KNOXVILLE — As Tennessee’s offensive line was struggling mightily midway through last season, the Volunteers had a recent example to which they could look for a sign of hope.
With the 2014 season in which Tennessee allowed 43 sacks now in the past, the returning linemen still have their predecessors in mind as they work toward the start of spring practice later this month and build for the 2015 season.
When Tennessee faced a similar restart for the 2010 season — the Vols entered that season with just three returning starts on its offensive line and started a trio of true freshmen most of the year — it allowed 41 sacks in 13 games, the fifth-worst total in the country.
The next season, though, the Vols allowed just 18 with a group that included four future NFL players.
“We’re hoping for that,” rising senior tackle Kyler Kerbyson said Wednesday night before Tennessee’s “VFL (Vol for Life) Career Development Night.”