Tennessee Football from Every Angle

It's Official: Monte Kiffin Joins His Son

2009-01-04T12:25:00.006-05:00

Monte Kiffin has officially joined Tennessee as the Vols defensive coordinator after 26 brilliant seasons in the National Football League, the last 13 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kiffin was the longest tenured defensive coordinator in the NFL and, as developer of the Tampa Cover 2 defense, is generally considered one of the modern era's best defensive minds.

"As a coach with a background in offense, it was imperative to find the best defensive coordinator we could," head coach Lane Kiffin said. "We feel we got the best defensive coach at any level. The addition of Coach Kiffin not only puts us in position to play great defense, but also gives us the ability to sign the best defensive players in the nation if they want to prepare for the NFL every year they are here."

Monte Kiffin was a catalyst for Tampa Bay's 2002 Super Bowl championship and coached units that ranked among the NFL's top 10 in both total defense and points allowed in 11 of his 13 Buccaneer seasons.

His Super Bowl champion unit became the first since the 1985 Chicago Bears to lead the league in total defense (252.8 ypg), fewest points allowed (196) and total interceptions (31). Kiffin's crew continued its impressive play in the 2002 postseason, allowing just 16 points in victories over San Francisco and Philadelphia, before turning it up a notch in Super Bowl XXXVII. During the Buccaneers' 48-21 win over Oakland, Tampa Bay recorded a Super Bowl-record five interceptions, including three picks that were returned for touchdowns (also a Super Bowl record). Kiffin's charges added five sacks and allowed only 19 total rushing yards in capping one of the most dominating defensive performances in Super Bowl history.

Kiffin now returns to the collegiate ranks at Tennessee, where, in fact, he previously considered a position with the Vols under then head coach Johnny Majors.

"I was last here in 1983 when I was under consideration for the defensive coordinator's job," Kiffin said. "I chose instead the Green Bay Packers to start my NFL career, but this was an impressive place. Now that I'm back 25 years later, it's bigger and even more amazing than I remember.

"It is more than just the facilities, though. I felt it when I arrived at the airport and no one even knew who I was. I could just feel what it means here to be a Tennessee Volunteer. I've never coached when there have been 102,000 fans watching us play. And what's really great is these 102,000 fans will be Tennessee fans and this will be our home field. I can't wait."

A native of Lexington, Neb., Kiffin was his state's High School Athlete of the Year in 1958. Then after playing collegiately for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1959-63 as both an offensive and defensive tackle, Kiffin sat out one season with a knee injury before taking a turn at defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

He then began his coaching career in 1966 at his alma mater under a pair of legends in Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne. Kiffin first helped command the Big Red defense to consecutive national titles in 1970 and 1971. When Osborne became Nebraska's head coach in 1973, Kiffin was named defensive coordinator. Kiffin moved to Arkansas as defensive coordinator under Lou Holtz from 1977-79, including one season as assistant head coach. The Razorbacks led the nation in scoring defense in 1977.

Kiffin was head coach at North Carolina State from 1980-82, compiling a 16-17 record that included winning seasons in 1981 and 1982.

From there, it was on to the professional ranks, including stops with the Green Bay Packers under Bart Starr in 1983, the Buffalo Bills from 1984-85, the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-89 and the New York Jets in 1990. Kiffin then returned to the Vikings, first in his initial professional role as defensive coordinator in 1991 before spending the 1992-94 seasons as inside linebackers coach. The 1995 campaign as defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints was Kiffin's last before moving to Tampa Bay.

Kiffin and his wife, Robin, have three children, including daughter Heidi and sons Lane and Chris; and three grandchildren, Preston, Landry and Presley. Chris currently serves as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi.

Monte Kiffin

CAREER AT A GLANCE

Playing Career
1959-63 -- University of Nebraska, offensive and defensive tackle
1965 -- Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL), defensive end

Collegiate Coaching
1966-72 -- University of Nebraska, defensive assistant
1973-76 -- University of Nebraska, defensive coordinator
1977-78 -- University of Arkansas, defensive coordinator
1979 -- University of Arkansas, assistant head coach
1980-82 -- North Carolina State University, head coach
2009 -- University of Tennessee, defensive coordinatorProfessional Coaching
1983 -- Green Bay Packers, linebackers coach
1984-85 -- Buffalo Bills, linebackers coach
1986-89 -- Minnesota Vikings, linebackers coach
1990 -- New York Jets, linebackers coach
1991 -- Minnesota Vikings, defensive coordinator
1992-94 -- Minnesota Vikings, inside linebackers coach
1995 -- New Orleans Saints, defensive coordinator
1996-2008 -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive coordinator

Russ Huesman Is Baaaaack!

2008-12-23T19:23:00.003-05:00

CHATTANOOGA -- When the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Director of Athletics Rick Hart began the search for the Mocs’ new head football coach, he had a list of qualities he was looking for in potential candidates. He had a plan and an idea from the beginning of the process and looked all over the college football landscape for the right person for the job.
First and foremost, Hart was looking for someone who could set an example for the student-athletes in the Mocs football program. He wanted a leader and a teacher who could fulfill the mission of Chattanooga Athletics, "To guide, encourage and support Student-Athletes in their quest for comprehensive excellence - academically, athletically and socially - and above all else, to prepare Student-Athletes for productive and meaningful lives."

Second, Hart was looking for someone who could unite and ignite the fan base of Chattanooga. He wanted a coach with a proven track record for winning and one that could bring the passion and excitement needed to sell the program to students, alumni and the Chattanooga community.

Today, Hart introduces the perfect fit for Chattanooga Football in coaching veteran and UTC alum Russ Huesman. Huesman has over 25 years of college coaching experience, having spent the last five years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond. He takes over as the 22nd head coach in Chattanooga history after helping to guide the Spiders to the 2008 FCS National Title on Dec. 19, 2008.

"We are very excited to announce Russ Huesman as the new head coach of the Chattanooga Mocs football program," stated Hart. "He exemplifies everything we were looking for in a head coach and will bring years of knowledge, experience and energy to this position. Being an alum, Coach Huesman will provide a unique spark this program needs, both on and off the field. He possesses all of the tools required to get our program moving in the right direction."

Huesman‘s success as a coach was on display for all of Chattanooga and college football to see in last week’s FCS title game against Montana. The Spider’s defense held the Grizzlies to just 39 yards rushing and seven points in a 24-7 win for Richmond. It was the first national title in the Spider’s history.

Richmond’s defense has been ranked in the top-15 in the NCAA for each of the past three seasons under Huesman’s guidance. He spent the previous six years (1998-03) at Memphis, holding various positions on the Tiger’s sidelines. As the recruiting coordinator, Huesman’s 2002 class was ranked in the top-50 in the nation, the first class in Tiger history to earn a top-50 ranking.

Prior to his time at Memphis, Huesman spent 14 seasons (1984-97) at William & Mary. During his tenure with the Tribe, Huesman coached current NFL star Darren Sharper, who led a defense ranked second in the nation, allowing just 231.8 yards per game in 1996.

"It is an honor and a privilege to be named the head football coach at my alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga," stated Huesman. "This is a goal I have been working towards my entire career. It could not have happened at a better place and I will do everything I can to make Chattanooga a successful college football team. I can not wait to get started on building the Mocs into a winning program that all of Chattanooga can be proud of."

Huesman’s ability to ignite and unite the fan base of Chattanooga is evident in his passion for his alma mater. He is a 1983 graduate of UTC, having been a four-year starter at defensive back from 1978-81. He also played centerfield for the Mocs baseball team in his freshman and junior years.

Having graduated from UTC, Huesman brings a unique insight and experience to the position. His direct knowledge and relationships with former players and alumni will allow him to bring back the passion and interest in UTC football.

Russ Huesman - Chattanooga Mocs Head Football Coach Biography

Russ Huesman was named the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program’s 22nd head coach on Dec. 22, 2008. Huesman, a 1983 graduate of UTC and a former defensive back for Chattanooga, brings over 25 years of coaching experience to the Mocs football program.

Huesman spent the previous five seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond, helping guide the Spiders to the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision National Title. The Spiders were known for their "Stonewall Defense," a phrase that was coined by Bruce Dowd of the College Sporting News. Richmond’s defense was ranked in the top-15 in the nation in each of the last three seasons under Huesman’s guidance.

Huesman’s ‘Stonewall Defense’ was most impressive in the 2008 national title game played in Chattanooga. His Spiders held the No. 4 Montana Grizzlies scoreless for three quarters, and just seven points total, in a 24-7 win.

In 2008, Richmond’s defense ranked in the top-10 in the FCS and was No. 1 in the Colonial Athletic Association in total defense (268.8 yards/game) and scoring defense (15.6 ppg). The Spiders also held 12 different opponents to less than 100 yards rushing and less than 20 points. Richmond’s 29 interceptions in 2008 smashed the school’s previous single-season record of 20 set back in 1973.

The last four seasons have seen Huesman produce a total of 19 defensive all-conference players, including NFL prospect Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. (DL) who was a two-time first team All-CAA pick in 2007 and 2008.

In 2007, the Spiders ranked second in the CAA and 15th nationally in sacks per game (2.6), while ranking third in the league and 31st in the NCAA in turnover margin per game (+0.6) in 2007.

In 2006, Huesman led an experienced group that allowed just 268.7 yards per game to rank 11th in the nation and second in the conference. Against the pass, the Spiders were the Atlantic-10’s most dominant team, yielding an average of 152.8 yards and intercepting a league-best 12 passes. Richmond’s front seven ranked fourth in the conference and 21st in the nation against the run, limiting the opposition to just over 115 yards per game on the ground. The Richmond defense allowed the fourth-fewest points in the conference and 22nd fewest in the country (18.1).

