KNOXVILLE - University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley admits to being a sucker for optimism when even the slightest bit of opportunity presents itself.
Many say the Volunteers' defense is small by Southeastern Conference standards, and Dooley doesn't dispute that.
But smaller can also be quicker and more versatile, Dooley added.
"We have to (take that approach)," Dooley said after Wednesday's practice at Haslam Field. "We'll probably have to do a little more schematically. We'll probably have to roll more guys. You've just got to figure out how to make it work.
"It's like anything else. You've got a hand you've got to play. You can't fold."
UT defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox agrees with his boss, just like he agreed with his former bosses at Boise State - where the Broncos annually finished among the nation's top statistical defenses despite a noticeable lack of four- and five-star size in many areas.
The Volunteers' projected starting lineup in Saturday's season-opener against UT-Martin will feature just one defensive lineman who weighs more than 265 pounds. Senior Gerald Williams, a 248-pound converted end, will probably start at tackle. One of his backups will be 253-pound Steven Fowlkes, a former wide receiver.
UT's projected starting linebackers recently weighed in at 228, 224 and 217 pounds. None of their top six defensive backs weighs more than 187 pounds.
But Wilcox, like Dooley, never plans to fold. The 33-year-old gambled schematically at Boise, and his current situation might call for the same plan.
"We're as heavy as we are," he said. "It's not like we're going to go out and eat a big dinner, and all of a sudden everybody is going to weigh 300 pounds. We're going to use those guys and try to use their strengths in our system to give us the best opportunity to win. That's really what football is.
"We're trying to get our best eleven on the field without sacrificing what we're doing scheme-wise. ... We don't want to be pigeonholed. Obviously you'd like both of your D-tackles to weigh 300 pounds and be able to run and move and all that, but right now we really don't have that."
The key, Wilcox said, is installing a scheme that confuses offensive players without confusing the defenders running it.
"There's a fine line," he said. "You don't want to be guessing (while) playing defense all the time. We've got to teach the guys to play fundamentally, and we've got to teach them to use their techniques and then give them advantage by moving them, stunting them and things. If they're not 300 pounds, you can't always hold up in those double teams and those types of things.
"I think we're going to use it to our advantage as best we can to our ability but not get too far-flung with the games."
Players like Williams and preseason All-SEC senior defensive end Chris Walker - who played linebacker in high school and could return to that position in the NFL - give the Vols options. Specifics are tough to uncover in an era of media-free practices, but linebackers have worked on defensive end stances and ends have worked on lining up like linebackers.
"I'm not going to say much, but you never know where Chris Walker's going to line up in this defense," Fowlkes said.
Williams said Wilcox and defensive line coach Chuck Smith have urged the Vols to ignore stereotypes that smaller players must be finesse players.
"We are an attacking defense," Williams said. "Coach Wilcox comes from a great program in Boise State. You have to play great defense to be [undefeated]. Coach Wilcox is a great defensive coordinator, and I'm looking forward to taking calls from him.
"He is all about having key matchups and catching the offense off guard and them not getting very comfortable with scheming and scouting on us."
The Vols sure seem excited about playing in Wilcox's scheme, but the coordinator seems uncomfortable with his reputation as an innovator.
"I hope they're excited about it," Wilcox said. "I think they're just excited to play, whether they're playing four-down or three-down or two-down or one-down. We're going to do some different things with some of them schematically, but nobody's inventing anything these days. We're just taking the best stuff that we see out there and reinventing it and making it our own as best we can.
"Hopefully they're just excited to get out there and compete, because that's what we need."
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