2008 Tennessee Volunteers - Recruiting Class

Tennessee Volunteers 2008 Head Coach: Phil Fulmer

 

Tennessee Volunteers

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

E.J. Abrams-Ward WR 6-5 210 Thomasville, N.C. (Thomasville HS)
Named Associated Press All-State as a senior in 2007 and sophomore in 2005 ... 2007 All-Southern team ... Named to the Atlanta-Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 team ... North Carolina Offensive Player of the Year for Class 1A as a senior ... Three-time All-Conference and All-County selection as a senior, junior and sophomore ... Two-time All-Region selection as a senior and junior. ... As a senior in 2007, rushed for more than 1,200 yards and totaled better than 800 yards receiving ... As a junior in 2006, threw for 596 yards and six touchdowns.... Four-year letterman and three-year starter in football, starting at linebacker as a sophomore and junior as well as three-year starter on offense ... Also a standout basketball player, scoring topping 1,000 points in his career as a three-year starter ... Earned All-State, All-Conference and All-County honors in basketball as a junior ... A standout baseball player, earned All-Conference honors as a sophomore and junior as a pitcher and centerfielder ... Senior team captain for football and basketball.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Herman Lathers LB 6-0 210 Baton Rouge, La. (Scotlandville HS)
As a senior in 2007, tallied 114 tackles with 18 tackles-for-loss and five sacks ... Also had two interceptions ... As a junior at Istrouma had 96 tackles and 14 sacks. Played two years at Istrouma high school in Baton Rouge.

Stephaun Raines DB 6-0 180 Dalton, Ga. (Dalton HS/Coffeyville C.C.)
Class 4A All-State as senior ... Two-time All-Area and All-TriState ... Chattanooga Times Free Press 2005 All-North Georgia. ... As a senior in 2005, accounted for more than 1,700 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns ... Caught 41 passes for 704 yards and seven touchdowns to go with 947 rushing yards and eight touchdowns ... As a junior, caught 49 passes for 912 yards and eight touchdowns ... Also in 2004, carried the ball 12 times for 187 yards. ... Originally signed with Tennessee in 2006 and has four years to play four years ... Three-year high school starter at wide receiver ... Offensive captain and offensive MVP senior season ... Also started at defensive back as sophomore in 2003 ... Three-year letterwinner in track and field ... Events included 100M, 200M, 4x100M and 4x400M ... Top time in 100M was 10.5 seconds ... Redshirted 2007 season at Coffeyville Community College

Rest of the Class

Carson Anderson OL 6-3 275 Florence, Ala. (Florence HS)
Preston Bailey OL 6-5 320 Nashville (Montgomery Bell Academy)
Ben Bartholomew FB 6-3 235 Nashville (Montgomery Bell Academy)
Wille Bohannon DL 6-3 230 Mobile, Ala. (Blount HS)
Aaron Douglas OL/TE 6-6 245 Maryville (Maryville HS)
Steven Fowlkes WR 6-5 213 College Park, Ga. (Banneker HS)
Montori Hughes DL 6-5 275 Murfreesboro (Siegel HS)
Austin Johnson LB 6-3 235 Hickory, N.C. (Hickory HS)
Casey Kelly QB 6-4 195 Sarasota, Fla (Sarasota HS)
Tauren Poole RB 5-10 194 Toccoa, Ga. (Stephens County HS)
Dallas Thomas OL 6-6 260 Baton Rouge, La. (Scotlandville HS)
Prentiss Waggner DB 6-2 180 Clinton, La. (Clinton HS)
Marlon Walls LB 6-4 230 Olive Branch, Miss. (Olive Branch HS)
Rodriquez Wilks WR 6-2 205 Smyrna, Tenn. (Smyrna HS)
Gerald Williams LB 6-4 240 Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (City College of San Francisco)

- 2007 Tenn. Season
- 2007 Tenn. Preview
- 2006 Tenn. Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2007 Record: 10-4

