Tennessee Defense Shines In Orange And White Game

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- A strong defensive second half that kept the Volunteer offense out of the end zone gave the Orange a 70-63 win over the White in the Orange and White spring game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

The Orange used six tackles for loss, including three sacks, in the second half to hold the White scoreless by traditional standards in the closing half. Quart'e Sapp led the defense with nine total tackles and one tackle for loss, while freshman Marquill Osborne added eight tackles and a sack in his first spring game.

Joshua Dobbs led the White team in the air with 166 passing yards on 5-of-9 passing. Quinten Dormady added 95 yards on 10-of-15 passing with a 5-yard touchdown pass. John Kelly earned the bulk of the carries for the offense, rushing for 65 yards on 15 attempts and a touchdown. Jayson Sparks gathered 34 yards on 11 carries.

Preston Williams led the receiving core with 77 yards on three catches, including a 39-yard reception. Ethan Wolf went for 67 receiving yards, while newcomer Jeff George caught four for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Coach Butch Jones named Dobbs, Alvin Kamara, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cameron Sutton 2016 captains during the halftime ceremony. The four captains, who were voted on by the team, have a combined 87 starts and 112 game appearances donning the orange and white. Tennessee last had season captains in 2011, meaning 2016 will mark the first time the Vols will have captains during the Jones era.

The game drew 67,027 fans, although most estimates were around 50,000, ranking third all-time in Tennessee spring game history. Jones' rejuvenation of the Tennessee fan base is reflected in spring game attendances as four of the top five spring games attended have come in Jones's four seasons at the helm.

The Orange grabbed the early 10-2 lead with a Todd Kelly Jr. interception off a tipped pass. After the defense forced a punt on the following possession, the White scored on consecutive possessions highlighted by multiple big gains. Dobbs hit Ethan Wolf in stride for a 57-yard gain, then connected with Williams for a 22-yard reception. Kelly capped off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown rush.

Kelly paired his touchdown run with a 27-yard rush in the following drive that led to a 5-yard George touchdown catch from Dormady. The White led 26-20 after the first quarter.

The White used two field goals -- a 42-yarder by former Ooltewah All-America kicker Laszlo Toser and 30-yarder by Holden Foster -- to finish lengthy drives in the second quarter. Both field goals came on 12-play drives as the White entered the locker room with a 51-42 halftime lead.

The Orange outscored the White 28-12 in the second half to take control of the game and finish with the win. After breaking the 60-60 tie midway through the third quarter, the Orange held onto the lead for the remainder of the game.

Coach Butch Jones

Beginning his fourth season as Jones realizes that creating an revered environment is valued around the nation and is critical to the program's success.

"It's exciting and rewarding just to be the head football coach at the University of Tennessee. We've come so far in such short periods of time, and it's all a tribute to our players. It's all a tribute to our support staff, our fans. We have something very, very special here and nobody should ever take this for granted. It's amazing, because when you welcome people from other areas of the country, whether it's recruits, whether it's media members, whether it's family members, it doesn't matter. When they come here and they spend time within the walls of our football program and they're around our players, they're around our fans, they sense the excitement. They sense the energy. They sense that there's something special here. That's something that we've been building for a long time."

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs

With expectations raised entering the 2016 football season, rising senior quarterback Josh Dobbs used the game as a stepping stone toward summer workouts and preparation for for the fall season.

"We have our own expectations and how we expect to play every time we step on the field. We understand we have a lot of talent on this team. The goal for us is to take it day-by-day, focus on the process. Embrace the grind, especially during the summer to get ready for fall camp. We understand every time we step on the field, we're working to win. That's our mindset entering the fall."

Running Back Alvin Kamara

With the conclusion of his strong effort with one touchdown on 15 carries, Kelley received high praise from Kamara

 "John has swag about himself when he gets on the field. One thing that catches everyone's eye is how he plays with intensity and works hard. When he messes up, you can tell it matters to him. He wants to learn from coach Gillespie and guys like me and Jalen Hurd. He has done a lot of maturing from last season to this spring. He will keep getting better. He is going to be a good weapon for us going into the season."

Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin  

Despite a coordinator change this spring , the Vols haven't skipped a beat on the defensive side of the ball. That has a lot to do with senior leader Jalen Reeves Maybin and new DC Bob Shoop.

"I think we have a lot of guys who have bought in. Some guys who might have been twos or might be playing a backup role, they've been meeting with Coach Shoop. Every night you can probably find a different person in there. He's really personable, just helping getting everyone coached up. Helping everybody know exactly what he wants. Thats what I like about him. He's definitely going to do what it takes to get everyone coached up."

Cornerback Cameron Sutton  

As a veteran in the program who has started every game during his tenure in Knoxville, Cam Sutton has endured the constant work to improve Tennessee's defensive side of the ball. As a newly-named captain and leader of the 2016 Vols, he sees the growth and commitment that the defense puts in daily.

"We had a lot of talent when I first got here. We had a lot of adversity. We had guys come in and out. Our guys now are embracing that challenge. They come in with the mentality to attack each and every day whether we are in the weight room, on the field, or why we are watching film. As far as the speed and those thing on the field, it's all about the 'want to'. You have to want to get to the ball, and want to make a play. That's just something we talk about each and every day, especially with the DBs. We talk about leaving our legacy and making plays out on the field, and doing everything we can do to help this program win. When you have guys like that around you with that same mindset and same mentality it makes the game much easier."

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)