Tennessee football running backs coach De’Rail Sims talks during game week I Volunteers I GBO

start with Rob here on the left and then go to Ben on the right coach I don't think we've seen you since cam cam was cleared last week for contact just how how has he been since he got back on active and and do you anticipate him be able to play this week he's been doing good you know what I'm saying he's been doing a really good job of sitting up there attacking the practices so we'll turn him loose on Saturday and let him see what he can do yeah coach I was going to ask a similar question uh about the health of of your room it seemed like you had to manage some guys and and a couple of guys were banged up throughout fall Camp just uh where do you believe the health of of your room is overall heading into the opener yeah we sitting in a good spot right now heading to this opener um so feeling good about where we at right now and just ready to see these guys go perform on Saturday Austin since Cam's not been able to get hit have you all been trying to do extra stuff with him whether it be you know hitting him with the bags stuff like that to you know just kind of give him some type of simulation of getting hit for the first time yeah yeah we kind of do that um especially in our ball security circuit and our ending period you know giving them a chance to be able the feel getting hit um and and what it'll feel like once he gets hit in the game on Saturday when you go into a game with as many guys as you have that that have practiced or you've managed through how do you how do you organize the workload is it just start one and it's a hot hand from there or do you go in saying hey I I want to get these three guys in by the middle of the first half I how do you plan that out I think you plan it out by the way that they go attack the weekend practice practice you know what I'm saying seeing you know from the standpoint of the competition in the room you know who understand the assignments um and then kind of by based off the floor of the game as well um we'll kind of put a plan together in terms of how we'll rotate guys and then you know it's also the feel of it me being able to play running back in my previous life uh you know you kind of get a feel for it as a running back as you get in the groove and kind of see who has the hot hand coach how diverse do you think your room is in terms of guys being able to slide in different guys being able to slide in in certain situations and not be predictable based on Personnel I think that's the that's the kind of the best part about the room right now is that you know we all got compliments to each other but we're all similar too in a skill set standpoint so it's not like you know when when kind when one guy comes in that they can key on this particular skill set is coming um I think that's the best part about the room right now and then at the same time they also got different off speed pitches that they bring to the table so that part is good coach you you spent a few years early in your career at at FCS yep programs as you were working your way up what what's the mindset going into some of these games I'm sure you were you were part of what's the mindset maybe on the other side is this like a kind of a Super Bowl kind of game or is it just more of a let's figure some things out so we can go compete at our level now the mindset you know previously when I was at FCS was you always want to prove a point you know a lot of those guys and that's sitting on you know the opposite sideline a lot of them from or surrounding areas you know they're instate guys that prove that want to prove that they deserve to be here um and that they deserve to be on this stage so you going to get their best shot you know every single snap you know that was the things that you know previously at some places I've been anytime you got a chance to play up in a weight class that you go in there you give everything that you got for four quarters and then you let the chips stack where they may fall so our guys understand that as well you know understanding that they going to get their best shot this weekend and and we got to be ready to play where is Payton Lewis at in his development now compared to where he was first scrimmage of fall camp I think Peyton has done a really good job in terms of taking the next step I think he's more confident right now himself um I think he's done a really good job of getting comfortable in in the whole entire offense so when he gets in there you see him in practice do a lot of really good things you see him understand the protection aspect that you see him anticipate where the runs are supposed to hit at so I think he's he's at a point right now he's getting more comfortable but I think he's going to get comfortable continuously as he gets practice throughout this season too um and then he gets some game experience so I think that's the number one deal with him is his confidence is Contin a girl coach IPO mentioned some of the things that Chattanooga brought to the table on offense what are some specific things you've seen from their defense that you've reminded your guys about I think the number one day you look at the defensive front how they attack and they get off the ball um I think they do a really good job in terms of penetration in terms of being able to play aggressive and they want to try to move the line of scrimmage um to play on the opposers offense line of scrimmage I think their linebackers are downhill players that do a really good job of being able to go gain tackle and wrap up um I think those are the things that you see they're very similar um when I was at Western Carolina and was in the same conference with them very similar structure-wise to what they done in the past when they were really good so this a defense that's going to play hard and it's going to get out your tail and they want to be attacking on All Phases how does your personal expectation change for these guys as you transition out of fall camp and now into a game week it doesn't change the standard is standard so we make sure we do a really good job of understanding just because we're transitioning the game we our attention to detail does not change our Focus does not change the level and expectations of the way we go out here and practice every day does not change so it actually has to go up another level cuz you understand like okay my reps are my reps and I got to make each one of those reps count so we got to do a phenomenal job of maximizing our time on the practice field how have you seen the offensive line continue to develop or complement the concepts that you're trying to put in place with the running backs they done a really good job that's the number one deal right now was that us and offensive line on the same page so we fit hand in hand together and I think that they have done a phenomenal job of being able to come out the football in terms of when we're running the football moving the line of scrimmage and also the communication piece from the pass row standpoint we're on the same page which is phenomenal last question one more on cam I don't know you maybe didn't get to see a whole lot of him in the spring before he got hurt and he's been maybe not fully Unleashed as you kind of put it how have you been able to sort of get an evaluation of him did you watch what he did in the ball game did you go back to high school for him how have you kind of gotten an evalu to see what kind of running back he can you know watch the tape from high school um and then watch the tape from the bowl game and and how he played Al last season um and then being able to watch him as you know he's got a chance to practice you know what I'm saying and kind of get a feel for what style of a running back is um you know always looking at things that we can work on from that standpoint trying to enhance his strengths as well as we're trying to sit up here and work on the things to continue to tweak him uh and make him being the most complete running back that he can be I think you sit here and look at it you know he's smooth um he has really good Vision he's able to anticipate where the holes are going to be at the second level I think just like with all taller backs just being able to work on that pad level you know instead of running up right like Eddie George making sure we're doing a really good job running behind our pads and being able to finish off runs thank you coach