Sept. 1 at California L 45-31
Sept. 8 So Miss W 39-19
Sept. 15 at Florida L 59-20
Sept. 22 Arkansas St W 48-27
Oct. 6 Georgia W 35-14
Oct. 13 at Mississippi St W 33-21
Oct. 20 at Alabama L 41-17
Oct. 27 So Carolina W 27-24 OT
Nov. 3 UL Lafayette W 59-7
Nov. 10 Arkansas W 34-13
Nov. 17 Vanderbilt W 25-24
Nov. 24 at Kent. W 52-50 4 OT
SEC Championship
Dec. 1 LSU L 21-14
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 Wisconsin W 21-17

2008 Lookahead
Why to get excited: Considering the league the Vols play in, the schedule isn't all that bad, especially late. Road trips to UCLA, Auburn and Georgia, along with the home date against Florida, makes things nasty early on, but if Phil Fulmer can get through 4-2, things get as good as can be reasonably asked for playing Mississippi State, Alabama, at South Carolina, Wyoming, at Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Ten starters return on offense including the entire offensive line that led the nation in fewest sacks allowed. RB Arian Foster's decision to come back for his senior season was a big plus.
Why to be grouchy: Yeah, most of the key parts are back on offense, but the two biggest parts, offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe and QB Erik Ainge, are gone. The defense was shockingly average, and now it has to replace three starters on the line, heart-and-soul playmakers Jerod Mayo and Jonathan Hefney, and solid tackling LB Ryan Karl.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting into the backfield. Outback Bowl win over Wisconsin aside, the Vols had a nightmare of a time getting to the quarterback and struggled way too much to stop the running game behind the line. With only two starters coming back on the defensive front seven, the coaching staff needs the off-season to figure out how to manufacture more of a pass rush.
Biggest offensive loss: QB Erik Ainge
Biggest defensive loss: LB Jerod Mayo & FS Jonathan Hefney
Best returning offensive player: OG Anthony Parker, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: SS Eric Berry, Soph.

2007 Recap
Recap: The Volunteers won 10 games, the rugged SEC East, and the Outback Bowl over Wisconsin, which wasn’t half bad for a program that was given up for dead at least twice last fall.  After hitting bedrock on Oct. 20 with a 41-17 loss to Alabama, Tennessee rallied for five wins in-a-row, including a couple of wild ones in overtime.  The Vols hung with eventual national champ LSU in the SEC title game, getting rare help from the defense, before bowing on a couple of inexcusable Erik Ainge interceptions late in the game.         

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Erik Ainge

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Jerod Mayo

Biggest Surprise: Winning the SEC East.  After the 24-point loss to ‘Bama, a game that was every bit as lopsided as the score indicated, Tennessee looked incapable of becoming bowl eligible, let alone beating out Florida and Georgia for the division.  With a break here and there and a timely stretch run, the Vols ended up in Atlanta on Dec. 1, ending speculation about Phil Fulmer’s future in Knoxville.       

Biggest Disappointment: When Tennessee lost in the regular season, it never was pretty.  On Sept. 15, for instance, the Vols got dressed down by Florida, 59-20, in one of the worst showings ever in this heated rivalry.  UT helped QB Tim Tebow get his Heisman campaign off the ground, allowing the sophomore to throw for 299 yards and two scores, and rush for 61 yards and two more touchdowns.

Looking Ahead: Former Richmond head coach Dave Clawson has been hired to replace David Cutcliffe, who is trying to breathe life into Duke.  Cutcliffe’s knack with quarterbacks will be missed since Ainge is out of eligibility, and likely to be replaced by junior Jonathan Crompton.  Defensive coordinator John Chavis will be putting out an APB for pass rushers after his unit finished eighth in the SEC in sacks.

