KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee keeps losing a hold of the football whenever victory seems within its grasp.
After getting off to a 2-0 start while committing just one turnover in its first two games, Tennessee has coughed up the ball eight times during its three-game skid. In Tennessee’s 10-9 loss to Florida last week, the lone touchdown of the game came after the Gators recovered a fumble at the Volunteers’ 30-yard line.
”We have to be a team that doesn’t beat ourselves,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said in wrapping up the Florida game, ”and I thought at times we made things very, very challenging.”
Tennessee (2-3) heads into Saturday’s game with Chattanooga (3-2) knowing it must protect the football better.
Jones rarely misses an opportunity to note that his team has very little margin for error. The Vols are last in the Southeastern Conference in rushing offense and have allowed a league-high 18 sacks while breaking in a brand-new offensive line. Their offense isn’t explosive enough to withstand turnovers.
Making matters worse, many of the Vols’ recent turnovers have come at particularly inopportune times.
In a 34-10 loss to Oklahoma, the Vols trailed 27-10 early in the fourth quarter and had the ball at the Sooners’ 4-yard line. A touchdown would have cut the lead to 10 with about 11 minutes remaining. Instead, Julian Wilson picked off a Justin Worley pass and returned it 100 yards for a game-clinching Oklahoma touchdown.
Georgia was clinging to a 28-25 lead over Tennessee in the fourth quarter when Jalen Hurd fumbled a handoff from Worley in the end zone. Josh Dawson pounced on the ball for a Georgia touchdown that proved critical in the Bulldogs’ 35-32 victory.
Last week, Tennessee seemed in command with a 9-0 lead over Florida late in the third quarter until Jalen Tabor sacked Worley, knocked the ball loose and recovered the fumble at the Tennessee 30. Five plays later, Florida’s Matt Jones reached the end zone from 2 yards out.
The Vols had a couple of other costly turnovers against Florida.
Tennessee led 3-0 early in the third quarter when a Jalen Reeves-Maybin interception gave the Vols the ball at Florida’s 13. The Vols wasted the scoring opportunity as Worley threw a pass that was picked off by Vernon Hargreaves in the end zone.
”We have first-and-10 in the red zone, and we have to throw the ball away,” Jones said. ”That is part of managing the football game and understanding, `Hey, it is first down, throw the ball away, that is football, let’s go play second-and-10.’ ”
After Florida took the lead, Tennessee converted a fourth-and-10 to reach Gator territory before Keanu Neal intercepted a Worley pass intended for Alton ”Pig” Howard at the Florida 23 with 51 seconds left.
”It was a tight window I was trying to fit it in,” Worley said after the game. ”I might have thrown it early and overshot him a little bit.”
Some of the mistakes may be attributable to Tennessee’s youth. Tennessee’s offense against Florida featured five true freshman starters: Hurd, wide receiver Josh Malone, guard Jashon Robertson, tackle Coleman Thomas and tight end Ethan Wolf. Opposing pass rushers frequently have raced through Tennessee’s inexperienced line to put pressure on Worley, which has led to many of the senior quarterback’s turnovers.
Jones says Tennessee will protect the football better when it corrects the ”fine details” that can include everything from better decision making to improved execution.
”That’s every individual being accountable,” Jones said. ”And it starts with me. It starts with our coaches. Put it all on me. I’m the head football coach.”
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