Vols' Foreman Comes To The Forefront In Nickel Package

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee enters this week's game against Missouri on a three-game winning streak, its longest in a single season since winning four-straight in 2010.

The Vols' (6-4, 3-3 SEC) defense has played well in that stretch, affecting the play of opposing quarterbacks with pressure and good coverage.

Tennessee has limited the last three quarterbacks it has faced to completion percentages under 52 percent and the Vols have not allowed a 300-yard passer since the season opener against Bowling Green.

Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek had high praise for Malik Foreman, who has been strong in the nickel over the last three weeks. In addition to his key forced fumble against South Carolina that sealed the Vols' victory, Foreman has been good in coverage, coming up with two pass break-ups against North Texas on Saturday.

"He's making plays," Jancek said. "He's getting guys on the ground on the perimeter, making some open field tackles. Punching the ball out at the South Carolina game was a huge play for him. He's around the ball, but now he's making plays that we expect him to make."

UT also impacted opposing QBs with good pass rushes, racking up six sacks in wins over Kentucky, South Carolina and North Texas. Derek Barnett has four of those sacks, but he has not been alone in applying pressure as interior defensive linemen, defensive ends and linebackers have all been broken through into the backfield.

Dynamic Kamara Rolling

One thing is for sure, Alvin Kamara is a double-dipper.

The sophomore tailback has found the end zone in five games for the Vols in 2015, but not one single score has had to stand on its own. That initial taste of six points has been simply too sweet for Kamara to savor; each time he has found a way to go back for seconds.

Kamara recorded his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season on Saturday against North Texas, giving him 10 total touchdowns on the year. What do those figures show? That when Kamara scores, he does it in twos. This season, Kamara has scored two touchdowns in games against Bowling Green, Western Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina prior to completing the feat for the fifth time against the Mean Green.

Almost as impressive is the variety of ways in which Kamara has scored this season. He's got six rushing touchdowns, three receiving, and one punt return for a score. Add all of that up and you begin to see the dynamic and streaky weapon that the Norcross, Georgia, native represents for the Tennessee offense.

"Alvin is a skilled player," said offensive coordinator Mike DeBord. "When he runs the ball inside he has great quickness and when he gets the ball on the outside he has great speed. He had a lot of yards around the perimeter so when he gets the ball out there he's pretty good."

Kamara rushed for 127 yards against UNT on Saturday -- his second highest total behind a 144-yard outburst in the opener vs. BGSU. But even when Kamara is not gaining ground through the running attack, he remains a threat through the air as evidenced by a five-catch, two-touchdown performance in the Vols' comeback win over Georgia in early October.

Having a weapon like that out of the backfield has opened up plenty of options for both DeBord and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, who said on Tuesday that he wants the ball in the hands of those who will produce.

"It's been great," he said, referencing not only Kamara's production but that of tight end Ethan Wolf. "We are game-planning to get everyone the ball. We're going to get No. 6 [Alvin Kamara] the ball. My room, and me, and our coaches we're not worried about stats on different guys. We're worried about, 'let's get the guys who are being productive the ball.' Maybe this coverage opens that up. Having those guys in has been fantastic. We're always going to game plan to get those young men the ball."

With four touchdowns in his last two games, slowing down Kamara will undoubtedly be a center of focus for the eighth-ranked Missouri defense. But whether it’s breaking into the open field or simply opening things up for his teammates, Kamara's influence has proven difficult to stifle in 2015.

Malone Setting a New Standard

Through all the injuries at the wide receiver position, Josh Malone has been a constant for the Vols passing game.

Malone leads the team this year with 27 catches and 353 yards, already outpacing his numbers from his freshman season. Last year he caught 23 passes for 231 yards while playing in all 13 games.

"[Malone] just has a different mindset," Azzanni said. "He's a prideful kid and wanted to be better. His mentality is better, his practice habits are better, how he lives is better. Can he still get a lot better in that regard? Absolutely. I expect next year to be even above this year, as far as how he is, how he looks, his body all those things."

Team 119 has faced a hoard of injuries at the wide receiver position. Jason Croom and Vincent Perry have missed the entire season. Preston Williams missed training camp and returned to practice today after sitting out the last month due to injury. Marquez North has only been able to play five games, including only two snaps against North Texas. Jonathan Johnson has been limited to seven games.

All of those injuries have forced the remaining wide receivers to play a higher percentage of snaps. Malone has taken that responsibility to heart.

"He's played by far more reps than anyone out there," Azzanni said. "I don't know the exact number, but it's a lot. So for him to keep going at the level he's been going is pretty darn good."

Malone put in a lot of work over the summer and he came into training camp ready to start his sophomore season.

"It was great, he came out in training camp and was good," Azzanni said. "But as a coach, you're like, `let's see how consistent he can be'. We all had a `My All' slogan this year and his was consistency. I always say `I ordered a number three today at McDonald's. What am I getting? I want a number three, a Josh Malone. The one that runs fast, jumps high and makes people miss. I asked for a double cheeseburger I don't want a chicken sandwich. I want the same thing every day. He's been trying to do that."

Outstanding O'Brien

Danny O’Brien has the most playing experience (33 games) of any of UT's active defensive lineman and his veteran presence to the interior line has been a great boost to the Vols' defense. The 6-2, 301-pound redshirt junior out of Flint, Mich., plays with a blue-collar work ethic and has bolstered a unit that has battled through injuries this season.

"Danny brings what he always brings - toughness," associate head coach/defensive line coach Steve Stripling said. "He brings leadership because he's an older kid. Danny O’Brien is all in. He's one of those kids who's locked into things."

O'Brien had three tackles and a sack in the win over North Texas and used his veteran smarts to outwit the Mean Green pre-snap.

"The other day I think they tried to run a sneak, and we changed our alignment when the quarterback came under center," Stripling said. "(O'Brien) was the guy who recognized it.”

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