Jan. 1 
2008 Outback Bowl
Tennessee 21 ... Wisconsin 17
Wisconsin was marching on a final drive with a chance to win the game, but Antonio Wardlow picked off a Tyler Donovan pass on the five-yard line in the final minute to seal the win for the Vols. Tennessee held a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter on two Erik Ainge touchdown passes and a three-yard Gerald Jones scoring run, but Wisconsin pitched a shut out the rest of the way. The Badger offense got a six-yard Donovan run and a four-yard Andy Crooks catch, but couldn't get in the end zone in the second half with Taylor Mehlhaff hitting a 27-yard field goal late in the third and the Vol D holding on a key fourth down play. Down four with under six minutes to play and on the Tennessee ten, the Badger chose to go for it on fourth and two and missed as Donovan, under pressure, threw his pass to Travis Beckum through the end zone. The Badgers had to go for a late touchdown instead of getting in field goal range for Mehlhaff.
Offensive Player of the Game: Tennessee QB Erik Ainge completed 25 of 43 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns
Defensive Player of the Game: Wisconsin LB Jonathan Casillas made ten tackles, four tackles for loss and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 25-43, 365 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Montario Hardesty, 7-35. Receiving: Josh Briscoe, 7-101, 1 TD
Wisconsin - Passing: Tyler Donovan, 14-24, 155 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 16-132. Receiving: Garrett Graham, 7-75
Thoughts & Notes ... 5 Thoughts on the Outback Bowl ... Erik Ainge was phenomenal on third downs for about three quarters. While the Tennessee offense struggled to keep drives going late in the second half, it finished converting nine of 18 third down chances and killed any Badger defensive momentum time and again... Where were the carries for P.J. Hill? While the Badger rushing star wasn't quite 100%, he was effective every time he touched the ball, and even showed a burst of speed with a 50-yard run. The Wisconsin offensive line got into a lather and was fantastic when it could line up and blast the Tennessee defensive line on rushing plays, but the Badger offense went away from the ground game in too many key spots. ... Tennessee got a pass rush, with three sacks and several big hits on Tyler Donovan, and Wisconsin didn't lay a finger on Ainge for long stretches. That proved to be the difference. ... The Tennessee defensive line had great stretches, but every time the Badgers wanted to run the ball, tackle Kraig Urbik and guard Andy Kemp steamrolled the right side. However, Badger left tackle Gabe Carimi had a rough game.

Dec. 1
SEC Championship
LSU 21 ... Tennessee 14
LSU outgained Tennessee 464 yards to 343, but needed a bid play from the defense to win the SEC championship. Jonathan Zenon took a long Erik Ainge out pattern throw the other way 18 yards for an LSU touchdown for the winning score. The Vols had one last big chance, but a fourth and four pass on the LSU 21 was dropped by Denarius Moore. Their final drive ended with an interception. The Tigers got two Colt David field goals and a 27-yard Demetrius Byrd touchdown catch from Ryan Perrilloux, who injured his finger, but stay in for most of the game. Tennessee played well with two Erik Ainge touchdown passes with an 11-yarder to Chris Brown and a six-yard play to Josh Briscoe.
Player of the game: LSU CB Jonathan Zenon made six tackles, broke up a pass, and picked off a pass for the game-winning touchdown. Tennessee's Jerod Mayo made 15 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Ryan Perrilloux, 20-30, 243 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 23-120. Receiving: Early Doucet, 5-29
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 20-40, 249 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 21-55. Receiving: Josh Briscoe, 8-79, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Erik Ainge needed to have a flawless game to beat LSU, and he didn't. He didn't make too many big mistakes, but the ones he did come up with ended up proving to be too costly. The offensive line did a great job, for the most part, of keeping Ainge upright, it didn't allow a sack, but it did give up a bit of pressure that hurried too many throws. Arian Foster and the running game was erased from the start putting more pressure on Ainge. It showed as the game went on.

