UT has RB Hardesty to get MRI

[DKW 86 7,430]

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cf...p;news_id=51579

Scrimmage setback doesn’t deter Ainge

By John Brice, The Maryville Daily Times

August 16, 2006

KNOXVILLE — Erik Ainge remembers clearly Tennessee’s offensive work in the days leading to the 2004 season-opener against UNLV.

It wasn’t pretty, particularly the Vols’ first scrimmage that year. That’s why Ainge isn’t mashing any panic buttons in light of last Saturday’s first major scrimmage.

The Vols will host two more scrimmages before opening their season Sept. 2 at home against California.

“Guys on the team understand one scrimmage, especially the first scrimmage, isn’t going to tell you how your football season is going to go,” said Ainge, who tossed two interceptions and zero touchdowns in Saturday’s outing. “If you’d have watched our first scrimmage in 2004, you’d have thought we’d have gone 0-12. Brent Schaeffer and I couldn’t get a snap. We ran two offensive plays. We couldn’t do anything.

“If you judged the 2004 season on the first scrimmage, you would have thought we weren’t going to be very good then either.”

Back then, neither Ainge nor Schaeffer, who’s now taking snaps at Ole Miss, had any collegiate experience. They were battling sixth-year senior C.J. Leak for the right to start, and Schaeffer won out before Ainge took over against Florida.

Now, it’s Ainge’s offense, and Phillip Fulmer expects more of everything — except interceptions. Ainge threw seven a year ago against just five touchdowns while completing 45.5 percent of his passes.

In the scrimmage, Ainge completed 13 of 26 tosses for 120 yards. Backup Jonathan Crompton, a redshirt freshman, hit on 7 of 13 passes for 87 yards and two scores.

“It’s Erik [who is the starter],” Fulmer said. “I don’t want to create something that’s going on right now because there’s a lot both of them still need to know, but obviously Erik’s a further along from a mental standpoint.

“We need consistent production even if it’s, ‘Hey, let’s throw the football away or scramble and make five yards.’ Knowing how to take care of the ball is the No. 1 factor for us right now.”

Ainge says he’s far more at ease running the offense than a year ago this time but recognizes the need for more consistency.

“I was very comfortable. I’ve still got a ways to go. We’ve still got a ways to go,” Ainge said. “But in terms of [being] comfortable and what’s going on, I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last year.”

HARDESTY OUT: Sophomore tailback Montario Hardesty, who sat out Saturday’s scrimmage and has missed subsequent practices, will have an MRI on his right knee, according to Fulmer.

“We’ll look at the knee closely. We’ll let the doctors make a decision,” Fulmer said. “But we don’t think there’s anything structurally wrong at all. We’re just going to double-check and make sure because he’s had some unusual swelling.”

RECEIVING ROTATION: Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor says Slick Shelley is battling David Lipscomb product Austin Rogers and Josh Briscoe to be the Vols’ fifth wideout.

“If you look at the tempo they blocked with, they really got after people,” Taylor said. “That’s what’s helped Austin right now nudging ahead of Briscoe. It’s just his intensity and the way he gets after blocking. And he made a few plays. Briscoe’s got to understand if he outblocks him and they catch about the same, then obviously I’m going to take the one that’s more physical. I want them to make plays all the time. I think you have to go out there and expect them to catch every ball.”