Joe Milton III scanned the defense as he rolled to the right side of the field.

With Tennessee leading by three in a back-and-forth first half against Kentucky last Saturday night, Milton ran out of the pocket on third-and-6 and kept his eyes downfield before firing a pass to Ramel Keyton on the sideline.

Keyton made a toe-tapping grab that was more than enough to extend the Vols' drive, which ended in a field goal to extend their lead at halftime—a critical sequence in Tennessee's 33-27 win at Kroger Field.

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For Milton, it was further evidence of his confidence throwing the ball on the run, which has grown over the last two weeks. He made several similar passes in key moments vs. Kentucky, finishing 18-of-21 passing for 228 yards and a touchdown.

"Just getting the ball to my open guys, making something happen," Milton said. "(If) the play's not there, either go get it or make something happen with the ball. Other than that, just giving my guys an opportunity to make a play."

Milton's comfort in making throws on the run is credit to his involvement in Tennessee's run game.

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Early in the first quarter of the Vols' 20-13 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 14, Milton hesitated on keeping the ball on a fourth-and-short play, opting instead to throw an incomplete pass, but he hasn't shied away from contact since that play.

By the second half, Milton was lowering his shoulder, making contact and picking up extra yards. He did it again the following week at Alabama and at Kentucky.

"I do think (running) helps him settle into the game," Offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. "(Milton) said that himself. He likes to get a couple of carries early and feel like he's in the flow of the game. That absolutely has factored into it...He's seeing defenses really well right now. He's doing a good job with his eyes. Starts with your eyes. You can get your feet in the right position and now you can throw the ball accurately and on time.

"That's what you've seen the last two weeks. Him getting some carries, some runs, contact early in the game is good for him."

Milton is playing his best football as Tennessee heads into the final stretch of its season.

His handling of the offense has led the Vols' most consistent production to this point as they have seemingly struck a balance between its vaunted run game and passing game, which has accounted for three touchdowns and nearly 500 yards in the last two games.

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"I think it's just been the growth throughout the season from one week to the next," Halzle said. "Continuing to push (Milton's) preparation, pushing his development. I keep saying it, there's no substitute for live reps. The more you keep playing it, the more comfortable you feel and it's been fun watching him continue to grow and keep diving in to how he is prepping for everything. He did play one of his best games of the season.

"(He was) running the ball well, controlling the box. He's making the right decisions out wide. That's why we're putting together a bunch of good drives now."

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