Well the football team has had it’s last spring practice before the Orange and White Game, and Junior offensive lineman Steven Jones, senior defensive back Jonathan Wade, and redshirt freshman Dan Williams all earned most improved player awards for their spring work.

Positive words from defensive coordinator John Chavis about Wade:

Jonathan probably has made his biggest step during this spring toward becoming a player that’s going to give you the same level of play every day. And that’s what we look for. Jonathan’s become a technician and understands better the fine details of his position.”

UTSports.com has a bunch of audio and video, including coach Chavis on the defense, Chavis on the O&W game, Chavis with Bob Kesling, coach Cutcliffe on the offense, and Cutcliffe with Bob Kesling.

By the way, posting has been light for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I’ve been doing a lot of work under the hood in preparation for next season. If anyone’s interested in the blogging side of the sports blogosphere, I’ve found the video tutorials on Flash, PHP, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks at LearnFlash.com and lynda.com to be most helpful. Ditto the Installing WordPress on Your Own Windows Computer and WordPress Theme Dissection tutorials from urbangiraffe.com.

John Pennington plays the part of both optimist and pessimist and breaks down the expectations for the Tennessee Volunteers next season:

The Defensive

Optimist: There’s no need to even break this down by individual groups. Suffice to say, the defense will be just as good next year, if not better. “In Chief We Trust.” When was the last time John Chavis didn’t have a top notch defense on the field?

And before you point out all the guys who have graduated, just remember that UT played A LOT of guys on defense this year. That’s experience. And experience talent Chief = many wins.

Pessimist: Forgive me, but I’ll say it anyway. Six of the front 7 will definitely be gone, and it could be all 7 if Justin Harrell decides to go pro early. That dominating front 7 helped to hide some holes in the secondary this year, especially once Jason Allen went down (add him to the list of guys who won’t be back).

Chavis is good, very good, but he’s not perfect. In 2004, his D gave up 28 to Florida, 29 to South Carolina, and then Kentucky and Vandy scored in the 30s. He’s human. And “human” - a dominating front 7 - depth (who knows if next year’s team will have the quality depth on D that this year’s squad had) = a drop-off on defense.

Pennington’s internal debate extends also to the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, offensive line, and intangibles.

From GoVolsXtra:

In the frustration after the Vols’ failed last play - an end-zone interception by Vanderbilt - several UT players appeared to throw their helmets on the ground. A number of players went to the locker room leaving their helmets on the field.

Offensive lineman Albert Toeaina reportedly spit on a Jumbotron cameraman as he left the field. The cameraman, Scott Liston, told WBIR-TV’s Steve Phillips on Sunday that Fulmer had called him to apologize for the incident.

John Pennington has more:

Nearly as bad as Helmet-gate was the amount of jawing, talking and showboating that UT’s 4-6 players did during the Vandy game. Several times, UT defenders ran their mouths to Vandy’s Cutler following defensive stops. But for the day, Cutler was 27 of 39 for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns and he recorded the first signature win of his career. Guess who laughed last.

Two UT defensive players also popped off to Vandy (and former Knox Central) running back Cassen Jackson-Garrison as the teams made their way to the lockerrooms at halftime. Jackson-Garrison responded by pointing to the 21-14 lead on the Neyland Stadium scoreboard.

My guess? This was the first time that a Vandy player had been able to say “scoreboard” to a Tennessee player since the game clocks went from analog to digital.

Prior to the 4th and a foot at Vandy’s 4, several of UT’s offensive linemen were seen bobbing their heads and gesturing for the Vols to go for the first down. It was more than energy and enthusiasm… it was #####. And as I noted earlier, it was misplaced ######### since the O-Line could [sic] blow Vandy off the line of scrimmage.

Lastly, after the disappointing loss, the popping off, the mid-season “we’re not a .500 football team” promises, the numerous Clausen quotes… in the end, only 5 people associated with the Vol team came out to speak to the media after the game: Phillip Fulmer (who gets paid to do it), John Chavis (good for him), and players Foster, Mahelona and Jason Mitchell (who had played all season on a torn ACL and a torn MCL).

