supergenius
08-31-2005, 05:30 AM
KNOXVILLE — With all the talk about who will back up Gerald Riggs Jr. at tailback this season, Tennessee running backs coach Trooper Taylor said his goal is to get to a point where they're all interchangeable.
He said junior walk-on David Yancey would be the first tailback off the bench Saturday against Alabama-Birmingham, but that Montario Hardesty, Arian Foster and former Antioch High School star LaMarcus Coker could all play.
"All of them bring things to the table," Taylor said. "But what I don't want to do is make Randy (Sanders) have to call plays based off who's in the game. I want him to call the plays he wants to call and not have to say, 'Oh, get him out or get him in.' That's where we want to get to and would like to get to that point before midway through the season."
Regardless of who's in the game at tailback, Taylor has raised the stakes. He has a sign in his meeting room that reads: Blaise is 9.
He says it's a reminder to his backs that this Tennessee offensive line is good enough that his 9-year-old son, Blaise, could run through many of the holes.
"So now, let's see somebody do something special," Taylor said.
Cool Clausen: Rick Clausen has no idea when or how much he'll play Saturday, but he promised to be ready – just like last season.
Clausen admitted that he was disappointed in not being named the starter and felt like he played well enough in the preseason to win the job.
"At the end of the day, you just ask for an opportunity," Clausen said. "I got just as many reps as Erik (Ainge) did in the spring and in fall camp, and apparently, it wasn't enough. There are greater tragedies in life than not being named a starter. I'm still going to play."
Clausen, one of the Vols' team captains, said the team is what's most important now and not what did or didn't happen in his race with Ainge for the starting job.
"It's not a competition any longer," Clausen said. "It's about winning football games. I think that's the biggest thing. No matter who plays, it doesn't matter. If I'm in there, the team will be behind me. If Erik's in there, the team will be behind him. That's just the way we've got to approach it."
Staying focused: Yancey said having his scholarship taken away won't deter him from playing just as hard this season. Yancey came to Tennessee as a walk-on, but was given a scholarship last season. He was taken off scholarship this year because the Vols ran out of room.
"I try not to focus on that too much, because that's completely separate from playing on the field," Yancey said. "I just try to stay focused on what I need to do on the football field, and everything else will play itself out."
Only adidas: Tailback Gerald Riggs Jr. showed up for interviews yesterday wearing a Nike sweatshirt, but UT sports information officials quickly found him an orange adidas pullover to wear while on camera.
Tennessee signed a new apparel contract with adidas earlier this year worth $19.3 million.
Hurricane update: Tight end Chris Brown said a tree fell on his house in Destrehan, La., just outside New Orleans and did extensive damage in Hurricane Katrina's destruction.
Tailback Ja'Kouri Williams was still trying to reach family members. Williams is from Plaquemine, La., hit especially hard by the storm.
He said junior walk-on David Yancey would be the first tailback off the bench Saturday against Alabama-Birmingham, but that Montario Hardesty, Arian Foster and former Antioch High School star LaMarcus Coker could all play.
"All of them bring things to the table," Taylor said. "But what I don't want to do is make Randy (Sanders) have to call plays based off who's in the game. I want him to call the plays he wants to call and not have to say, 'Oh, get him out or get him in.' That's where we want to get to and would like to get to that point before midway through the season."
Regardless of who's in the game at tailback, Taylor has raised the stakes. He has a sign in his meeting room that reads: Blaise is 9.
He says it's a reminder to his backs that this Tennessee offensive line is good enough that his 9-year-old son, Blaise, could run through many of the holes.
"So now, let's see somebody do something special," Taylor said.
Cool Clausen: Rick Clausen has no idea when or how much he'll play Saturday, but he promised to be ready – just like last season.
Clausen admitted that he was disappointed in not being named the starter and felt like he played well enough in the preseason to win the job.
"At the end of the day, you just ask for an opportunity," Clausen said. "I got just as many reps as Erik (Ainge) did in the spring and in fall camp, and apparently, it wasn't enough. There are greater tragedies in life than not being named a starter. I'm still going to play."
Clausen, one of the Vols' team captains, said the team is what's most important now and not what did or didn't happen in his race with Ainge for the starting job.
"It's not a competition any longer," Clausen said. "It's about winning football games. I think that's the biggest thing. No matter who plays, it doesn't matter. If I'm in there, the team will be behind me. If Erik's in there, the team will be behind him. That's just the way we've got to approach it."
Staying focused: Yancey said having his scholarship taken away won't deter him from playing just as hard this season. Yancey came to Tennessee as a walk-on, but was given a scholarship last season. He was taken off scholarship this year because the Vols ran out of room.
"I try not to focus on that too much, because that's completely separate from playing on the field," Yancey said. "I just try to stay focused on what I need to do on the football field, and everything else will play itself out."
Only adidas: Tailback Gerald Riggs Jr. showed up for interviews yesterday wearing a Nike sweatshirt, but UT sports information officials quickly found him an orange adidas pullover to wear while on camera.
Tennessee signed a new apparel contract with adidas earlier this year worth $19.3 million.
Hurricane update: Tight end Chris Brown said a tree fell on his house in Destrehan, La., just outside New Orleans and did extensive damage in Hurricane Katrina's destruction.
Tailback Ja'Kouri Williams was still trying to reach family members. Williams is from Plaquemine, La., hit especially hard by the storm.