Tennessee: Foster rests a sore knee; Cottam still sidelined

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Volunteers started a week’s worth of morning practices Monday morning with star senior tailback Arian Foster again on the sideline with a sore knee.

Coach Phillip Fulmer maintained that Foster’s absence was simply precautionary, and the setback was merely a “tweak.”

Foster told reporters he would be back soon, and he had hoped to practice Monday — and would have played if it were a game.

The running game struggled in Saturday’s scrimmage, especially when the first- and second-team defenses were on the field. Fulmer said it “wasn’t all that it needs to be,” and he said 6-foot-8 tight end Jeff Cottam’s continued absence was another factor.

Progressing slowly in his recovery from a broken leg, Cottam sat out again Monday, as did linebacker Savion Frazier (ankle) and center Cody Pope (illness). Freshman offensive lineman Preston Bailey was back on the field after missing most of last week with a concussion.

Berry takes some snaps

The offense got to borrow one of the team’s biggest playmakers for a few snaps Monday, and it got a familiar face back under center in the “G-Gun” package.

Sophomore safety Eric Berry and sophomore receiver Gerald Jones took snaps at quarterback. It was Berry’s first work at the position since spring practice.

“It looked pretty good for the first time that we’ve done it full speed,” Fulmer said of Berry’s quarterback work. “It was great for the defense to see it. It will be something that we can look at and pick and choose when to use it.”

Fulmer told Berry during his recruiting process that he would get to play some on offense, and Berry said he expected a shot at some point.

“Coach Fulmer hasn’t lied to me yet,” Berry said last week. “Why would he start now?”

Ball-security lesson

Not surprisingly, offensive coaches started Monday’s practice with a stern lecture on ball security. Saturday, the first-team unit lost a fumble, threw an interception and had another pick wiped off thanks to a sack whistle with quarterback Jonathan Crompton wearing a no-contact green jersey.

“There’s some things we have to work on these next few weeks before UCLA,” senior receiver Josh Briscoe said. “When we get inside the 20, we have to put the ball in the end zone. It’s different things, but basically it’s not taking care of the ball.

“We’ve just got to take better care of the ball and have better ball security. We’re going to keep working for that.”

Junior offensive guard Vladimir Richard said the offense “shouldn’t be disappointed” with the scrimmage, but he added that six first-team possessions with no touchdowns was unacceptable.

“We did some very good things,” Richard said. “We had the ball deep in our territory and moved it all the way downfield. The turnovers, the handling of the ball is just what we need to work on. Ball security is important.

“That fumble and that interception, that could have been touchdowns. We’ve got to take care of the ball.”

Asked Saturday if he felt Crompton was more comfortable in the offense, Fulmer said he thought the junior was “a little too comfortable, actually. I think he understands what he’s doing, but that green shirt can ruin you. I want the ball out quicker sometimes.”