Huesman spent six years at the University of Memphis (1998-2003) where he held several positions, serving as the recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, before leaving for Richmond. He also coached the outside linebackers, tight ends and running backs. As recruiting coordinator, Huesman brought in a top-50 recruiting class, ranked No. 1 in Conference USA, in 2002. It was the first recruiting class ranked in the top-50 at Memphis in school history.

Huesman also coached for 14 years at William & Mary and was the Tribe’s defensive coordinator for the 1996-97 seasons. During his tenure with the Tribe, Huesman coached current NFL star Darren Sharper, who led a defense ranked second in the nation, allowing just 231.8 yards per game in 1996. That defensive squad also led the Yankee Conference in total defense and helped power the Indians to their first conference title since 1970. In 1997, the Tribe defense was third overall in the Atlantic 10 and led the league in pass efficiency defense.

In addition to coordinating the Tribes’ defense, Huesman, also coached the William & Mary secondary, a job he took over in 1991. In eight seasons under his direction, the College of William & Mary developed one of the most effective backfields in the nation.

During his time at William & Mary, Huesman also coached Steve Christie, a 15-year NFL place kicker with Tampa Bay, Buffalo, San Diego and the New York Giants. His coaching family tree also includes Alan Williams, the defensive backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts, and Sean McDermott, the secondary coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. Both Williams and McDermott played for Huesman at William & Mary.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Huesman played prep football at perennial power Moeller High School, where he lettered for four years under head coach Gerry Faust. He helped Moeller’s team compile a record of 43-0-1 and win a pair of Ohio state championships.

An all-city selection in football as a senior, Huesman signed a football scholarship with Chattanooga, where he started all four years as a defensive back (1978-81) and was a two-sport athlete. He played under the late Joe Morrison for two years and competed his final two seasons under Bill Oliver. Huesman also patrolled centerfield on the baseball diamond for the Mocs during his freshman and junior seasons.

During his playing career at UTC, the Mocs posted a 31-11-2 mark and were Southern Conference co-Champions in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Huesman was on the Mocs sidelines for the 1982 seasons as a student coach, earning his degree in business education in 1983. He followed that up with a move to the University of South Carolina as a graduate assistant under Morrison.

Huesman and his wife Amy have two daughters, Natalie (12) and Emily (9) and two sons, Jacob (15) and Levi (5).

Coaching Experience
Richmond - Assistant Coach - 2004-08
Memphis - Assistant Coach - 1998-03
William & Mary - Assistant Coach - 1984-97
South Carolina - Graduate Assistant Coach - 1983-84
Chattanooga - Student Assistant Coach - 1982

Personal
Full Name: Russell Frederick HuesmanBorn: Jan. 28, 1960Hometown: Cincinnati, OhioAge: 48Wife: AmyChildren: Jacob (15), Natalie (12), Emily (9), Levi (5)Education: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - B.S. in Business Education (1983)

What They Are Saying About Russ Huesman

"I have known Russ for 20 years going back to our William & Mary days. He is a very good coach and a very good friend. He has played a huge role in all of our success at Richmond and he is going to make a great head coach at Chattanooga. I am very happy for him and Amy and his entire family. You guys are getting a great person as well as an excellent coach. He will bring a wealth of knowledge and confidence to your program. When you are an alumnus of a school, you have a vested interested in how the school does in all aspects. He, like myself, will want what is best for not only the football program, but the entire University."Mike London
Head Football Coach - University of Richmond
2008 FCS National Champions

"You guys have just hired one of the best coaches I have ever worked with. He is also one of the best people you could meet. Chattanooga is very luck to have Russ Huesman as the head coach of its football team. Russ was my right-hand guy as we built Richmond from a team that was struggling into a national championship team. He was involved with every defensive recruit and very instrumental in developing that defense. He is one of the very, very best coaches I have ever worked with and he has a great family. He is the best." Dave Clawson
Head Coach - Bowling Green State University
Former head coach - University of Richmond (2004-07)

"When you talk about Russ Huesman and his family, first of all, he is a first class individual. He cares about the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga tremendously. He will be an excellent representative both on the field and in the community. He brings first class characteristics off the field and a winning attitude and personality to the campus and the football program that will be infectious from day one. I felt that same energy when I first started playing for him back at William & Mary year ago."

Phillip Fulmer Magazine Released

2008-12-23T03:15:00.005-05:00

For everything football in Tennessee it’s TENNFB.COM

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL MAGAZINE’S “THE JOURNEY”
SPECIAL MAGAZINE commemorates Phillip Fulmer THROUGH THE YEARS

ALCOA --- Just in time for Christmas, Varsity Sports Media’s Tennessee Football magazine is delivering a commemorative publication highlighting the career of Phillip Fulmer that spans more than three decades on Rocky Top.The magazine takes the readers through the years with Fulmer as a player, coach and a man.VSM writer John Brice sat down with Fulmer during his final week as a head coach at Tennessee and conducted a lengthy Q and A about his life with the Big Orange.The commemorative magazine features comments on Coach Fulmer from former teammates, players and friends.An all-star collection of journalists, who cover the Tennessee football beat, take the readers on “The Journey” that includes bowl games, SEC Championships and features a look back at the memorable 1998 National Championship season.It’s a keepsake that you’ll want to share with your friends and family.WHO: Varsity Sports Media’s TENNESSEE FOOTBALL MAGAZINE

WHAT: THE JOURNEY: Celebrating the playing and coaching career of legendary Vols football coach Phillip Fulmer.

WHEN: Available on Dec. 19 at Pilot Food Marts and Travel Centers across East Tennessee.

WHERE: For purchase at Pilot Food Marts and Travel Centers across East Tennessee, and online NOW at http://www.tennfb.com/ (online shipping starts Dec. 20)
For more information contact: Stump Martin, Tennessee Football magazine managing editor
At 423-421-2595 or smartin@varsitysportsmedia.com.

Varsity Sports Media (http://www.varsitysportsmedia.com/) is a producer of state-specific, consumer-targeted, traditional and new media publications, Web sites and events aimed at sports enthusiasts. Varsity Sports Media utilizes relationships at the professional, college and high school level to create programs that strategically place our business partners’ products and services in the hands of the fans. VSM manages properties in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. VSM also executes a fundraising program (http://www.superfancard.com/), and a weekly Central Florida football radio show.

Headquartered in Alcoa (Knoxville), Tenn., SportsMyx, formerly Action Sports Media, is a full service sports marketing company. Businesses operating under SportsMyx include FanU, Inc. (http://www.fanu.com/), Varsity Sports Media, Inc. (http://www.varsitysportsmedia.com/), bLinc Sports, Inc. (http://www.blincsports.com/), SoundDirector (http://www.sounddirector.com/), CoolXposure, Inc. (http://www.coolxposure.com/), and WVLZ 1180 AM (an ESPN affiliate) in Knoxville and WKCE 1120 AM (an ESPN Deportes affiliate) in Maryville, Tenn. (http://www.1180espn.com/). Additional information about the company is available by calling (503) 963-3805.

Vols 23-year Pro Bowl Streak Continues

2008-12-17T04:23:00.005-05:00

The University of Tennessee keeps its streak alive of former Vols chosen to play in the annual NFC/AFC Pro Bowl game as Peyton Manning, Jason Witten and Albert Haynesworth were named starters to the Feb. 8, 2009, contest in Honolulu.

A Volunteer has appeared in every Pro Bowl since 1987, a span of 23 years. This marks the seventh consecutive year in which at least three Vols have made the team. An all-time high of five made it in 1996 when defensive back Dale Carter (Kansas City), defensive back Terry McDaniel (Oakland), wide receiver Anthony Miller (Denver), wide receiver Carl Pickens (Cincinnati) and defensive lineman Reggie White (Green Bay) were named Pro Bowlers.

Four former Vols earned MVP honors including Bert Rechichar in 1957, Doug Atkins in 1959, Reggie White in 1987 and Manning in 2005.

Manning, the starter for the AFC at quarterback, is making his eighth consecutive appearance and ninth overall as a member of the Indianapolis Colts (10-4). The MVP of the 2005 Pro Bowl is the fourth leading passer in the NFL with 3543 yards through 14 games with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 11-year veteran has thrown for 45,169 yards and 329 touchdown passes in his career, which rank seventh and fourth, respectively, in the NFL annals.

Witten, the starter for the NFC at tight end, is making his fifth consecutive appearance. The leading receiver for the Dallas Cowboys (9-5) has 69 catches for 815 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks third in the NFL in receptions and second in receiving yards among tight ends. He is in his sixth season with the Cowboys and has career totals of 4785 yards on 417 receptions with 24 touchdowns.

Haynesworth, a starter at defensive tackle for the AFC, is making his second straight Pro Bowl appearance as a member of the Tennessee Titans (12-2). He is having his best year as a pro with 51 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In his seventh NFL season, Haynesworth has 271 tackles and 24 career sacks.

Berry Named On Phil Steele All American Team

2008-12-17T03:40:00.004-05:00

CLEVELAND, OH –Phil Steele has released his All‑American Team. Phil Steele is a voting member of the FWAA and helped decide their All-American Team, so his first team selections agree with the FWAA’s list with some additions.

Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is one of the nation’s most informative preseason football magazines and has always provided a preseason All-American team as well as preseason All-Conference

PHIL STEELE’S 2008 ALL AMERICAN TEAM

1st TEAM OFFENSE 2nd TEAM OFFENSE 3rd TEAM OFFENSE 4th TEAM

OFFENSE
QB Colt McCoy, Texas Tim Tebow, Florida Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon St Javon Ringer, Michigan St MiQuale Lewis, Ball St
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma St Knowshon Moreno, Georgia Donald Brown, Connecticut Jahvid Best, California
WR Jarett Dillard, Rice Percy Harvin, Florida James Casey, Rice Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St Austin Collie, BYU Jeremy Maclin, Missouri Chris Williams, New Mexico St
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech Kenny Britt, Rutgers Jamarko Simmons, Western Michigan Arrelious Benn, Illinois
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma St Dennis Pitta, BYU
C AQ Shipley, Penn St Alex Mack, California Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas Max Unger, Oregon
OL Jason Smith, Baylor Rylan Reed, Texas Tech Seth Olsen, Iowa Andy Levitre, Oregon St
OL Duke Robinson, Oklahoma Herman Johnson, LSU Antoine Caldwell, Alabama Russell Okung, Oklahoma St
OL Andre Smith, Alabama Eugene Monroe, Virginia Jeff Byers, USC Ryan Stanchek, West Virginia
OL Michael Oher, Mississippi Alex Boone, Ohio St Dallas Reynolds, BYU Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma
KR Perrish Cox, Oklahoma St AJ Jefferson, Fresno St Derrick Williams, Penn St Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
PR Brandon James, Florida Javier Arenas, Alabama Joe Burnett, UCF Antonio Brown, Central Michigan

Defense

1st TEAM DEFENSE 2nd TEAM DEFENSE 3rd TEAM DEFENSE 4th

TEAM DEFENSE
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas Nick Reed, Oregon Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech Phillip Hunt, Houston
DT Jerry Hughes, TCU* BJ Raji, Boston College Fili Moala, USC Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
DT Terrence Cody, Alabama Peria Jerry, Mississippi Mitch King, Iowa Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DE Aaron Maybin, Penn St Everette Brown, Florida St Larry English, Northern Illinois George Selvie, USF
LB Rey Maualuga, USC Mark Herzlich, Boston College Brian Cushing, USC Clint Sintim, Virginia
LB Brandon Spikes, Florida Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri Joe Pawelek, Baylor Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh Rolando McClain, Alabama Mike Tauiliili, Duke Rennie Curran, Georgia
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio St Aaron Curry, Wake Forest Brit Miller, Illinois Navarro Bowman, Penn St
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio St Mike Mickens, Cincinnati Trevard Lindley, Kentucky Darius Butler, Connecticut
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest DJ Moore, Vanderbilt Victor “Macho” Harris, Virginia Tech Alterraun Verner, UCLA
S Eric Berry, Tennessee Trimane Goddard, North Carolina Patrick Chung, Oregon Louis Delmas, Western Michigan
S Taylor Mays, USC Rashad Johnson, Alabama Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech William Moore, Missouri
K Louie Sakoda, Utah Graham Gano, Florida St Jose Martinez, UTEP Kai Forbath, UCLA
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati Matt Fodge, Oklahoma St Pat McAfee, West Virginia Zoltan Mesko, Michigan

Vandy's Moore Named All American

2008-12-17T03:33:00.004-05:00

Nashville, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt cornerback D.J. Moore became the first Commodore standout in 11 years to receive All-America recognition from the Associated Press when the organization named him to its second team defense Tuesday. Moore, a junior from Spartanburg, S.C., also was named to SI.com's First Team All-America squad on Tuesday.

SI.com became the second key Web site to pick Moore, following a similar decision published last week by Rivals.com.

A third highly regarded college football Web site, PhilSteele.com, also recognized Moore as a second team All-American on Tuesday.

"I'm real happy to hear that," Moore said. "I want to thank my teammates and our coaching staff. The coaches really gave me an opportunity to get on the field early in my career and did a great job getting me prepared to play."

Head Coach Bobby Johnson praised Moore's playmaking abilities on the field and his contribution to Vanderbilt's first postseason bowl appearance in more than 25 years. The Commodores will play Boston College in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve in Nashville. "I've seen a bunch of guys that thought they could do what D.J. does on a football field, but I've never had anyone who could do so many things at such a high level," Johnson said.

"D.J. has tremendous ball skills and has a fantastic feel for the game. D.J. just has a knack for making plays, no matter if he's playing offense, defense or on special teams."

Moore becomes the first Commodore recognized as an Associated Press All-America in more than a decade. Linebacker Jamie Duncan also earned AP second team honors after being honored as the Southeastern Conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 1997. Last week,

Moore became the first Commodore defensive back ever to earn consecutive first team All-SEC honors from the AP. In 2008, Moore became perhaps the most versatile player in recent Vanderbilt history, seeing action as a defensive back, wide receiver, running back and return specialist. He excelled in every phase, including as a defensive back where he picked off six interceptions, second most in the Southeastern Conference behind Tennessee's Eric Berry.

As an offensive weapon, Moore caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for a 9.1-yard average. On punt returns, he averaged 14.4 yards, ranking among the NCAA's best in the category.

Moore had a huge impact in several games this season for the Commodores, beginning in the opener at Miami (Ohio) where he contributed a quarterback sack, 91-yard punt return and interception in a three-minute span that resulted in 14 Commodore points.

Late in the season, he achieved a rare and remarkable feat in Vanderbilt's bowl-clinching victory at Kentucky. Playing both ways against the Wildcats, Moore became the first major college player in decades to collect two interceptions and two touchdown receptions in the same game.

The touchdown catches also came on Moore's first career receptions.

Besides receiving Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the game, Moore also earned the rare distinction of also getting consideration for SEC Offensive Player of the Week recognition.

www.vucommodores.com

Berry Named Defensive Player of the Year

2008-12-12T11:08:00.003-05:00

Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry was selected the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the Southeastern Conference coaches, the league office announced Wednesday.

Berry, a sophomore from Fairburn, Ga., had one of the best seasons ever by a Tennessee defensive back. He finished third on the team with 72 tackles and posted an FBS-best seven interceptions. He returned those interceptions for a single-season school and conference record 265 yards, scoring two touchdowns along the way.

Combined with his 222 interception return yards from his freshman season, Berry now has the UT and SEC career records for interception return yards with 487 as well.

The end of football season hasn't slowed Berry down. Earlier in the week, he was named All-America by the American Football Coaches Association, and he was selected first-team All-SEC and SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press prior to earning those same two honors from the league's coaches.

Berry picked up a second All-America honor Wednesday, getting the nod from Rivals.com as a first-team selection. He was one of nine SEC players on the first team and one of six sophomores to make the list.

Thursday night, Berry will be in Orlando, Fla., attending the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show where he is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to college football's top defensive back.

Other SEC individual award winners included Florida's Tim Tebow (Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year), Florida's Brandon James (Special Teams Player of the Year), Georgia's A.J. Green (Freshman of the Year) and Ole Miss' Michael Oher (Jacobs Blocking Trophy). Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson, Ole Miss' Houston Nutt and Alabama's Nick Saban were named Coaches of the Year.

2008 SEC FOOTBALL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tim Tebow, QB, FloridaOffensive Player of the Year: Tim Tebow, QB, FloridaDefensive Player of the Year: Eric Berry, DB, TennesseeSpecial Teams Player of the Year: Brandon James, RS, FloridaFreshman of the Year: A.J. Green, WR, GeorgiaJacobs Blocking Trophy: Michael Oher, Ole Miss.

Coach of the Year *Houston Nutt, Ole Miss*Nick Saban, Alabama*Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt # - Unanimous Selection* - Ties

2008 SEC FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM ANNOUNCED

2008-12-12T03:44:00.002-05:00

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Nine of the Southeastern Conference football squads are represented on the ninth annual SEC Coaches’ All-Freshman Team, it was announced Thursday.
Georgia led the way with six selections. Arkansas had five selections, while Alabama, Florida and Vanderbilt added four on the rookie squad. Auburn had three members on the team.
Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green, center Ben Jones, Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve and Auburn punter Clinton Durst were the only players to be a unanimous selections to the team. Green was the SEC Freshman of the Year. The entire team is listed below:

2008 FRESHMAN ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM
(*-Ties / #-Unanimous Selection / Coaches could not vote for their own players)

FRESHMAN ALL-SEC -- OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Hometown
TE Brandon Barden Vanderbilt 6-5 245 Lincolnton, Ga.
OL Justin Anderson Georgia 6-5 338 Ocilla, Ga.
OL Cordy Glenn Georgia 6-5 331 Riverdale, Ga.
OL *John Michael Boswell Alabama 6-5 300 Tuscaloosa, Ala.
OL *Grant Cook Arkansas 6-6 320 Jonesboro, Ark.
OL *Kyle Fischer Vanderbilt 6-6 300 Columbia, S.C.
OL *Quentin Saulsberry Miss. State 6-3 293 Independence, Miss.
C #Ben Jones Georgia 6-3 304 Centerville, Ala.
WR #A.J. Green Georgia 6-4 200 Summerville, S.C.
WR Julio Jones Alabama 6-4 210 Foley, Ala.
QB Randall Cobb Kentucky 5-11 185 Alcoa, Tenn.
RB Mark Ingram Alabama 5-10 215 Flint, Mich.
RB *Jeffery Demps Florida 5-8 176 Winter Garden, Fla.
RB *Chris Rainey Florida 5-9 185 Lakeland, Fla.

FRESHMAN ALL-SEC -- DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Hometown
DL Jake Bequette Arkansas 6-5 265 Little Rock, Ark.
DL *T.J. Greenstone Vanderbilt 6-3 278 Lawrenceville, Ga.
DL *Zach Stadther Arkansas 6-1 285 N. Little Rock, Ark.
DL *DeAngelo Tyson Georgia 6-2 306 Statesboro, Ga.
LB #Chris Marve Vanderbilt 6-0 225 Memphis, Tenn.
LB Dont’a Hightower Alabama 6-4 250 Lewisburg, Tenn.
LB Jerry Franklin Arkansas 6-2 229 Marion, Ark.
LB *Spencer Pybus Auburn 6-0 207 Dothan, Ala.
LB *Daryl Vereen Tennessee 6-0 200 Charlotte, N.C.
DB Janoris Jenkins Florida 5-10 185 Pahokee, Fla.
DB Will Hill Florida 6-2 203 West Orange, N.J.
DB Charles Mitchell Miss. State 5-11 196 Clarksdale, Miss.
DB Neiko Thorpe Auburn 6-2 171 Tucker, Ga.