Nov. 24
Tennessee 52 ... Kentucky 50 4OT
Following a two-yard Derrick Locke touchdown run in the fourth overtime to get Kentucky within two, QB Andre Woodson was stopped just short of the goal line and Tennessee hung on to clinch the East title. Erik Ainge threw seven touchdown passes including three in overtime with a 40-yard connection to Quintin Hancock for a score in the fourth overtime, followed up by the game-winning two-point conversion to Austin Rogers. Woodson made up for a mediocre first half by going ballistic in the second with three touchdown passes while leading the Wildcats on a 17-point run to close out regulation. He had a shot to win the game with eight seconds to play, but misfired in the end zone leading to a 20-yard Lones Seiber field goal to force overtime. Keenan Burton caught an eight-yard touchdown pass to start the scoring for UK, but UT answered with a ten-yard Gerald Jones catch. Kentucky had a shot to win it in the second overtime, but a Seiber field goal attempt was blocked. The two teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, but both teams failed on the two-point conversion attempt. The two combined for 1,084 yards of total offense 61 first downs and 827 passing yards.
Player of the game: Tennessee QB Erik Ainge completed 28 of 45 passes for 397 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions, and LB Jerod Mayo made 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a half a sack and broke up a pass.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 28-45, 397 yds, 7 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 27-118, 1 TD. Receiving: Arian Foster, 9-98, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 39-62, 430 yds, 6 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 24-77. Receiving: Rafael Little, 11-108
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The world seems to have wanted Georgia to find its way to the SEC title game, with the belief that it's the hottest SEC team going. Meanwhile, all Tennessee has done is win five straight to close out the year with the spotlight and the pressure on. Tim Tebow will win all the First Team All-SEC accolades, but a case could be made for Erik Ainge for the SEC Player of the Year. He has been terrific all season long leading the Vols to the title game, and he showed against Kentucky what kind of a pro prospect he'll be. While he might not have a howitzer of a gun, he makes everyone around him better.

Nov. 17
Tennessee 25 ... Vanderbilt 24
Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln connected on a 33-yard field goal with 2:46 to play for a lead, and then the Vols had to hang on as Bryant Hahnfeldt just missed a 49-yard field goal attempt with 33 seconds to play. The Commodores got up 24-9 on three Mackenzi Adams touchdown passes, but the Vols roared back in the fourth quarter on 16 unanswered points with Erik Ainge connecting with Josh Briscoe for a seven-yard touchdown and with Austin Rogers from five yards out. Vandy only came up with 270 yards of total offense to Tennessee's 350.
Player of the game: Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo made 15 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss.
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi Adams, 14-26, 139 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Cassen Jackson-Garrison, 17-83. Receiving: Alex Washington. 3-45
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 29-43, 245 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Arian Foster, 19-106. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 9-90. 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Everyone keeps waiting for Tennessee to screw up so Georgia can go off and play LSU for the SEC championship, and all the Vols keep doing is winning and winning and winning. Tim Tebow has a lock on the First Team All-SEC honors, but Erik Ainge is having a phenomenally effective year as he quietly keeps leading the way to big drives when the team needs them. Beating Vanderbilt is tougher than it might appear, but getting that SEC sealing victory over Kentucky will be a war. The Wildcats might not be playing well, but the spotlight, and the pressure, are on. The last time the Vols were on the road they were blasted by Alabama.

Nov. 10
Tennessee 34 ... Arkansas 13
Tennessee held Arkansas to 127 rushing yards and took command of the game from the start with a 16-yard Austin Rogers touchdown catch on the opening drive. The Vols got up 20-3 at the end of the first half helped by two Daniel Lincoln field goals and a 14-yard Josh Briscoe touchdown catch with ten seconds left in the half, and then they put it away on their opening drive of the second half on a 59-yard Arian Foster touchdown run. Arkansas finally got into the end zone midway through the fourth quarter on a nine-yard Michael Smith run to pull within 14, and got the ball back with a chance to make things interesting, but Jerod Mayo picked off a Casey Dick pass and took it 34 yards for a score. Arkansas committed 12 penalties for 61 yards, while Tennessee committed just three for 25.
Player of the game: Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo made nine tackles and returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 12-25, 128 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Arian Foster, 13-83, 1 TD. Receiving: Austin Rogers, 6-62, 1 TD
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 12-22, 140 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Darren McFadden, 22-117. Receiving: Marcus Monk, 3-26
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tennessee sure isn't playing like a team due to get knocked out of the SEC race. With its amazing win over Arkansas, with the best defense it's played all year against the run, the Vols still control their own destiny needing to win out against Vanderbilt and Kentucky to play LSU for the title. This game showed that the offense doesn't have to be razor-sharp to beat a great team. Arian Foster will have a hard time getting All-SEC recognition this year, but he's been as vital as any back can be for a team. He's coming through time and again.

