Wiedmer: Vols still too young to beat top teams

photo Tennessee head coach Butch Jones walks off the field after the Vols' 29-21 loss to the Missouri Tigers on Nov. 22, 2014, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE - The announcement was made in the press box late in the third quarter, just after Tennessee sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs had fumbled away the football to No. 19 Missouri.

"Tennessee started seven true freshmen tonight," it began. "The most in school history."

It was perfectly timed, that news note. With the Tigers owning a narrow three-point lead at that moment, it seemed to state that whatever happened the rest of this game and beyond, these callow Volunteers were more than holding their own, especially given such extraordinary circumstances.

So be patient, the statement seemed to proclaim.

Be kind.

Be understanding.

Sooner or later, these kids will grow into adulthood, hopefully by next season, and victories in the Southeastern Conference again will belong to those in pale orange.

There was no victory against the tenacious Tigers, of course. Starting eight seniors and nine juniors, Mizzou wore down the Baby Vols, eventually prevailing 29-21 and moving within one victory of a second straight SEC East crown.

"Too many mistakes," said Tennessee coach Buth Jones, pointing to a lost fumble and an interception. "But we'll continue to regroup. There's a lot to play for this week."

To underscore how much Mizzou's experience and maturity may have helped capitalize on those mistakes, the game turned for good when a catchable ball bounced off freshman wideout Josh Malone's usually sure hands for an interception. From there, that 16-13 Missouri advantage became a 29-13 cushion before the band could finish one round of "Rocky Top."

That the Vols again never quit, that they scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the final two minutes to pull within the final score, then briefly appeared to recover an onside kick before the officials ruled the ball hadn't traveled 10 yards, well, all of that is something to build on for the next game and, quite possibly, a bowl and beyond.

Or as Jones said, "We scratched and clawed for that onside kick twice. This is a resilient group. I love these kids."

But the words first voiced in that press box _ seven ... true ... freshman ... starters -- also are worthy of daily memory for the Big Orange Nation. Not unlike breathing. Especially with senior linebacker A.J. Johnson suspended from all team gatherings because of an alleged rape of a Tennessee coed after last week's win over Kentucky.

Jones has remained mostly mum on the charges, except to reply, as when asked late Saturday night "that I'll tell them the same thing we always tell them: Be smart; make good choices."

Instead, Johnson may have made such a bad choice that, to borrow from a favorite Jones topic, the power of one mistake may cost him far more than missing a chance to run through the "T" on senior day.

But the short-term pain of starting seven freshmen for the long-term gain of a better-built program is one of those inconvenient truths that former Vice President and Tennessee senator Al Gore Jr. is fond of talking about regarding the environment.

This isn't Kentucky basketball. There's no Won-and-Done when it comes to SEC football players. They're almost never ready as freshmen, particularly if you're forced to play seven of them. College football hurts. Especially when you were the biggest, fastest, strongest, quickest guy on the high school field this time last year and now you're attempting to hold your own against somebody who'll be playing on Sundays next season in the NFL.

So regardless of whether the Vols can vanquish Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday to capture a sixth win for the first time since 2010 and become bowl-eligible, it was clear against the Tigers that Tennessee is still striving to be a good team rather than a great one, that experience still matters.

"I've got to do a better job of keeping my eyes up and finding my open receivers," Dobbs said. "We've just got to win six and go to a bowl game."

This game was always going to be a bit different for Dobbs than his two previous starts this season against South Carolina and Kentucky. Missouri has elected to include defense in its game plans this season, ranking fourth in scoring defense within the SEC.

As for the Lamecocks and Mildcats, South Carolina entered the weekend ranked next-to-last in the SEC in total defense and last in scoring defense. UK stood 10th in total defense and 12th in scoring defense.

So Dobbs was clearly in for a more stressful evening at the office, one filled with blitzes and sacks and the kind of blanket coverage usually limited to big-name insurance companies.

And after sort of, kind of holding his own for much of the chilly night, he finally coughed it up with a little more than three minutes to play in the third period, a fumble caused as much by continual harassment as a single hit.

And that fumble seemed to change everything going forward. At least until the Tigers led 29-13. And UT briefly rallied. And the dreams of what all these freshmen and sophomores can be as sophomores and juniors once more resurfaced.

Seven ... true ... freshman ... starters.

Said one of those freshmen, running back Jalen Hurd, at game's end: "If we get the ball (on the onside kick), we have a chance to win the game."

That's why Jones loves his kids. When you think about that, it's also something of a miracle that this team can still go bowling while playing in the toughest conference in the land.

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com

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