Vols make Alvin Kamara a key part of passing game

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/3/15. UT's Alvin Kamara (6) leaps over Arkansas defenders to run the ball into the end zone before realizing a flag had been thrown during the second quarter of play on October 3, 2015. The Volunteers played the Razorbacks at home in Neyland Stadium late Saturday evening.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/3/15. UT's Alvin Kamara (6) leaps over Arkansas defenders to run the ball into the end zone before realizing a flag had been thrown during the second quarter of play on October 3, 2015. The Volunteers played the Razorbacks at home in Neyland Stadium late Saturday evening.
photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/3/15. UT's Alvin Kamara reaches for a pass while playing Arkansas during the first quarter of play on October 3, 2015. The Volunteers played the Razorbacks at home in Neyland Stadium late Saturday evening.

TENNESSEE TARGETS

Here's how the targets in Tennessee's passing game have been distributed in the past four games, with the season target totals in parentheses: Alvin Kamara: 23 (29) Josh Malone: 17 (32) Von Pearson: 14 (20) Ethan Wolf: 13 (22) Jalen Hurd: 13 (15) Josh Smith: 11 (19) Jauan Jennings: 10 (17) Preston Williams: 10 (15) Alex Ellis: 7 (11) Marquez North: 3 (13) Johnathon Johnson: 1 (5)

KNOXVILLE -- You may be surprised to know who leads Tennessee's offense in targets the past month of the season.

It's running back Alvin Kamara the Volunteers have made a primary focus of its passing game, as the junior college transfer's 23 targets during the past four games are six more than the second-most targeted player, which is wide receiver Josh Malone (17 targets).

Kamara has accumulated 16 receptions for 148 yards -- both are team highs -- and two touchdowns in that span, which covers Tennessee's games against SEC foes Florida, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.

"That's one thing I take of lot of pride in and that I do very well," Kamara said Wednesday, "and I've been able to show some of that throughout the past few weeks.

"It pretty much has always been a part of my game. But I've been working to develop that more and more and I've seen it get better. I've been able to have some opportunities to catch more balls."

Malone leads Tennessee this season with 32 targets, and Kamara is second with 29. Both players lead the Vols with 19 catches. Tight end Ethan Wolf leads the Vols in receiving yards (218).

Injuries and the dismissal of Pig Howard have sapped Tennessee of depth at wide receiver.

Jason Croom and Vincent Perry have been out all season. Marquez North missed two games. Johnathon Johnson barely played in three games. Preston Williams currently is nursing a hamstring injury that kept him out of the loss at Alabama.

That's been part of the reason Kamara, Hurd and Wolf have 49 targets between them the past four games.

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 10/3/15. UT's Alvin Kamara (6) leaps over Arkansas defenders to run the ball into the end zone before realizing a flag had been thrown during the second quarter of play on October 3, 2015. The Volunteers played the Razorbacks at home in Neyland Stadium late Saturday evening.

"We really want to do that with both our backs," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said Tuesday after Tennessee continued preparation for Saturday night's game at Kentucky.

"That was one thing coming into the season, we wanted to get our backs more involved in our (passing) game. Both he and Jalen (Hurd) have been able to do that, so we've been able to get those guys the football that way."

After Malone, Von Pearson (14), Josh Smith (11) and Jauan Jennings and Williams (10 each) have received the most targets among Tennessee's wideouts.

Kamara turned three swing passes into gains of 20, 8 and 18 yards at Alabama, and he's been more effective as a receiver than a runner this season.

In the last four games, Kamara has 81 yards on 24 carries for a 3.3 per-carry average.

"Alvin's a playmaker," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "Obviously we want to get the ball in his hands, and when we get the ball in his hands we've seen what he can do: Make plays in space. We've really been able to utilize his capabilities in the pass game."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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