KNOXVILLE – Jacques Smith has no problem heaping high expectations on himself.
“A sack on every down would satisfy me,” Tennessee’s sophomore defensive end said after Tuesday’s practice.
The Ooltewah native might be trying too hard to make a big play every play, though. Smith has just eight tackles and one tackle for loss in his last four games following a zero-tackle performance against Alabama last week. Expected to be a active disruptor in the Volunteers’ pass rush, the 6-foot-2, 255-pounder has just half a sack this season.
“Every pass is not going to be a sack, every run’s not going to be a tackle for a loss,” defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said Wednesday. “You’ve got to do your job within the defense, and then we give him freedom to make a play. We don’t want anybody to be a robot, but there is certain places you need to be on pass downs, on run downs. He’s just got to stay with it.”
Like most of the rest of UT’s defense, Smith is in his first year as a starter, and he’s acknowledged that he’s having to learn as he goes a little bit. Smith said he’s more frustrated that the Vols are losing than in his own individual performance.