UT Vols know stakes of final three games

photo Tennessee defenders A.J. Johnson (45) Owen Williams (58) and Jalen Reeves-Maybin jump onto Utah State running back Joe Hill during their game on Aug. 31, 2014, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
photo Head coach Butch Jones encourages his Vols before the game in this Oct. 25, 2014, photo.

KNOXVILLE -- The path looks pretty manageable.

That hardly means it'll be easy.

For the Volunteers to reach the program's first bowl game in four seasons, they essentially have to do something they've done plenty more times than they haven't -- namely, beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Of course, Tennessee has lost to one of its longtime punching bags in each of its last three postseason-less seasons.

The Vols, though, see no reason they can't win their final three games and surge into a bowl game at 7-5.

"We're trying to win every game," linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said Monday. "We're trying to finish the season 3-0, and get to a bowl game and go 4-0. We're trying to focus on this week right now and focus one week at a time, and I think we'll be able to handle it."

If Tennessee is able to handle Kentucky, which is on a four-game losing streak after Saturday's 63-31 pasting at home against Georgia, in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, it means the Vols can go into their final two games -- a visit from SEC East title-chasing Missouri and lowly Vanderbilt -- with some breathing space in bowl eligibility.

"We have to get this win, number five, so we can get to win number six," linebacker A.J. Johnson said. "Getting to the bowl game is my last thought, because I know we're going to get there. We're going to do whatever it takes.

"We're going to make whatever happens to get to a bowl game this year, so it's going to be a great feeling to get there."

It's a feeling the Vols haven't had since 2010, which was Derek Dooley's first season as head coach.

Tennessee was a win away from bowl eligibility in 2011, when it lost in Lexington to Kentucky, led by receiver Matt Roark playing quarterback. Under coach James Franklin, now at Penn State, Vanderbilt handed the Vols their seventh loss each of the past two seasons. The Commodores notched a last-minute win in Knoxville last season but are 3-7 in 2014.

Butch Jones, Tennessee's second-year head coach, believes his team's second open date was well-timed, as it allowed the players to get a brief respite both mentally and physically from the grind of a long season, his coaches to work on developing some younger players and everyone to get a head start on the Wildcats.

The Vols got the week started with a practice Sunday afternoon.

"I did sense a little bounce in their step," Jones said. "They understand what's at stake. They're looking forward to playing at home, but you put yourself in position to play meaningful games in November, and there's a lot that this team is playing for. I've liked our approach, but I've liked our approach all year."

The Vols appeared headed toward more potential November disappointment until improbably rallying to beat South Carolina in overtime to ride into the open date riding a wave of momentum.

It was Tennessee's largest fourth-quarter comeback since Erik Ainge led the Vols from 24-9 down to a 25-24 win against Vanderbilt in 2007, and the Vols never trailed by 14 points so late in a game they ended up winning.

Knowing they were heading into an open date, the Vols dubbed the trip to Columbia their "empty-the-bucket" or "whatever-it-takes" game, and the extra week allowed players to come back down after the emotional high of winning it in such a dramatic and unlikely fashion.

"The more you win, the more that's at stake," Jones said. "What do you do? Does that drive you more? Are you satisfied with it? Last year, I believe we got satisfied at times, and there was nothing to be satisfied for.

"Now we've put ourselves in position for a postseason opportunity. Go take advantage of it."

After a 5-1 start against a soft schedule, Kentucky is reeling ahead of its eighth game in as many weeks. The Wildcats have allowed 423, 542, 320 and 559 yards during their losing streak and averaged 308 yards in its three SEC road games against Florida, LSU and Missouri. That's more than 100 yards less than their total-offense average in four home games.

"They're fighting for a bowl game," Johnson noted, "just (like) us."

Jones said his players understand what's at stake for the Vols in the season's final three games, and he doesn't want to "create stress" on them in reminding them about it.

"We just know it's there," Reeves-Maybin said. "We're just trying to focus on the process, one week at a time. We don't want to overlook anybody, so we've got to focus on getting this one. We've got to get to five before we get to six."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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