Nov 3
Tennessee 59 ... UL Lafayette 7
It took a quarter, but Tennessee made its homecoming a laugher with 21 points in the second quarter on two short Arian Foster touchdown runs and a 70-yard interception return for a score from Antonio Reynolds. The Ragin' Cajuns took the second half kickoff 69 yards in seven plays with Tyrell Fenroy running for a 21-yard score, but that would be all their fun as the Vols ripped off 35 unanswered points helped by a blocked punt for a score from Antonio Wardlow and a 49-yard Kenny O'Neal scoring play. Tennessee outgained ULL 466 yards to 364.
Player of the game: Tennessee RB Arian Foster ran 20 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: UL Lafayette - Passing: Michael Desormeaux, 13-25, 95 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Fenroy, 14-113, 1 TD. Receiving: Phillip Nevels, 7-51
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 16-23, 125 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Lennon Creer, 7-109, 1 TD. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 5-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After a rough overtime win over South Carolina, Tennessee might have been ripe for a sluggish performance. For a quarter against UL Lafayette, the team failed to wake up, and then the overall speed and athleticism took over. Now the Vols have to gear it up for the Arkansas running game, and if this week against the Ragin' Cajuns is any indicator there could be problems. Tyrell Fenroy and ULL ran way too well.

Oct. 27
Tennessee 27 ... South Carolina 24 OT
Tennessee overcame a South Carolina comeback by forcing overtime on a 48-yard Daniel Lincoln field goal, that was pushed back five yards after a Vol false start penalty that ended up bailing out a missed kick. Lincoln nailed his 27-yard attempt in overtime, South Carolina's Ryan Succop missed his 40-yard attempt wide right, and the Vols escaped. Tennessee had a 21-0 first half lead on short runs from Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty, and a five-yard Josh Briscoe catch, but South Carolina owned the second half, as Blake Mitchell, in for Chris Smelley, ran for a score and threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Kenny McKinley, to go along with a 29-yard Cory Boyd scoring dash. South Carolina outgained Tennessee 501 yards to 317.
Player of the game: Tennessee's Eric Berry made 12 tackles, an interception and recovered a fumble
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Blake Mitchell, 31-45, 290 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Cory Boyd, 20-160, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 14-151, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 26-44, 216 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 19-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Brown, 5-19
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The secondary can't stop anyone, the running game was stuck in the mud, and Erik Ainge only threw for 216 yards, but the Vols still came up with the win over South Carolina and is now within shouting distance of winning the East. Over the next week against UL Lafayette, the offense has to find a groove again. Inconsistency continues to be a problem, but this team battles hard. That might be enough in this year's East.

Oct. 20
Alabama 41 ... Tennessee 17
Alabama started out the game with an onside kick, leading to the first of four Leigh Tiffin field goals, but got down 14-10 on a three-yard Luke Stocker touchdown catch early in the second quarter. And then the Tide passing game took over, as D.J. Hall caught second quarter scoring passes from 16 and two yards out to start a 31-3 run to close out the game. Tiffin connected from 39, 20, 42 and 44 yards out, and Terry Grant, in for a suspended Glen Coffee, ran for an eight-yard touchdown. Bama outgained Tennessee 510 yards to 362.
Player of the game: Alabama WR D.J. Hall caught 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 22-35, 243 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 13-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Brown, 5-28
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 32-46, 363 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Terry Grant, 26-104, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Hall, 13-185, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Just when you think Tennessee is about to make a major move and become a big player in the SEC race, it gets its doors blown off by Bama. The defense has been the issue all season long, and this week, the secondary couldn't handle the onslaught once John Parker Wilson got hot. While that wasn't a shock, the lack of production from the Vol passing game was surprising. The Tide secondary never let the Vol receivers breathe. With four straight home games ahead, UT needs to get back on track in a hurry with a win over South Carolina next week. Win that, and it's right back in the title hunt until the regular season ender at Kentucky.