FRESHMAN ALL-SEC -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Hometown
PK Blair Walsh Georgia 5-10 183 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
P #Clinton Durst Auburn 6-1 190 Destin, Fla.
RS Dennis Johnson Arkansas 5-7 195 Texarkana, Ark.

Bama's Andre Smith Wins Outland Award

2008-12-12T03:38:00.002-05:00

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (FWAA) - Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith was named the winner of the 63rd Outland Trophy on Thursday night, becoming the second straight Southeastern Conference player to win the award.

The winner of the Outland Trophy, which goes to the best interior linemen on offense or defense in college football, was announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show from The Walt Disney World Resort.

Smith became the second Alabama player to win the Outland Trophy after the Crimson Tide's Chris Samuels in 1999. LSU's Glenn Dorsey claimed the award a year ago.

The Football Writers Association of America selects the Outland winner from its 25-man All-America team, which will be announced on Saturday afternoon on ABC television. Smith won the Outland over Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher and Oklahoma offensive guard Duke Robinson, the other two Outland Trophy finalists.

"I was surprised to hear my name called because either one of those other two guys could have won the award," Smith said. "I think it helped to play on a dominating offensive line like we had, that opened up holes for our running game. I am proud to win this award, though I'd still like to be playing for a national championship."

Smith, a 6-5, 330-pound junior from Birmingham, Ala., has started 13 games at left tackle and has surrendered just one sack. He has helped Alabama (12-1) rank among the Top 25 rushing teams in college football. He was the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week when Alabama rushed for 328 yards against Arkansas. Smith is also projected in some circles, if he elects to come out, to be the No. 1 player to be selected overall in the 2009 NFL Draft.

"There are a lot more guys who get the reputation than actually live up to the billing," said Alabama coach Nick Saban. "He started as a freshman and has improved every year. I don't see them all, and I'm not saying he is better than anybody else, but it's hard for me to think there is any other offensive lineman who has played any better than him this season."

The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, a lineman at Pennsylvania at the turn of the century. The Outland Trophy is the third oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.

The official 2008 award presentation to Smith will be Jan. 15, 2009, in Omaha, Neb., at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. Oklahoma's J.D. Roberts, the 1953 Outland Trophy winner, will also receive his trophy there.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of nearly 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Outland Trophy is a proud member of the National College Football Awards Association, which was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information on the NCFAA, visit www.ncfaa.org.

For more information on the Outland Trophy, go to the official website, www.outlandtrophy.com, or contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tigerfwaa@aol.com).

Bradford Davey O'Brien Winner

2008-12-12T03:24:00.001-05:00

FORT WORTH, Texas (December 11, 2008) - The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) today proudly announced Sam Bradford as the 2008 O'Brien Winner. Bradford, a sophomore, competed against O'Brien Finalists Graham Harrell, senior, of Texas Tech and Colt McCoy, junior, of Texas for the award honoring the nation's best quarterback. The announcement was made earlier this evening by 1981 O'Brien Winner, Jim McMahon, on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show which aired live from Orlando, Fla.

Bradford led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 12-1 record, Big 12 Conference Championship and No. 1 (BCS) ranking this season, as well as a berth in the 2008 National Championship. Bradford and the Sooners will face the Florida Gators and 2007 O'Brien Winner, Tim Tebow, when they head to Miami, Fla., for the Orange Bowl on January 8, 2009.

The signal caller from Oklahoma City, Okla., threw for 4,464 yards with just six interceptions this season, completing more than 68 percent of his passes. He is the nation's leader in both touchdowns (48) and quarterback rating (186.29). After only his second season as a Sooner starter, Bradford's 84 career touchdowns established a new school record, breaking the previous one held by 2003 and 2004 O'Brien Winner, Jason White.

"In the midst of fierce competition at the quarterback position, Bradford raised the bar for quarterback talent across the country," said Verne Lundquist, chairman of the Davey O'Brien National Selection Committee. "He stepped up as a tremendous leader for his team, exemplifying all of the traits The O'Brien seeks in its winner while leading the Sooners to an outstanding season."

Bradford was selected by The O'Brien National Selection Committee, comprised of journalists, broadcasters and commentators from coast to coast, in addition to former O'Brien Winners. College football fans across the country also had a say in the vote with five percent of the final voting tally coming directly from the Fan Vote. The O'Brien is proud to announce that it had 100 percent participation from its National Selection Committee in determining the 2008 award recipient. When voting, members of the committee are asked to evaluate each candidate on his quarterback skills, athletic ability, academics, character, leadership, sportsmanship and reputation as a team player.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001WuiVwR31LpT6jPsRVwv7-FjKw1eRDYMVasD9XEAuEURAFaxHacCCewvjXTyObhYtqSy1u2LdZ2MLI8eOAWik9O_HuooaaxJWWevif8owyNsIZrOU-RfDsw==.

National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)The O'Brien is a proud member of the NCFAA, which was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients.

Nine Finalists Named For Eddie Robinson Award

2008-12-12T03:12:00.002-05:00

DALLAS (FWAA) - The Football Writers Association of America has announced nine finalists for the 2008 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award to be voted upon by the entire membership.

With the 2008 regular season completed, the FWAA, in conjunction with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, has tabbed the following finalists: Texas' Mack Brown, USC's Pete Carroll, Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Florida's Urban Meyer, Penn State's Joe Paterno, Boise State's Chris Petersen, Alabama's Nick Saban, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Utah's Kyle Whittingham.

The finalists will be placed on a ballot which will be sent to the entire FWAA membership.

Two of the finalists, Boise State's Petersen and Utah's Whittingham, have directed their teams to unbeaten regular seasons, while seven of the nine coaches have led their teams to Bowl Championship Series games.

Of the nine finalists, four have previously been named the FWAA's National Coach of the Year, led by Penn State's Joe Paterno, who has been honored by the FWAA three times (1978, '82 and '86). Paterno has been a finalist on two other occasions (1997 and 2005). Florida's Urban Meyer (2004), Alabama's Nick Saban (2003) and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops (2000) are the other previous winners. Saban is trying to become the second coach to win the honor at two different schools after earning the award at LSU five seasons ago.

While USC's Pete Carroll has never won the award, he has been a finalist three times in three consecutive years (2003-05). This also is the third time Texas' Mack Brown has been named a finalist, the second time at Texas (2005). In 1997, he was a finalist for the award at North Carolina. Boise State's Petersen is a finalist for the second time in three years, while Texas Tech's Leach and Utah's Whittingham are the only two first-time finalists. The FWAA began naming its coaching award in honor of the late Robinson, the legendary Grambling State University coach, in 1997.

The winner of the FWAA/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award will be announced and honored at a reception on Jan. 6 in Miami sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and presented in conjunction with the FedEx BCS Championship Game.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards Announced

2008-12-02T03:20:00.009-05:00

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 1, 2008 – Tennessee’s best high school football players for 2008 were recognized at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards luncheon hosted by the Tennessee Titans.

More than 700 people, including the honorees, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, attended the 2008 luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center.

“Today’s celebration recognizes more that the ability of these young men to play our great game of football,” said Titans Owner K.S. “Bud” Adams, Jr. “The young men were here because of their outstanding character and academic achievements, traits which will pave their way though life long after their football days has passed. I congratulate all of the Titans Mr. Football Award finalists for the outstanding manner if which they represent their school and community!”

High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists. A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2008 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration.

The awards were presented to the top back and lineman in each of the seven classifications of the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. For the seventh time in the history of the award, the top kickers in the state were recognized. There were three finalists in this category, regardless of their school’s classification.

The Titans became sponsors of the Titans Mr. Football Awards in 2007 and have signed a multi-year deal to remain sponsors of the Titans Mr. Football Awards.

2008 TENNESSEE TITANS MR. FOOTBALL AWARD WINNERS

1A Lineman
Preston Gilbreath, Mt. Pleasant

1A Back
David Jones, South Pittsburg

2A Lineman
Tyler Robinson, Alcoa

2A Back

Ben Cunningham, Goodpasture

3A Lineman
Daniel Hood, Knoxville Catholic3A BackZach Rogers, David Lipscomb

4A Lineman
Justin Smith, Maryville

4A Back
Marsalis Teague, Henry County

5A Lineman
Jacques Smith, Ooltewah

5A Back
Tausean Holmes, Millington Central

Division II-A Lineman
Blair Arrington, Davidson Academy

Division II-A Back
Marlon Brown, Harding Academy

Division II-AA Lineman

Austin Long, Briarcrest

Division II-AAA Back
Tavarres Jefferson, Ensworth

Kicker of the Year

Jared White, Trousdale County

It's Official: Lane Kiffin New Vols Coach

2008-12-01T02:27:00.004-05:00

The University of Tennessee is introducing Lane Kiffin as the 21st head coach in school history during a press conference Monday at 2 p.m. Eastern time in Neyland Stadium's Wolf-Kaplan Center.

Kiffin joins the Vols as the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and former offensive coordinator at Southern California under head coach Pete Carroll.

During his previous collegiate coaching stint with the Trojans, Kiffin demonstrated strong offensive prowess as an assistant from 2001-04. He was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2004 and served as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for 2005 and 2006.

USC led the nation in offense in 2005 and in both of his years as recruiting coordinator had the best recruiting classes in the nation. Those efforts helped the Trojans to back-to-back national college football championships and produced two Heisman Trophy winners -- Matt Leinart in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005.

"Over the past few weeks, we have been on the road meeting with prospective coaches and talking to some of football's most influential and knowledgeable players and coaches about the future of the Tennessee football program," said UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton. "We have had unbelievable interest from great coaches. When it was all said and done, we felt like Lane Kiffin was a perfect fit for Tennessee. He's energetic, charismatic, consumed with recruiting and has had a lifelong love affair with football."

