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RECEIVING THE CHALLENGE
Opportunities Arise For Young Receiving Corps
KNOXVILLE - Tennessee
was defeated for the first time this season Saturday at Florida, but
its biggest loss came on the Vols’ third offensive play when sophomore
wide receiver Justin Hunter suffered a torn ACL in his left knee that
will keep him out for the remainder of 2011.
Hunter,
who entered the game with the sixth-most receiving yards in the nation,
will be difficult to replace. The Vols, however, have capable options
that will all have to elevate their play in Hunter’s absence.
“It
was a little bit different,” sophomore Da’Rick Rogers said of Hunter
not being present. “Everyone has to step up. Today, everyone realized
how much different it is going to be with a different make up of the
team. Guys have to step up.”
Sophomore wide
receiver Matt Milton recorded his first career catch in the fourth
quarter against the Gators and is taking the opportunity in stride.
“The
mindset is just to come out and play football and perform,” Milton
said. “Justin (Hunter) isn’t coming back, we all know that. Somebody
has to step up, we can’t be a two-receiver team. I feel like it’s a
good opportunity to show what I can do in a game, other than just in
practice. It gives me more motivation for practice, to play harder and
to get better.”
While Milton is getting more of an
opportunity on the field, Rogers is looking to take advantage of the
chance to become more of a leader.
“I just have to
work that much harder, to beat off double teams and those types of
things,” Rogers said. “From a maturity stand point – I can’t worry
about Justin’s injury and I have to put it behind me and work hard. So
everyone knows that if I am out there working hard that’s what they
have to do.”
Junior wide receiver Zach Rogers worked in the offseason to be the primary slot receiver, he’s ready for an expanded role also.
“I’ve
worked more inside over the summer because that is what I wanted to
play, but since everything has changed I could play outside or inside,”
he said. “I know the playbook so I will be ready to roll.”
Freshman
DeAnthony Arnett totaled eight catches at Florida, the most by a Vols’
rookie receiver since Kelley Washington had nine in the SEC
Championship against LSU in 2001.
The process of moving forward is aided by having a confident leader in the huddle.
“It
was kind of weird for me because I felt like I was going to be nervous,
but once you are in there and with how (Tyler) Bray is, how do you get
nervous around that guy?” Milton said. “It was really good to get in
there. I felt more comfortable and now I feel that when I get back in I
will be a lot more calm and feel better in there.”
The team can feel better seeing Hunter display his usual laid back, playful attitude.
“It
helps a lot,” D. Rogers said. “From the visual standpoint – it helps
the team to be able to look at him smiling. It gives them a
little more positive hope to come out and work hard and not worry too
much about his injury.
BYE WEEK
Tennessee
is in the midst of its lone bye week of the season. Following an open
date Sept. 24, the Vols will return to action against Buffalo the
following Saturday, Oct. 1. Rest is not UT’s primary objective, however.
“I’m
glad we’ve got the open week,” sophomore offensive lineman Ja’Wuan
James said. “Usually people think the open week is a time to relax. For
myself, I know I’ve got to get better technique. Everybody has
something they need to work on to get better.”
Coming off their first loss of the season, the Vols wish they had a sooner shot at redemption.
“Personally,
I wish we had a game this week and I’m sure most of the other guys
would agree with me on that,” junior defensive back Marsalis Teague
said. “We’re going to embrace this week off and not really think of it
as a week off. We’ve still got to put in the work and prepare like
we’ve got a game. That’s the only way we’re going to get better.”
If they aren’t getting better, it won’t mean much for the Vols.
“It’s
good (to have the week off), but if you don’t use it to your advantage
it is useless,” junior offensive lineman Dallas Thomas said.
It’s the one week of the season where it’s OK to be a little selfish.
“It’s
a super important week,” sophomore defensive end Jacques Smith said.
“It’s a week where you can sit down, where you know you don’t have an
opponent coming up, and you can focus on yourselves.”
DARR TABBED FULL-TIME PUNTER
One
positive to come out of Saturday’s loss at Florida was the solid
performance put forth by freshman punter Matt Darr. The Bakersfield,
Calif., native was named the team’s full-time punter after averaging
44.0 yards on three punts, including a 52-yard bomb, the team’s longest
punt of the year.
“I’ve been trying to take
ownership of the position and now that I’ve had a good game under my
belt, I feel confident,” Darr said. “I’m just ready to get rolling with
the season and carry that forward.”
Making Darr’s
effort even more impressive was the fact that it came on the road
against a rival school that had already blocked one punt earlier in the
game.
“I was a little nervous going out there for
the first time at Florida in a hostile environment, but I felt that I
got pretty comfortable after that,” Darr said. “I hit off two good
punts, unfortunately we let one of them get into the end zone for a
touchback, but that is going to happen.”
One piece
of technique the coaching staff has worked on with Darr is shortening
his stride in order to get his kicks off faster. The results were
better on Saturday, but there is still improvement to be made.
“It
just comes with practice over time,” Darr said. “My ‘off’ times were
really good on Saturday, so I just need to stay confident in what I am
doing. It’s working out now, so we’ll just keep that up.”
QUOTABLE
Sophomore wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers
(On what changes for him without Justin Hunter)
“Pretty
much nothing. The defenses might shade me a little more, but I
have to come out and work hard. I have to show the other guys
that that is how you have to play the game, because you are only a play
away.”
(On the bye week)
“This week will be
big for us as a team. We had a big injury. It was
heartbreaking. We have to do a lot this week and get back right.”
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray
(On not having Justin Hunter)
“We
are going to have to step up as a whole offensive unit, it shows
everywhere. From my decisions to the line to the running backs to
receivers, we didn’t play well. If we don’t step it up, there’s going
to be more games like that.”
(On today’s practice)
“(We)
didn’t practice well at all today. It still looks like guys are little
shaken from the Florida game, not mentally there (today). We just need
to come out tomorrow with a little more energy.”
Sophomore defensive end Jacques Smith
(On improving)
“All
we know is that we can definitely get better and we didn’t play our
best game, if we did things would have been a lot different. But you
can’t say if, the matters are already said and done. We have to be more
consistent.”
Senior defensive back Art Evans
(On competition at individual positions)
“The
more competition you have at each position it’s going to make the team
that much better. Like Coach says we have a lot of good individual
players that we could be great with if we put it all together.”
Sophomore offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James
(On playing on the road for the first time)
“We
can’t use that as an excuse. We have to play wherever we go. A new
thing was the crowd noise, but we can’t really blame (our performance)
on that. They played a good game against us.”
(On the offensive line’s attitude after the game)
“We
can’t use being young as an excuse. Everybody has to keep their head up
and keep working. Coach Hiestand isn’t going to let us keep our heads
down. He’s going to keep pushing us every day out here to get better.”
Junior offensive lineman Dallas Thomas
(On practice)
“Sometimes
you have to ask yourself if you were in the right state of mind to come
out here and get better or if it was to come out and lollygag just to
get through it.“
(On watching tape of the Florida game)
“It
was pretty bad, but that’s over with. We’ve put that behind us and now
we are just looking forward to working on our craft and getting better.”
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