University of Tennessee Athletics
Big Numbers A Big Challenge
September 10, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
Now, a few more numbers. 253, 284, 286, 267. That is the Tennessee defensive front of Corey Vereen, Jordan Williams, Danny O'Brien and Derek Barnett that will oppose OU in Norman. And those numbers may be the biggest challenge for the Volunteers to overcome in their first road game of the season.
While the offensive style that Oklahoma runs with a dual-threat quarterback will resemble the first two offenses that Tennessee faced, the size will be a big change.
"I think it's a similar challenge in that there's an athletic quarterback, a similar challenge in that there is an fast-tempo offense, a very different challenge in that those are some pretty big son-of-a-guns, tackles in the 330 range," defensive line coach Steve Stripling said. "Obviously, we have to combat that with great technique, great hand violence, effort and utilize our athleticism and making plays.
It has the attention of Stripling's guys up front.
"They're big, but we play Georgia and Alabama every season, so it's not anything we're not used to seeing," O'Brien said. "Size doesn't matter, it's the effort that you play with."
Effort is one thing. Using that effort to off-set the difference in size with speed and technique could be an equalizer.
"Our leverage has been pretty well as a defense overall," O'Brien said. "We're playing hard, everybody is running to the ball and getting after it. We have that momentum and intensity to get to the ball and make some plays."
Size may be the most prominent story, but another line sticks out on the OU depth chart. The five offensive line starters consist of four redshirt seniors and a junior. The backups are a senior and four redshirt juniors, all five of whom also have weights listed over 300 pounds.
"I think they're an outstanding offensive line," Stripling said. "It's a program that their 10 offensive linemen are all fourth and fifth-year guys, the majority of them have been redshirted. When you can come out there with 10 offensive linemen that are fourth and fifth year guys that are strong, that's a program."
O'Brien has confidence in the preparation that the Vols have done for the opponent and the environment.
"I don't think there's anybody in the country that has been working as hard as we have," he said. "We're more worried about preparing for what we're going to do. Our gameplan is to go out there and play our game.
"This is a life experience for us, we get to go to other stadiums and play. It's fun to go to places like Oklahoma. I think the young guys are ready to go, I don't think they're batting an eyelash. We have a lot of warriors on our defense."
