The Official Thread of the 2006 Tennessee Volunteers

[Poli]

Rocky Top you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee,
Rocky Top Tennessee!

I made a similar thread last year...and despite most likely missing most of the season due to being +7 hours to the eastern time zone, I'm going to do it again.

GO VOLS! BEAT CAL!

GAMENOTES

Jayson Swain DID YOU KNOW? Under Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee has won 39 of its 66 games against ranked opponents. The 2006 season-opener against California presents Fulmer with an opportunity to notch his 40th career victory over a ranked team. SERIES HISTORY & NOTES Tennessee and California have met twice previously on the gridiron, with both meetings taking place in Knoxville. The Bears posted a 27-17 win in 1977, and the Vols triumphed over Cal by a score of 38-12 in 1987. Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer is 3-1 all-time against current members of the Pac-10 Conference (2-1 vs. UCLA and 1-0 vs. Washington State). This year's game marks the first meeting between Fulmer and fifth-year Cal head coach Jeff Tedford. Fulmer is 13-1 all-time in season-openers, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Pac-10 opponent UCLA in 1994 (the Bruins posted a 25-23 victory in Pasadena, Calif.) Just two players on Tennessee's 2006 roster -- Arian Foster (San Diego) and Cody Pope (San Diego) -- hail from the state of California. CUTCLIFFE RETURNS TO ROCKY TOP After seven years away from Rocky Top, David Cutcliffe returns to Tennessee in the role of assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the 2006 season. Cutcliffe, 51, was a member of UT's staff for 17 years, including six years as offensive coordinator, before leaving after the 1998 season to become head coach at Mississippi. Under Cutcliffe's tutelage as OC from 1993-98, Tennessee twice led the SEC in total offense and three times was the league's rushing leader. The Vols finished no worse than fifth in scoring offense during that span and posted a 63-11 record with three SEC Eastern Division crowns, two league championships and the 1998 national title. Cutcliffe was named the nation's top assistant coach in 1998. WILHOIT SEC'S ACTIVE SCORING LEADER Tennessee senior placekicker James Wilhoit enters 2006 as the SEC's active scoring leader with 229 points. He also ranks eighth on UT's all-time career scoring list.

[Poli]

It should be noted that Cody Pope, the true freshman listed above did not qualify academically and is no longer with the team.

[Poli]

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: MAPU IS BACK
The already-imposing Tennessee defensive front is bolstered even more this year by the return of two-time letterman J.T. Mapu (2002-03), who spent the past two years on a religious mission.

The defensive tackle from Kahuku, Hawaii, has 24 games of experience under his belt. His career totals include 35 tackles, two sacks and 4.5 TFLs.

This marks the fifth straight season that UT's roster has included a native of Hawaii.

2006 NATIONAL FOOTBALL AWARD CANDIDATES

Bednarik Award - Justin Harrell

Lott Trophy - Justin Harrell

Manning Award - Erik Ainge

Maxwell Award - Erik Ainge

Outland Trophy - Arron Sears

CHEMISTRY A KEY AS VOLS SEEK RETURN TO CHAMPIONSHIP FORM
Head coach Phillip Fulmer, banking on a talented squad to create a winning chemistry, has challenged the Tennessee Vols to make every moment count as they head for the 2006 season-opener Sept. 2 against California.

The Vols' long-standing status as one of the nation's elite football powers took a poke to the midsection last fall in an uncharacteristically dreary season that left the team home for the holidays for the first time since 1988.

Home may be where the heart is, but it isn't where you want to be when the calendar turns over from December to January in college football. With the team's 5-6 record banishing it from the list of bowl eligibles, Tennessee had more than enough time to analyze what went wrong in 2005. It was a season that left Vols loyalists, including the demanding Fulmer, looking for vast improvement.

But rather than separate the good from the bad, Fulmer called for a rededication by all parties toward achieving the Vols' customary goals, which start with a drive for the Eastern Division championship of the Southeastern Conference.

Although it suffered heavy graduation losses, especially in the linebacker corps, the defense ranked second in the nation last year against the run. Some intense patching is called for to determine a starting lineup. But coordinator John Chavis anticipates another strong performance by his charges.

"The defense played well enough to win," was a frequently heard commentary among fans who watched in frustration as the Vols dropped five of their last seven games. The implication that the Vols were below par when it came to moving the football was borne out in the season statistics.

Offensively, the Vols never achieved the consistent results that would have made the team a big winner. David Cutcliffe, who held the coordinator's portfolio before heading to Ole Miss as head coach in 1999, has rejoined his longtime friend, Phillip Fulmer.

The obvious priority is for Cutcliffe, returned as coordinator, to shake up the offense -- shuffle personnel, adopt and discard plays and formations, do whatever if takes -- to remold Tennessee into a juggernaut to be greatly feared.
VOLS TOP SEC OVER LAST DECADE
Tennessee maintains its standing as the winningest team in the SEC over the last 10 years in terms of victories and percentage. The Vols are 95-30 during that span for a percentage of .760, ranking them fifth nationally in percentage and sixth in wins.
COACHING STAFF BENEFITS FROM NEW ADDITIONS, SHIFTED ROLES
In addition to the return of David Cutcliffe, UT's 2006 coaching staff also features newcomers Matt Luke and Kurt Roper. An eightyear veteran in the collegiate coaching ranks, Luke takes over as tight ends coach with additional offensive line duties and the title of recruiting coordinator. Roper boasts 11 years of sideline experience and is coaching the Vols' running backs.

Greg Adkins, in his fourth season with the UT staff takes over as the primary offensive line coach, while third-year Tennessee coach Trooper Taylor moves over to guide the Vols' receiving corps.
FULMER TO APPOINT GAME CAPTAINS
For the first time in the Phillip Fulmer era -- and the first year overall since 1990 -- Tennessee enters a season without predetermined team captains. The Vols will name captains on a game-bygame basis to open the season, but Fulmer has left open the possibility of naming permanent captains during the year as leaders emerge.

The last time a UT team utilized this approach to captaincy, the Vols won the 1990 SEC Championship and finished 9-2-2.
SCORING STREAK
Tennessee has scored in 146 consecutive games dating back to a 31-0 shutout by Florida in Knoxville in 1994. It is the secondlongest streak in the SEC, trailing Florida's 215. UT's home scoring streak is at 76, while it has scored in 141 straight games away from Neyland Stadium. The Vols' last road shutout was handed down by Georgia in 1981, 44-0.
FOSTER SEEKING SIXTH STRAIGHT 100-YARD GAME
After posting the fifth-best rushing total ever for a UT freshman tailback last season, Arian Foster enters the 2006 campaign as Tennessee's marquee ballcarrier. In addition, the San Diego, Calif., native is riding a streak of five straight 100-yard games. He closed out 2005 by reaching the century mark in each of the Vols' last five outings (his only five career starts).
MEDIA TABS VOLS THIRD IN SEC EAST
During July's SEC Media Days, 104 media voters in Birmingham, Ala., predicted a third-place finish for Tennessee in the 2006 Eastern Division race. Florida and Georgia were a close 1-2 in the voting, with South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt rounding out the East.
SIX VOLS EARN PRESEASON SCHOLARSHIPS
Since the start of preseason practice, Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer has awarded scholarship status to six student-athletes.

The recipients include seniors David Yancey (TB), Matt McGlothlin (DT), Ryan West (DS) and Stanley Asumnu (WR) and juniors Michael Frogg (C) and Ben Greene (DB).

Frogg, a native of nearby Kingston, Tenn., has been tabbed by Fulmer as Tennessee's starting center for the season-opener against California Sept. 2 in Knoxville. McGlothlin is also slated to start along the defensive front when the Golden Bears invade Neyland Stadium.