Oct. 13
Tennessee 33 ... Mississippi State 21
Tennessee broke open a close game in the final 20 minutes on three Daniel Lincoln field goals, but it was Lucas Taylor, who had a huge day with 186 yards and a 51-yard touchdown, and Arian Foster, who ran for 139 yards and a score, that carried the Vols. MSU made it interesting with a 30-yard Anthony Dixon touchdown run and two Wesley Carroll scoring passes, but the balanced UT offense proved to be too much. The Vols outgained the Bulldogs 470 yards to 338.
Player of the game: Tennessee WR Lucas Taylor caught 11 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 22-36, 259 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 21-139, 1 TD. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 11-186, 1 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 18-33, 203 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 26-108, 1 TD. Receiving: Tony Burks, 5-79, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tennessee offensive line came up with a whale of a game against Mississippi State. While the final score, 33-21, might have been a bit close, and it took a little while to put the game away, the line allowed the offense to be as balanced and as effective as it's been all year, while Erik Ainge got all the time he needed to throw. The secondary was the only down side, giving up 203 yards to a mediocre MSU passing game, but that's nitpicking. This was a nicer road win than the Vols might get credit for.

Oct. 6
Tennessee 35 ... Georgia 14
Tennessee stunned Georgia by getting up 28-0 at halftime on Arian Foster touchdown runs from nine and 22 yards out, a 56-yard trick play pass from to Lucas Taylor, to LaMarcus Coker, and a ten-yard Montario Hardesty scoring dash. Georgia showed some life on the first drive of the second half with a 26-yard Demiko Goodman scoring grab, but Tennessee ended any comeback hopes with a four-yard Foster run. Tennessee outgained Georgia 411 yards to 243.
Player of the game: Tennessee RB Arian Foster rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while making a reception for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 16-33, 174 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 13-30. Receiving: Tripp Chandler, 4-33, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 17-22, 165 yds
Rushing: Arian Foster, 17-98, 3 TDs. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 6-50
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where has this Tennessee team been all season long? It ripped apart Georgia with the speed, efficiency, and execution everyone was waiting to see against California and Florida. Instead of the game being put on Erik Ainge's shoulders, there was balance and creativity to the playcalling, keeping the Dawgs on their heels throughout the first half. Now, despite a 3-2 start, the Vols are with South Carolina as the lead dogs in the East race. The Gamecocks come to Knoxville on October 27th.

Sept. 22
Tennessee 48... Arkansas State 27
Erik Ainge threw four touchdown passes, and for a career high 334 yards, as Tennessee's passing game overcame the ground attack of ASU. Ainge connected with Lucas Taylor for scores from 17 and 24 yards out, and he found Chris Brown and LaMarcus Coker for scores. ASU was able to stay alive with a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown, and two Josh Arauco field goals, but Ainge proved to be too sharp. His 24-yard scoring pass to Taylor early in the fourth quarter finally gave the Vols some breathing room.
Player of the game: Tennessee QB Erik Ainge completed 27 of 39 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 27-39, 334 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: LaMarcus Coker, 15-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 7-104, 2 TD
Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard, 18-35, 199 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Reggie Arnold, 16-130, 1 TD. Receiving: Kevin Jones, 5-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tennessee allowed Arkansas State to hang around for too long, but the offense was humming thanks to Erik Ainge, who played one of his best games of his career. 11 different receivers caught passes, and LaMarcus Coker ran well, as the Vols outgained ASU 188 rushing yards to 178, but it was still a closer call than it probably should've been. The defense simply isn't doing enough, so to get by Georgia in two weeks, Ainge will likely have to keep bombing, and the offense will have to find a way to get close to 500 yards. The linebackers have to start playing better.