Kiffin began his coaching career at his alma mater, Fresno State, working with quarterbacks and wide receivers from 1997-98. He was an assistant at Colorado State in 1999, working with the offensive line, and made his first stop in the NFL as defensive secondary quality control coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000.

Kiffin was a quarterback at Fresno State for three seasons (1994-96) and earned his bachelor's degree there in 1998.

A native of Bloomington, Minn., Kiffin is married to Layla Reaves Kiffin. They have two daughters: Landry (3) and Pressley (2), and are expecting a third child in January. His father, Monte, is the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The elder Kiffin, a longtime NFL and collegiate assistant coach, served as North Carolina State's head coach in the early 1980s.

The press conference is closed to the public but will be streamed live on utsports.com.
Satellite coordinates are Horizons 2 (ku analog), Transponder 12 K, Downlink Frequency 12160 Horizontal, Audio 6.2 & 6.8. The feed is available beginning at 1:45 p.m. Eastern time. Any media with special needs should contact Bud Ford at (865) 974-1212.

Layla Kiffin picture: Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle

www.utsports.com

Coach Fulmer's Time for the 'Last Tackle'

2008-11-27T16:06:00.004-05:00

Nov. 27, 2008

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer never has been one to make a big deal over himself and, apparently, doesn't intend to start now.
But Thursday after the Vols' last full practice at Haslam Field, after paying a verbal tribute to his 25 seniors and sending them one at a time through the line of teammates to their "Last Tackle," Fulmer decided to take matters into his own hands.
"I kind of got in on a cleanup block," Fulmer said of his charge through the line on a beautiful Thanksgiving afternoon. "I didn't have to hit it. It was already on the ground so I just cleaned it up a little bit."

Asked if he had ever before taken part in the Tennessee tradition, Fulmer said in his typical unpretentious manner, "It wasn't my year to be the `Last Tackle.'"

This Saturday, however, Fulmer coaches his final game on the UT sideline when the Vols host Kentucky in a 6:45 p.m. Eastern time kickoff. A win against the Wildcats not only keeps alive UT's 23-game winning streak in the series but also raises Fulmer's coaching record in 17 seasons to 152 wins against 52 losses.

Knowing the circumstances, Thursday's post-practice wrapup involved lots of hugs, thank-yous and well-wishes from players current and past.
"A lot of friends came out to see us," Fulmer said. "It was a good day and I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Thursday's "Last Tackle" and Saturday's pregame ceremonies honor 25 seniors playing their final game for the Big Orange. Those being recognized are: Brett Barnes, Demonté Bolden, Josh Briscoe, Jake Brown, Britton Colquitt, Stephen Darville, Walter Fisher, Arian Foster, Brent Freeman, Derrick Furlow, Antonio Gaines, Ryan Hill, David Holbert, Nevin McKenzie, Adam Myers-White, Anthony Parker, Brett Thomason, Phillip Tritapoe, Ben Weisensel, Ja'Kouri Williams, DeAngelo Willingham, and captains Lucas Taylor, Ellix Wilson, Ramon Foster and Robert Ayers.

The Vols coach said Thursday he has not made a final determination for Saturday's starting quarterback, offering that it likely would be Jonathan Crompton and that B.J. Coleman has been limited this week by a foot injury. Coleman, who saw his first extensive action in last week's 20-10 win at Vanderbilt, is expected to play.

As for Thursday's workout, the Vols practiced 75 minutes in a good tempo.

"We had a much better day as far as offensive execution than we had Wednesday, which was encouraging," Fulmer said. "It was a fun day. The guys changed jerseys and that's fun for them -- although it's hard to see Gerald Jones out there in No. 75 running the football.
"And the last tackle is always special."

Make that extra special; just don't make it that big of a deal.

www.tennfb.com

Thanks Coach Fulmer For The Memories

2008-11-27T10:18:00.015-05:00

Nov. 27, 2008
It probably had to do with winning college football's national championship. Things like that tend to make an impression.

But sometime in the late 1990s, Phillip Fulmer became synonymous with the Tennessee Volunteers.

The very mention of his name and listeners or readers immediately thought "Tennessee."
As in, "Yes, Phillip Fulmer coaches the Tennessee Vols and they won the BCS national championship and always are on TV and his daughters run off the field with him after every game and, well, he's Tennessee. He is Tennessee."

Fulmer obviously hasn't been alone in that distinction. UT fans would place Peyton Manning in that category, although the guess now is that Peyton is known nationally more for his Indianapolis Colts success and Super Bowl victory than for his days at Neyland Stadium.

Pat Summitt meets the criteria and has become one of college basketball's true ambassadors. Eight national championships carry a great deal of exposure, and Summitt never fails to put a class product on the floor. This story just as easily could be about her and all the great things she's done for this university, city and state, as well as her status as an icon for the sport of women's basketball.

But Fulmer has been UT on its biggest sporting stage, a venue that seats more than 100,000 fans every Saturday. Home games or away games meant massive crowds and mind-numbing media scrutiny.

College football is not the nation's most popular athletics endeavor, but it's not 12th either. Coaches roaming the sidelines in the powerful Southeastern Conference in front of six-figure crowds carry a certain notoriety to say the least.

And Phillip Fulmer has been the face of the Tennessee Vols.

That meant whether it was during a nail-biter against Georgia or during a Big Orange Caravan stop in Germantown, Fulmer was the one Vols fans wanted to see.

But now he's leaving, stepping down after 17 seasons at the helm. Tonight's game against Kentucky marks his final appearance as head coach of the Volunteers.

So before kickoff, we say, "Thanks, Coach," for all you've done for UT fans and for what you've meant to the Tennessee football program:

Thanks for that 34-31 win at Georgia in 1992, your first road triumph. You broke out the white pants away from home for the first time in 10 years and started a winning streak against the Bulldogs that lasted the rest of the decade.

Thanks for your very first bowl game victory over Boston College in January 1993. Tampa's Hall of Fame Bowl -- now the Outback -- was the setting as Tennessee and quarterback Heath Shuler breezed to a 38-23 triumph. Tampa also marked your final bowl appearance, a 21-17 win over Wisconsin this past January.

Thanks for closing out the artificial turf era on Shields-Watkins Field with a 62-14 thumping of Vanderbilt. The Vols ended with a record of 125-38-7 at home on artificial turf, and your mark as head coach was a perfect 9-0.

Thanks for recruiting an amazing cast of footballers to UT in the spring of 1994. Names such as Jeff Coleman, Jeff Hall, Mercedes Hamilton, Steve Johnson, and Jarvis Reado were all future starters for the 1998 national championship team. Oh, and that Manning guy mentioned earlier played a down or two in the seasons prior, as did starters Terry Fair, Cory Gaines, Ron Green and Marcus Nash before leaving Big Orange Country. Out of the 22 signees in February 1994, Manning was selected All-America, five others made All-SEC and seven were chosen in future NFL drafts, including Manning and Fair in the 1998 first round. Such hauls helped cement your status as one of the nation's top recruiters and made Neyland Stadium a destination location for top high school talent.

Thanks for compiling that 45-5 record from 1995-98, culminating in the very first Bowl Championship Series title.

Thanks for patching those gaping holes in the 1998 lineup and guiding that team through a scheduling gauntlet, one that included seven ranked opponents at the time you played them and four teams ranked among the elite top 10.

The entire 1998 season was highlighted by the development of unsung quarterback Tee Martin, successful replacement of injured all-star tailback Jamal Lewis, a relentless defense led by Al Wilson that routinely came through with tide-turning big plays and a field goal kicker in Hall whose heroics salvaged victory in the first two games.

Coach-of-the-year honors cascaded one upon another into your trophy case, culminated by the Eddie Robinson National Coach of Distinction Award.

Thanks for the 2001 season. No it didn't end the way everyone would have liked, with an SEC championship and berth in another BCS national title game. But still it was a heck of a ride. Gritty wins that year over Arkansas, LSU, Alabama, South Carolina and Notre Dame, not to mention rallying from a 21-point deficit at Kentucky, only set the stage for a spectacular night in Gainesville. The Vols prevailed in a top-5 showdown, defeating the Gators 34-32 after entering the game more than two-touchdown underdogs. LSU won the rematch one week later in Atlanta, but a bowl win over Michigan -- the first meeting between these traditional powers -- capped an 11-2 campaign that saw the Vols finish fourth in the AP poll.

Thanks for the overtime experiences. It took six extra periods to topple Arkansas in 2002, five for the win at Alabama in 2003 and four more at Kentucky in 2007 to clinch the SEC Eastern Division title. You became a master motivator when the ball was placed at the 25-yard line, winning six straight OT games from 2002-07.

Thanks for the gutsy fourth-down calls. Like that steamy November Saturday in Miami when the Vols went for broke just before halftime and Derrick Tinsley swept around right end. You said leaving the field, "We came down here to win a football game!" Tinsley scored the afternoon's only touchdown in a 10-6 victory that ended the Hurricanes' 26-game home winning streak.

Thanks for believing in America's youth. Tennessee began the 2004 season with a pair of true freshman quarterbacks in Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge. The results were an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, a smashing Cotton Bowl victory and a 10-3 finish.
Thanks for all the miraculous finishes. Rick Clausen rallying UT from 21-0 down on a Monday night at LSU in 2005 to win in overtime might have been the most impressive.

Other great come-from-behind wins in UT football history also occurred on your watch -- 18 down against Arkansas in 1998; 21 at Kentucky in 2001; 24 at Notre Dame in 1991 (when you were offensive coordinator); and 25 against Vanderbilt in 1987 (when you coached the offensive line). And though not among the top five, coming from 24-7 down at Georgia in 2006 to win 51-33, and rallying last season for the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Neyland Stadium history to clip Vanderbilt 25-24, after trailing 24-9, are games that will go down in the annals of UT football lore.