Asumnu joined the football team this summer after lettering for four years as a member of the UT basketball team.
NUMBER SWAP
A number of returning Vols are sporting new jersey numbers this season. Those players and new numbers are as follows: No. 94 Wes Brown, No. 48, Adam Myers-White, No. 51 Vladimir Richard, No. 21 Austin Rogers, No. 55 Dan Williams and No. 23 Ellix Wilson.
VOLS RETURN TO ESPN AIRWAVES
Tennessee's last football appearance on ESPN was Oct. 2, 2004, vs. Auburn in Knoxville (L, 34-10). The Vols have played 20 games since that contest, marking UT's second-longest streak without appearing on "The Worldwide Leader in Sports" primary channel. Tennessee went 23 games between its inaugural ESPN appearance (a 6-6 tie with Georgia Tech Oct. 26, 1985) and its second (a 41-21 loss to Alabama Oct. 17, 1987). Since 1997, Tennessee has opened the season on ESPN four times. In three of those years (1997, 1998, 2004), the Vols advanced to the SEC Championship Game.
QUARTERBACKS
The Tennessee signal-callers should greatly benefit from the return of QB guru David Cutcliffe to the Vols' coaching staff this season ... Junior Erik Ainge enters the year holding the starter's role during spring drills and hopes to bounce back from a sub-par sophomore campaign ... Redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton is the top backup candidate and a player who Vols fans are excited to see in action ... Depth at the position is provided by junior Bo Hardegree, senior Jim Bob Cooter and true freshman Nick Stephens.
RUNNING BACKS
After a breakout year in 2005, sophomore Arian Foster is primed for his first season as UT's showcase ballcarrier ... Hailed by his coaches as a dynamic back who is physical and will fall forward, Foster racked up a team-high 879 yards on the ground last year with 4.8-yard average per carry and five TDs ... Phillip Fulmer has announced that redshirt freshmen Montario Hardesty and LaMarcus Coker also will both see action in the backfield ... A stable of eager workhorse reserves includes senior David Yancey and sophomore Ja'Kouri Williams ... At the fullback position, Coach Fulmer has called on senior Cory Anderson to maximize his potential ... Anderson will surely prove up to the task, while talented junior David Holbert lurks just behind on the depth chart.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Senior WR Jayson Swain has emerged as a leader during the offseason and leads a talented corps of route runners under new position coach Trooper Taylor ... Junior Robert Meachem and senior Bret Smith both bring tremendous explosiveness to the line of scrimmage and will certainly factor in the Vols' aerial attack ... The sophomore trio of Josh Briscoe, Austin Rogers and Lucas Taylor adds depth to the position, as does true freshman Quintin Hancock.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Preseason All-America OT Arron Sears headlines a group that many have concerns about entering the season ... Coach Fulmer voiced optimism in his line's toughness, however ... Junior OT Steven Jones and sophomore OGs Anthony Parker and Ramon Foster each have game experience under their belts ... Junior Michael Frogg has earned the starter's role at center, and is likely to be sandwiched between Parker and senior David Ligon ... Junior Eric Young appears to be the opening-game starter at RT ... Greg Adkins has taken over as offensive line coach and faces the task of improving upon last year's 1,411 net rushing total (the lowest for a UT team since 1996).
DEFENSIVE LINE
Tennessee's defensive front lost three stalwarts to the NFL draft but remains steadfast under defensive assistants Dan Brooks and Steve Caldwell ... Senior DT Justin Harrell brings preseason All-America mention into his final collegiate campaign following a breakout junior season ... Fellow senior Turk McBride can line up at either tackle or end and is certain to disrupt the opponent's backfield ... Other power players along the front seven include ends Antonio Reynolds, Xavier Mitchell and Robert Ayers as well as tackles Demonte Bolden, Matt McGlothlin and J.T. Mapu ... Plenty of youngbloods are ready to enter the fray if called upon.
LINEBACKERS
All three 2005 starters have departed, but defensive genius John Chavis is plugging the gaps with typical top-tier talent once again ... Senior Marvin Mitchell will likely line up at MLB, flanked by Ryan Karl at SLB and Jerod Mayo at WLB ... Ellix Wilson and Rico McCoy are sure to see action as well ... UT's opponents rushed for just 906 net yards and eight TDs in 2005.
SECONDARY
Despite the loss of first-round draft pick Jason Allen, this unit may emerge as a strength of the Vols' defense due to talented veterans Jonathan Wade, Antwan Stewart and Jonathan Hefney ... Fulmer has vowed to find a way to get sophomore standout Demetrice Morley on the field consistently ... Junior Inky Johnson also is sure to bat down a few passes before all is said and done ... Opponents passed for 215 yards per game and nine total TDs a season ago.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior placekicker James Wilhoit returns as the SEC's active career scoring leader and looks to cement his UT legacy ... Sophomore punter Britton Colquitt will pin opponents deep ... Jonathan Hefney, Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers are early favorites for kick- and puntreturn duties.

[FBPro]

7 wins tops. Enjoy your season. I wish I could escape all the orange crap that surrounds me.

Go Dawgs!!!!!!

[Poli]

FBPro,

I knew you'd be posting in a Volunteer thread. You're a closet Vol fan...I know it.

Speaking of wins, though, I'd be happy with 8.

Though, mercy, they were good today. I read the play by play, and I won't get to see the game for another 7 hours, but 35-0 at one point? Rock on.

GO VOLS!

[FBPro]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

FBPro,

I knew you'd be posting in a Volunteer thread. You're a closet Vol fan...I know it.

GO VOLS!

Uh, not even close. The ONLY time that I would EVER be someone who pulls for the Vols to win is if it will benefit my beloved Bulldogs otherwise I hope that they lose every game and get blown out in the process. Last season was great because all of the "Vol crap" that I'm living in the midst of were quieted by the "title run" the Vols made last year. Here's hoping for a repeat of '05.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by FBPro

... because all of the "Vol crap" that I'm living in ...

Hmm ... maybe we ought to look into swapping houses during football season or something. I'm (still) moving into the middle of what my son aptly describes as "Bulldog Hell".

Oddly though, I've found that there's actually more football diversity in Athens than there is in the Hooterville I've lived in for the past 12 years.

[kingnebwsu]

Nice game by TEN today. I thought they'd win, but not dominate Cal as much as they did. I'll be sure to bump them way up in my FOFC poll

[Poli]

Well, I'd like to say I share the same view about your Bulldogs, but I don't. I'm like SkyDog, I guess. UT first, SEC second, South third, anyone who plays ND fourth.

Now if it's the Bulldogs and Gators, I'll root for the "underdog", because more muck in the SEC race is better for the Vols.

How did UGA do today? I haven't seen.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

How did UGA do today? I haven't seen.

They beat the Western Kentucky Little Sisters of the Poor 48-12.

Most interesting thing from the game is the mini-QB controversy that's brewing.
Starter Tereshinki went 7/17 for 90 yds & 1 TD
Backup Cox went 2/3 for 29 yds & an INT
3rd QB Stafford was 3/5 for 40 yds & 1 TD.

[Poli]

Yeah, poor Tereshinski won't be on the field for the UT game unless he's snapping the ball to the punter.

I actually like the guy. Team player.

[JeeberD]

Damn...I need me one of these threads.

[Poli]

I call copyright infringement.

[WVUFAN]

excellent game by the Vols today. That was a dominating performance against a team many hyped as a national championship contender.

[Poli]

Thanks, I knew they were overhyped, though. There was a lot of talk about it a Vol boards by another poster and myself. Basically, Cal allowed an average of 35 points to teams with winning records last year. They overall average was 21 points allowed, but that included a 3 point game by 2-9 Sacremento State and a shutout of 2-9 Arizona.

[FBPro]

My guess is the reason I'm so "anti-Vol" is where I live the local's bleed orange....plus the fact that I was born and raised in GA.

