Vols Football: Practice Notes from Chattanooga Game Week

The Tennessee Vols stretch before practice on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in preparation for their game against the Chattanooga Mocs on Saturday. PHOTO: Nathanael Rutherford

The Vols are coming off their most disappointing loss of the season this week, and part of that is due to lack of execution on the offensive side of the ball. The Vols failed to reach the endzone in their 10-9 loss to the Florida Gators on Saturday, and part of that was because the offensive line was beaten once again by the opposing defensive line.

Run and pass blocking was a focus during what little bit of practice the media was able to see today, as offensive line coach Don Mahoney worked with his unit on improving hand placement and generating a better burst after the snap. Footwork was also addressed in a couple of the drills.

Here are some notes from today’s practice as the Vols prepare for their homecoming game against the Chattanooga Mocs:

• Running back Jalen Hurd and cornerback Mike Williams both wore green, non-contact jerseys today during practice. Hurd’s is just a precautionary measure, and he is expected to be fine moving forward.
• Redshirt senior offensive lineman Jacob Gilliam practiced once again today, and aside from braces on both his knees, he seemed to be at full speed. He’s stated that he plans to return this Saturday after tearing his ACL in the opening game against Utah State, but it remains to be seen just how much he’ll play if he does see the field.
• The Vols practiced kickoff coverage in the final open period, and Butch Jones was not pleased with what he saw. The opening kickoff was called back and forced to re-kick because of penalty. Jones then said it was a “lackluster” kickoff as the players lined up to try again.

Observations:

It appears as though Butch Jones is staying true to his word and keeping the same rotation for the offensive line heading into Week 7. The same starting five seemed to get the first reps during drills, but Dontavius Blair and Jacob Gilliam both saw time during the offensive line drills as well.

Wide receiver Josh Smith has already been ruled out for Saturday’s game, and no timetable has been set for his return. Running back Marlin Lane was back at practice today, and he wore no non-contact jersey and seemed to be moving fine.

Running back Derrell Scott was supposed to be ready to play the past two weeks, but with the games against Georgia and Florida both being tight in the 4th quarter and throughout the game, coaches apparently didn’t feel comfortable inserting him into the lineup at that time. Look for him to make his Tennessee debut this Saturday against UTC.