I echo Pennington’s praise of Chavis, Foster, Mitchell, and Mahelona, who said the helmet thing was evidence of a lack of maturity.

UPDATE: GoVolsXtra is now reporting that Toeaina spit on the ground, not on the cameraman. They have video. Toeaina is suspended for Saturday’s game against the Kentucky Wildcats, though, for inappropriate conduct, which apparently consists of throwing his helmet after the loss, leaving it on the field, and yelling an expletive at the cameraman.

Toeaina has apologized:

“I apologize, to all concerned, for my conduct after the Vanderbilt game,” Toeaina said. “It was done out of anger and frustration. It is not reflective of what I have been taught by my family or my coach. I would like to thank coach Fulmer for the opportunity to be a part of the Tennessee Volunteers.”

Tennessee Volunteer senior linebacker Jason Mitchell has 31 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble this season. So what, you say?

He did it with a torn ACL and MCL.

Mitchell’s injury occurred during the Vols’ first game against Alabama-Birmingham, but he didn’t know the extent of it until an MRI in early October showed that the ligaments were torn.

Even then, though, the player that Defensive Coordinator and linebacker coach John Chavis has often referred to as the most talented linebacker he has coached in 26 years chose to continue playing for the struggling 2005 Volunteers, consciously risking his future in the NFL. Mitchell explains:

“The NFL is not guaranteed at all. To play a game at this level and live your dream out is something that you can’t get back. I chose to play this game and play as long as I can.

* * * *

I didn’t want to leave on somebody else’s terms. I wanted to leave when I felt I was ready. Even though it could hurt me in the long run. My love for the game and my love for the teammates and my love for the university kept me going. I just played through it.

As teammate Jason Hall said, “It just shows what kind of person he is and the respect he has for this program.”

Fickle Tennessee fans would do well to remember Mitchell the next time they think about booing or throwing things at the players. You never know the whole story.

Fans will get a chance to show their appreciation for Mitchell, Jason Allen, Gerald Riggs, (Allen and Riggs have both, like Mitchell, had season-ending injuries this year that may impact their draft status), and the other seniors on Saturday’s senior day when the Vols host Vanderbilt.

UPDATE: John Pennington concurs:

Wanted to throw in one note as a salute to Jason Mitchell. Eight games. That’s how many games UT’s linebacker has played since tearing the ACL and MCL in his knee.

Why? Because he loves college football. He loves putting on the orange and white.

The crowd at Neyland Stadium may not be spectacular on Saturday, but that’s a kid that deserves a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd.

If you’re thinking about not going to the game, I would suggest you re-think it. Jason Mitchell deserves all the applause you can give him.

College Football News’ Matthew Zemek has another excellent Perspective Piece this week, this time on the matchup between Tennessee and Notre Dame:

Sure enough, this game is a matchup of a top 10 power against a team in search of an identity, just as many thought it would be before the 2005 season started.

But oh, how the roles have been reversed, relative to the prevailing preseason wisdom. It’s Notre Dame that has a lofty perch, and it’s Tennessee whose offense is floundering in a season that has the natives grumbling. It’s not the Irish who are suffering this year, after some rocky seasons in the Ty Willingham era; now it’s Phil Fulmer who, improbably but genuinely, needs to win this game to get some heat off his back. Whuda thunk it?

This game has gained some extra news value because of Fulmer’s downturn–made more emotional by the fact that Steve Spurrier helped accelerate it–but even without that particular angle, this game was still going to be special because of the classic confrontation it offers: Tennessee’s head-knocking defense against Notre Dame’s prolific offense. John Chavis against Charlie Weis. Jesse Mahelona against Brady Quinn. Quality against quality. An SEC defense getting a chance to defend the honor of a conference against the sport’s biggest brand name.

Chavis v. Weis should be fun to watch. The Tennessee offense v. the Irish defense . . . well, that may be another story.