[Poli]

TENNESSEE POSTGAME NOTES

Tennessee 35, California 18
Sept. 2, 2006

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2



Noting Tennessee Tennessee (1-0) won its 12th consecutive season opener ; California falls to 0-1.
The Vols entered the game ranked No. 23 in both the Associated Press poll and the USA Today rankings; California was ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 12 in the USA Today listings. It was the only matchup between two top-25 teams on the opening Saturday of the season.
Today's victory marked the first time since Oct. 9, 1999, that the Vols defeated a top-10 opponent in Neyland Stadium (No. 10 Georgia 37-20)
Tennessee returns to action Saturday vs. Air Force at 7 p.m. ET. Tennessee-California Series
Tennessee now leads the all-time series vs. California 2-1, dating to 1977. All games have been played in Knoxville. The teams meet again next season at California. Phillip Fulmer's Record
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer's record now stands at 129-37 (.777) in 15 seasons with the Vols.
Fulmer owns a 3-1 record against teams from the Pac-10, and today's win is his 40th career victory over a ranked team, as well as his 14th win over a top-10 foe. Ainge Has Career Day in Season Opener
Junior quarterback Erik Ainge made the 12th start of his career and completed 11 of 17 passes for a career-high 291 yards and four touchdowns.
Ainge opened his junior campaign in impressive fashion, hooking up with Robert Meachem on a 41-yard play-action pass on the Vols' first play from scrimmage.
After rolling to his right midway through the first quarter, Ainge found Chris Brown from 12 yards out for the first UT touchdown of 2006. The TD was the second of Brown's career - first since South Carolina in 2004 - and the first touchdown by a Vols' tight end since Brown's against the Gamecocks.
Ainge and Meachem hooked up again for a 42-yard touchdown to put UT up 14-0 in the second quarter. It was Meachem's first touchdown since 2004 against Kentucky and second career TD. The scoring play also put Meachem over 100 yards through the air.
The duo struck again on the second play of the second half, as Meachem broke a tackle on the right sideline and took an Ainge pass 80 yards for his second touchdown grab of the game.
Senior game-captain Jayson Swain also got into the touchdown act with a 50-yard reception in the third quarter from Ainge.
Ainge tossed four touchdown passes for the game, the most scoring strikes by a Vol since Casey Clausen threw five against Mississippi State in 2003.
Tennessee allowed no sacks in the game and had no plays that resulted in negative yards. Meachem Powers Offense, Delivers One of UT's Best-Ever Performances by a Receiver
Meachem posted one of the best statistical games for a Vols' wide receiver in school history, catching five passes for 182 yards.
He became the first UT receiver since Jayson Swain at Vanderbilt in 2004 to haul in multiple touchdowns. His second touchdown was also the 15th play of 80 yards or more in school history and ties for the ninth-longest pass play ever for the Vols. Noting the Defense
Sophomore linebacker Jerod Mayo recorded his first career sack, bringing down California quarterback Nate Longshore for a nine-yard loss in the second quarter. He picked up his second sack two plays later, and Mayo added his third later in the game to become the first UT player with a hat trick since Kevin Simon against Marshall in 2003.
Ryan Karl, making his first career start at LB, led the Vols with a career-high nine tackles.
Numerous returning Vols set new career highs for tackles: Karl (9), J. Mayo (7), M. Mitchell (7), Gaines (2)
Passes Defensed (9): I. Johnson (1), Karl (1), J. Mayo (1), M. Mitchell (1), Morley (1), Stewart (1), Wade (3)
Senior safety Antwan Stewart intercepted Longshore for his third career pick and first since 2003 against Kentucky. Miscellaneous Notes
Today's attendance was 106,009.
The Vols donned striped pants for the first time since the 1996 Citrus Bowl against Ohio State.
Michael Frogg, Antonio Reynolds and Ryan Karl all made their first career starts for the Vols.
Montario Hardesty's 43-yard rushing touchdown was the first of his career.
Junior placekicker James Wilhoit - the SEC's active career scoring leader - raised his career point total to 234 with five points today. Vols Tabbed for 7 p.m. ET Start on VideoSeat PPV Next Saturday
Tennessee's game vs. Air Force next Saturday in Knoxville will be televised by VideoSeat. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Vols won the only previous match-up against the Falcons, a 34-13 victory in the 1970 Sugar Bowl.

[MrBug708]

Effin Cal. Looks like they'll be no problem for UCLAthis year

[Ben E Lou]

Did people REALLY think some left coast punks could come into Rocky Top and play with an SEC team in the first week of the season??? Uh, no. Later in the year when we've beaten up on each other, maybe, but not before we've all taken each other down a notch or two.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Did people REALLY think some left coast punks could come into Rocky Top and play with an SEC team in the first week of the season???

Actually, this "Vol-in-Law" thought that was very very possible. And so did a lot of the Big Orange Nation I think.

Amidst all the clutter on local sports talk yesterday (live radio coverage of Moe's National Burrito Eating Contest for example) there were some pretty good short discussions (I was driving back from Jasper after seeing my HS alma mater trample Lumpkin Co. Friday night, so I had a lot of car radio time).

One of those segments pretty much summed up my feelings on the possibilities in Knoxville yesterday:
If they had lost the opener at home to a Pac-10 team not named USC, the only way Fulmer could have saved his job was to pretty much run the table afterwards (or at the very least go 2-1 vs Fla/Bama/UGA).

[JW]

Congrats to the Vols for kicking Cal's ass.

[mrsimperless]

Good to see the Vols win in such convincing fashion against Cal. I don't like seeing them struggle being a Colts fan. I never really followed them that closely when Peyton was a Vol, but still. I'd much rather see the SEC do well than the Crap-10. Heh.

And on a side note, a good day for Indiana football with IU, Purdue and ND all getting wins. Not that IU or Purdue beat anybody special, but its still not everyday you see IU do so well.

I think I'm just excited in general for football season. I just wish I was in the states to watch it!! Hopefully the Colts / NYG game will be on TV next monday morning and I can go into work late. =D

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://sports.myway.com/news/09042006/v6574.html

Vols Find Strength in An Empty Stadium
Sep 4, 4:34 PM (ET)
By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Tennessee players stood in an empty Neyland Stadium and watched clips of themselves on the Jumbotron. They saw scenes from last year's 5-6 finish, spring practice and preseason camp.

There were no coaches at this meeting Thursday night. This signaled the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006.

The Volunteers set the tone early Saturday night against ninth-ranked California, knocking out one of the Golden Bears' toughest players on the kickoff en route to a 35-18 victory. No. 23 Tennessee hosts Air Force this week.

"We just got together as a team and went down to the stadium and watched some stuff we had been through as a team during spring and during fall practice and listened to a little passage from a movie mixed in with some highlights from last season," cornerback Jonathan Wade said Monday.

"We prayed as a team and we looked around at an empty stadium and we looked at ourselves and told each other that this is our family, this is us. People in here right now are the people that believe in us."

The movie was Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday."

Quarterback Erik Ainge said he and receiver Jayson Swain asked Tennessee's video coordinator to put together a highlight - or in this case a low-light - reel for the players. The video included shots of the scoreboard after some games last year.

"To put things into perspective and show everything we had worked for and that it was all coming together on Saturday. ...Thursday night on, it was all focus," Ainge said.

"Guys were walking off the field jumping up and down like they were ready to go play a football game, and it was on Thursday. That kind of focus and intensity for two days until we played is always good."

The focus showed on the very first play of the game when defensive end Robert Ayers charged into Cal tight end Craig Stevens on the opening kickoff. Stevens was slow getting up, and his legs were wobbly as the trainers helped him off the field. He did not play the rest of the game.

