Volstorm
VN GURU
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2004
- Messages
- 5,011
- Likes
- 1
UT QBs display strengths, but can't hide weaknesses
By MIKE GRIFFITH, August 8, 2004
Tennessee freshmen quarterbacks Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer showed impressive upsides on the first day of fall drills Saturday.
But they also fumbled snaps, threw interceptions, made bad reads and poor throws.
"Our young quarterbacks looked like young quarterbacks,'' UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "They're ahead of where some have been. (They're) not where they need to be, but you would expect that.''
Fulmer praised senior quarterback C.J. Leak for picking up where he left off in the spring, but Leak's job isn't necessarily safe for the season.
"I think over time,'' Fulmer said at the morning press conference, "talent will overtake experience.''
Perhaps, but whose talent, what experience and how much time?
Fulmer, at this point, is only speaking in generalities where his quarterback situation is concerned.
"We will see who will be efficient and make the fewest mistakes,'' he said, "(and) who will make the best decisions and be the best playmakers.''
Judging from Saturday's work, one quarterback will not win all of those categories. Leak was the most efficient and made the fewest mistakes, Rick Clausen made the best decisions and Ainge and Schaeffer appeared to be the playmakers.
"I think Brett's a lot like (former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner) Charlie Ward,'' junior receiver Chris Hannon said. "He has the arm and the speed. He's living up to his Florida hype.
"Erik is just so calm; He looks like he can't throw, then you play and he kills the defense,'' Hannon said. "He's like Peyton Manning. He has patience with the receivers. If they don't know what they're supposed to do, he can teach them.''
Ainge said his meetings with offensive coordinator Randy Sanders after signing day had much to do with that.
"I've worked hard at picking up the offense,'' Ainge said. "If I don't play, I don't want it to be because I don't know enough about the offense.''
While the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Leak has the most impressive physique of the quarterbacks, Ainge fills out his uniform quite nicely.
"The pictures and film clips people saw of me on the Internet were from the start of my junior year, when I was 6-5, 180,'' said Ainge, now 6-6 and 205. "People tell me when Peyton came in he was 6-5, 195. I've just been lifting and eating steak and potatoes.''
Schaeffer is smaller at 6-1, 195, but no less confident nor determined than Ainge.
"Overwhelmed? Not at all,'' Schaeffer said. "I'm not worried.''
Schaeffer transferred twice in high school before ending up at Deerfield Beach, Fla., but he insists competition will not drive him away from UT.
"I'm real committed here, and if things don't happen for me now, I'll just have to work harder for it,'' he said. Besides, "transferring taught me how to learn new (offensive) systems.''
Fulmer isn't ready to give either freshman too much praise.
"If we played against air,'' Fulmer observed during a skeleton pass drill, "we'd be (good).''
After one of the freshmen delivered a poor pass, Fulmer sighed and said simply, "freshman.''
But Fulmer surely noticed Schaeffer's ability to pick out receivers off the run and his uncanny knack to connect on deep passes. And he saw Ainge throw with velocity and a quick, effortless release.
"(The freshmen) will get every opportunity to see where they are,'' Fulmer said. "We have to find out where they stand.
"There's a lot of interest and swirl around the quarterback situation. That's only normal.''
Numbers: The quarterbacks took part in several drills, throwing to receivers working one-on-one as well as seven-on-seven and 11-on-11.
Leak was 14-for-28, Rick Clausen was 10-for-18, Bo Hardegree was 5-for-12 with an interception, Schaeffer was 5-for-8 with two fumbled snaps and Ainge was 8-for-13 with an interception.
By MIKE GRIFFITH, August 8, 2004
Tennessee freshmen quarterbacks Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer showed impressive upsides on the first day of fall drills Saturday.
But they also fumbled snaps, threw interceptions, made bad reads and poor throws.
"Our young quarterbacks looked like young quarterbacks,'' UT coach Phillip Fulmer said. "They're ahead of where some have been. (They're) not where they need to be, but you would expect that.''
Fulmer praised senior quarterback C.J. Leak for picking up where he left off in the spring, but Leak's job isn't necessarily safe for the season.
"I think over time,'' Fulmer said at the morning press conference, "talent will overtake experience.''
Perhaps, but whose talent, what experience and how much time?
Fulmer, at this point, is only speaking in generalities where his quarterback situation is concerned.
"We will see who will be efficient and make the fewest mistakes,'' he said, "(and) who will make the best decisions and be the best playmakers.''
Judging from Saturday's work, one quarterback will not win all of those categories. Leak was the most efficient and made the fewest mistakes, Rick Clausen made the best decisions and Ainge and Schaeffer appeared to be the playmakers.
"I think Brett's a lot like (former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner) Charlie Ward,'' junior receiver Chris Hannon said. "He has the arm and the speed. He's living up to his Florida hype.
"Erik is just so calm; He looks like he can't throw, then you play and he kills the defense,'' Hannon said. "He's like Peyton Manning. He has patience with the receivers. If they don't know what they're supposed to do, he can teach them.''
Ainge said his meetings with offensive coordinator Randy Sanders after signing day had much to do with that.
"I've worked hard at picking up the offense,'' Ainge said. "If I don't play, I don't want it to be because I don't know enough about the offense.''
While the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Leak has the most impressive physique of the quarterbacks, Ainge fills out his uniform quite nicely.
"The pictures and film clips people saw of me on the Internet were from the start of my junior year, when I was 6-5, 180,'' said Ainge, now 6-6 and 205. "People tell me when Peyton came in he was 6-5, 195. I've just been lifting and eating steak and potatoes.''
Schaeffer is smaller at 6-1, 195, but no less confident nor determined than Ainge.
"Overwhelmed? Not at all,'' Schaeffer said. "I'm not worried.''
Schaeffer transferred twice in high school before ending up at Deerfield Beach, Fla., but he insists competition will not drive him away from UT.
"I'm real committed here, and if things don't happen for me now, I'll just have to work harder for it,'' he said. Besides, "transferring taught me how to learn new (offensive) systems.''
Fulmer isn't ready to give either freshman too much praise.
"If we played against air,'' Fulmer observed during a skeleton pass drill, "we'd be (good).''
After one of the freshmen delivered a poor pass, Fulmer sighed and said simply, "freshman.''
But Fulmer surely noticed Schaeffer's ability to pick out receivers off the run and his uncanny knack to connect on deep passes. And he saw Ainge throw with velocity and a quick, effortless release.
"(The freshmen) will get every opportunity to see where they are,'' Fulmer said. "We have to find out where they stand.
"There's a lot of interest and swirl around the quarterback situation. That's only normal.''
Numbers: The quarterbacks took part in several drills, throwing to receivers working one-on-one as well as seven-on-seven and 11-on-11.
Leak was 14-for-28, Rick Clausen was 10-for-18, Bo Hardegree was 5-for-12 with an interception, Schaeffer was 5-for-8 with two fumbled snaps and Ainge was 8-for-13 with an interception.
lol: 
