Receivers coach Zach Azzanni watches the Orange and White game Saturday at Neyland Stadium in this April 20, 2013 file photo.KNOXVILLE – Zach Azzanni has coached plenty of talented wide receivers and seen his fair share of impressive catches over the course of his 15-year coaching career.
Where would Tennessee’s receivers coach put Marquez North’s catch, on which the freshman pinned the ball to his shoulder pads with his left hand as a South Carolina defender reached across his body?
The 39-yard grab put the Volunteers in position to beat the Gamecocks and made weekend lists of top-10 plays.
“It’s right there,” Azzanni said Wednesday evening following the Volunteers’ practice, “especially with where we’re at in the program and everything that catch meant.
“But I’m going to tell you what, there was a lot of plays that led up to that catch to help that out. Justin Worley made an unbelievable throw as he got hit. We got a piece of the defensive end with the back, the line held up and we just did our small part on the outside by making a great catch.”