"We were thinking 'Oh, man, these guys are probably in trouble today,"' said linebacker Jerod Mayo, who had all three of Tennessee's sacks.

Before the game Saturday, the players gathered at midfield, many still wearing suits and ties. They lowered their heads while some spoke.

"We're a lot closer than last year," Mayo said. "We just went out there with the mind-set that, 'Hey this is business time now. No time for jokes, no time for playing around. It's time to get the job done."'

[Poli]

GAMENOTES

Jerod Mayo DID YOU KNOW? Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge threw five total touchdown passes as a sophomore in 2005 (eight games played). He needs just one more scoring toss to match that total this season after recording a career-high four TD passes during last weekend's win over ninth-ranked California. SERIES HISTORY & NOTES Mountain West Conference member Air Force makes its first-ever visit to Neyland Stadium to face Tennessee Saturday. The meeting is the second all-time between the Falcons and Vols, with UT winning the previous meeting in the 1970 Sugar Bowl, 34-13. UT head coach Phillip Fulmer has never patrolled the sidelines against the Academy, but the former Vols' offensive lineman was a member of the Sugar Bowl Champion squad that routed the Falcons. The Vols are undefeated against current members of the MWC (15-0), with their last win against the league coming in a 2004 season-opening win over UNLV, 42-17. UT OWNS .722 ALL-TIME WINNING PERCENTAGE AGAINST SERVICE ACADEMIES While Tennessee has played just nine all-time games against United States military-service academies, the Vols have enjoyed a fair measure of success. UT owns a 1-0 record against Air Force and a 5-2-1 mark against Army. Tennessee has never faced Navy. The Vols own a 3-1-1 home record against service academies, with all of those games coming against Army. A 25-21 loss to Army Oct. 11, 1986, in Knoxville marks the last time a UT squad has faced a U.S. service academy. MAYO NAMED WALTER CAMP DIV. I-A NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK After recording a career-high seven tackles, three quarterback sacks and one pass break-up in UT's season-opening rout of ninth-ranked California, Vols sophomore linebacker Jerod Mayo was selected as the Walter Camp Football Foundation's National Division I-A Defensive Player of the Week and the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Making just his second career start, Mayo anchored a Tennessee defense that held the Golden Bears to just 64 yards rushing for the game. Mayo also became the first Vol to post three sacks in a single game since linebacker Kevin Simon logged three sacks against Marshall in 2003. 18 POINTS ALLOWED ... BUT DON'T BE DECEIVED It would be easy for those who didn't watch Tennessee's season-opening 35-18 victory over ninth-ranked California to overlook the dominance displayed by the rejuvenated Volunteers. But a closer inspection of the game's statistics reveals that the Golden Bears' second-half point production was largely cosmetic. In fact, 229 of Cal's 336 total offensive yards (68.2 percent) came after the 8:32 mark in the third quarter, when UT backup tailback Montario Hardesty scored to give the Vols a commanding 35-0 lead. Only after building a five-touchdown lead did UT surrender: 42 of Cal's 64 net rushing yards (65.6 percent); 187 of Cal's 272 passing yards (68.8 percent); and nine of Cal's 20 pass completions (45 percent). MEACHEM EXPLODES FOR 12th-BEST SINGLE-GAME EFFORT BY VOLS' RECEIVER Tennessee junior wide receiver Robert Meachem enjoyed a career day in UT's 35-18 victory over ninth-ranked California. The Tulsa, Okla., native totaled a career-high 182 yards and two touchdowns on just five receptions vs. the Bears. His 182-yard outing marked the 12th-highest single-game receiving output in the history of Tennessee football. Meachem led the Vols last season with 383 receiving yards. After just one game this year, he has equaled nearly half (47.5 percent) of his entire sophomore yardage. FLASH DRIVES The Volunteers wasted little time in pulling away from California in the second half of last week's season-opening win. Tennessee scored on its first three possessions of the half, needing only six plays and 2:01 of game action to blow open what was, up to that point, a close game. UT's first drive of the half took two plays, as quarterback Erik Ainge found Robert Meachem near the sideline. Meachem then turned what appeared to be a 5-yard gain into an 80-yard touchdown as he raced down the sideline and used a great block from fellow wideout Jayson Swain to score. Swain added a touchdown of his own two UT plays later as Ainge found the senior for a 50-yard scoring strike. Hardesty then proved the rout was on when, on the Vols' next offensive play, he ran through half the Golden Bears' defense on his way to a career-long 43-yard TD bullrush. OPPOSING RUSHERS STRUGGLE TO HIT 100 AGAINST VOLS' TENACIOUS "D" Tennessee has played 13 games since it last allowed an opposing ballcarrier to rush for at least 100 yards. That streak stretches all the way back to the 2004 SEC Championship Game, when current NFL standout Carnell "Cadillac" Williams racked up exactly 100 yards on 19 carries. And since the 2004 league title game, the opposition's top ground-gainer has averaged 65.5 yards per game. Prior to Williams' 100-yard day, the last player to hit the century mark against Tennessee was UNLV's Dominique Dorsey (121 yards) in the 2004 season-opener. Among the backs who recently came up short in their quest for 100 yards are such names as Ronnie Brown, Kenneth Darby, Joseph Addai, Thomas Brown, Darius Walker and Marshawn Lynch. WILHOIT SEC'S ACTIVE SCORING LEADER Tennessee senior placekicker James Wilhoit bears the crown of the SEC's active scoring leader with 234 points. He also ranks tied for seventh (with James Stewart, 1991-94) on UT's all-time career scoring list. Wilhoit is 41-of-60 on field-goal attempts during his career and 111-of113 on extra-point tries. 2006 NATIONAL FOOTBALL AWARD CANDIDATES Bednarik Award - Justin Harrell Lott Trophy - Justin Harrell Manning Award - Erik Ainge Maxwell Award - Erik Ainge Outland Trophy - Arron Sears CAL GAME REVEALS VOLS HAVE OPTIONS, DEPTH AT TAILBACK UT's dominance in its season opener was highlighted by the performances of three big-play tailbacks. Sophomore Arian Foster and freshmen LaMarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty all showed the ability to be difference-makers last Saturday. Foster was a known commodity coming into the season, with all five of his previous career starts resulting in 100-yard rushing games. The San Diego, Calif., native could not extend his streak to six, but he did rush for 69 yards on 17 carries to pace the Vols in rushing. Hardesty showed no lingering effects in coming back from a torn ACL in 2005 as he rushed for 56 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown run where he overpowered and then ran away from the Golden Bear defense. Coker, making his Big Orange debut, displayed the ability to run effectively up the middle for tough yards. The Smyrna, Tenn., native ended the day with 53 yards on 11 carries. None of the three tailbacks had any plays resulting in negative yardage, and they all had one run of 20 yards or more. TENNESSEE TALLIES FOUR SCORING PLAYS OF AT LEAST 40 YARDS IN SEASON-OPENING TRIUMPH Among the bright spots in Tennessee's 35-18 win over ninth-ranked California is the fact that the Vols managed to produce four scoring plays of at least 40 yards. Those plays included a 42- and 80-yard TD passes from Erik Ainge to Robert Meachem, a 50-yard TD pass from Ainge to Jayson Swain and a 43-yard scoring scamper by Montario Hardesty. A total of 153 Tennessee football games had elapsed since the last time the Vols had at least four such plays in a single game. UT had scoring plays of 60, 43, 52 and 51 yards during a 55-3 win vs. South Carolina Oct. 30, 1993, in Knoxville. QUARTERBACKS Junior starter Erik Ainge jumped out to a great start last weekend by setting career-highs for passing yardage (291) and passing TDs (4) against Cal ... Ainge threw five total TDs all of last season ... Redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton saw the first action of his career, completing both of his pass attempts vs. Cal and gaining six yards on the ground ... The Vols' QBs were rarely pressured by the Golden Bears defense and finished with a 246.16 efficiency rating. RUNNING BACKS While sophomore TB Arian Foster's streak of five consecutive 100-yard games came to an end, Tennessee's ground game was still brilliant against Cal ... Foster racked up a team-high 69 yards on 17 carries, and redshirt freshmen Montario Hardesty and LaMarcus Coker also shined ... Hardesty netted 56 yards on five carries (including a 43-yard TD rush), and Coker added 53 yards on 11 carries ... In total, UT gained 216 yards on the ground (5.3 ypc) vs. Cal ... Senior Cory Anderson provides a multi-threat at FB, and junior David Holbert lurks just behind on the depth chart. WIDE RECEIVERS Junior Robert Meachem showed off the back of his jersey to the Cal defense all game long last weekend, totaling a career-high 182 receiving yards with two TDs on five catches ... Senior Jayson Swain hauled in a 50-yard TD strike vs. the Golden Bears as well ... Sophomore Lucas Taylor and freshman Quintin Hancock each recorded their first career receptions last Saturday ... Senior Bret Smith is UT's active leader with eight career TDs scored (Meachem is second with eight TDs scored) ... TE Chris Brown had two catches for 31 yards vs. Cal, including a 12- yard TD catch to open the game's scoring. OFFENSIVE LINE The Vols' offensive front was outstanding last weekend vs. ninth-ranked Cal ... UT had no plays for negative yardage and the Vols' signal-callers had time in the pocket all game long ... UT has settled on the following starters along the offensive front: Arron Sears at LT, David Ligon at LG, Michael Frogg at C, Anthony Parker at RG and Eric Young at RT ... Tennessee's 514 yards of offense included 216 yards on the ground and 298 passing yards ... Vols' backs averaged 5.3 yards per rush. DEFENSIVE LINE Senior DTs Justin Harrell and Matt McGlothlin anchor UT's defensive line as starters, while Antonio Reynolds and Turk McBride provide a wealth of talent at DE ... McBride logged three QB hurries against California ... The Golden Bears managed just 64 net rushing yards, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Marshawn Lynch's 74 net yards ... Youngbloods Demonte' Bolden, Dan Williams and Wes Brown all saw significant action in the Vols' opening win. LINEBACKERS With stellar performances against Cal, Ryan Karl, Jerod Mayo and Marvin Mitchell provided answers to many analysts' concerns that LB may be the weak spot in the Vols' defense ... Mayo earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors ... Karl had a career-high nine tackles, and Mayo finished with a career-best seven tackles and three sacks ... Mitchell added seven stops, two TFLs, one PBU and a QB hurry ... Backups Rico McCoy and Ellix Wilson also recorded tackles vs. the Golden Bears ... The Vols' speed at LB should be a tremendous asset as the season wears on. SECONDARY Tennessee allowed 272 passing yards to ninth-ranked California in the season-opener, but 187 of those yards (68.8 percent) came against mostly backups after the Vols had built a commanding 35-0 lead ... Senior Jonathan Wade broke up three passes vs. Cal, while fellow starters Antwan Stewart and Inquoris Johnson each recorded interceptions with doubledigit return yardage ... Jonathan Hefney and Demetrice Morley each posted four tackles to lead the Vols' defensive secondary. SPECIAL TEAMS Senior placekicker James Wilhoit tallied five points (all PATs) against Cal to move into a tie for seventh place on UT's all-time scoring list (234 points) ... Three of Wilhoit's six kickoffs were touchbacks ... Sophomore punter Britton Colquitt averaged 41.4 yards on five punts with a long of 59 yards ... Sophomore Austin Rogers returned two punts for a total of 13 yards, and Robert Meachem made UT's lone kickoff return vs. the Bears a 16-yarder.

