Opinion: “For now, I just can’t shake that schadenfreude.” >>See page 6
Hood displays art in unique way on summer tour >>See page 10
Opening week depth chart yields surprises >>See page 12
Sexual assault panel makes redcarpet debut for Red Zone Heidi Hill Assistant News Editor
Junior Josh Dobbs runs past a Kentucky defender during Tennessee’s 50 -16 win last fall. • File Photo
Dobbs ready for first season opener as starter Jonathan Toye Sports Editor Tennessee head coach Butch Jones called the Vols’ season-opener against Bowling Green a “game of unknowns.” That’s why he is happy that Tennessee has a proven commodity in junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs. “There are less of unknowns with having Josh Dobbs as our quarterback, and he understands everything we are trying to accomplish,” Jones said. “He understands the in-season routine. “It is great, going into a game, knowing that (Dobbs) has been through it and understands it.” It’s a different situation than last year, when the Alpharetta, Georgia native was behind both Justin Worley and Nathan Peterman on
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the depth chart at the beginning of the 2014 season. So Dobbs thought he was going to redshirt in 2014. But even when the prospects of seeing the field looked dim, Dobbs still prepped as if he was the starter. “You never know when your number is going to be called,” Dobbs said. “You have to be ready at any moment to play and be productive.” When Dobbs’ opportunity came, he was more than ready. He became Tennessee’s starting signal caller for the South Carolina game last season, leading the Vols to a 4-1 record and to their first winning season since 2009. He averaged 279.2 yards per game last season and revitalized a stagnant offense. He entered spring as the starter, helping teach the system to the early-enrollee freshmen quarterbacks, and was a steady presence
in the fall when some of his offensive weapons were hampered with injuries. Now, Dobbs is entering new territory for 2015: he is the undisputed starter to open the season. He also faces high expectations for the first time in his career, as his name was included on four preseason award watch lists (Maxwell Award, Wuerffel Trophy, Davey O’Brien Award and the Manning Award). Dobbs is ready for the moment, and it is his duty as the starting quarterback to ensure that his teammates are ready too. “The biggest (responsibility) is making sure everyone is ready to play,” Dobbs said. “Obviously it’s a long training camp. It’s a long month before the game, and I guess the tensions are high because people are tired of hitting the same color, they are ready to go after someone. See DOBBS on Page 11
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A red carpet acts as a runway for famous celebrities, designer stilettos and paparazzi photo-ops— it’s rarely used as a medium to spread awareness on systemic issues. But that’s exactly how UT’s Center for Health Education & Wellness used one Monday afternoon. To promote the upcoming Red Zone panel, Center for Health Education & Wellness wellness coordinator Rebecca Juarez watched as students inspected the long, red carpet winding around the Presidential Courtyard and signed their names in support of increased awareness on sexual assault issues. When students stopped to stare down at the signatures, Juarez said it was an opportunity to test pedestrians on their knowledge of sexual assault issues and encourage attendance for Red Zone events. “When we explain,(the Red Zone) to (students), most of them are very much on board and they want to find out and get involved,” Juarez said. The Red Zone campaign’s name stems from a recent statistical trend on college campuses that identifies the first six weeks of the academic year as the time when students are most likely to be sexually harassed or assaulted. The events planned for the week were organized and sponsored by Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee (SEAT). Center for Health Education & Wellness director Ashley Blamey said now that UT’s interim policy on sexual assault is finalized, clarification on the policy’s various components will be a primary focus for her as a participant in Red Zone’s first event: Having the Talk: A Dialogue with Administrators on Campus Sexual Assault. “(Sexual assault) is an issue that is not new to higher ed, and it’s not something that’s going to be resolved overnight,” she said. “The only way to solve a community issue is a community solution, and we’ve got a really good foundation that we need to keep building on.”
See RED ZONE on Page 4
Tuesday, September 1, 2015