UT Vols must reverse turnover trend in road games

photo Mike Bajakian

KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's young football team likely took plenty of lessons from its first road trip at Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago.

One of those might have been more of a rehash of old material.

In their five road games against ranked teams the past two seasons, the Volunteers were doomed by 15 turnovers, including three against the Sooners, and carry a minus-9 turnover margin into Saturday's trip to No. 12 Georgia.

"I don't know if Oklahoma needs to remind us of that," offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian said after Wednesday's practice, "but any time home, away, SEC, nonconference opponent -- you can't have critical mistakes in critical situations."

Of Tennessee's three giveaways against the Sooners, one set up an Oklahoma touchdown, another was an interception in the end zone and the last one was an interception return touchdown.

The Vols coughed the ball up six times at Florida in their 2013 SEC opener and turned it over five times at Alabama and Missouri last season in a stretch of back-to-back road games similar to what Tennessee faces now.

Tennessee's nine penalties are by far the fewest in the SEC this season, but for the Vols to stay in position for an upset at Georgia, they can't continue the recent trend of turnovers in road games.

"I remember saying going into the Oklahoma game and coming out of it," Bajakian said, "that every experience we have is a learning experience for so many young guys that we have, for the 20-something freshmen that have played and the 50 percent of the travel squad that was traveling for the first time.

"I think that whole experience of traveling and going into a hostile environment like that has been a learning experience. We'll be better off for it."

Jones talks Paulk

On the weekly SEC coaches' teleconference, Butch Jones addressed Treyvon Paulk's situation for the first time since dismissing the freshman tailback on Monday after he allegedly punched his ex-girlfriend over the weekend.

Tennessee's coach was asked if domestic incidents deserve a zero-tolerance policy or a case-by-case approach.

"Every circumstance is different based on the facts, and you try to gather the facts and you try to make the best informative decision you can make, but I think it's an illustration of what's going on in the country," Jones said. "It's all about player conduct, and right now everyone's under a microscope and very rightfully so.

"It's character, it's how you treat [people] and we always talk to our players about the one-second rule, and in one second your life can change and not putting yourself in those types of situations. It's very unfortunate, but obviously it's a teaching opportunity. I feel for him as well, but we're moving forward."

Vols-UMass set for '17

Tennessee announced the Vols will host Massachusetts on Nov. 4, 2017, in what will be the first meeting between the two programs. The Minutemen, who moved up from the Football Championship Subdivision in 2011, are currently members of the Mid-American Conference, but will be an FBS Independent in 2016 and 2017.

According to the contract between the two programs, Tennessee will pay UMass $1 million for the game.

Southern Mississippi and Indiana State are believed to be part of the Vols' non-conference slate in 2017, but UMass is the only confirmed game for that season. The Vols and Georgia Tech are reportedly close to play a neutral-site game in Atlanta at the Falcons' new stadium, but there has been no official announcement.

LSU will be Tennessee's rotating SEC West foe in 2017, and that game will be in Knoxville.

Smith's status

Jones said on his radio show Wednesday night that it "doesn't look real promising" for receiver Josh Smith (ankle) to play on Saturday. The sophomore was still on crutches and in a walking boot inside Tennessee's complex during Wednesday's practice. Von Pearson (ankle) will not make the trip.

Talking Trevarris

Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Stripling said he anticipates defensive tackle Trevarris Saulsberry, who returned to practice during the open date last week after about a month out with a knee injury, to play at Georgia on Saturday.

As for how much the 6-foot-4, 296-pounder will play, Stripling said he and Saulsberry will communicate during the game to determine when he would need to come out, as they've done in practice the past two weeks.

"I think he brings a lot to the table in that he's an older player, so he brings some maturity to the room," Stripling said. He's a popular guy in the meeting room. I think he brings presence in that he's a 300-pound guy and we're a little short on those guys right now. It's good to see him out there.

"He had a good week. We just let him go this week and let him kind of manage his situation. He did great."

Stripling said sophomore Jaylen Miller has a role in pass-rushing situations as Corey Vereen did as a freshman in 2013 and "adds a little spark" to that phase.

Great Scott

Tennessee running backs coach Robert Gillespie is hoping to get Derrell Scott, who also missed about a month with a foot injury, on the field on Saturday, and Jones suggested the freshman tailback would have a certain package within the offense.

"Obviously I want to be selective and smart on the amount of reps that he gets, but he's definitely ready," Gillespie said. "Nothing's like game reps. Obviously the fact that he didn't get a chance to play in the first three games, those are reps that you never get back, but eventually you've got to push them out and see what he can do.

"I'm confident in him. He runs the ball hard and has good ball security; so the game and the flow of the game, we'll see if he gets in the game or not."

Gillespie said he treated Scott, a former four-star recruit, as he if were a travel-squad player while he was out, which included film review.

"He got the same package that Marlin [Lane] and Jalen [Hurd] got, and I asked him the same amount of questions," Gillespie said. "He took the same tests, so from a mental standpoint he was always on point. Now it's just getting out there and getting the reps and actually getting out there and thumping."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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