[Poli]

I saw the game Sunday afternoon out here, although the video was sometimes a little choppy.

Just a great game. I knew Cal's defense was overrated. I was surprised at how well we stopped them defensively. Most of their points and yards were gained against our second teamers. I still a little disappointed our second teamers couldn't stop them, but I'll take it.

Coach Trooper Taylor got a lot of press about his "5 receiver rotation" during the summer practices. Last year, UT used 8 when healthy. Taylor said this year only the top 5 would be playing receiver. If a 6th made the bus, it would be for special teams. With only two players leaving out of the original 8 from last yera, this led to a mini-competition for the 4th and 5th spots. With Meacham, Swain, and Smith tieing up 1-3, the 4 and 5 spots were between sophs Lucas Taylor, Austin Rogers, and Josh Briscoe. Also in the mix were redshirt freshman Slick Shelley, juniors Casey Woods and Bill Grimes, and true freshman Quintin Hancock. Finally, fomer UT basketball player Stanley Asumnu joined the team after his basketball eligibility ended. 5 receivers to play and 11 receivers.

Lucas Taylor secured the #4 slot. Up to game time it was never truly revealed "who" the 5th man was going to be. Depth charts in the official press release of UT showed 9 receivers, so it didn't reveal anything. The two players left off were Hancock and Asumnu.

It looked to me that Briscoe was our 5th receiver, though. He seemed to be playing early when the game was still close. I noticed Rogers, Hancock, and even Woods got in the game at receiver, though.

I was a little surprised they didn't try to get Grimes and Asumnu in the game late. Grimes to my knowledge has yet to play a game at UT. I thought Asumnu was a sure bet to get in the game when it hit 35-0, at the very least to get his first game jitters out of the way.

Asumnu hasn't played in a football game since 8th grade.

[Poli]

Participation Report

Participation Report (Final) 2006 Tennessee Volunteers #9 California vs #23 Tennessee (Sep 02, 2006 at Knoxville, Tennessee)Tennessee 28 Chris Brown LT 76 Arron Sears LG 66 David Ligon C 73 Michael Frogg RG 75 Anthony Parker RT 54 Eric Young WR 1 Jayson Swain WR 3 Robert Meachem QB 10 Erik Ainge TB 27 Arian Foster FB 45 Cory Anderson LE 90 Turk McBride LT 92 Justin Harrell RT 68 Matt McGlothlin RE 89 A. Reynolds SLB 39 Ryan Karl MLB 40 Marvin Mitchell WLB 7 Jerod Mayo LCB 4 Jonathan Wade RCB 29 I. Johnson FS 33 Jonathan Hefney SS 24 Antwan Stewart

2-M. Hardesty, 5-Rico McCoy, 8-J. Crompton, 9-Bret Smith, 12-Lucas Taylor, 14-Ben Greene, 15-Sinclair Cannon, 20-D. Morley, 21-Austin Rogers, 22-LaMarcus Coker, 23-Ricardo Kemp, 25-James Wilhoit, 30-David Holbert, 34-Dorian Davis, 35-Ellix Wilson, 37-Antonio Gaines, 38-Antonio Wardlow, 43-David Yancey, 46-Andre Mathis, 47-B. Colquitt, 48-A. Myers-White, 50-Josh McNeil, 55-Dan Williams, 58-James Turner, 65-J. McClendon, 69-Ryan West, 71-Steven Jones, 78-Ramon Foster, 79-Chris Scott, 80-Jeff Cottam, 81-Josh Briscoe, 85-Casey Woods, 86-Brad Cottam, 87-Quintin Hancock, 91-Robert Ayers, 93-Xavier Mitchell, 94-Wes Brown, 98-Demonte' Bolden, 99-J.T. Mapu.----------------



Grimes wears #82. Asumnu is #83.


During summer practice Asumnu got some work in blocking kicks. I'm surprised he didn't enter the field at least for the XP try at the end of the game.

[Poli]

Well, that formatting sucked.

[wade moore]

Missed the game because I was at the W&M at Maryland game.