Thanks for the great run against Alabama. An 11-5 career coaching record versus the Crimson Tide is no small accomplishment. Even sweeter was becoming the first school and head coach in history to post seven consecutive wins over Alabama (1995-2001).

And finally, thanks for the pageantry of the SEC Championship Game. The Vols have played five times in the league's premier event, all with Phillip Fulmer patrolling the sideline. You won two nail-biters and lost three heartbreakers, but over the final decade of your tenure you never went more than three years without taking a team to Atlanta. Over the last two decades -- really, for the last 40 years -- Phillip Fulmer has become synonymous with the Tennessee Volunteers. Fans this weekend from Memphis to Mountain City are saying "Thanks, Coach."
You did it your way, the right way, the Tennessee way. To the end.

Berry Named Thorpe Award Finalist

2008-11-27T05:15:00.004-05:00

Berry Named Thorpe Award Finalist, SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Tennessee's Eric Berry saw his weekend exploits spill over into Monday as he was named both a Jim Thorpe Award finalist and the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week in the same afternoon.
Berry is one of three finalists for the coveted Thorpe Award, presented to the nation's top defensive back by a selection committee of former players, coaches, journalists and representatives of the major conferences. His selection as a finalist means the UT sophomore is headed to Orlando, Fla., for The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards.

The program, hosted by ESPN's Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, originates Dec. 11 from the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's Boardwalk on the Walt Disney World Resort. The program airs live on ESPN from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Other finalists are Ohio State senior Malcolm Jenkins and Southern California junior Taylor Mays.

Berry stands alone nationally with seven interceptions for the season. His 265 interception return yards this year are threatening the all-time NCAA mark of 302 set by Southern Cal's Charles Phillips in 1974, and his 487 career yards in just 24 games are within 14 of the NCAA career mark of 501 set by Florida State's Terrell Buckley from 1989-91.

The fierce-hitting safety also earned his second weekly SEC defensive honor of the season for his efforts in Saturday's win at Vanderbilt.

The sophomore returned an interception for a touchdown for the second time in five games to help Tennessee past the Commodores, 20-10. Berry's season interception return yardage total broke the 52-year-old SEC record of 242 set by Florida's Joe Brodsky in 1956. He added one sack in the game and also took four snaps at quarterback, rushing for 11 yards and a first down.

This week's other SEC recipients were Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon (offense), LSU placekicker Colt David (special teams), Mississippi center Daverin Geralds (offensive lineman) and defensive tackle Peria Jerry (defensive lineman), and Florida running back Chris Rainey (freshman).

187 YEARS OF RECORDS SHATTERED

Berry in less than two seasons has broken interception return yardage records that had been on the books for a combined 187 years. He now owns records for a UT season (previously stood for 37 years), UT career (39 years), SEC season (52 years) and SEC career (59 years).

www.utsports.com

Coach Fulmer's Media Day Comments

2008-11-27T05:10:00.004-05:00

"I'm going to really try and keep this on task as far as getting ready for Kentucky and our game against Vanderbilt if you want to talk about that. Obviously we have a very short week with Thanksgiving coming up. We're certainly glad to get the Vanderbilt win, but we didn't spend a lot of time even going through the tape except for plays that we felt like were relevant during the game. We wanted to get right onto Kentucky with all of our Sunday preparation. Where normally we would give corrections, we skipped so that we could get ourselves started on Kentucky because of the short week and because it's a very important game to our seniors and our football team.

"Kentucky presents a significant amount of problems on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Offensively, they have done a really good job as they've changed quarterbacks. I'm so impressed with Randall Cobb when you consider his youthfulness and look at his ability and what they've been able to do with him. We'll have to do a great job of containing him in this ballgame because a lot of what they're doing is built around him. The fact that they are a no huddle team, we've been able to see quite a bit of that during the course of the year. The practice time and the preparation are always a little bit more difficult because of that. It really makes you work.

"I think it's appropriate to say that the defense really has a challenge this week. I've been really proud of our defensive football team this year, particularly in light of some of our inefficiencies on offense. It's almost amazing what they've been able to accomplish this year getting that done.

"Last week was the first consistent time during the season our offense was able to take some of the burden off the defense by keeping the ball 34 minutes or so and scoring some points. Hats off to our defense and also to our offense to stay on the path that we're on. We obviously have to throw the ball better and more than nine times. You're not going to get away with that too often. That's certainly one of our priorities during the course of the week.

"When you look at Kentucky, at their kicking game, they've done a good job. Their punter is very good, their kickoff is very good. It's a good solid kicking game. That was another area where I felt like made a difference -- there were some hidden yardage plays that made a difference for us versus Vanderbilt. We will continue to address that during the course of the week.

"Our challenge has been our offensive team. They did take the challenge a bit better against Vanderbilt. We need to be able to continue to run the ball effectively. We must improve our balance. At this point right now, all of the quarterbacks are in the mix. We'll go here during the course of the week and decide exactly what we want to do. We'll continue to be creative a little bit with some of the things we do. Hopefully, we can do enough things well to keep Kentucky having to work to stop us.

"The guys started off well on Sunday night. Today and through the week it's going to be extremely important that we put the plan in place and execute to be able to do what we need to do."

www.utsports.com

Vols Want To Sharpen Focus During Last Tackle

2008-11-27T05:05:00.003-05:00

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer didn't see a particularly sharp team during Wednesday's 90-minute workout at Haslam Field. Only one full practice date remains for UT before the 2008 season finale against Kentucky this Saturday night.
"Hopefully in the morning we will pick up the slack there," said Fulmer, whose squad returns to practice on Thanksgiving. "Today wasn't as sharp as I'd like for it to be offensively. I thought we have had two good days defensively."
Defense hasn't been the problem for Tennessee this season. The Vols rank sixth nationally in total defensive yards allowed and among the top 16 in all five major defensive categories.
Thursday also marks the day of the "Last Tackle," a Tennessee tradition in which Fulmer uses the occasion to gather his seniors at one end of a double line of teammates and offer a few kind words about each individual. The players then take turns plowing into a tackling dummy one last time, to the cheers and salutes of their teammates.
"We've done it this way for quite some time," Fulmer said of Thursday's annual ritual.

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR FULMER FAREWELL
Individual game tickets for Tennessee season football finale -- and the final game for head coach Phillip Fulmer -- remain available for purchase online at utsports.com, via phone at (800) 332-VOLS and at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Kickoff for UT-Kentucky is 6:45 p.m. from Neyland Stadium. Tickets for are $50 each plus shipping and handling.

www.utsports.com

I Voted For Eric Berry As A 1st Team All-America Player

2008-11-19T13:58:00.005-05:00

Eric Berry has the athletic ability, swagger, size and mentality to be one of the greatest defensive players in SEC and Tennessee history.

I voted for Berry as a member of the defense for the 2008 Football Writers Association of America All-America team. This is why I won't leave Eric Berry off of the list. Compliments of http://www.youtube.com/

Who Will Replace Fulmer

2008-11-19T11:50:00.005-05:00

The decision on who will be the next football coach at Tennessee may still be many days away. The media is speculating about a variety of coaches who could come to Knoxville.

The Sporting News talked with the Tennessee Titans Albert Haynesworth and the Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten and asked them who they would hire to replace their former coach Phil Fulmer at Tennessee.

Here's what they told the Sporting News

Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans defensive tackle
Choice: Jon Gruden, head coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "I heard they wanted to get (Steve) Spurrier, but I don't know about that. They need a new wrinkle, kind of how (Alabama did with) Nick Saban."

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys tight end
Choice: Gruden. "I played for Coach (Phil) Fulmer, and I hate to see him go down after all the success he's had. I heard Jon Gruden's name has been mentioned. Obviously he has a connection there. ... You see some programs across the country that go through slumps there and just had a bad couple of years, but Coach Fulmer did a great job over the years, and I hate to see this happen."

Check out the Youtube tribute to Phillip Fulmer

Fulmer Talks About Tennessee and Vanderbilt

2008-11-19T11:22:00.005-05:00

Fulmer's Media Day Comments
Nov. 18, 2008

"I won't take too long talking generally; I'll answer your questions. We went back to work on Sunday getting ready for Vanderbilt. We did use the open week I think very effectively. We took a couple of days to work on fundamentals and also to get some guys time to heal up and get over the nine-game stretch that we had, whether it be physically or getting ourselves in better shape for the last couple of ballgames, which a number of guys needed. Also from an emotional and mental standpoint, (it allowed them) to get over the events of the prior week.

"Sunday would be one of our best practices. We don't particularly practice on Sunday in full gear or anything. We went out in shorts and shoulder pads and had a physical, good practice. I appreciate that from our coaches and our players.

"Regarding Vanderbilt, they're a good football team. Obviously, they played very well against Kentucky, particularly in the first half. Since Bobby (Johnson) has been there, they've done a really good job on defense. They're a defensive football team that's very sound and makes you work at moving the football.

"Offensively, the quarterback is making plays for them. They've done a good job of using their personnel, particularly when D.J. Moore comes over and gives them some plays from an offensive standpoint. He's certainly one of the best players in our league.

"Our struggles are pretty obvious. You can't just point to the quarterback, everybody wants to do that. That's been one of the areas where we haven't done nearly as well as anybody would like, but we've also had our inconsistencies in a lot of other places, whether it be running the ball, people stacking the line of scrimmage to stop that and making us throw the football and execute in the passing game. Whether it be protection, consistently catching the ball as we should or consistently throwing the ball as we should has been a real struggle for us.

"Our goal this week is to improve the consistency and be efficient. The defense has played well enough to win most of our football games this season. We need to play the kicking game extremely well in this particular ballgame and take the plan that's in place and execute it."

http://www.utsports.com/

Fulmer has only two games left in the 2008 season. Here's a look at some of his speeches courtesy of youtube

UT-Kentucky Kickoff Set For Evening Kickoff On ESPN2

2008-11-18T02:43:00.004-05:00

The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Tennessee's Nov. 29 season finale against Kentucky is being televised by ESPN2 and kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. UT has made two previous appearances this year on ESPN and one on ESPN2.

