Jackson Sun: SEC football: Vols open camp with questions

By CHRIS LOW

KNOXVILLE - The 2005 season for Tennessee's football team was turbulent enough. And now this past week, which produced two arrests that led to one dismissal and one suspension. Think Phillip Fulmer is ready for practice to begin? He got his wish Friday, as the Vols set out to prove that last season's 5-6 disaster was merely an aberration as Fulmer contends and not a crack in the Big Orange foundation.   The Vols will practice in shorts and helmets through today. They'll put on shoulder pads for their Sunday and Monday practices and go to full pads on Tuesday.  There's no getting around the fact that this is the most pivotal season Fulmer has faced at Tennessee. In the world of Tennessee football, they're all pivotal. But this is Fulmer's chance to prove that his grasp on the program is as strong as ever and that he hasn't let Mark Richt, Urban Meyer, Tommy Tuberville and even his old nemesis, Steve Spurrier, pass him by. "We all felt like we weren't getting everything out of the program last year," said Fulmer, who turned to his old pal, David Cutcliffe, to take over the offense. "But we had just won the division the year before, so it wasn't like everything was broken. Sometime between that Eastern Division championship and a really good-looking football team coming back - with all the distractions, with the injuries, with the schedule, with the surgeries and with too much assuming on my part - we lost something.

"We've all worked really hard since January to get that back."  Here are five questions the Vols need to answer this preseason if they're indeed going to get it back:  

1. Can quarterback Erik Ainge regain his confidence and play the game without pressing?  Not having a quarterback controversy will help. Ainge took a big step in the spring toward regaining his teammates' trust and looked much more comfortable after Cutcliffe let it be known that Ainge was his starter. Ainge has the ability. That's never been an issue. The real key will be how much his decision-making and poise under the gun have improved with Cutcliffe on the scene.

2. Can the offense be potent enough, early enough, to win a scoring match if it has to against California in the opener?  The Vols, thanks to the defense, squeaked by 17-13 in the opener last season against Alabama-Birmingham. Expecting the defense to shut down an explosive Cal offense in similar fashion is probably unrealistic, meaning it might take 30-plus points to beat the Golden Bears. There won't be any time to ease into things. The Vols will need to be in midseason form on Sept. 2.

3. Will Cutcliffe's presence help alleviate the Vols' struggles on key downs last season and their propensity to self-destruct?  Nobody is expecting any overnight miracles, but Fulmer does believe the Vols will have fewer wasted plays, be more conscious of field position and generally be more efficient under Cutcliffe. They will need to be, because while the talent is still there, you don't see the likes of Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Peerless Price, Chad Clifton, Cosey Coleman and Fred Weary walking around campus anymore.

4. How long will it take to identify the best combination in the offensive line?  Arron Sears is a fixture at left tackle and might move around some depending on the matchups. David Ligon will also be in there somewhere. The Vols would prefer to play Ligon at guard, which means redshirt freshman Josh McNeil will get every chance to win the center job. The Vols need a big season from Eric Young at left tackle and would love to see redshirt freshman Chris Scott make a move after reshaping his body. Just about everybody's lost weight up front.

5. Who emerges as the Vols' playmaker (or playmakers) on defense?  Redshirt freshman linebacker Rico McCoy is one to watch. Tackle Justin Harrell is NFL material, and Turk McBride has the versatility to play tackle or end. J.T. Mapu could also be a force at tackle if he rounds into football shape quickly. This is the most experience the Vols have had in the secondary in some time. Free safety Jonathan Hefney could be primed for a big year.