Came back expecting to see that UT lost and instead we pummelled them! On Saturday night all of the talk was that UT was the best looking team of the day.

Coming into the season I was going to be happy with a winning season this year. If Ainge can stay like this, I'd say we compete for the SEC East title.

[Poli]

Counting the amount of players who actually played, it didn't appear there were that many that didn't play at all (QB Hardegree, S Parrish, newly moved to OL Richard are others that I can think of that didn't play). I'm surprised a they couldn't find a few snaps for the rest of them. Hardegree I can understand, since he's the 3rd QB behind a redshirt freshman.

[Poli]

Rocky Top you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee,
Rocky Top Tennessee!

[k0ruptr]

keep singing... hahahahahaha lucky win...

[Poli]

We're 2/5's of the way to our win total from last year. I'll take it.

I hope Arian Foster and Inky Johnson are okay.

I don't get to see the game for another 2.5 hours.

[MylesKnight]

A.E., this would be the perfect place to put info on the Fulmer Cup competition.

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=2491

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=2363

[FBPro]

Really dominated Air Force...

[Galaril]

Air force ran all over the Vols D.

[wade moore]

As a Vols fan, this is more like what i expected to see this season.

Although it looks like Ainge still played quite well, which I did not expect.

[Poli]

UT's Harrell, Johnson out for season


By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer


KNOXVILLE – Tennessee announced tonight that starting defensive tackle Justin Harrell and starting cornerback Inky Johnson have both been lost for the season with injuries suffered in the Air Force game.

Johnson’s injury to his right shoulder is especially serious. He underwent surgery at UT Medical Center this morning and was listed in stable condition. He was immobilized, placed on a stretcher and carted from the field during the fourth quarter following a collision on the sideline
.
Head trainer Jason McVeigh said Johnson's surgery was to repair blood vessels in his right upper extremity. Johnson will require additional surgery to correct nerve damage.

McVeigh said Harrell ruptured a biceps tendon against Air Force and will undergo season-ending surgery in the coming days.

[Poli]

I hate to hear that it's probably a career ender. I don't even care what it does to our secondary.

As for the Vols...we came out with four injuries in the game against Air Force...Harrell and Johnson, obviously. Also injured were a pair of Fosters...Arian and Ramon. Both had ankle injuries...but I'd expect both to play against Florida.

Even if both are out, I think we'll be okay at their positions. Hardesty has looked good in his limited action at running back, playing the rest of the game when Arian went out.

Ramon is a 2nd team guard, and had Vladimir Richard behind him. Vlad's a converted DT. However, Jacques McClendon looks to benefit the most.

Harrell's injury hurts the defensive tackle position. We'll be forced to move Turk McBride back inside and our ends will have to step up. Xavier Mitchell, who made the game saving tackle on the 2 point conversion, looks to benefit the most from this, though Robert Ayers could see the field more as well.

Johnson's injury well, I don't want to say much about that. Anything I say would pale in comparison to what happened to him. I feel bad for the young man. Marsalous Johnson is still sitting out due to an offseason suspension. Fellows is out for the season with a torn pec muscle. DEMO, Demetrice Morley out of Miami, looks to get a significant amount of playing time because of the injury. The team was already looking at ways to get him on the field more. Morley finished the game at corner for us.

Morley, Hefney, or Stewart could move to corner. The other two would stay at the starting safety positions. Gaines and Kemp, the listed backups, will have to step up.

This isn't good news with Florida coming to Knoxville this week.

[Poli]

I'm sick at my stomach. I just read this at a Volunteer football forum:

Rumor has it he's headed for the Mayo Clinic as they can't get the bloodflow back into his arm. He may lose his arm.

Dear Lord, please look after him.

[MacroGuru]

As i said last night, from all descriptions I read, his shoulder basically exploded inside, that was a lot of force to cause that.

My prayers are out to him and his family.

[Poli]

Not much more official information available as of yet.

Vols rally around injured teammates

By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer


KNOXVILLE — The mood was somber, yet determined Monday at the Tennessee football complex.

Coaches and players did their best to process the season-ending injuries to cornerback Inky Johnson and defensive tackle Justin Harrell.

Johnson, who remains hospitalized at UT Medical Center, already has undergone one surgery to repair torn blood vessels in his right shoulder area. He faces additional surgery to correct nerve damage in his right shoulder and arm. He's had trouble moving his upper right extremity ever since a sideline collision in Saturday's 31-30 win over Air Force that landed him in the hospital.

The possibility that he may never play football again has weighed heavily on the minds of his teammates, who said they would play for both Johnson and Harrell this Saturday when seventh-ranked Florida comes to town.
Harrell, the Vols' All-SEC tackle, was lost for the season after suffering a torn left biceps tendon in the Air Force game.

"It's tough, but at the same time, they want a ring on their finger at the end of the season," senior receiver Jayson Swain said. "That's what we're trying to do, get that for them and for ourselves."

Coach Phillip Fulmer went to visit Johnson at the hospital late Sunday night.

"I walked in the room, and he was just waking up again," Fulmer said. "We talked for a few minutes, and I told him everybody was praying for him and the team was praying for him. He said, 'I'm blessed. I'm very blessed.' He's just an amazing young man."

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://knoxnews.com/kns/govols/artic...990598,00.html

Tennessee's Johnson released from hospital

By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
September 13, 2006

Tennessee cornerback Inky Johnson was released from the hospital and visited the team at practice Wednesday, four days after he was hit hard and severely injured in the Air Force game.

Johnson had surgery earlier this week to repair blood vessels in his upper right arm and shoulder area. Team officials have said Johnson would need surgery later to repair a nerve injury.

"Inky came out to practice and that was a very emotional moment for all of us," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "He got them excited about the game. His spirits are really good. I told him we were all praying for him and he said, 'Coach, I'm blessed. He just had a lot of energy about himself.

"He's tired, he's been through a lot, but he's got a tremendous attitude. He's a tremendous young man. Whatever he does in life, he will be very successful."

Head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh said Johnson "is doing well," but didn't release any other information, including whether Johnson would be able to play football again or how much Johnson was able to move his arm.

Teammate Jonathan Hefney, who is moving from free safety to Johnson's starting position, said he visited Johnson in the hospital on Monday.

"He was like, 'Look, Hef, I'm moving my hand.' You know, like he was moving his fingers around and his arm was itching. He's got feeling in his arm I'm assuming," Hefney said.

"I pray for him every night hoping that he will be all right. Maybe if he wants to play football again he can come back and play."

Defensive coordinator John Chavis choked up when asked about Johnson on Tuesday and told reporters he'd rather not talk about it.

Johnson was hurt in a collision with Air Force's Justin Handley after a catch. The players were running toward each other along the Falcons' sideline. Handley's helmet appeared to crash into Johnson's right shoulder under his chin as his head was turned. Johnson immediately fell limp. Medical personnel strapped Johnson to a board and took him away in an ambulance to University of Tennessee Medical Center.

"I was running directly over there when he hit the guy. I was like, 'Ink, come on let's get up.' I knew something was wrong because he never says 'I'm just going to lay down,'" Hefney said. "They told him just to stay down because he tried. I seen him lift his head up trying to get up anyway."

"As much as me and him talk and be around each other, to see him laying down on the field was like your brother or something getting shot or something. It like scared me to see him down on the field."

Johnson played on offense and defense at Crim High School in Atlanta. According to UT's media guide, Johnson broke his collarbone in the first game of his junior season. It doesn't say which collarbone. The collarbone covers a system of nerves that runs from the neck down the arm.

"He told me he's blessed to have the things he's got right now because he could be not walking, he could not be talking, he couldn't see. He tells me he's blessed and he told me he wants us to go out there and play ball. It don't even got to be for him, just to do it for ourselves," Hefney said.

