SEC PREVIEW TENNESSEE

Vols turn to Jones, 4th coach in 6 years

Tennessee coach Butch Jones talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Tennessee coach Butch Jones talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Wednesday, July 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

HOOVER, Ala. - Tennessee is exhibit No. 1 for the cyclical nature of SEC power.

The Volunteers shared SEC supremacy with Florida and Alabama for a big chunk of the 1990s, then powered into the new century with four seasons of 10 or more victories through 2007, sharing or winning seven SEC East titles in a 15-year span and capturing the first BCS championship in 1998.

But Tennessee is 27-34 with a grisly 12-28 mark inthe SEC going back to Phillip Fulmer’s final season, 2008. The program has not won a bowl game since defeating Bret Bielema’s 2007 Wisconsin team 21-17 in the Outback Bowl.

Volunteers At a Glance

LAST SEASON 5-7, 1-7 (sixth) in SEC East

COACH Butch Jones (first year at Tennessee, 50-27 in seventh year overall

RETURNING STARTERS Offense 5, Defense 8

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS RT Ja’Wuan James, LB A.J. Johnson, RB Marlon Lane, RB Rajion Neal, LT Tiny Richardson

SEC TITLE SCENARIO Tennessee has some ground to make up after falling behind the pace in the SEC East the last few years. The Volunteers kick off SEC play at Florida, a team they’ve lost to eight consecutive times, and they also play Alabama on the road. If Justin Worley emerges quickly as a quality quarterback,the Vols have some nice pieces in place to improve rapidly.

Lane Kiffin had some success in his one season, taking Tennessee (7-6) to the Chickfil-A bowl in 2009 before bolting for Southern California less than three weeks before national signing date.

Kiffin’s untimely departure led to the hiring of Derek Dooley, who was fired last November after three losing seasons, and he was replaced by Cincinnati’s Butch Jones.

Along the way, the Vols, who have always had to tap into talent in surrounding states to stay near the top, have fallen behind their biggest rivals in recruiting and results.

Tennessee has lost eight games in a row to Florida by an average margin of 15.5 points. The Vols have lost six consecutive to permanent West opponent Alabama by an average of 23 points, including the last three by 31 points - each.

“In order for us to make those rivalry games, we have to get back to being relevant and winning those football games,” Jones said.

Jones, who compiled a combined 50-27 record in three seasons each at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, has seemingly connected to the players.

“Since Day 1, he’s brought passion and excitement to the game,” senior offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James said. “He’s making the game fun again. In our spring game, we had DJs out there just trying to keep us pumped up.”

Jones presented his vision for Tennessee football at SEC media days.

“We talked about building a championship culture, working to get Tennessee football back to its rightful place back among the elite of college football,” Jones said. “We talked about doing it brick by brick.

“That’s not a fancy slogan. We really meant that, as every brick is symbolic of every individual in our football family and our football organization.”

Jones inherited a team with four returning offensive line starters led by tackles Tiny Richardson and James and five returning starters on the defensive front seven - and two proven tailbacks in Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane, who combined for 1,366 rushing yards last season.

“Two years ago they were saying that we had the worst line in the country, and now they’re saying that we are one of the best, so it just shows how hard we’ve worked as a unit,” Richardson said.

Lane, an ESPNU 150 selection as a high school senior, missed most of spring with disciplinary issues but was reinstated by Jones in June.

Big questions loom at quarterback and receiver.

Junior Justin Worley will battle redshirt freshman Nathan Peterman and three signees in camp for the quarterback job and the reins to what Jones hopes to be a fast-tempo offense. Worley had a 96.8 efficiency rating in five games behind Tyler Bray last season, completing 65 percent of his passes.

The top returning receiver is Pig Howard, a sophomore who had 13 receptions for 54 yards and 1 touchown last year. Juniors Vincent Dallas and Jacob Carter, senior Tyler Drummer and a big crop of signees must fill the void in production left by Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson and tight end Mychal Rivera.

The Volunteers ranked No. 18 in total offense (475.9 ypg) and No. 22 in scoring (36.2 ppg) last year, but Tennessee had a productive quarterback in Tyler Bray and three talented receivers, who have all departed. Not to mention Jim Chaney, Arkansas’ new offensive coordinator, was calling the shots.

Defense is another story. Tennessee was last in the SECin total defense, allowing 471.3 yards 35.7 points per game, so a quick fix does not look likely, even though eight starters are back, including linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt.

Returning to the top shelf in the SEC power structure will not come easy. Eight of Tennessee’s opponents played in bowl games last season and six of them were ranked in the final Associated Press poll. Late September looks formidable with consecutive road trips to Oregon and Florida after home games versus Austin Peay and Western Kentucky.

Sports, Pages 13 on 07/29/2013

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