Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley (14) throws from the pocket during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, in Athens, Ga.ONLINESee more on Dillon Bates’ season-ending labrum injury and updates on injured receivers Von Pearson and Josh Smith.
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee is relying on a handful of the defensive additions from its touted 2014 recruiting class to provide help primarily on special teams this season.
Coach Butch Jones thought the Volunteers’ special teams took positive steps in Saturday’s loss at Georgia, and he feels those freshman-laden units are improved from his inaugural 2013 season.
“It’s a challenge,” he said Monday. “There’s a lot of technique. It’s the exact same as playing offense and defense. You’ve got to understand schemes, you’ve got to understand techniques and you have to be able to run. We all know we were extremely deficient last year in terms of team speed, and it really showed on special teams, particular in the big games.
“It’s just as hard to perform on special teams, and it may be a little bit harder because you’re talking about a space game.”