Erik Ainge News

Tennessee Vols hoping to remain grounded against Gators

If you can’t run on them, hire their running backs coach.

That might not have been Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer’s intention when he hired Stan Drayton away from Florida this offseason, but it surely won’t hurt the Volunteers against the Gators this week.

The Vols were held to 31 yards on 21 carries in last season’s blowout loss at Florida, and they were even worse in 2006, with minus-11 yards on 23 runs in a one-point home setback. Florida has held UT to 20 yards on 44 attempts in the past two seasons.

The team with more rushing yards has lost this game just once since 1990.

“We’ve got to come out and run the ball a whole lot better,” Vols junior tailback Montario Hardesty said. “If we can keep their offense off the field and control the ball, then that’s definitely going to keep our defense more rested and give us a better chance to win.”

But will Drayton’s offseason move make a difference?

It certainly could. He spent the past three seasons at Florida recruiting several of the team’s biggest stars and was ranked by Rivals.com as one of the nation’s best 25 recruiters in 2007.

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and assistant defensive coordinator Chuck Heater also came to Florida in 2005, so Drayton is undoubtedly aware of some Gators’ tendencies.

“But it’s not like he’s going to be up there with Coach Strong, calling the plays,” Hardesty said.

No, but even Vols defensive coordinator John Chavis admitted Drayton could help.

“I’ve talked to Stan a little bit about it,” Chavis said. “He kind of confirmed some things that we thought. But not a lot — not anything we spent a lot of time with.’

“I don’t think there’s anything that he can tell us that we don’t see on film, unless he still had a headset where he could tie into them and tell us what play they were going to call. And then that might not help us, either.”

Drayton spoke briefly about the Gators after UT’s win over UAB on Saturday, but he didn’t address reporters at Tuesday’s media day.

“I’m going to try not to make it personal,” Drayton said Saturday. “Ultimately, it’s about winning for the Power T. They play for the ‘T’. It can’t be for Coach Drayton, and I can’t make it a personal game for me, either.”

Hardesty and senior Arian Foster said Drayton made similar comments earlier this week in a position meeting.

“A lot of that stays in the running back room,” Hardesty said. “But he’s trying to keep it about the team, and not just about him. He doesn’t want to be a distraction for us or for anybody else or give any bulletin board material. And I’m going to respect his wishes.”

The Vols’ ground game certainly could use some kind of help against the Gators. They haven’t gained more than 6 yards on a single rush in the past two seasons.

Foster cited a “lack of opportunity” as the primary problem. The Vols led Florida in the fourth quarter two seasons ago in Knoxville, but they trailed the Gators 28-3 in the second quarter last season. UT rallied within 28-20 in the third quarter before a missed hand-off from Erik Ainge to Foster went 18 yards the other way for a game-changing touchdown.

“Running is all about rhythm, and if you don’t allow a rhythm to get going, it’s just very difficult to spark a run over 6 yards, or anything of that nature,” Foster said. “I think you have to go into the game saying, ‘We’re going to run, and we’re going to rely on the run to be successful.’”

First-year UT offensive coordinator Dave Clawson agreed, saying that “playing from behind is always going to skew that statistic.

“You play the games to win,” Clawson added. “If you’re behind late in the third quarter or the fourth quarter, at that point, if you’re running the ball, you’re working against yourself.”

Drayton’s knowledge doesn’t guarantee anything, and it won’t be as helpful if the Vols fall behind early — which would be nothing new in this series.

“Their offense has been a good defense,” Foster said. “They’ll get up on us, and it kind of dictates our play-calling from there. I feel like if we set a tone early — and if we come out fast — then that will help our play-calling ... and let us do what we want to do.”

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