Tennessee Vols prepared for Missouri defensive line

Left tackle Kyler Kerbyson (77) believes Tennessee's offensive line is ready for the test of Missouri's defensive line. The Volunteers face the Tigers on Saturday night in Columbia.
Left tackle Kyler Kerbyson (77) believes Tennessee's offensive line is ready for the test of Missouri's defensive line. The Volunteers face the Tigers on Saturday night in Columbia.

KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's offensive line thought it was making some tangible improvement toward the end of last season after a rough stretch.

Then the Volunteers were overwhelmed by Markus Golden, Shane Ray and the rest of Missouri's defensive line.

Though Golden and Ray are now in the NFL, the Tigers again boast one of the most disruptive defensive lines in the Southeastern Conference - but the Vols believe they're much better prepared for the challenge, and they are eager to prove it Saturday night at Missouri.

"This year we're definitely a better offensive line than we were in years past," left tackle Kyler Kerbyson said Wednesday. "We're more in sync. We know what we're doing. We're not so inexperienced as we were last year. I feel like it'll be different in that way. It won't be their front four running around and running all over us. I'm hoping that our experience and our know-how will really help us."

The biggest difference in the past two meetings between the Vols and Tigers has been at the line of scrimmage, where Missouri's defensive front has controlled Tennessee.

Last season in Knoxville, the Vols ran for just 53 yards. The Tigers had six sacks - five from defensive linemen and two from Golden - and 12 tackles for loss. Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd had 40 yards on 11 carries, and quarterback Josh Dobbs had 13 on 17.

Vols glance

› Tennessee (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at Missouri (5- 5, 1-5) › Saturday, 7:15 p.m. › ESPN2 and 106.5 FM

In 2013, Tennessee had 94 rushing yards and allowed two sacks.

A different cast is doing it this season for Missouri.

Walter Brady and Charles Harris have followed in the footsteps of NFL first-round pick Ray, second-round picks Golden and Kony Ealy and 2013 SEC defensive player of the year Michael Sam. Brady and Harris are tied for fourth in the SEC with seven sacks each.

"Every year some leave and others step up in their place," Kerbyson said, "which is a testament to their depth and all the talent that they have."

Brady and Harris were both two-star prospects. Missouri offered Harris a scholarship the week of signing day, and Brady flipped to the Tigers from Middle Tennessee State. Starting defensive tackle Josh Augusta was a three-star recruit who picked Missouri over Illinois, and every other defensive linemen on the Tigers' two-deep chart was a two- or three-star prospect.

Freshman Terry Beckner Jr. - the nation's No. 5 defensive tackle prospect in 2015, who won't play against the Vols after getting hurt against BYU - is the exception to the trend Missouri has developed under defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski.

Tennessee has a pretty good defensive line coach in Steve Stripling, but the veteran assistant acknowledged he has taken notice of Missouri's ability to turn under-the-radar recruits into SEC impact players.

"As a whole program, we've actually studied every kid they've recruited and how many stars he had and his body weight coming out of high school," Stripling said. "Obviously they're doing a really good job of producing D-linemen. There's something there. We're turning over any stone we can to find the best D-linemen."

The Vols boast the SEC's No. 2 rushing attack going into the game, and they've been able to do that even with injuries forcing a constant rotation of offensive linemen the past few weeks. Marcus Jackson was lost for the season in August. Jashon Robertson barely has played since the Arkansas game. Freshman Chance Hall has taken over at right tackle with Brett Kendrick unable to play.

Nevertheless, the Vols are averaging 210.3 rushing yards per game.

"Coach (Don) Mahoney's done a great job with them, and those kids have done a great job," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "Our backs are really hard runners, and that creates a problem, as well as when Josh runs the ball. Those players work hard at their technique, and Don does a great job of, in individual drills, of working the techniques, and our guys just continue to get better at that."

Missouri's defensive line is comparable to those at Alabama and Florida this season. Tennessee ran for 132 yards and gave up five sacks against the Crimson Tide and ran for 254 yards and allowed three sacks to the Gators.

Tennessee's offensive line will get a similar progress test against Missouri.

"Almost every game is like that," Kerbyson said. "It's definitely measuring up to what you were before. Each and every day, you don't stay the same. You either get better or worse. That's how we look at it. That's how we looked at it when we played Oklahoma, when we played Florida, when we played Georgia.

"Are we better than we were before? Have we put in the hours to get better? And has it worked? Each and every game is like that."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events