March 29, 2007

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

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How much should they worry about Erik Ainge's knee injury? How can the Volunteers replace All-America receiver Robert Meachem? Can Arian Foster or LaMarcus Coker develop into an all-conference tailback?

And then there's perhaps the most important question of all.

Will any of those other issues matter if Tennessee's offensive line fails to deliver?

Tennessee has finished no higher than ninth in the Southeastern Conference in rushing each of the last two years. The Volunteers struggled to run the ball even when they had the services of All-America tackle Arron Sears, who won the Jacobs Trophy that goes to the SEC's top blocker.

"He was a beast," junior guard Ramon Foster said. "That's the reason why he's got his picture here on the wall."

Sears received that honor after an All-America senior season that capped a brilliant career in which he played just about every position on the line.

Now that Sears is on his way to the NFL, the Tennessee offensive line must find a way to thrive without him.

Sears' absence could prove just as costly as Meachem's departure. How the Vols respond to the losses of their two top players from 2006 could go a long way toward determining their 2007 fortunes.

The Vols must replace their top three receivers from last year and are crossing their fingers that Ainge will return to full strength by September after undergoing surgery on his right knee last week.

All that uncertainty in the passing game makes it imperative for Tennessee's linemen to open up running room for Arian Foster, Coker and Montario Hardesty. That's one area in which Tennessee has struggled the last two years.

The Vols allowed only 19 sacks last season, but they also ranked 10th in the SEC and 96th out of 119 Division I-A teams with 108 rushing yards per game. Tennessee had the SEC's ninth-ranked rushing offense in 2005.

No wonder the Vols have put special emphasis on run blocking this spring.

"It's a mind-set about going out there and being physical and hanging your hat on it," offensive line coach Greg Adkins said. "We're saying this is what we're going to get better at. For the most part, guys have taken us up on the challenge to do that."

Tennessee's inability to run the ball consistently represents a major turn of events for a program that churned out NFL running backs with assembly-line efficiency in the 1990s.

Why has the school that produced Travis Henry and Jamal Lewis struggled to run the ball lately? That's the question the Vols are trying to answer.

"Maybe we're not running it as much as we should or not having that urgency to go out and take on (defenders)," Ramon Foster said. "We have three really good running backs. There's no reason for us not to run the ball well."

The success of Tennessee's rushing attack could depend on how well Ramon Foster and sophomore Chris Scott adjust to starting roles. Ramon Foster is currently penciled in as the starter at left guard, while Scott likely has the unenviable task of replacing Sears at left tackle.

"I think the two guys who have made the most improvement are probably Ramon Foster and Chris Scott," Adkins said. "I'm excited about those two guys."

Ramon Foster and Scott will try to fit in seamlessly with Tennessee's three returning starters: sophomore center Josh McNeil, junior right guard Anthony Parker and senior right tackle Eric Young. Sophomore guard Jacques McClendon and senior center Michael Frogg also have starting experience and could work their way into the mix.

But they've had trouble establishing much of a rhythm this spring.

McNeil was suspended for the first five workouts of spring practice after being cited for underage consumption and public intoxication. Young hasn't participated in any of the spring scrimmages because of a shoulder injury. Parker missed the first five practices after undergoing offseason knee surgery.

The linemen remain confident that they can build chemistry - even if they aren't practicing together much this spring.

"Last year our line was pretty close," Parker said. "We hung out a lot. I see the same kinds of things this year. We're going out to eat and just hanging out together. It kind of does remind me of last year."

Now they need to make sure their running attack doesn't remind anyone of last year's inconsistency.

The Vols are saying all the right things as they discuss their plans to create more running room, but they understand the difficulty of backing up those words.

Not every line can lose a player of Sears' caliber and actually improve its performance. Even though the Vols return three starters on the line, inexperience remains a potential cause for alarm.

"We've got some guys here who haven't really done it yet on a Saturday," Adkins said. "Overall, that's our biggest concern."

And the performance of the line remains one of the team's biggest concerns.

Even if Ainge opens the season at 100 percent and immediately develops a kinship with his new receivers, Tennessee won't have a chance of winning the SEC East unless the linemen open up enough holes for Arian Foster, Coker and Co.

"Erik Ainge is a really good quarterback, and we count on him," Ramon Foster said, "but the running game is something we're going to need to compete in the SEC. When the game's really tight and you need a couple of first downs, you need your running game."

Tennessee has grown tired of learning that lesson the hard way.

Steve Megargee is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at smegargee@rivals.com.