"I'm going out to play for him even if he don't want me to," he said. "I'm going out there to play for him and the team, as well."

Fans who would like to send Johnson a card or letter should mail it to him in care of the UT football office, P.O. Box 15162, Knoxville, TN, 37901. Fans may send e-mail greetings to Johnson and defensive tackle Justin Harrell on the UT Web site at http://www.utsports.com

[Poli]

I was glad to hear about Inky, I hear he will be attending the game as well.

I heard a few days ago Justin Harrell will play the game and then have surgery. That pumped up the Vol fans. Here's a Chuck Norris bit someone adapated for Justin Harrell:

--Life doesn't give Justin Harrell lemons. Life asks him which fruit he wants.

--Justin Harrell's calender goes from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools with Justin Harrell.

--If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Justin Harrell says its beef, then it's f'ing beef.

--Justin Harrell once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.

--It's no use crying over spilled milk... Unless that was Justin Harrell's milk. Oh you are so screwed.

--Justin Harrell is the leading cause of death in Florida offensive linemen.

--Superman's only weakness is Kryptonite. Justin Harrell laughs at Superman for having a weakness.

--The truth may hurt, but it doesn't hurt as much as Justin Harrell.

--Justin Harrell once arm wrestled Superman. The stipulations were the loser had to wear his underwear on the outside of his pants.

--Justin Harrell wasn't born, he was unleashed.

--Justin Harrell once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now The Islands.

--"Simon Says" should be renamed "Justin Harrell Says" because if Justin Harrell says something then you better fricking do it.

--Every mathematical inequality officially ends with "< Justin Harrell"

--When you open a can of whoop-ass, Justin Harrell jumps out.

--When Batman is in trouble, he turns on the Justin Harrell signal.

--When Justin Harrell pees into the wind, the wind changes direction.

--You can lead a horse to water. Justin Harrell can make him drink.

--The Incredible Hulk once got so angry that it turned into Justin Harrell.

--Justin Harrell went out to the desert, and was bitten by a rattlesnake. The snake died.

--Your attraction to Justin Harrell in no way affects your sexual orientation.

--Justin Harrell tells Bob Barker when the price is right.

--It is a known fact that when Time magazine awards "The Man of Year*", there is fine print on the bottom of the cover that says, " *besides Justin Harrell."

--Justin Harrell doesn't make threats. He makes facts.

--Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Franklin D. Roosevelt never met Justin Harrell.

--Justin Harrell once went into a bar, and asked for a 'Justin Harrell'. He received three shots of Jack Daniel's, a shot of kerosene and four shots of tequila mixed. When seeing this, Chris Leak approached the bar and asked for a Justin Harrell. He got sacked.

--When Justin Harrell turns on an Xbox the screen just says "You Win" and turns itself off again.

--G.I. Joe has Justin Harrell action figures.
and of course,

--Superman wears Justin Harrell pajamas.

[Poli]

