KNOXVILLE - Aside from spurts and stretches in the first three games, Tennessee's offense has yet to live up to the lofty expectations placed on it heading into this season.
The Volunteers would love nothing more than to get back on track in their Saturday showdown against Florida.
To find success against one of the Southeastern Conference's top defenses, though, Tennessee will need more creativity and better execution than shown in three subpar performances to open the season.
"We'll add little wrinkles this week as well, so the playbook continues to go," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said Wednesday. "We continue to talk as coaches, we've got to execute better. It doesn't matter what you call up or what you have in the game plan, it's what you can execute. That's the thing we've got to continue to work at, is get better at execution."
The execution for the Vols was there in only bits and pieces against Appalachian State, Virginia Tech and Ohio, and the inconsistency has been maddening for an unit with so many returning players.
Against Virginia Tech Tennessee scored nearly as many points in the second quarter (24) as it generated yards in the first (28), and last week against Ohio the Vols countered an easy three-play drive and a 90-yard march with a five-series stretch in which they traveled only 23 yards.
Heading into SEC play the concerns with the offensive line far outweigh the positives of wide receiver Josh Malone's play and continued success when quarterback Josh Dobbs is an effective runner.
"A team goal is continuous growth," Dobbs said earlier this week. "We want to be better every time we step on the field than we were last time. Each and every week you come in, you watch the film and you identify what you did well and identify where you can improve.
"Each and every week you feel like you can play better the next week, and that's your goal and that's why you continue to improve as the weeks go on. This week we expect to play at a higher level than we did last week."
To have any chance against Florida's disruptive defense, the Vols will need much better play from an offensive line whose regression from last season is a head-scratching development of the season's first month. Tennessee has yet to identify its best combination and could adjust its lineup again this week with Chance Hall available to play nearly a month removed from knee surgery.
DeBord said he doesn't believe the offensive line has been a "total bust," but rather the group was plagued by inconsistency and individual breakdowns.
"I think the biggest thing is we've had to move a lot of guys around to different spots and stuff, and that's hard on them," DeBord said. "You're playing center and now you're out there playing tackle. Those are different techniques and different assignments and things like that.
"If we had a healthy group or whatever, then in these first three weeks we would have been locked into not moving guys around as much and giving guys more reps at that one position that they may be at. We try to continue to (find) what are things we can do to help them, whether it's run, pass - whatever it may be. That's what we continue to do."
Whether it's calling for more quick passes, taking downfield shots with backs and tight ends staying in to max-protect or using designed runs for Dobbs to slow the defensive linemen, Tennessee will have to scheme some ways to help its offensive line against the Gators.
With their combination of playmakers and experience, the Vols are better than they've shown on offense so far this season, and they'll need to reach their potential against stingier SEC defenses.
"We always have confidence going into each and every game, but at the end of the day you have to go out and execute," Dobbs said. "Whatever happened last year really has no effect on this year, so we have to come out ready to play. They'll come out ready to play.
"We have to be 11 for 11 throughout the game, where all 11 guys are executing at a consistent level and a high level throughout the game, and if we do that, we'll be successful."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.