Tennessee Assistant Coaches Assess The Vols, No. 3 Ole Miss

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee assistant coaches met with the media on Wednesday to discuss Saturday's match-up at No. 3 Ole Miss. The Rebels’ offense and defense gained praise from the Vols’ staff.

The coaches also updated some newcomers who could make an impact on Saturday including freshmen Evan Berry and Derrell Scott.

Time and again this year, true freshmen have been called upon to serve in critical roles for Tennessee. Last week's game proved no different, as freshman defensive back Evan Berry stepped in to fill kickoff return duties against UT-Chattanooga following an injury to senior Devrin Young.

For special teams coordinator Mark Elder, Berry brought another element of speed to special teams while he continues to hone the fundamentals which could make him the go-to returner for the Vols.

"Speed is obviously a big thing because kickoff return is a little different than a punt return," Elder said. "There's not a lot of dancing involved with it. You're looking to hit a certain hole and do it well. You're looking for ball security and then you're looking for a guy with good vision because you've got to make the right cuts at full speed. So we're looking for a guy that can field the ball well, has great speed and is making good decisions."

With each of those factors in mind, Berry's first-ever return certainly looked promising. The freshman indeed found his hole to hit and proceeded to run for a 68-yard return, the Vols' longest kickoff return this season.

"He did a nice job this weekend and we're expecting him to play a role for us in that capacity in the future," Elder said.

While kickoff returns may not typically involve much `dancing' according to Elder, Berry's kickoff return did not disappoint the fans at Neyland Stadium. Known for his agility and speed, Berry managed to leap over an opponent mid-run, forcing a missed tackle before his season-long run ended.

"I had never seen the hurdle before in practice," Elder said. "He did a nice job of playing through an arm tackle, saw some green grass to the big field and took off running and used his speed. When his number was called, he did a nice job this weekend."

With defensive lineman Owen Williams undergoing thumb surgery last week, more Vols were given the opportunity to gain game experience on the line. The experience they gained is something defensive line coach Steve Stripling calls invaluable.

"It was great," Stripling said. "We played, I think, 12 defensive linemen last week. Those are invaluable reps. I think some guys really took a step forward. (Jaylen) Miller, (Dewayne) Hendrix, those guys really showed up inside. It's still a learning process for those guys.

"It doesn't matter who you're playing. It was good to see some of those guys get out there and get quality reps and show up."

Others joining the mix on the line were Dimarya Mixon, Jakob Johnson, Michael Sawyers, LaTroy Lewis, Kendal Vickers andTrevarris Saulsberry.

As far as Williams is concerned, Stripling is expecting him to rejoin Team 118 and has been preparing him as they look travel to No. 3 Ole Miss.

"I'm planning on him being there," Stripling said. "We're preparing him physically and mentally."

Every team has their growing pains from season to season. Some of the issues can be fixed with just a couple of weeks of practice while others may take much longer. This year, Tennessee's offensive line is the obvious growing pain for the team, and it's a major one.

No one can deny the fact that the Vols' offensive line has had its struggles. What can you expect, though, when no starters return from the previous year? Offensive line coach Don Mahoney has been working with his starting five each week trying to improve and make the pain go away, but it is showing to be a tougher task than many thought.

"We haven't been as sharp as we needed to be," Mahoney said. "I am not happy with it at all. There are things the line didn't do that could have allowed for some opportunities to be there.”

The problem isn't just one individual on the line that is going through tough times; it's the whole position.

"It's a collective issue," Mahoney said. "It's a game of five guys always playing on the same page. At this point in time, it is not any one person. It is the whole group, which can be frustrating."

Most positions give you enough depth to switch people in and out to see who fits best, but the offensive line doesn't have that option this year. With a lack of numbers, coaches plan to stick with their same five who they feel gives them the best chance of success.

"I see guys making strides," Mahoney said. "Guys like Brett Kendrick, Austin Sanders and Dylan Wiesman. I don't want to get into a situation where we are just shuffling the lineup. Guys are seeing others improving, and they are working to improve their own play."

The toughest part for the line may not be on the field from all the negative attention they are receiving.

"I tell them to just block it out," Mahoney said. "I see all of the hard work that they are putting in, and I know how much it means to them to be able to play as well as they can play, but it hasn't quite happened yet. We don't have a high confidence level. The only way it will go up is by playing better and believing in themselves and as a unit. That is what we are working towards."

Tennessee's problems on the line have been noticeable all season, but the players continue to work hard to fix it. Coach Mahoney knows it will take time for the youthful group, but the pain will continue to remain in this lengthy process.

After seeing his first action of the year last week, true freshman running back Derrell Scott again stands to see his role in the offense grow at Ole Miss Saturday.

Running backs coach Robert Gillespie says that the freshman gained valuable experience last week, and that he hopes he will continue to improve going forward this season.

"He still has to learn to play without the ball in his hands, just being a physical blocker, chip blocking. Just things away from the ball," Gillespie said. "Obviously, with the ball in his hands, I thought he did a few things, as far as, pressing the line of scrimmage, pad level...but obviously it was really good to get him some game-time experience so we could actually go in there, dissect it, and break it down. And now he has a product on film and we can grade it and get better from it."

Offensive coordinator Make Bajakian also expressed confidence in Scott, whose skillset and knowledge of the offense is similar to that of starter Jalen Hurd, he said.

"I wouldn't say his skillset is necessarily quite different," he said. "Maybe a little bit more limited just because of his knowledge based on experience. So yes, there's probably a limited menu you call with him, but at the same time, he's only going to learn by doing. So, you have to expose him to the whole playbook."

Although the Vols will be facing one of the SEC's toughest defenses on Saturday, Gillespie is confident that Scott will be able to get the job done when called upon.

"Obviously, last week's opponent was a good opponent, but SEC play is like none other," he said. "Everything is faster. Reaction time has to speed up. So, this will be another jump for him. But, I feel better that he has got a few reps. I think his confidence has gotten a little bit better. So this week, he'll be in there ready to play again."

The Vols' linebacker corps has made great strides since last year. Linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen sees one main reason for the vast improvement and he has reiterated it this season: communication.

"It's communication," Thigpen said. "More than anything else the communication has gotten a lot better. They've been in the system for a couple years. With Coach Jancek, we go through a ton of walk thrus, a ton of talking and just getting used to guys playing concepts. When we came in last year the communication was kind of low. As guys went along with the season, the communication stepped up."

As a defensive unit, the Vols are ranked eighth in the nation in tackles for loss with a total of 48 for a loss of 165 combined yards. This season, the linebackers have accounted for 153 tackles. They are led by senior A.J. Johnson and sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin with 68 and 49 tackles, respectively. That duo ranks in the Top 12 of the league in stops.

"With A.J. being an experienced linebacker and Jalen Reeves-Maybin being a really cerebral kid, it's a good mixture," Thigpen said. "We just have to get some more depth developed with Jakob (Johnson), (Cortez) McDowell and Kenny Bynum."

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)