GAMENOTES

Jonathan Hefney made a career-high 17 tackles against Air Force. DID YOU KNOW? Saturday's game against No. 6 Florida presents the Vols with an opportunity to beat a ranked opponent for the 100th time in the history of Tennessee football. Tennessee currently owns 100 wins over ranked teams, however, a 17-17 tie with Alabama in 1993 was later forfeited to UT; the Vols have actually only beaten a ranked foe 99 times on the field. SERIES HISTORY & NOTES There's no easing into the conference schedule for either of these teams in a series that has become a highlight of the Southeastern Conference slate each September. Florida travels to Neyland Stadium to face rival Tennessee in the SEC opener for both squads Saturday. The Vols lead the all-time series 19-16, but the perennial SEC East favorites have split the last eight meetings, with the Gators taking the last contest 16-7 in Gainesville to give head coach Urban Meyer a win in his first try against the Vols. UT won the last meeting in Knoxville in thrilling fashion, coming from behind in the fourth quarter and knocking off No. 11 Florida with a 50-yard James Wilhoit field goal with six seconds left in the game. UT coach Phillip Fulmer is 5-9 against the Gators all-time, and 3-4 against Florida in Knoxville. This series recently has been dictated by the running game, as the team with the most rushing yardage has won 14 of the last 16 meetings (UF won in 2000 and 2002 despite being outgained on the ground). Over the last five games in this series in Knoxville, Tennessee has averaged 130.6 rushing yards per game while Florida has averaged 80.8. The 2006 UT roster features five players from the Sunshine State: Michael Crain (Jacksonville), Demetrice Morley (Miami), Daniel Lincoln (Ocala), Vladimir Richard (Sunrise) and Quintin Hancock (St. Augustine). TENNESSEE 8-6 UNDER FULMER IN CONFERENCE OPENERS Under head coach Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee owns an 8-6 mark in SEC openers, including wins in two of the last three conference lidlifters. Of those eight victories, three have come against Florida. The Vols average 24.5 points per game in SEC openers with Fulmer at the helm. Meanwhile, UT's opponents average 22.1 points per game in those contests. AINGE PACING NATION IN PASSING EFFICIENCY Tennessee junior quarterback Erik Ainge set a new career-high for passing yardage for the second time in as many games this season by totaling 333 passing yards during UT's 31-30 win over Air Force last Saturday. He currently ranks first among all NCAA Division I-A signal-callers with an impressive 226.63 passer efficiency rating. Ainge has completed 35 of 47 passes this season for 624 yards and seven TDs to just two interceptions. Against Air Force, he completed 15 consecutive passes at one point. His first five TD tosses this year came on just 28 pass attempts. Robert Meachem MEACHEM RANKING AMONG NCAA'S TOP RECEIVERS After a pair of two-TD, 100-yard outings, Tennessee junior wide receiver Robert Meachem ranks second among all NCAA Division I-A players with 148.5 receiving yards per game this season. His four TDs place him in a national tie for ninth place on this year's Division I-A scoring list. Meachem is averaging 22.8 yards on 13 total catches this year. His 182 receiving yards against California were a career-best. For his career, he has 67 receptions for 1,139 yards and 10 TDs in 26 games played. TREMENDOUS PROTECTION ALONG OFFENSIVE FRONT KEY TO UT'S PASSING SUCCESS When assessing the early-season success of the Vols' passing game, one must not overlook the performance of Tennessee's relatively young offensive line. Despite returning just one player with more than five career starts (OT Arron Sears), UT's offensive line has allowed no sacks all year (49 passing attempts). In the season-opener Sept. 2, Tennessee faced a California front seven that was touted by numerous national analysts as among the most dangerous in the country. However, the Vols had no plays for negative yardage in that contest while scoring 35 points against the then-No. 9-ranked Golden Bears. VOLS OFFENSE A DRIVING FORCE During last weekend's victory over Air Force, Tennessee put together two of the most impressive drives by a Southeastern Conference team so far this season. The Vols set SEC season-highs for plays in a drive (16) and drive length (99 yards) on two separate scoring charges. In the second quarter, UT authored a 16-play drive that covered 74 yards, lasted 7:39 and ended with a four-yard TD pass from Erik Ainge to Robert Meachem. Then in the third quarter, the Vols strung together an 11-play drive that covered 99 yards, used 5:39 of game clock and culminated in a three-yard scoring plunge by Montario Hardesty. Such long, sustained possessions served as a fine complement to the quick-strike aptitude displayed by the Vols' offense in the season-opener vs. California. Xavier Mitchell KEY DEFENSIVE STOP ON LATE-GAME 2-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT SEALS WIN FOR TENNESSEE; FIRST SUCH PLAY SINCE 1973 Tennessee defensive end Xavier Mitchell came up with a game-saving tackle last Saturday on what could have been a go-ahead 2-point conversion attempt by Air Force running back Ryan Williams. Williams scored on a 1-yard TD run to help the Falcons pull within one point, 31-30, with 1:35 remaining in the fourth quarter. Air Force then called a toss-sweep play that was foiled when Mitchell brought down Williams to preserve Tennessee's one-point edge. The Falcons then attempted an onside kick that was recovered by the Vols. Prior to Saturday, the last time Tennessee stopped a 2-point conversion play to win a game came during the 1973 season. It was that year that UT stopped a Kansas conversion attempt to preserve a 28-27 victory against the Jayhawks in Memphis. WILHOIT SEC'S ACTIVE SCORING LEADER Tennessee senior placekicker James Wilhoit bears the crown of the SEC's active scoring leader with 241 points. He also ranks sixth on UT's all-time career scoring list. Wilhoit is 42-of-61 on field-goal attempts during his career and 115-of-117 on extra-point tries. 2006 NATIONAL FOOTBALL AWARD CANDIDATES Manning Award - Erik Ainge Maxwell Award - Erik Ainge Outland Trophy - Arron Sears REGULAR-SEASON AWARD WINNERS Erik Ainge (Sept. 2, California) O'Reilly Auto Parts National College Player of the Week USA Today's National College Player of the Week Wrangler (Sporting News) National College Player of the Week (Sept. 9, Air Force) SEC Offensive Player of the Week Jerod Mayo (Sept. 2, California) CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week SEC Defensive Player of the Week VOLScholar of the Week Walter Camp Div. I-A National Defensive Player of the Week OPPOSING RUSHERS STRUGGLE TO HIT 100 AGAINST VOLS' TENACIOUS "D" Tennessee has played 14 games since it last allowed an opposing ballcarrier to rush for at least 100 yards. That streak stretches all the way back to the 2004 SEC Championship Game, when current NFL standout Carnell "Cadillac" Williams racked up exactly 100 yards on 19 carries. And since the 2004 league title game, the opposition's top ground-gainer has averaged 67.8 yards per game. Prior to Williams' 100-yard day, the last player to hit the century mark against Tennessee was UNLV's Dominique Dorsey (121 yards) in the 2004 season-opener. Among the backs who recently came up short in their quest for 100 yards are such names as Ronnie Brown, Kenneth Darby, Joseph Addai, Thomas Brown, Darius Walker and Marshawn Lynch. AINGE EARNS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS Vols quarterback Erik Ainge earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after completing 24 of 29 passes for 333 yards and three TDs in Tennessee's 31-30 win over Air Force Sept. 9. The junior had a string of 15 consecutive completions against the Falcons, five of which converted third down plays. His 24 completions and 333 passing yards were both career highs. Under Ainge's direction, Tennessee scored on its first five offensive possessions. VOLS LOSE PAIR OF DEFENSIVE STARTERS FOR SEASON Tennessee lost a pair of defensive starters to season-ending injuries suffered during the Air Force game. Below is a statement from UT Head Athletic Trainer Jason McVeigh regarding Inky Johnson and Justin Harrell (released Sunday, Sept. 10): "Inky Johnson has sustained a severe injury to his right upper extremity. He underwent surgery to repair blood vessels and will require further surgery for nerve injury in the future. He is in stable condition at this time. He will not return to play this season. The family has requested that the media and fans respect his privacy during this time. "Justin Harrell sustained a ruptured biceps tendon in the game Saturday. The injury will require surgery to be corrected. He will not return to play this season. It is anticipated that he will make a full recovery." QUARTERBACKS Junior starter Erik Ainge ranks first in NCAA Division I-A with a 226.63 passer efficiency rating this year ... He threw for a career-high 333 yards last weekend against Air Force on 24-of-29 passing and completed 15 straight passes at one point ... Ainge has seven TDs this season against just two INTs ... He needed just 28 passing attempts this season to throw his first five TDs ... Redshirt freshman backup Jonathan Crompton has played in one of UT's two outings. RUNNING BACKS Redshirt freshman TB Montario Hardesty stepped in for banged up sophomore starter Arian Foster, against Air Force, rushing for a career-high 72 yards on 19 carries and adding a TD rush of three yards ... Tennessee is averaging 4.0 yards per rush and 147.5 rushing yards per game after being held to just 79 net yards on the ground against the Falcons ... Senior FB Cory Anderson got his first touches of the year against Air Force, logging one catch and a rush. WIDE RECEIVERS Junior Robert Meachem enjoyed his second straight two-TD, triple-digit receiving yard outing, catching eight passes for 115 yards and a pair of scores against Air Force ... Meachem ranks second nationally with 148.5 receiving yards per game ... Senior Jayson Swain added a career-high six catches for 74 yards and one TD ... Swain and Meachem have each caught TD passes in both of UT's wins this season ... Sophomore Austin Rogers, making his first career start, recorded career-highs for catches (5) and receiving yards (69) vs. the Falcons, while fellow sophomore Lucas Taylor had a career-long 45-yard reception ... Tennessee is averaging 17.1 yards per catch this year. OFFENSIVE LINE The Vols' offensive front allowed no sacks for the second straight game during the Air Force victory ... The young unit's solid play has helped the Vols average 463.0 yards of total offense so far this season, which ranks third in the SEC behind 2006 opponents Florida and LSU ... Preseason All-America OT Arron Sears has made 25 consecutive starts. DEFENSIVE LINE Senior Turk McBride tied his career-high with nine tackles against Air Force ... DE Xavier Mitchell made the play of the game, stopping a potential go-ahead 2-point conversion with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter ... Preseason All-America DT Justin Harrell was lost for the season in the Vols' victory after suffering an arm injury ... Depth must develop quickly at the tackle position in order to help fill the void left by Harrell's loss ... Backups with playing experience include Demonte' Bolden, Dan Williams and J.T. Mapu (who logged his first tackle of the season during the Air Force game) ... McBride boasts the versatility to slide inside to tackle, while sophomore DE Robert Ayers' fine play could serve to boost his playing time. LINEBACKERS Starting LBs Jerod Mayo and Marvin Mitchell each set new career-highs for tackles in the Air Force game with 10 and 12 stops, respectively ... Ryan Karl added seven tackles and two TFLs, including his first career sack ... Mitchell, Mayo and Karl rank second, third and fourth on the team, respectively, in total tackles so far this season. SECONDARY Junior safety Jonathan Hefney tallied a career-high 17 tackles Saturday vs. Air Force, giving him the season lead on the squad with 21 stops on the year ... Starting DB Inky Johnson suffered an injury to his right upper extremity vs. the Falcons and will not return to action this season ... Tennessee's opponents are averaging 199.5 passing yards per game, including 14.8 yards per catch ... Talented sophomore Demetrice Morley is likely to see his playing time increase as a result of Johnson's injury. SPECIAL TEAMS Senior placekicker James Wilhoit tallied seven points against Air Force to move into sixth place on UT's all-time scoring list (241 points) ... Wilhoit made his first FG attempt of the season, nailing a 35-yarder vs. the Falcons ... Sophomore punter Britton Colquitt is averaging 41.4 yards on five punts this year, but attempted no punts during the win over Air Force ... Sophomore Austin Rogers is averaging 6.5 yards as the Vols' primary punt returner, and three different Vols have each returned one kickoff this season (for a team average of 9.5 yards per return) ... UT's opponents are averaging 5.3 and 21.8 yards on punt and kick returns, respectively.

[wade moore]

I'm going to miss the game because W&M has a home game. I have a headphone radio though, so it shoudl be on ESPN radio.

[Poli]

Rocky Top you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee,
Rocky Top Tennessee!

[Poli]

2:30 in the morning. Woo freaking woo!

[Poli]

Rocky Top you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee,
Rocky Top Tennessee!

[Poli]

WOOOOOO!

[Poli]

GAHHH!!


COME ON VOLS! We need a first down!