Line problems continue in UT Vols' loss

photo Just after the handoff from Justin Worley, left, Tennessee's Martin Lane (15) turns upfield while Florida's Jonathan Bullard (90) slows his pace.

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee took another arrow to its Achilles' heel on Saturday.

The Volunteers were far from sharp anywhere on offense in the crippling 10-9 loss to Florida at Neyland Stadium, but six more sacks and nonexistant running game leave Tennessee's inexperienced offensive line in the crosshairs.

"We've just got to keep getting better," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. "We are who we are. We have who we have. I love 'em. They're very prideful. I'm not going to make any excuses. We didn't get it done. Case closed. We've got to get in the weight room. We've got to become stronger. They're fighting; they're scratching; they're clawing."

It's not been enough.

Florida entered the game with just six sacks in three games this season, but the Gators got six against the Vols, with Bryan Cox's three leading the way.

Tennessee ran for just 28 yards, including lost yardage on sacks, but freshman Jalen Hurd, after running for 119 yards at Georgia, was the Vols' leading rusher with 39 yards on 10 carries and Marlin Lane added only 22 on his 10 attempts.

"We knew that this whole year was up front," Jones said. "The kids, when you really think about, and I don't like to talk about it because I'll never make excuses. I think you guys know me. But these are 17-year-old kids that were playing high school football last year on the right side of the offensive line, and they're doing a good job.

"Name me another school that's starting two true freshmen at right guard and right tackle and playing against the best competition in the country. It is what it is, and they're going to be fine. It's great learning experiences. This football team is learning every day, but I stand behind them. I believe in them."

The six sacks bump Tennessee's total for the season to 18, which is three more than the Vols allowed all of last season with an offensive line that put four players on NFL rosters.

"We've got to do a better job up front at times, but those guys fought hard," Vols quarterback Justin Worley said. "They did a great job at other times. We've just got to develop some consistency, I think."

Automatic Aaron

Freshman kicker Aaron Medley accounted for all of Tennessee's points Saturday, and it's clear the rookie has come a long way from an ugly miss of his first career field-goal try in the opener against Utah State.

He's now 8-of-10 for the season and has made a field goal in every game this season.

"First game, I was so pumped up and didn't really know what to think," he said. "The game was moving so fast, and now everything's just slowing down. I'm really noticing the small details.

"My confidence is just getting boosted more and more each game."

Medley said he would have felt good from 50 yards out if Tennessee had gotten in position to try a game-winner.

Hurting Hurd

A shoulder injury had Hurd bouncing in and out of the lineup on Saturday, and the freshman finished with 42 total yards on 14 touches after racking up 27 touches a week ago.

"He nicked up his shoulder a little bit," Jones said, "so that kind of hurt us in the second half as well."

Lane got twice as many carries as he got at Georgia, and Devrin Young had a 7-yard run.

Status updates

After missing the past two games with a sprained ankle, receiver Von Pearson played sparingly on Saturday and had a 5-yard catch in the second quarter.

Cornerback Michael Williams was hurt after making a low tackle on Matt Jones, Florida's 6-foot-2, 226-pound tailback, and freshman Emmanuel Moseley finished the game in his place.

Defensive tackle Jordan Williams was shaken up after a couple of plays and kept playing through an apparent ankle injury.

Freshman tight end Daniel Helm also played through pain after going down following a couple of plays.

Recruiting roundup

In addition to some 400 former players, who wore personalized orange t-shirts bearing their name and number on the back and followed the team through the band-formed 'T,' the Vols hosted a hoard of recruits.

Headlining those visitors were six official visitors: four-star linebacker Ricky DeBerry (Mechanicsville, Va.), four-star offensive tackle Matthew Burrell (Woodbridge, Va.), four-star cornerback Micah Abernathy (Norcross, Ga.), four-star Florida State tailback commit Johnny Frasier (Princeton, N.C.), four-star Virginia Tech cornerback commitment Mook Reynolds (Greensboro, N.C.) and three-star Georgia offensive lineman commitment Patrick Allen (Reisterstown, Md.).

Headlining the unofficial visitors was undecided four-star defensive end D'Andre Walker (Fairburn, Ga.) and many of Tennessee's current commitments, most notably five-star defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie and quarterback Quinten Dormady, who made the trip from California and Texas, respectively.

Tennessee tidbits

Tennessee shut out Florida in a first half for the first time since 1955, when the Vols won 20-0 in Gainesville. ... The scoreless first quarter between the two teams was the first since a rain-soaked Florida win in Knoxville in 2002. ... Tennessee's captains for the game were Worley and linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt. ... Tailback Hurd made the first start of his career, as the Vols started five freshmen on offense for the first time since the 2010 Music City Bowl. ... Tennessee lost the opening coin toss for the 11th consecutive game.

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