University of Tennessee Athletics
Worley Answers On The Run
October 11, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Fans and media have been asking when Justin Worley was going to start running with the football. The answer came on Saturday afternoon.
Worley accounted for five total touchdowns, three of them coming in his more traditional manner of passes to Johnathon Johnson and Marquez North, in Tennessee's 45-10 Homecoming win over Chattanooga.
The increase in running opportunities was not a change in philosophy, just an experienced quarterback taking advantage of what the defense was giving him.
"It was there and he took it," head coach Butch Jones said of his quarterback's carries. "I thought Justin was more aggressive in his mindset, in his thinking, in the way he played the game. He played confident, which is what we're going to continue to need as we move forward."
The runs may not have been the most graceful, but they got the job done. The first was an 8-yard scamper early in the second quarter that gave UT a 17-0 lead. The second was from just a yard out, but Worley had to run to his left to find enough space to dive home for the score.
"I got a lot of crap from them, I'll tell you that," Worley said of the sideline's reaction with a laugh. "They were happy. I was telling some guys back there, any way I can help the team, I'd like to, whether it's rushing or throwing. Being able to get those two on the ground was big for me to kind of say, `Look, follow me. I've got you.'"
The last time a Tennessee quarterback rushed for two touchdowns in a game was Jan. 1, 2002, when Casey Clausen dove across the line for a pair of 1-yard scores against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. The Volunteers had not even had a QB score two in an entire season since Jonathan Crompton ran for two in 2008.
Worley was officially credited with -1 yard rushing on 10 attempts with sacks factored in, but the senior carried the ball forward five times for 34 yards, including a 14-yarder late in the first quarter.
He was also stellar, and certainly more natural, through the air. His first touchdown was a perfect throw to the corner of the end zone that North went high to pull in for his fourth TD of the year. His two tosses to Johnson each found the junior in perfect stride.
Worley is now 2-0 as a starter on Homecoming. The senior had his first win as a starter on Homecoming 2011, a 24-0 victory over MTSU, in a game where he threw his first-career touchdown pass.
Thanks to his performance, he also got to watch the final quarter from the sideline, where he saw fellow QB Nathan Peterman add to the rushing resume of the UT signal-callers.
"We've been beat up in the quarterback room a little bit, so being able to stand on the sidelines and watch and coach a little bit was good," Worley said. "It was good to get me a little bit of a break and give these offensive linemen a break as well. I was happy for Nate. Nate got his first career touchdown. We take pride in our room, and I was excited to see that."
