Venzell Boulware (50) plays on the offensive line. The University of Tennessee Orange/White Spring Football Game was held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on April 16, 2016.KNOXVILLE - It's becoming an annual tradition for Tennessee's offensive line to be forced into debuting a new starting lineup against Alabama.
The Volunteers may have it happen a third straight season today.
With center Dylan Wiesman and left guard Jashon Robertson questionable to play after leaving last week's double-overtime loss at Texas A&M, Tennessee could use a fourth different starting lineup this season after employing the same one for the past three games.
Wiesman, who left the game in College Station after a hard hit on a hustle play in the first quarter left him dazed, is more unlikely to play than Robertson, who left the stadium on crutches after his right ankle was rolled on during the second half.
Coleman Thomas replaced Wiesman and Venzell Boulware, a redshirt freshman who's had limited action this season, finished the game for Robertson, and both could play key roles against the top-ranked Crimson Tide.
"Venzell has had some reps this season," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "Not a lot, but he's had some, and in practice he keeps getting better and better and better. We always talk about the next man up and you've got to be ready, and he did a good job of that.
"Coleman, I thought, probably had one of his better games, and I'm talking last year to this year. I thought that he played with really good leverage. Then I thought he had more power. What I mean by that is he brought his feet, and he continued to finish blocks that way. I thought it was his best game leverage-wise and power and those things. That was good to see."
In last season's loss at Alabama, freshmen Jack Jones and Chance Hall made their first career starts, and two years ago injuries to Thomas and Marcus Jackon against Ole Miss forced Tennessee to move tackle Kyler Kerbyson to guard and start Brett Kendrick and Jacob Gilliam, weeks removed from tearing his ACL, at tackles against the Tide.
Thomas struggled early this season during two starts in which he was slowed by bad ankles, but his health has improved and he was instrumental in helping the Vols run the ball so successfully between the tackles.
Tennessee held off Ohio State to land the 6-foot-3, 306-pound Boulware out of Georgia, and after redshirting last season he's been limited to replacing Robertson briefly against Florida and for crunch time last week.
Beyond the injury concerns for the offensive line, the main storylines this week for Tennessee's offense are how the backfield touches will shake out with Jalen Hurd returning to the lineup a week after Alvin Kamara's 288-yard performance at Texas A&M and whether the Vols can fix their turnover woes after coughing up the ball seven times against the Aggies.
The Vols stress ball security every week, and there's been an increased focus on it this week heading into a clash with Alabama, whose defense has scored seven touchdowns in six games this season.
"What we did is we looked at why they occurred," DeBord said. "John Kelly's fumble wasn't really John Kelly. You're going to say, 'Wait a minute, he had the ball, it was on him.' We didn't have a proper angle on a block. The mesh point wasn't good (on another fumble).
"Those are little things, those are coaching things that we have to get cleaned up as coaches with the players. We went back again and we looked at every single one of them (and) why. Then we continue to emphasize that to them and show them and also drill it in practice. It's a combination. It's got to be a focus.
"It has to be a focus. This is a great league. It's got great players and great coaching, and you've got to take care of the football, because that's what defensive coaches and players are emphasizing."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com