Left offensive tackle Kyler Kerbyson is one of 19 seniors that will be honored Saturday when Tennessee plays bitter rival Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
photo by Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee will take Shield-Watkins Field at Neyland Stadium for the final regular-season matchup on Saturday as the Vols host Vanderbilt at 4 p.m. ET in the regular-season finale for both teams.
For 19 Tennessee seniors, it means one last time running through the “T” and a final home game in front of the Vols’ fans.
Just because fans may not see some seniors on the field during Saturday's game, doesn't mean the impact they had on this team will be short-lived. Over the course of their tenure at UT, many have taken on leadership roles to help mentor the next generation of Volunteers.
"I just talked to Kyler (Kerbyson) today, and I told him that I really appreciated what he brought to this group so far this year; his leadership every day at practice, working hard and playing well," offensive coordinator Mike DeBoard said. "When you are a senior, that's the type of year you have to have and he's had that."
Kyler has become a go-to mentor during his redshirt senior season and helped the younger players transition into many positions on the offensive line.
"I think he does a great job of communicating, he gets right with those young guys," DeBord said. "He grabbed Drew Richmond and talked to him about technique. He just pulled him aside. He's been doing that with Drew and other guys like that. He has a great way of communicating. He doesn't get upset with them and he doesn't yell at them. He's got a great demeanor and they know he's a very good football player, so they're going to listen."
The same can be said on the defensive side. Even though Curt Maggitt has been sidelined since the Oklahoma game on September 12, he has been an influential voice for many of the defensive players.
"Curt helps those younger players out. He's a voice for us as coaches," defensive coordinator Johns Jancek said. "He's really mentoring and leading, doing everything he can to try to help us win."
"I think as good as the young guys can be, they still look to the veterans, especially when it comes to work habits and how hard the older guys work," said associate head coach Steve Stripling. "It's just about understanding (that) you have a role on the team. The veterans are important when you look at [Kendal] Vickers, [Danny] O'Brien. O'Brien just grinds it up, all the time and never says a word. He just works hard and I think that leadership is key."
This group of seniors has also helped change the team culture for the Vols.
"When I got here, we were just hoping to win," senior Brian Randolph said this week. "Now, I feel like we expect to win every single game. In the beginning of the year, when we didn't win, it was a big surprise to us. I think our mentality has changed."
Hurd Racks Up 1,000 yards
Sophomore running back Jalen Hurd became Tennessee's 19th running back to run for 1,000 yards in a single season. Hurd ran for a career-high 151 yards on a career-high 34 carries in the Vols' 19-8 win at Missouri last week.
Tennessee running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Robert Gillespie said that he was pleased to see Hurd share credit for the accomplishment with his teammates after the game. He added that Hurd is the type of player who just needs the ball in his hands to make something happen.
"He comes competitive and ready to go," Gillespie said. "You roll the ball out, put him on the bus, show him which way the field is and he goes to play."
Hurd ranks third in the SEC with 1,038 rushing yards on the season and fourth in carries at 234.
Defense Looks Forward to Season Finale
Coming down the final stretch of the regular season, the Vols' defense has been stout. The Orange Swarm has held its last four opponents to just 289 yards of total offense/game and 124.2 rushing yards/game. The defense has also been particularly efficient on third downs, allowing just 12/57 (21 percent) third down conversions for opposing offenses.
Jancek was less concerned about the stats, though. He is more focused on the defense improving week to week.
"We've been getting better each and every single week," Coach Jancek said Tuesday night. "We just keep working hard. We're not saying how many points we want to hold a team to, or yards or anything like that. We're just going out and focusing on every man doing his job, putting together the best game plan that puts them in the best position to make plays, and then those guys going out and making plays."
The Vols have ridden along the improving defense to a four-game winning streak, the longest for Tennessee since 2010. Stripling credits the recent success to the health of the defensive unit.
"People may think I'm crazy, but we're probably healthier now even though we have a few people out. The past two Sundays, the trainers have just waved at me in the hallway. Usually, we've had to sit down and have a lengthy conversation ... I think coach Jones has a great handle on the health of our football team and I think last year and this year are evidence that we're playing faster at the end than we did earlier."
The Vol defense will have one final challenge before the end of the regular season as they take on Vanderbilt. Commodore running back Ralph Webb eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last week, just the fifth Vanderbilt player to ever reach that milestone. His 1,003 rushing yards rank fifth in the SEC.
Jancek embraces this challenge, and looks forward to facing the Commodores this Saturday.
"They're committed to running the ball. That's going to be the challenge for us. With the two-quarterback system, all the ways that they can try to attack you, it's challenging for us as defensive coaches," Jancek said.
"We're going to do what we do, and continue to try and get better."