - the players and position battles with something to prove and something to show. If it all goes well with these guys, optimism will continue to flourish. But if there are struggles with these names on Saturday, a little doubt may creep into the raw confidence that the Kiffin Coaching Chimera has built. The Vols won't win any games that count on Saturday...but they can go a long way in either direction when it comes to confidence. Will Saturday's performance give us reasons to remember 2008? Or will it give us reasons to look forward to 2009?

The best answers will come from these ten to watch:

10. K Daniel Lincoln

I firmly believe that the two most confident guys on your football team need to be your quarterback and your kicker. As a freshman, Danny Boy appeared to have all of that and then some at the start of 2007, hitting 16 of his first 18 field goal attempts (with one of his misses being from 50+).

But Lincoln finished the '07 season just 5 of 11, including a costly miss at Kentucky, an 0-for-2 performance in the SEC Championship Game including a chip shot, and another miss in the Outback Bowl.

Last year, Lincoln started 1 of 4 in the UCLA game, erasing the goodwill from his game-tying kick that sent it to overtime by missing an easier kick that ended the game. Two of those attempts were 50+, and it was goodbye confidence from there.

He missed chippies against NIU and Mississippi State, went 1 for 3 against Alabama, and finished the year only 10 of 18.

Lincoln is the only proven commodity at kicker, and has had an up and down spring. Odds are they won't even be trying to block kicks on Saturday - though who knows with this staff - but either way, it's important for the kicker to end spring on a good note, knock home the few kicks he'll be asked to hit, and carry that confidence towards the fall.

9. DBs Art Evans, CJ Fleming, Stephaun Raines, Prentiss Wagner and Rod Wilks

Coming into spring practice, secondary was considered to be the greatest strength of the team. In recruiting, secondary was considered to be the greatest strength of the class (at least the week of signing day). So all of the names you see up there were considered by most to be non-factors for the Vols, same as they have been throughout their Tennessee careers to this point.

However, a lot has changed. Eric Berry is supposed to be a "non-contact" participant (though if #14 sneaks his way into a play or two on Saturday I wouldn't be surprised). Brent Vinson is out with shoulder surgery. And Demetrice Morley is no longer with the team.

Vinson and Berry will be back this fall, and the impact freshmen like Janzen Jackson, Darren Myles, Eric Gordon and Marsalis Teague are still coming. But now, there's a window of opportunity for these guys - even if it's small - to play their way into the rotation, or at least stay in the conversation for playing time when fall gets here. Dennis Rogan was considered by many to be the penciled-in starter at the other corner spot opposite Vinson, but is his spot even safe?. These guys will get the bulk of the work with the ones on Saturday - who's going to make the most of it?

8. RB Tauren Poole

Montario Hardesty's carries have been limited thus far in scrimmages, simply because the coaching staff feels very comfortable with him as the #1 option. Bryce Brown and David Oku are coming.

But with Lennon Creer off the team, Tauren Poole has made the most of his opportunity with the bulk of the carries and the productivity this spring. Can Poole play himself into the #2 role for this fall? I think there's a lot of assumption that those extra carries are just going to be given to the number one all-purpose back and the number one overall player in recruiting once they get here. But if Poole gets the bulk of the carries again on Saturday, can he continue to show that he might be deserving of backup duty once the real games begin?

7. LB Nick Reveiz

On paper, everything about Reveiz' situation suggested that he was going to fall into obscurity with the new administration and only be heard from again on special teams. But in spite of his size, and the way I and several others referred to him as a "Fulmer-type player" who would no longer be rewarded for loyalty...guess who's atop the depth chart at middle linebacker?

Again, this is a kid I want to see. I know what I've read and I know he continues to say the right things...I want to see it. This kid is a great story and I've love for him to win the starting job in the middle, because I think this is one we could all really get behind if he continues to play well. Can he continue to take advantage of what's been great defensive line play/offensive line exploitation and turn in a good performance on Saturday, to further cement himself as the best option at MLB this fall?

6. DE Chris Walker

This one isn't a question of playing time or even necessarily an unproven commodity, though Walker never started under Fulmer. But when the coaching staff repeatedly calls him "unblockable", and Bruce Feldman today used the words "explosive" and "dominant" in describing him...if Walker is to become the next great Tennessee defensive lineman, I'd love to see it on Saturday.

Even if we don't, I'm still gonna trust the coaches on this one and assume that he's going to be great, because his praises this spring have been that good thus far...but I'd love to see this kid turn in a couple of sacks and TFLs just to throw some extra validity on my dreams of him chasing down Tim Tebow.

5. Cs Josh McNeil & Cody Sullins

One of the most interesting position battles this spring was an unexpected one. McNeil has been a starter throughout his entire Tennessee career, and was expected to provide senior leadership, consistency, etc. Instead, as the offensive line has continued to struggle to pass protect, McNeil has found himself in a battle with Cody Sullins for the starting role.

Sullins actually started over McNeil in both of the Vols' previous scrimmages this spring, though whether that's been for motivational purposes or an actual talent and play differential is still unclear. This is a battle I expect to continue into the fall, but both of them have an opportunity to impress on Saturday. At center, that'll start with no mishandled snaps to any of the quarterbacks. And going up against Dan Williams, I'm sure it's been no picnic all spring. But this battle is a testament to Kiffin's plan to put the best players on the field, even if it may come at the expense of a three year starter.

