Cutcliffe trying to make Vols? QBs perfect in practice

Tennessee?s quarterbacks run plays over and over in practice so they will come as second nature in games.

So far offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe hasn?t seen practice make perfect.

Cutcliffe, who is entering his first season in his old job since leaving the Volunteers in 1998, has been trying to get the quarterbacks and particularly Erik Ainge to be more consistent.

Ainge, a junior, was named the starter coming out of spring practice with redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton as the backup.

Tennessee held its first full scrimmage Aug. 12 and has another Saturday in preparation for the opener Sept. 2 at home against California.

Cutcliffe says putting the quarterbacks in live game simulations helps them develop better.

?Whether we?re throwing 1-on-1 and there?s no rush or we?re throwing pass skeleton when there?s no rush or we?re in a team pass situation the same intensity, the same tempo, the same focus down the field always remains there,? Cutcliffe said. ?Those are habits. We don?t have good habits. This is a process, and I believe we can overcome it.?

?We?re going to do it if we have to do it the hard-headed way,? he said.

What?s the hard-headed way? ?My way or no way. That?s the bottom line,? Cutcliffe explained.

Ainge?s performance in last week?s scrimmage was heavily scrutinized by fans and media because of the way he played last year. Ainge struggled at times in a rotation with senior Rick Clausen. Fans haven?t forgotten the LSU game when he tossed the ball to a defender while he was being wrapped up in the end zone.

The Vols finished 5-6 last year, and offensive coordinator Randy Sanders resigned in the middle of the season.

In the first scrimmage, Ainge had two passes intercepted and a third nearly picked off.

Cutcliffe says Ainge sometimes is ?trying to do to much. Just do exactly what you?re coached to do and play your role. If he will take that approach on a more consistent basis, he will be a lot happier.?

The coach says they have watched many clips from spring practice and watched the scrimmage film about 10 times.

?It?s there. It just has to be done consistently,? Cutcliffe said.

Ainge has improved his understanding of the offense.

?He?s gotten some confidence there. That has been real positive. The thing we need more of is play in the game. He didn?t respond as well to playing in the game Saturday as we would have liked. It didn?t carry over from the practice field,? Cutcliffe said.

Ainge says he has a thick skin and understands being a quarterback means being criticized.

?He?s demanding excellence, and the only way to do that is to come out here and make every play, every snap, every rep like a game,? he said of Cutcliffe.

The Vols have three other quarterbacks ? junior Bo Hardegree, who has yet to play in a game; incoming freshman Nick Stephens from Texas and senior Jim Bob Cooter, who has played in three games over his career and is suspended for the opener because of a drunken driving arrest.

Ainge?s advantage over Crompton is experience and knowledge. In the first scrimmage, Ainge was going against the Vols? first-team defense, which even practiced the ?prowl? alignment in which the defensive linemen constantly move around before the ball is snapped. It was used effectively in Tennessee?s victory at Florida in 2001.

Ainge completed a pass to Robert Meachem on one play against the prowl but it was ruled out of bounds.

?They threw everything they could possibly throw at him with that unit. We handled some of it. Some we didn?t,? Cutcliffe said. ?We?re playing against a really good defensive team and a great defensive scheme and a really well coached defensive team, so it?s the ultimate test and that?s a good thing.?

Cutcliffe praised Crompton for being ?a little ahead with his poise and ability to manage things in the huddle.?

Crompton completed two passes for touchdowns but had some bobbled snaps in the first scrimmage.

Crompton said he?s just trying to get better.

?Every day you get out there in practice and hear coach and hear his feedback,? he said. ?You start to get a little more comfortable with it.?