Vols' Battle at Bristol rally starts with unlikely source
BRISTOL — Tennessee’s struggling offensive line received encouragement — heated encouragement — from an unlikely source Saturday night during its 45-24 win over Virginia Tech in the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol.
According to the ABC broadcast of the game, fourth-string UT quarterback Sheriron Jones jumped the offensive line on the bench after their struggles led to three punts on Tennessee’s first three possessions.
“You promised you wouldn’t do this,” Jones told them, according to ABC. “I believe in you.”
ABC sideline reporter Samantha Ponder reported that at one point Jones had to be held back by teammates while going after the offensive line, which struggled in a 20-13 win over Appalachian State last week at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee’s offense woke up not long after Jones got involved. Starting quarterback Joshua Dobbs played the role of hero.
Dobbs threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings and later found Josh Malone for a 38-yard score to tie the game at 14-all. Dobbs’ 5-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter gave Tennessee its first lead in regulation this season.
The senior quarterback finished with 205 total yards and five total touchdowns, three passing and two rushing.
It was on a 40-yard run in the third quarter that Dobbs became Tennessee’s all-time leader for rushing yards by a quarterback, with 1,431 yards. He passed the late Jimmy Streater (1976-79), who had 1,374.
The Vols shuffled their offensive line throughout the game, moving senior Dylan Wiesman from right guard to center, replacing junior Coleman Thomas. Sophomore Jack Jones replaced Wiesman at guard.
Thomas in the second half moved to right tackle, with senior Brett Kendrick going to left tackle and bringing Jack Jones back in at guard.
Sheriron Jones, a 6-foot-2, 208-pound redshirt freshman from Perris, Calif., was a 247Sports four-star signee in Tennessee’s 2015 class. He left Tennessee in January, opting to transfer to Colorado, but returned to the Vols less than a week later.
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