KNOXVILLE – Austin Pope came to the University of Tennessee with hopes of hauling in touchdown passes and putting together a career similar to that of current Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, a former Volunteer.
Things haven’t worked out that way, though, and Pope is fine with that.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt junior tight end has six catches in his time with the Vols (2-5, 1-3 Southeastern Conference), who host South Carolina (3-4, 2-3) at 4 p.m. Saturday in a game that will be televised by the SEC Network. As a senior at Christian Academy of Knoxville, Pope had 55 catches for 622 yards and 10 touchdowns, so it’s easy to understand where his expectations came from.
They just haven’t been the reality.
“It was a lot different,” Pope said. “I thought I was going to come in here and catch a bunch of balls, but obviously that didn’t happen and I just play my role. I just do what I’m supposed to do and do what the coaches ask me.
AP photo by Vasha Hunt / Tennessee tight end Austin Pope (81) battles with Alabama defensive back Trevon Diggs during the first half of last Saturday’s game in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Vols host South Carolina on Saturday.“I just try to do my job.”
Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have asked Pope to do a lot this season, including playing fullback and H-back and doing more blocking than receiving as a tight end. Through seven games he has just three catches, the most recent a season-long 10-yard reception against Georgia on Oct. 5, but his primary responsibility has been that of a “glorified offensive lineman.”
That’s how referred to himself earlier this week, and he wasn’t complaining.
“I enjoy blocking. I enjoy being physical,” Pope said. “It’s a massive part of the game, and if you’re not physical then you’re probably going to get dominated out there. I definitely find joy in making my block and being physical with whoever I go against. I take pride in it.
“It’s just like a one-on-one battle. Like Coach Pruitt talks about, I want to dominate my box. Whether it be me and the outside linebacker or me and the defensive end, I want to dominate him every play for the success of the play.”
Pruitt said coaches have been trying to find ways to get Pope more directly involved in the passing game as a receiver.
“He’s been a guy that I feel like continues to play good football,” Pruitt said. “To me, I think he’s a guy that has some playmaking ability as a pass catcher. Hopefully we’ll have some opportunities to get him some balls there.”
For Tennessee this season, tight end hasn’t been a productive position where receiving is concerned. Pope and senior Dominick Wood-Anderson each has started five games in 2019, but they have a combined 13 catches, part of the Vols’ overall struggles in the passing game.
Tennessee has dealt with quarterback instability throughout this season – both redshirt junior Jarrett Guarantano and true freshman Brian Maurer have started games and redshirt freshman J.T. Shrout has played as well – and its passing offense ranks 11th in the SEC with an average of 194.3 passing yards per game. The Vols are 13th in the league in total offense at 336 yards per game, just 0.6 yard ahead of last-place Vanderbilt.
The Vols didn’t have a ton of success on offense in last Saturday’s 35-13 loss at top-ranked Alabama, especially after Maurer, who started the game, left in the first quarter with what Pruitt has since said was a concussion. However, they did have some opportunities to move the ball.
Tennessee, with just five regular-season games remaining and four wins needed to reach bowl eligibility, wants to show more progress against the Gamecocks.
“We came out Sunday and watched the film,” Pope said. “We talked about it in the team meeting. It is what it is. We can’t go back and change it. Obviously,we’re disappointed about the Alabama game. We were hoping we could’ve won that game, or at least put forth a better effort toward the end. Now we’re just looking forward to the future.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.