Sept. 15
Florida 59 ... Tennessee 20
Florida showed off all its speed and talent scoring in all phases. Brandon James started off the scoring with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown and Tim Tebow threw for two scores and ran for another, but Tennessee hung tough thanks to a 15-yard Chris Brown touchdown catch and a 96-yard interception return for a score from Eric Berry. But the Gators responded with a defensive touchdown of its own on a fumble return for a score from Dustin Doe, and then Percy Harvin put it away with an electrifying 19-yard touchdown run as past of a 31-point run to close out the game.
Player of the game: Florida QB Tim Tebow finished 14-of-19 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while running 18 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 26-41, 249 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 11-26. Receiving: Josh Briscoe, 8-76
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 14-19, 299 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 9-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy Harvin, 4-120
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offensive line didn't do a good enough job to get the running game going against Florida, but that wasn't the biggest problem. The secondary had to try to make too many plays against Gators running in space, while the defensive front got shoved around way too much. How many sacks did the Vols come up with? None. There wasn't nearly enough pressure on Tim Tebow, and there wasn't enough consistency on offense. Tennessee, for one of the few times in recent history, didn't appear to be athletic enough to play with Florida. Then again, the Gators will look like that against a lot of teams.

Sept. 8
Tennessee 39 ... Southern Miss 19
Southern Miss got up 16-10 late in the first half on three field goals and a 69-yard Chris Johnson touchdown catch, but Tennessee got a touchdown in the final minute on a five-yard catch from Josh Briscoe, and then the rout was on. The Volunteers went on a 29-3 run with Arian Foster running for two touchdowns and Daniel Lincoln connecting on field goals from 36 and 47 yards out. The Golden Eagles were held to 90 rushing yards and turned it over three times.
Player of the game: Tennessee RB Arian Foster ran 23 times for 125 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 19-36, 254 yds, 1 TD, 1 TD
Rushing: Jeremy Young, 9-48. Receiving: Chris Johnson, 8-127, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 23-36, 276 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Arian Foster, 23-125, 2 TDs. Receiving: Austin Rogers, 7-112, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tennessee can't be happy with the start against Southern Miss, but there were great signs of life going into the Florida showdown. Erik Ainge spread the ball around well to a slew of receivers, and Arian Foster ran tough and well as the focal point of the attack in the second half. The line is giving Ainge time to work, and he's making the most of it by helping to make Austin Rogers and Lucas Taylor look great, and vice versa. Maintaining an offensive balance will be vital next week.

Sept. 1
California 45 ... Tennessee 31
In a wild game with a variety of big scoring plays, Cal kicked things off with a 44-yard Worrell Williams fumble return for a touchdown, got a brilliant 77-yard punt return for a touchdown from DeSean Jackson, and got two scoring passes and a two-yard touchdown run from Nate Longshore. Tennessee hung tough in a wild first half, and pulled within seven by the fourth quarter with a five-yard touchdown catch from Chris Brown and a 41-yard Daniel Lincoln field goal. Just when it seemed like the Vols had the momentum, Cal went on a 70-yard scoring drive finishing up with a 13-yard touchdown run from Justin Forsett. Despite playing with a broken finger on his throwing hand, Tennessee QB Erik Ainge threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
Player of the game ... California RB Justin Forsett ran 26 times for 156 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: California - Passing: Nate Longshore, 19-28, 241 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Justin Forsett, 26-156, 1 TD  Receiving: Lavelle Hawkins, 7-90, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 32-47, 271 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Arian Foster, 13-89  Receiving: Chris Brown, 7-54, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Lost in the defeat to Cal was a good day from QB Erik Ainge, who threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns with a broken finger. He spread the ball around well and helped keep the offense moving in the first half, but the defense didn't help out and the running game, outside of one big run from Arian Foster, failed to do enough to keep the Cal offense off the field. Cal's attack will tear up plenty of teams, but this is Tennessee. It's not supposed to give up 471 yards and 45 points to anyone. All can be forgiven against Florida in two weeks, but a loss like this makes the seat that much hotter for Phil Fulmer.