The Vols lead the series against the Wildcats 71-23-9, having won the last 23 consecutive games against their northern neighbor for the nation's longest active streak against the same opponent. Kentucky's last triumph in the series was by a 17-12 margin in Knoxville back in 1984. Three of the last four games in the series have been decided by six points or less, with UT winning 37-31 in 2004, 17-12 in 2006 and a 52-50 thriller in four overtimes last season in Lexington.

Other game being televised over the Thanksgiving weekend involving SEC teams include a pair of Friday games and five additional Saturday contests. Friday's twin bill features Mississippi State at Mississippi in the Egg Bowl on Raycom Sports (12:30 a.m. Eastern) and LSU at Arkansas on CBS (2:30 p.m. Eastern). Saturday's scheduled games are Georgia Tech at Georgia on CBS (noon Eastern), Auburn at Alabama on CBS (3:30 p.m. Eastern), and Vanderbilt at Wake Forest on ESPNU (7 p.m. Eastern).

Two additional Saturday games, Florida at Florida State and South?Carolina at Clemson, are part of the ACC television package and will be picked on a six-day selection. The Florida game will be televised at either 3:30 p.m. Eastern or in prime time (7:45 or 8) on ABC or ESPN, and the South Carolina game will be televised either at noon or 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or Raycom.

SLADE FINALIST FOR NATIONAL SECONDARY COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD

Tennessee veteran assistant coach Larry Slade is one of three finalists for the FootballScoop Defensive Back Coach of the Year Award presented by Muscle Milk, it was announced Monday.

Slade is in his 10th season with the Vols and this year's unit might be his best ever. Tennessee has been among the nation's leaders all season in interceptions, currently standing 11th nationally with 15 interceptions.

Slade teaches man-to-man technique as well as anyone in the business. Over his career, he has coached a number of players who have gone on to become excellent NFL defensive backs. One of his current Vols, Eric Berry, might be the next to make it big on Sundays. Berry currently is tied for the national lead with six interceptions and leads the country with 220 interception return yards.

Key Tennessee Secondary Stats:

7th nationally -- Total defense (275.6 yards per game)

15th nationally -- Scoring defense (18.1 points per game)

7th nationally -- Passing defense (164.0 yards per game)

11th nationally -- Interceptions (15)

www.utsports.com

2nd Annual Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic

2008-11-18T01:06:00.004-05:00

(Randall Cobb (Alcoa) played in the Toyota East vs West All-Star Classic in 2007. Today, he's the starting QB at Kentucky as a freshman)

The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association and Toyota are proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at Burke-Tarr Stadium at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City.

The game will feature approximately 90 of Tennessee’s top high school football seniors divided into East and West teams. Several Division I commitments are expected to play in the game, and it will also give other undecided seniors an opportunity to shine in front of college coaches and a state-wide television audience.

Player nomination forms have been sent to coaches and the teams will be announced in early December.

Toyota East Vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic Facts

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008, Kickoff TBA

Site: Burke-Tarr Stadium (cap. 5,500) at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN

TV/Radio: The game will be broadcast on television in Knoxville (MyVLT-TV), and Nashville (WUXP MyTV30). Other TV stations across the state are expected to join the broadcast network.

Participants: Approximately 90 high school seniors from across Tennessee divided into East and West teams.

Team Practice Sites: West- Tusculum College, Greeneville
East- Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City

Practice Dates: Tuesday afternoon, December 9-Friday, December 12

Head Coaches: East- Philip Shadowens (Middle Tennessee Christian), West- Kevin Ward (Camden)

Assistant Coaches: East: Tony Lambert (Oneida), Tim Daniels (Red Bank), Buck Coatney (Fulton), Eddie Courtney (Farragut). West: P.A. Pratt (Crockett Co.), Paul Wade (Davidson Academy), Joe Welch (Bolton), Chris Wiley (Arlington), Carey Craig (Jackson South Side)

Selection Process: Nomination forms were sent to high school coaches in October. The teams will be selected and announced in early December.
Last Year’s Result: East All-Stars defeated West All-Stars 26-6.

Contacts: Bill Marbet, Executive Director, TACA, 1-800-837-8062, bill@mulemix.com

Russell Mayes, TACA Media Relations, 865-256-3197, rmayes@fultonfootball.com

Website: http://www.taca.net/

SEC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES NOV. 17

2008-11-18T00:41:00.009-05:00

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Special teams played a key role in Alabama's 32-7 win against Mississippi State ... Javier Arenas returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and set up another TD with a 46-yard punt return ... Kareem Jackson blocked a punt for a safety and Alabama downed a punt at the MSU 2-yard line ... WR Julio Jones adds to his Alabama freshman records with 43 catches for 687 receiving yards ... RB Mark Ingram has set a Tide freshman record with nine rushing TDs ... Alabama is 11-0 and 7-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1994 ... Alabama has held nine opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season ... State had 35 yards on 22 attempts against the Tide.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Casey Dick's 187 completions this season is now an Arkansas single-season record ... In the Arkansas career record charts, Dick is third in TD passes (45), attempts (821), completions (455), fourth in passing yards (5,659) and fifth in completion percentage (.554) ... Michael Smith has 1,012 rushing yards this season, the 15th time an Arkansas RB has reached the 1,000 yard mark and only the ninth rusher to accomplish the feat ... With just five minutes left in regulation, QB Nathan Dick saw his first snaps as a Razorback, completing 4-of-8 passes for 38 yards.

AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn has not allowed its opponents to score an offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season ... The Tigers hold a 64-13 scoring edge in the first quarter against opposition this season ... The Tigers have scored first in eight of their 11 games this season ... Auburn's defense held Georgia to 17 points, becoming just the third team this season to hold the Bulldogs to fewer than 20 points ... Auburn has had 19 different players catch passes this season ... Mario Fannin is first AU player to score rush and receiving TDs in the same game since 2007 Cotton Bowl.

FLORIDA GATORS
Florida has scored 42-or-more points in five straight games, matching the second-longest streak in school history (1996 & 2001) ... The Gators tallied 346 rushing yards against South Carolina - the first time UF has had more than 300 rushing yards in a game since Sept. 13, 2003 vs. Florida A&M (309) and the first time in an SEC game since Oct. 12, 1996 vs. LSU (308) ... In the last 73 games, the Gators have scored points off turnovers in 52 games ... UF has allowed just two first-half TDs this season and is outscoring opponents, 199-26, before the half ... Brandon James has set school single-season (427) and career (1,044) records for punt return yardage.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Georgia has recorded 16 wins when tied or trailing in the fourth quarter under Mark Richt ... The Bulldogs are 30-4 in opponents' stadiums under Richt ... Freshman FL A.J. Green leads the SEC in receiving yards (887) and is second in total catches (51) ... Senior SE Mohamed Massaquoi is fifth in Georgia history with 2,092 career receiving yards ... Soph. TB Knowshon Moreno leads the SEC in rushing, with 1,244 yards on 210 carries ... His 15 rushing TDs this season also leads the SEC ... He has 13 career games over 100 yards (131 yards, 22 carries vs. Auburn).

KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky leads the SEC, giving up just 10 sacks in 11 games ... It did not give up a sack against Vanderbilt ... The Wildcats are tied for the SEC lead for most sacks (26) with South Carolina and Vanderbilt ... Jr. PK Lones Seiber is now fourth on UK's career list for field goals with 35 ... Jr. CB Trevard Lindley had two pass deflections against Vanderbilt to raise his UK career record to 34 ... David Jones returned a blocked field goal (by Myron Pryor) 57 yards for a score - the ‘Cats first blocked field goal return for a TD since 2005 vs. Vanderbilt.

LSU TIGERS
LSU's 40-31 win against Troy marked the Tigers' largest comeback in school history ... The Tigers trailed the Trojans, 31-3, late in the third quarter ... The Tigers scored 37 unanswered points, including 30 in the fourth quarter ... WR Brandon LaFell set a career high in receptions against Troy with 12 for 126 yards (also career high) ... RB Charles Scott has 14 rushing TDs this season, tied for fourth in LSU record books ... PK Colt David has become the SEC career leader in PATs made with 192 ... His 52-yard field goal was a career long and tied for fourth longest in LSU history.

OLE MISS REBELS
With the 59-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe, the Rebels are bowl eligible for the first time since 2003 ... The margin of victory is the Rebels largest since posting a 69-7 win over Southern Miss in 1969 ... Soph. QB Jevan Snead became the first Rebel to account for five TDs (3 passing, career-high 2 rushing) since Eli Manning (6) against Arkansas in 2001 (7 OT game) ... Snead threw multiple TD passes for the third straight week and sixth time this season ... Snead's 88-yard pass play to Mike Wallace marked the longest in Rebels' history ... ULM was held to 131 total yards, the fewest allowed by Ole Miss since The Citadel gained 81 in 2005.

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
True freshmen Bo Walters (WLB) and Kendrick Cook (TE) earned their first career starts against Alabama ... WR Arnil Stallworth 33-yard reception against the Tide was his career longest ... Sr. LB Dominic Douglas had a game-high 11 tackles, his second consecutive double-digit tackle outing (15 vs. Kentucky) ... He is the first Bulldog since Quinton Culberson to post double digit tackles in consecutive weeks ... Douglas leads the Bulldogs with 84 total stops this season ... Sr. Jamayel Smith caught his fist TD pass of the season.

