Tennessee football has gotten strong play from its receivers in the pass game. Even at tight end and running back, the Vols have revived the offensive attack through the air after an uninspiring season a year ago.
However, if there’s one area that could be better, it’s in simply holding onto catchable balls from Joey Aguilar. In Tennessee’s 37-20 loss to Alabama, there were multiple key drops that held the offense back.
On Tuesday, before the Vols head to Lexington to play Kentucky, wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with the media. He was asked about this issue and admitted it’s an area that needs to be cleaned up. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to jump on players right when they get off the field. Part of his job is assessing what each guy needs to hear at any given moment.
“I think understanding the psyche of a receiver is unique,” Pope said. “They’re fragile at times. They’re also really stern at times. So it’s important for me having played the position to be able to identify when and what they need. A lot of times after a drop, it’s not the time to like go crazy on one of these guys because a lot of times they’re harder on themselves. I think you love them up first in those situations, and then you pull them back later on and then get them whatever technique clean up.
“It may have been their eyes, it may be just focus. You get that cleaned up so they can implement it. I think there’s other times receivers make a lot of plays and we get kind of big-headed. I think it’s time for me to identify then, yo, we gotta come back down to earth, we gotta be more even keel because with your emotions going high and low, there’s no way you can keep consistency. So I think me being able to identify that, is the number one thing and then we implement that where it’s needed.”
More From RTI: Everything Tennessee Football WR Coach Kelsey Pope Said After Loss to Alabama
According to PFF, tight end Miles Kitselman is 10th in FBS football in drops at five. He has a 17.9% drop percentage. At four drops, second-year receivers Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley are at 21st in the country. Matthews’ drop percentage is at 12.1% while Staley’s is at 8.9%.
Running back Peyton Lewis has dropped three passes, which places him at 51st. Running back DeSean Bishop, tight end DaSaahn Brame and wide receiver Chris Brazzell have all dropped two.
However, for the most part, the group of receivers has had strong hands. The trio all rank inside the top 11 in receiving yards in the SEC. Chris Brazzell sits in second place at 602 yards to go with seven touchdowns. Braylon Staley has moved to fifth place with 523 yards for three scores. Matthews is in 11th with 455 yards and two touchdowns.
Next, the Vols head to Lexington to play Kentucky on Saturday. Kickoff at Kroger Field is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