4. WRs Quintin Hancock, Denarius Moore, Austin Rogers & Brandon Warren

Gerald Jones is really the only proven playmaker for the Vols at wide receiver, and even that's somewhat of a stretch. We know Nu'Keese Richardson is coming in this fall, but Tennessee is still going to need one of these returning players to step up.

They do different things, really. Moore was the deep threat last season, with four catches of 40+ yards, and could play that role again this season, with no one else really blowing anyone away with their speed. Hancock has been the most consistent this spring, earning the starting spot next to Jones in the last scrimmage. Austin Rogers may have been considered by some to be one of those guys, like Nick Reveiz, that we would never hear from again on a meaningful down. But he impressed, especially early, this spring. All three caught three passes in the last scrimmage.

And then there's Brandon Warren, who moved from tight end and struggled with all facets of the adjustment, apparently. But he's come on in the last week, continues to receive praise for his potential at the position from the coaches, and could be that big, tall threat this passing offense really lacks.

The struggles in pass protection have limited the numbers this spring, and should do so again on Saturday - don't expect anybody to turn in 7 catches for 110 yards. But if all of these guys continue to find their niche in this offense - and especially if one of them could separate from the other three and become that go-to second option behind Jones - both the quarterbacks and the offensive line would benefit from it. Who will impress us the most on Saturday?

3. OTs Aaron Douglas, Jarrod Shaw & Dallas Thomas

We think Chris Scott will continue to lock down one tackle position, but the ongoing battle to find that second starter, combined with the shoddy pass protection the line as a whole has provided this spring, makes this the most important position battle of the spring (and likely the fall, when JerQuari Schofield joins the mix).

Douglas probably still has the most potential, but is still learning the position after his transition from tight end. Shaw has seen action with the ones as well, but no one has fully separated themselves yet. The names are completely inexperienced, yet this battle isn't for backup duty - one of these guys will almost certainly be the starter opposite Scott against Western Kentucky, and if not, it'll be a true freshman stepping in there. Continued progression with the zone blocking scheme on run plays, as well as any improvement with pass protection, will be a welcome sight from this group on Saturday.

2. DT Montori Hughes

With Wes Brown still learning tackle and now sidelined with a knee injury, it's becoming more likely by the day that Hughes will be the starter against WKU on September 5. We know Dan Williams is going to cause problems next to him, we know about Walker and Ben Martin off the edge, and we know Tennessee's offensive line struggles have all helped Hughes this spring. But this is everyone's first real look at the kid; I'd love to see something great from him on Saturday.

Hughes is the best example of a name that was completely off the radar six weeks ago now stepping up into a potential spotlight. That's both to the credit of the Fulmer administration for signing the kid that many others didn't want and clearly undervalued, and to the Kiffin Chimera for coaching him up and getting him in position to succeed. If what we've heard of Hughes thus far is right...Tennessee's defensive line in 2009 could be downright frightening. Saturday will be our first chance to see it in action, and to see Hughes specifically.

1. QB Jonathan Crompton

Fan confidence still starts and ends with the quarterback, and our relationshp with this guy has been rocky at best. When spring began, many pulled for the BJ Coleman story to turn out well, and many (including myself) thought that Nick Stephens would be the one to ultimately win the job (before his wrist injury).

But Crompton appears firmly entrenched as the man as spring draws to a close. And it's a good thing to have a firm starter at QB going into the summer and fall, that'll certainly help the receivers.

Crompton's '08 struggles need not be further documented. His performance this spring hasn't been one of overly impressive numbers, but simple survival: QBs took eight sacks in the last scrimmage, but there's apparently no time like the present for Crompton to learn greater pocket presence and how to deal with pressure. His interception numbers have decreased since practice began, the coaching staff speaks of his command of the huddle, and we'd all like to believe that there is still some talent that resides underneath that #8 jersey.

Look, Crompton isn't going to throw for 300 yards on Saturday. If he does, I'd be alarmed. What I'm looking for is more from the Casey Clausen/Val Kilmer School of Quarterbacking: ice cold, no mistakes. He's going to be pressured, and he's going to get hit. Can he maintain poise? Can he throw it away when he needs to? How much are we going to see of the dumps to the backs and tight ends on Saturday, or will we see the receivers get involved?

Crompton doesn't need to play great. He just needs to not be awful. It sounds weird, but really, it's true.

If #8 comes out and fires four interceptions and takes a bunch of sacks - and really, that's not an impossible or even improbable outcome - we're going to get more than nervous. If that happens, how many boos do you think you'll hear? And that's not good for anyone at this stage of the game with a new coaching staff and a new offense.

But if Crompton just runs the offense, plays relatively mistake-free, and makes just a handful of good plays - just enough to keep us interested - we're going to feel a lot better about all of this.

And of course, ultimately how the fans feel is meaningless to wins and losses. I think Crompton's confidence has been as rebuilt as it can be without having played a real game. I think he knows he's the man for this year. And I think even if he throws four picks, he'll still be the man on September 5, and the coaches will continue to work with him.

Remember, we didn't fully believe in Erik Ainge again after the 2006 Orange & White Game. But it only took two and a half quarters against Cal to make us forget all about 2005.

Crompton can't win the crowd on Saturday. But he can keep making progress. And in spring practice, that's what matters most.

What about you? Which of these players are you most looking forward to seeing, and did we leave anyone out? What are you most excited about for Saturday?