Big plays continue as big 'issue' for Vols' defense

Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk (3) breaks away from Tennessee defensive back Evan Berry (29) to score a touchdown after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk (3) breaks away from Tennessee defensive back Evan Berry (29) to score a touchdown after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
photo Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight (8) rushes for a touchdown as Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett (9) defends during overtime in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M won 45-38 in overtime. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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KNOXVILLE - Big plays continue to be the biggest problem for Tennessee's shorthanded defense.

In no game was it the undoing for the Volunteers more than it was last Saturday at Texas A&M.

The Aggies had nine rushes of 10-plus yards and completed six passes for 20 or more yards, and those fifteen plays accounted for 419 of their 592 yards.

On the other 69 snaps, Tennessee held them to 173 yards and 2.5 per play.

"There's definitely talk about it," defensive end LaTroy Lewis said Monday. "It's an issue that we understand and it's up front and foremost something we plan on correcting. We are working day by day to get better."

Tennessee coach Butch Jones pointed to missed tackles in the second level, misfits and the inability to get off blocks as the reasons why the Vols let the Aggies rip off numerous long runs, and Texas A&M also continued to pick on Tennessee's cornerbacks by taking downfield shots and completing passes over their heads.

The corners need to play with better technique and locate the ball in the air to make a play on it, according to Jones, and the safeties need to provide more help over the top.

"You can recover from giving up a 15-yard run," he said. "You can recover defensively (from) a 12-yard run. The things you can't recover is when the ball gets thrown over your head. Some of it is technique. We'll continue to work on that. Some of it is winning at the line of scrimmage.

"I see it every day in practice: Those individuals are very, very competitive and they work very hard, so I trust that we're going to improve in that area. Those are things sometimes that you can't recover (from), and those are momentum-changers."

The replacements

When starting offensive linemen Dylan Wiesman and Jashon Robertson were injured in Saturday's loss, Tennessee called on Coleman Thomas at center and Venzell Boulware at left guard to step into the game.

Thomas played much better than he did at the start of the season when he was hampered by two bad ankles in need of time to heal, while Boulware, a redshirt freshman, held his own in the most significant action of his career.

"They stepped up," tight end Ethan Wolf said. "We needed them to play big roles and they did. We didn't miss a beat as far as with those new guys in. We expected that from them, and they came out and performed."

Thomas and Boulware could remain in those roles if neither Wiesman nor Robertson can play against Alabama.

"We always talk about the next man in, and that kind of seems to be the mantra for this football team," Jones said. "When you think about all the injuries this football team has faced and is facing, they continue to show resolve and character. We thought Coleman did some good things. Venzell did some very good things against a very good defensive front."

Barnett Island

With a fifth sack in three games and multiple quarterback hurries, Derek Barnett turned in a typical performance at Texas A&M, though it also included a unique play in which he defended Aggies wide receiver Josh Reynolds better than some of Tennessee's cornerbacks did.

In the second quarter the Vols called a defense in which Barnett dropped into coverage, and Trevor Knight's underthrown pass intended for Reynolds hit Barnett, who stayed step-for-step with the wideout, in the back and fell incomplete.

"Derek thinks he's Darrelle Revis now," Lewis joked. "He's got Barnett Island. He's a ballplayer. That's what big-time ballplayers do. It's also a testament to our nickel, safeties and corners to be able to adjust with him on the fly. He did a good job. We got a look that was problematic, and he problem-solved it in seconds. That's what good football players do."

Status updates

Responding to a Saturday report, Jones said linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin "is still looking at some different options" regarding his shoulder injury and dispelled the notion he'd elected to have season-ending surgery. "He has all the time he possibly needs to make that decision," the coach continued. "I think he's earned that right."

Jones suggested the Vols could play Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Colton Jumper together at linebacker when the former returns from his ankle injury. Tennessee's leading tackle the past three games, Jumper "continues to play exceptionally well for us," Jones said. He could play outside linebacker, too, once Kirkland returns to the middle.

Defensive tackles Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie, Jones said, "played their best football of the year" against Texas A&M.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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