Tennessee: Vols study backup plan

KNOXVILLE — Dave Clawson doesn’t need to know whether Nick Stephens or B.J. Coleman can make bigger plays.

The University of Tennessee’s first-year offensive coordinator just wants to know which of his backup quarterback candidates would make fewer big mistakes.

Gamelike situations soon will become increasingly difficult to duplicate, with the season opener at UCLA looming in less than two weeks. In fact, this afternoon’s scrimmage at Neyland Stadium might be the last chance Coleman and Stephens have to separate themselves for a while.

“It’s more a matter of consistency,” Clawson said. “It’s not, ‘Can they make plays?’ They can both make plays. But can they consistently make plays? Can they consistently manage the offense? Can they get us in the right plays?

“Whenever you’re a second or third quarterback, and you don’t get as many reps, that’s more of a challenge.”

Coleman and Crompton have been comparable commodities to this point, starting with their physical tools. Both are a sturdy 215 pounds, while Stephens is an inch taller at 6-foot-4. Neither is a statue, but Coleman is clearly more mobile. Both have strong arms, but Stephens has the strongest on the team.

Neither has shaken their propensity for occasionally poor decisions, either. Stephens threw an interception near the end of Saturday night’s scrimmage, while Coleman was fortunate that a poorly thrown ball wasn’t intercepted by Eric Berry or Demetrice Morley — the safeties collided while going for it.

“They’re still making mistakes that will get you beat,” Vols coach Phillip Fulmer said of his young quarterbacks. “If they were in the offense and having to play, we would look different. We would manage what we asked them to do, which is normal. You’re talking about a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore.”

UT wouldn’t necessarily tailspin without Crompton, but coaches don’t seem eager to take that chance. Fulmer squashed any question about a quarterback controversy in spring practice, and he and Clawson haven’t even whispered anything to the contrary.

“Every time they get out there, they get a little bit better. But obviously there’s still a gap between those guys and Jonathan,” Clawson said. “That’s why Jonathan’s the starter. We’ve got to get those guys as ready as we can. If Jonathan stays healthy, great. If not, those guys have got to be prepared to go.

“I think, like with any backup quarterbacks, we’d need to limit the package a little bit if they got in there. They haven’t gotten as many reps as Jonathan, and they’re not as experienced.”

No kidding.

Neither has played a college snap. Both have one redshirt year, and Stephens never left the bench in his second season.

Both have a simple strategy when asked about their inexperience — avoid it, and succeed.

“You just have to realize that you’re one play away, and you have to come out here and prepare like you’re the starter,” Stephens said. “In doing that, you’re going to make yourself, the person behind you and the person in front of you better.

“You can’t really think of it in the sense of pushing for the backup job. I’ve been here. I know the system. I’m just pushing to do the best I can, and if I get my shot, I’m going to help the team win.”

Added Coleman: “You just have to believe in yourself, and your great teammates around you. They’re at Tennessee for a reason.”

Simple statistics would suggest that Coleman took a big step toward the job Saturday night. He completed 15-of-24 passes for 170 yards, while Stephens was just 5-of-11 for 48 yards an interception.

Scrimmage stats aren’t always as meaningful as most believe, though. Like Clawson said, coaches know that each is capable of making a highlight-reel play.

Unfortunately, that highlight could come for either team.

“I wish they would have (settled it), but I think it’s been back and forth,” Clawson said. “It’s still a battle. I would love it to clear itself up in the next week, but I’m not certain it’s going to do that.”

Stephens said he and Coleman have both “had our moments” of success, but he added that both “keep making some decisions we shouldn’t have made.”

Coleman admitted the difficulties in pushing hard — but not too hard — to win the job.

“When you’re out there in the huddle, you’ve got 10 other guys who want to win and succeed, and that just pushes you even that much harder and that much more,” he said. “We’ve got three great guys here at quarterback, and then all the team around them that are really looking for them to be great leaders.”