Vols Hoping to Build Off Best Rushing Performance of the Year
(utsports.com) – As game week preparations for No. 11/11 Tennessee’s annual “Third Saturday in October” rivalry game against No. 6/6 Alabama continue, one of the Volunteers’ major points of emphasis this week is trying to build off their best rushing performance of the year in last Saturday’s victory over Arkansas.
The Big Orange powered their way to a season-high 264 yards on the ground while averaging 6.6 yards per carry in their 34-31 victory against the Razorbacks, marking their fourth contest this year with 235 or more rushing yards.
Running backs coach De’Rail Sims credited some of the team’s improvement on the patience and development of UT’s three talented running backs room, consisting of DeSean Bishop, Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis.
“That’s one of those deals that we constantly talk about,” Sims said when asked about the importance of patience and waiting for blocks to develop. “I think they’ve gotten better as the season went along, because early on you can see them kind of rushing some things and outrunning their blocks a little bit.
“Still have to continue to work on that. That’s just as a running back, naturally sometimes you want to outrun your blocks. You have to understand that you have to slow it down at times to allow things to be able to set up, and our job is to bring the linebackers and defensive linemen to the offensive linemen.”
Bishop is coming off a career-best 146 rushing yards on just 14 carries while Lewis found the end zone twice in the second half to help UT build a three-score lead early in the fourth quarter.
“I think he just got in his groove early in that game on Saturday,” Sims said about Bishop’s career day. “You saw him get hot early on in that first drive and the same situation in that second drive.
“I think he got really, really comfortable early on. And then, he did a really good job just being patient and allowing the game to come to him, and you just saw him progress as the game went along that he felt really, really good.”
Lewis showcased his improved strength on both of his touchdown runs, which occurred in short-yardage situations from inside the 5-yard line.
“I think you look at overall, he’s a hard guy to get wrapped up because of his frame and how low he runs,” Sims said. “You saw it on the first touchdown, that lower body strength that he has with him. He goes in there, and he’s flattening the run off, he’s got guys hanging on him and he’s got that second effort. He does a really good job from a second effort standpoint of being able to strain and find a way to get across the goal line.”
