Another game together. Another sack-riddled performance.
Another week where quarterback Justin Worley became well acquainted with the stadium grass.
For Tennessee’s current offensive line — left tackle Kyler Kerbyson, left guard Marcus Jackson, center Mack Crowder, right guard Jashon Robertson and right tackle Coleman Thomas — its last three outings have generated an avalanche of criticism.
Headlined by Saturday’s six sacks allowed during the Volunteers’ 10-9 loss to Florida, this fledgling unit has given up 13 quarterback takedowns in only 12 quarters of football.
But even so, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones insisted that nobody’s heading to a backup role anytime soon.
“It is what it is,” he said at his Monday press luncheon. “Those are the five that we have. Those are the five we feel gives us the best opportunity on Saturdays, and we’re sticking with those five.”
Amidst that collection, the youth has been well documented.
Zero seniors, and a pair of true freshmen on the right side continue to stand out for the inexperienced unit, which ranks dead last in the SEC and 118th nationwide in sacks allowed per game (3.60).
“Are there some players playing before their time? Maybe,” Jones said Monday, “but I think they’re doing a fairly decent job. We have to continue to get better. They’re all that we have. Like I told you Saturday, nothing’s changed. I believe in them.”
Assurances like that, however, haven’t squashed all curiosity.
Peppered with questions about potential replacements, Jones dusted off scouting reports on a handful of reserves, including sophomore Dylan Wiseman, junior-college transfer Dontavius Blair and redshirt freshman Brett Kendrick.
All three “continue to progress.”
“It’s on those other individuals at the offensive line to continue to work themselves to be in that conversation through the week of preparation and throughout the course of the week,” Jones said. “We’re down two full recruiting classes in the offensive line. That’s just the reality of where we’re at in our football program.”
‘Totally unacceptable’: As the final seconds ticked off Saturday’s loss, the checker-boarded student section decided to give the Gators one last parting shot.
In unison, the Rocky Top Rowdies’ repetitive chant was loud and clear.
“F*** you, Florida. F*** you, Florida.”
On Monday, Jones addressed the late-game profanity.
“I think it’s just the emotion of the game and the want to win,” he said. “That appetite for winning, which I spoke about earlier. That’s the passion our fan base has.
“That’s what makes them very, very special. It’s something that, when I get a chance, I’ll speak to them about. I love them to death because they’ve been there for us, and we’re going to need them as the season continues to progress.”
Less than two hours after the conclusion of Monday’s press conference, an email was sent student-wide regarding the chants and the use of profanity as a whole.
Signed by UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, athletic director Dave Hart and vice chancellor for student life Vince Carilli, the message read:
“We all know that it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol, but our behavior should always reflect the Volunteer spirit. That spirit is about civility and respect. At Saturday’s game against Florida, there were chants from the student section that were totally unacceptable.
“Win or lose, we must respect our opponents, demonstrate class and always show pride for our great university. As Volunteers, we are better than that, and our expectation is that this kind of behavior will never happen again.”
Injury front: After stating that Jalen Hurd’s second-half absence was attributed to a “dinged up shoulder,” Jones provided an update Monday on the heralded freshman running back.
“We anticipate him being at practice today,” Jones said. “He had a little bit of a shoulder ding in the game, but he went back in. He’s received treatments, and we fully anticipate him being ready for Chattanooga.”
Meanwhile, Jones indicated that neither freshman tight end Daniel Helm nor senior defensive tackle Jordan Williams, who both exited with injuries on Saturday, were seriously injured, saying “they’ll be fine.”
“Both of those will be practicing today,” the second-year head coach added.
Lastly, cornerback Michael Williams is expected to return to practice this week as well after Jones said much of his time out on Saturday was “precautionary.” The redshirt sophomore, who was replaced by freshman Emmanuel Moseley exited in the second quarter and never returned to the UT secondary.
