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)
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2007 Tenn. Season
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2007 Tenn. Preview
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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.
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