Bye week a shot in the arm for Vols
Players take time to relax
KNOXVILLE — Brian Randolph used Tennessee’s off week to prove that he’s the best golfer on the team. Or at least the best among the guys he took home for the weekend.
Randolph said fellow safety Todd Kelly, linebacker Kenny Bynum and former defensive tackle turned student assistant Trevarris Saulsberry spent the bye weekend with him at his parents’ home in Marietta, Georgia. They played TopGolf, a game developed in London in 2000 that turns drivingrange practice into a game with microchips in the balls and targets. Instead of trying to limit strokes, players try to score high by hitting targets.
“I had the highest score,” Randolph deadpanned at the podium Monday after coach Butch Jones’ press conference. “I kind of showed them how to do it. I’m very talented in golfing. I’m the best golfer.”
At least among those four guys.
“I did get the highest score,” Randolph said, “but they weren’t that good. That’s probably what it was. ... Kenny Bynum, that dude can’t golf.”
While golfing may seem unrelated to the Vols’ game Saturday at No. 8 Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Randolph said the time the players spent away from football during the off week was almost as important as the time they spent practicing.
The bye coincided with Tennessee’s fall break, which allowed the team to not only take a break from football, but also classes.
“We’re also rested mentally,” Randolph said. “We got a chance to think about something else besides football and school. I think that will rejuvenate our minds and help us be sharper this week in practice.”
Randolph and junior linebacker Jalen ReevesMaybin said most of the team left Knoxville for the weekend. Many went home or to a teammate’s home. The Vols had their final practice of last week Thursday morning and didn’t have to do anything football related again until a team meeting Sunday.
A number of them spent Saturday watching other college football games and spent Friday night taking in high school games. Junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs saw his Alpharetta (Georgia) High team win its homecoming game.
“I just rested,” Dobbs said. “It was good to get away for a little bit, go home and see family and friends. I went to my high school game and everything. They were able to pull out a victory against our cross-town rival, so it was good to see that and be there for that.”
Jones said there was more accomplished during the bye than rest. The Vols (3-3, 1-2) didn’t see the need to make drastic changes schematically or philosophically, but it was obvious from film study they needed to get better at the basics.
Their defensive performance specifically has left a lot to be desired, Jones said. The Vols rank 87th nationally and near the bottom of the SEC in total defense, allowing 419 yards per game. They are 90th in passing defense, allowing 248.5 yards per game. They have just nine sacks and they have allowed 29 plays of 20 yards or more.
“Just continuing to improve on our fundamentals and our details,” Jones said when asked what the Vols needed to fix. “Really no secret, we have to be a much better tackling football team. It’s all about winning your space, winning your area. ... So being a much better efficient, tackling defense. More turnovers, more takeaways.”