Kelsey Pope beamed with pride while watching the tape.

In a game where Tennessee wide receivers accounted for nearly 330 yards in a near-record offensive performance against Chattanooga last Saturday, it was what two players did without the ball in their hands that impressed Pope the most.

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Dont'e Thornton Jr., who tallied 105 yards and two touchdowns and Bru McCoy's 89 yards on six receptions in his first game back since a season-ending a year ago, were the headliners in the No. 14 Vols' 69-3 triumph.

What Squirrel White and Chase Nimrod did was less obvious until Pope went back and watched it. What he saw revealed part of what led to Tennessee's success.

"If you watch Squirrel White and his tape from this weekend, it was his best game by far of him blocking on the perimeter," Pope, the Vols' third-year wide receivers coach, said. "It didn't matter if we were at the 50-yard line or the plus-two-yard line going in, he was being violent and he was playing hard in the run game. Chas (Nimrod) was the exact same way. Both of those guys did a tremendous job. For me as a coach, those things are probably more fulfilling than the touchdown catches, because you don't see it.

"There is no applause, nobody even notices it. It's a character thing. I enjoy seeing those aspects being played out on Saturday."

Tennessee is as deep as it has been at the position and teeming with potential with the return of McCoy, Thornton and White and the addition of transfer Chris Brazzell II.

But that depth will lead to fewer targets at times, as evidenced by Saturday when the coaching staff used a heavy rotation and White and Nimrod combined for just three receptions out of the slot while outside receivers accounted for much of the production in the passing game.

Both still found a way to impact the game.

"We keep talking about the depth in the room. There are a lot of things that come with that that you have to be able to handle," Pope said. "There are positives out there, but if there is depth in the room then there is also only one ball. Every day won't be my day. What I challenge these guys to do is that even if they're not a five, six catch guy on that specific Saturday, you have to go affect the game. You have to do it in the run game. You have to go be a great teammate without the ball."

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Bru McCoy's return 'refreshing' for Vols

White, who led Tennessee in receiving with 67 catches for 803 yards as a sophomore last season, found a way to affect the game. So did Nimrod.

Both players will have games where they get more targets. And there will be games where others will get fewer. They're OK with that.

"They all still want the ball. They are still receivers, but I think they truly love each other. It's easy to go celebrate for a guy you really care about," Pope said. "It's easy to go celebrate with a guy who I've been in the trenches with, I've sweated with, I've sacrificed with. It makes it really easy. Even if I want personal success, I have to go help that guy celebrate. I think that's what you're seeing on the outside. They all want the ball, which I want them to want the ball.

"We have to understand that some days are going to be my day, and if it's not you have to go affect the game in a different way. You have to go add value some type of way."

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