University of Tennessee Athletics
Passing Game Shines in Wednesday's Practice
October 21, 2009 | Football
Oct. 21, 2009
Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin called the passing game's performance in Wednesday workout "phenomenal" as the Vols prepared for this weekend's game against No. 1-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
The Vols employed a "Thursday practice" style Wednesday because of the bye week. Known to some players as "No Repeat Thursday," the day's elements are all focused on Saturday's matchup. Crowd noise was pumped into Haslam Field to simulate game atmosphere.
Senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton is coming off one of the best games of his college career, completing 20-of-27 passes for a career-high 310 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-19 victory over Georgia. Kiffin said Crompton and the receivers had a completion percentage of more than 90 percent in practice Wednesday.
"You can see the confidence building in the passing game. Hopefully, it's good enough to carry over against the best pass defense team in the country."
Kiffin also provided an update on team injuries. He said senior defensive tackle Dan Williams was held out of the beginning of practice but returned to the field later. He also said junior defensive end Gerald Williams missed practice and sophomore defensive back Art Evans was limited in action, adding that both likely will be game time decisions.
Legendary Visit
Former Tennessee head coach and letterman Johnny Majors spoke to the team about the tradition and history of the UT-Alabama series.
Kiffin said Majors, the Vols' coach from 1977-92, related a story to the current Vols from his playing days. In Majors' first year on the squad, the Vols were shut out by Alabama 27-0 in 1954. Following a coaching change, Tennessee returned the favor the next two years with a 20-0 victory in 1955 and a 24-0 win in 1956, a season in which the Vols won the SEC title.
"For a guy who hasn't coached in a while, he can still grasp 18-year-olds' attention," Kiffin said. "As I've said before, we love having him around. He does an unbelievable job motivating the players."
