First Time, First Game
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By: Josh Woodward
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Derek Dooley will make his debut Saturday at Neyland Stadium against the UT-Martin Skyhawks. Dooley is Tennessee�s 22nd head coach in 114 seasons of football. The Volunteers have won 15 consecutive season openers and this is the first meeting between the Skyhawks and the Big Orange.
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Dooley held his first �game week� press conference and spoke to the media on some of his team's firsts.
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�Probably the two biggest concerns for our team right now, are first time and first game. Any time you go into a new season the first game brings a lot of anxiety,� noted Dooley. �You�re always concerned about turnovers. You're always concerned about big special-teams plays. I think it happens every year. The first few games you turn on the TV and that�s the first thing you see - guys coughing up the football and a big return on (special) teams.�
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Seventeen freshmen are on the two-deep, with true freshman Ja�Wuan James and redshirt freshman JerQuari Schofield getting the start on the offensive line.� Senior Cody Pope will get the nod at center for the first time. Pope, who has never played center until this year, beat out junior college transfer Darin Gooch.
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Junior Tauren Poole will get his first start for the Vols and will fill the void left by Montario Hardesty, who rushed for 1,345 yards in 2009. Poole has been solid in fall camp, reeling off multiple big gains in scrimmages.
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Tennessee will be back to the practice field today to prepare for UT Martin. The Vols were given the weekend off to rest and heal their bodies.
