Vols prepare for final home game

After coping with the loss last Saturday against Ole Miss, Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin said he was extremely pleased after Wednesday’s practice, as the team continues preparations for Vanderbilt this week.

“We had a lot of energy for whatever reason, very competitive there at the end,” Kiffin said. “We turned a half-padded practice into a live one there at the end. So it’s great to see that energy this late in the season.”

Saturday will also be Senior Night, where 20 of UT’s seniors will run through the “T” for the final time in honor of their last game at Neyland Stadium.

Senior Montario Hardesty commented on his last days as a Vol but remains focused on beating the Commodores.

“It’s going to be a big day for me,” Hardesty said. “I’ve been out there for a lot of years, a lot of great memories, but the biggest thing for me is that we can go out there and get the win. It’s going to be great to have all my friends and family there, but at the end of the day I want to get a win.”

On the minds of many come Saturday will be junior safety Eric Berry and his decision on whether to go pro or remain at UT for his senior year. Many national pundits believe he is a sure top 10 pick in the NFL Draft, but Berry said Wednesday he is simply focused on the next game.

“Right now, I’m just trying to focus on doing everything I can do to get this win at home,” Berry said. “No telling if it might be my last or if it’s not. But I just want to take everything in and try to appreciate these last games of this season.”

Berry also commented on the 8 yards he still needs to break the NCAA record for career interception return yardage but acknowledged the matter was out of his control.

“That would be nice to get that,” Berry said. “That’s in God’s will. If God wants me to break that record, then I’ll break. All I can do is give everything I’ve got and make sure I’m ready to play. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, we’ll just move on to next week.”

If Berry does decide to go pro, Kiffin said he would have no problems allowing Berry to run solo through the “T” but said he doesn’t think Berry would want that.

“I doubt he would want that,” Kiffin said. “He actually always wants to be with us. Even the last game, I didn’t even know it until the last second. He didn’t go out for the coin toss because he wanted to come out with the guys.”

As far as injuries, Kiffin said that junior defensive back Dennis Rogan, and linebackers Rico McCoy and LaMarcus Thompson were very limited in Wednesday’s practice and would all be gametime decisions come Saturday.