Joshua Dobbs has been living in the ice tub since leading Tennessee to a 45-42 overtime win over South Carolina Saturday, so you can forgive him for being a little distracted Monday morning when classmates gave him a standing ovation as he walked through the door of his Circuits class.
“I didn’t expect it,” Dobbs said at his media session Tuesday. “I just walked into class and I was surprised. It was good to see the support.”
The support for Dobbs is universal on campus and off it. The electrifying sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga. has helped the Vols move past what head coach Butch Jones called “The Grind,” and with three very winnable games left on the schedule, has Tennessee primed for its first bowl bid since 2010.
The Grind
Tennessee (4-5, 1-4 SEC) is on a bye this week and it’s come at the right time. The Volunteers have been plagued with injuries over what could be one of the toughest six-game stretches in the country. The Vols have lost people at every position, including running back Marlin Lane and wide receiver Marquez North last Saturday.
“Everyone around the country now wants to talk about the grind, but what about the grind that we’ve been through?” Jones said Tuesday. “When you look at a six-game stretch, when you throw Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama and South Carolina in there, I’d argue with anybody about that grind.”
That grind cost Tennessee its starting quarterback, Justin Worley, who played well when he was healthy against Georgia, losing 35-32, and struggled the rest of the way when he wasn’t. A torn labrum in his throwing shoulder has ended his season for good, but it’s given the Vols an excuse to burn Dobbs’ redshirt and unleash its next superstar.
Dobbs is a playmaker, but he’s still green. According to Jones, he’s taken way too many hits in his first two starts of 2014.
“I don’t know where he (Dobbs) would be if he’d played earlier in the year from a health standpoint,” Jones siad. “We have to teach him how to run the football and not to take unnecessary hits. That’s the next evolution in his game.”
The Plan Changes
It was a simple set up for Tennessee, and seeing Dobbs as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart during preseason media day made the plan clear. Dobbs was to redshirt this season after being pulled into action last year due to injuries. Worley was a senior, had earned the chance to start and had done nothing to change Jones’ mind about that in the preseason. Dobbs ran the scout team in practice and, considering the mobile quarterbacks the Vols have faced, that might have been a blessing in disguise.
“My mindset was just to get better,” Dobbs said. “A lot of the scout team concepts were similar to concepts in our offense. My job was to improve timing and improve some mechanics. I still treated those as serious game reps. And it helped me out going against our defense.”
Three To Go
Kentucky and Missouri at home followed by a trip to Vanderbilt to close out the season are all the games that remain on Tennessee’s docket. Dobbs has laid down some good film, but he’s not been perfect. The bye week gives the Volunteers time to get healthy and put in a few new wrinkles with its fleet-footed and crazy smart quarterback. The media surge and standing ovations will calm down too, but Dobbs, who’s no stranger to focus as an Aerospace Engineering major, knows his priorities.
“Playing quarterback here and you’re successful, you’re going to get a lot of attention,” Dobbs said. “You’ve got to stay focused on the prize, focused on the goal. We’re at four wins and we still need two more to get bowl eligible. When you come to the complex you’re sheltered from all that. I’m trying to stay focused on my schoolwork and football.”[divider]
–Saturday SEC Games and Picks–
No. 20 Georgia at Kentucky (+10)
After opening the season 5-1, the Wildcats (5-4, 2-4 SEC) fell to earth so hard they’re still looking for their teeth. Facing the Bulldogs (6-2, 4-2) will be no different. Take the points. Contributor’s Pick: Georgia 42, Kentucky 10
Presbyterian at No. 11 Ole Miss (n/a)
NCAA FCS Presbyterian comes into this game as the sacrificial lamb, albeit a well-paid one, for the Rebels (7-2, 4-2) to beat like the new guy in prison in an attempt to make up for the two losses they took to legitimate SEC teams over the last couple of weeks. Contributor’s Pick: Ole Miss 55, Presbyterian 3
Texas A&M at No. 3 Auburn (-21.5)
In what has to be the biggest smack in the face that didn’t precede a Baltimore Ravens player wedding, the Aggies (6-3, 2-3) are the power bottom of the biggest spread of the week, 21.5 points to Auburn (7-1, 4-1). I don’t like it. Contributor’s Pick: Auburn 38, Texas A&M 24
Tennessee-Martin at No. 1 Mississippi State (n/a)
It’s odd to see this many money-game FCS slaughterhouse contests this late in the season. Mississippi State (8-0, 5-0) is basically paying a few million bucks for a glorified bye in this one. There’s no line, obviously, but what’s the over-under on the number of Bulldogs’ first-unit punts? I say +/-2. Contributor’s Pick: Mississippi State 42, Tennessee-Martin 10.
Florida at Vanderbilt (+14.5)
My dislike of Vanderbilt (3-6, 0-5) has gone completely dormant since James Franklin left for Molester State, so it bums me out to see that 14.5-point spread against a team I still hate pretty bad. Former UT kicker Alan Duncan told me a few weeks ago after the Gators (4-3, 3-3) beat the Vols 10-9 that Florida’s players hated stopped hating their coach (Will Muschamp) long enough to hate Tennessee more. I told him that they’re all better men than me. Contributor’s Pick: Florida 31, Vanderbilt 13.
No. 5 Alabama at No. 16 LSU (+6.5)
LSU coach Les Miles has always reminded me of Lloyd Bridges in the Airplane movies. It’s Alabama (7-1, 4-1) week and the Tigers (7-2, 3-2) are all but unbeatable in night games at home. Les did indeed pick the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. Contributor’s Pick: LSU 38, Alabama 35.
