Tennessee running back Marlin Lane (15) hits a wall of Auburn defenders during their game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013.KNOXVILLE – If any team in college football needs an extra week to regroup and a Saturday off, it’s probably Tennessee.
After all, the Volunteers have played four teams ranked in the top 11 with a combined record of 34-4 the past four weeks.
Since rallying to beat South Carolina, Tennessee’s been hammered by Alabama, Missouri and Auburn the past three games, but the Vols now have their second open date to regroup and try to get back on track before facing Vanderbilt and Kentucky in need of two wins to reach bowl eligibility.
“You know, the numbers in front of the team doesn’t really matter,” linebacker Dontavis Sapp said Saturday following the 55-23 loss to Auburn. “We all strap our helmets on and pants on the same. We’ve got to come out here and play and execute. It’s about who wants it more at the end of the day.
“It’s been a tough stretch these last couple games, but we’ve got a bye week, and we’ve got to come back and regroup and get better as a team, as a defense, special teams and offense.”