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
WR Kenny McKinley had six catches against Florida and is now tied for seventh all-time in the SEC with 194 grabs ... His career total of 2,637 receiving yards is a school record ... McKinley also extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 41 ... LB Eric Norwood had two sacks against Florida, bringing his career total to 22 ... He has had seven sacks in the last three games ... PK Ryan Succop hit both of his field goal attempts against the Gators and is now 19-of-28 this season .... He has hit field goals in eight straight games and 10 of 11 this season.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Soph. RB Lennon Creer made his first career start against Wyoming and finished the game with 82 yards on 16 carries ... UT's two leading rushers - Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty - did not play due to injury ... WR Lucas Taylor had three grabs against the Cowboys and is now 10th in UT's career reception list with 113 ... Jr. LB Rico McCoy had 10 tackles against Wyoming to lead the Vols for the third consecutive game ... Jr. DE Wes Brown had a career-high eight tackles ... Sr. DE Robert Ayes now has 11.5 TFLs this season - ninth in Tennessee history.

VANDERBILT COMMODORES
With its 31-24 win over Kentucky, Vanderbilt becomes bowl eligible for the first time since 1982, when it played in the Hall of Fame Bowl ... Vandy has won four SEC games in a season nine times ... The Commodores scored their first win in Lexington since 2000 ... QB Chris Nickson had season highs of 15-of-27 passing for 155 yards and three touchdowns ... He also had 118 yards rushing on 20 carries, a single-game high for Vandy rushers this season ... D.J. Moore had two interceptions against Kentucky and now has 13 in his career (T2nd at Vandy).

www.secsports.com

Fulmer Bleeds Orange Kick Off Blood Drive Underway

2008-11-17T15:13:00.003-05:00

The first official blood donation for the 21st annual Battle of the Orange and Blue and blood drive competition between University of Tennessee fans and fans of the University of Kentucky took place last week with Tennessee's own Philip Fulmer leading the way.

The event kicked off, today (November 17) and runs through Friday, November 21.

Please call 865-524-3074 or visit medicblood.org for a full listing of community blood drives . MEDIC also reminds viewers that there are two donation locations for donor convenience-1601 Ailor Avenue near downtown Knoxville and 11000 Kingston Pike in Farragut near Pittsburg Paints.

"We are proud to have Coach Fulmer as the first official donation for Tennessee. And, we hope this inspires donors to come out and prove that the Volunteer spirit is alive and well in East Tennessee," states Christi Fightmaster, Medic spokesperson.

To sweeten the pot, each donor will receive a coupon for a free pint of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, a pint for a pint promotion. And, donors will receive a Tennessee vs Kentucky t-shirt, cholesterol evaluation, and year's credit towards Medic's Family Blood Coverage Program. This program exempts donors and their IRS dependents from paying blood collection fees at any hospital in the U.S. if a transfusion is needed.

Sunday SEC Notebook

2008-11-17T03:28:00.007-05:00

WEEK 13 NOTES

SEC games for Sat., Nov. 22:

Tennessee (3-7) at Vanderbilt (6-4) [11:30 a.m. CT / Raycom Sports]

The Citadel (4-7) at Florida (9-1) [1:30 p.m. ET / PPV - SUN Sports]

Arkansas (4-6) at Mississippi State (3-7) [1:30 p.m. CT]

Ole Miss (6-4) at LSU (7-3) [2:30 p.m. CT / CBS Sports]

The SEC's non-conference winning mark of 34-8 (81.0 percent) remains the highest of any NCAA FBS conference. In the era of 12 regular season games (six seasons), the SEC has won no fewer than 31 regular season non-conference games in a season.

This week, four SEC teams are ranked in the latest Harris, USA Today and AP Polls. Alabama is the top ranked team in each poll while Florida is the third ranked team in each poll. Georgia is ranked 12th in the Harris, 13th in the USA Today and AP polls and LSU is ranked 18th in all three polls. Ole Miss received votes in the AP poll, South Carolina received votes in all three and Vanderbilt received votes in the Harris poll. The BCS poll is set to be released on Sunday around 3-3:30 p.m. CT.

In 73 home games this season, more than 5.6 million fans (5,639,561) have watched SEC football in the 12 league stadiums this season. The average capacity this season is 98.39 percent. 42 of the SEC games this season have been sold out.

Since 2003, LSU has the best record in the SEC at 63-13 (.829) while Georgia has the best record in the SEC since 1998 (106-32, 76.8 percent).

Vanderbilt senior safety Reshard Langford is this week's SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week. The Tanner, Ala. native will be featured during Raycom Sports telecast of the Tennessee at Vanderbilt game this Saturday.

South Carolina WR Kenny McKinley has moved into a tie for 7th in career receptions in the SEC with 194. More movers in the SEC career record books: Florida QB Tim Tebow is now 8th in touchdowns scored (43), LSU PK Colt David is not the all-time leader in PATs made (192) and has moved into 6th in scoring by kicking (336), Alabama RS Javier Arenas is now 7th in punt return yards (1,133), Mississippi State RS Derek Pegues is now 3rd in total kick return yards (kickoff + punt) (3,222) and Florida RS Brandon James has moved into fifth in the same category with 2,736 yards.

Eight SEC teams are now eligible for post-season bowl games, reaching the six-win benchmark. Arkansas needs to defeat Mississippi State and LSU while Auburn needs to win at Alabama to both be bowl eligible in 2008.

The average SEC game times this season are at 3:11 while the national average is 3:13.
SEC defenses are averaging giving up 20.0 points and 305.8 yards per game. The point total is the lowest sine 19.4 in 2006 and the second lowest since 1994. The yardage total is lowest of the 12-team area in the SEC (since 1992). Offensively, the SEC is averaging 25.5 points (9th in FBS) and 343.7 yards per game (10th in FBS).

The trend this past weekend was quick scores. There were 19 offensive scoring drives that lasted two minutes or less while only four that lasted more than five minutes. This season, there have been 154 offensive drives of less than two minutes each and 78 lasting for more than five minutes each.

Florida leads the SEC, averaging 3.44 points per offensive drive. The Gators have scored points (TDs & FGs) on 52.59 percent of their offensive drives, and have scored TDs on 44.83 percent of offensive drives, both tops in the SEC.

Defensively, the two SEC championship game participants this year, are 1-2 in stopping opponents three-downs-and-out. Florida leads the SEC at 44.35 percent (55 of 124 drives) while Alabama is second at 42.22 percent (57 of 135 drives).

This season, the SEC has scored 159 passing TDs compared to 197 rushing TDs. SEC teams have scored 28 defensive touchdowns.

In intra-conference games this season, the home team has a 23-19 (54.76 percent) advantage over the visiting team (includes UF-UGA game for both teams). Alabama and Florida are the only SEC teams to be perfect on the road in intra-conference games.

In 41 intra-conference games this season, the average winning margin in the SEC is 13.68, which is fourth lowest among NCAA FBS conferences. The SEC has had 25 of its intra-conference games decided by 10-points-or-less. That 1.0 percentage is the second highest among NCAA FBS conferences (ACC - 27 of 38 games, 71.1 percent).

www.sec.org

Vols Go Back To Work; Vandy Next

2008-11-17T03:19:00.004-05:00

Tennessee ended a quiet weekend by returning to the practice field Sunday night for a 90-minute workout inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center.

The Vols were off Saturday for the first time since Sept. 6. Focus now shifts to the 2008 season's remaining games against rivals Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

"These guys know how to practice," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "They actually make me feel better out here for the hour and 40 minutes we spent -- particularly the defensive side of the ball. They had outstanding energy."

Tennessee is looking to close out Fulmer's UT career with a couple of victories, hoping to add to the coach's win total of 150 against just 52 losses during 17 seasons.

Next weekend's opponent, Vanderbilt, is coming off a 31-24 win Saturday night at Kentucky.

"We're a little bit ahead because of the open date," Fulmer said. "We came out tonight and, not having played, were in shorts and shoulder pads. We got in some good tackling and good fundamental work as well as a lot of work on Vanderbilt."

Saturday's kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. Central time in Nashville, with Raycom Sports and the Vol Network carrying the action.

www.utsports.com

O'Brien Semifinalists Go Head-to-Head In Week 12

2008-11-13T04:05:00.005-05:00

Competition intensifies as conference play continues

FORT WORTH, Texas (November 12, 2008) - The 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Semifinalist Match-up for week 12 highlights the Big 12 battle featuring O'Brien Semifinalists Colt McCoy and Todd Reesing. Fans can show their support for McCoy and Reesing, as well as any of the other 13 Semifinalists, by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote once daily. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists.

Semifinalist Marquee Match-up:

Texas (Colt McCoy) at Kansas (Todd Reesing)
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on FSN
Colt McCoy leads the Texas Longhorns to Lawrence, Kan. to take on Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks as these Big 12 opponents go head-to-head. McCoy and the Longhorns hit the road after a 45-21 victory over Baylor on Saturday at home, which elevated Texas to a No. 3 ranking (BCS). McCoy, a junior from Tuscola, Texas, completed more than 70 percent of his passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns. He continues to lead the Longhorns in rushing with 449 yards. Reesing and the Jayhawks turn their sights towards an upset as they try to rebound from their 45-35 loss in Nebraska against the Cornhuskers. The junior quarterback from Austin, Texas threw for 304 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). Reesing ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 2,942 passing yards. Both offenses are directed by O'Brien Semifinalists from the state of Texas whose quarterback skills will be put to the test on Saturday as the quarterback rivalry in the Big 12 continues.

Additional Semifinalist Games (alphabetical by last name):

Daryll Clark: Indiana at Penn State
Saturday, November 15 at 11 a.m. (CST) on the Big Ten Network
Under the leadership of quarterback Clark, the Nittany Lions look to avenge their 24-23 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. After a game that came down to the final seconds, Clark and his eighth-ranked team will set their sites on the Indiana Hoosiers as they vie for control of the Big Ten.

Chase Daniel: Missouri at Iowa State
Saturday, November 15 at 5:30 p.m. (CST) on FSN
Daniel and the Tigers enter Saturday's match-up looking to extend their three-game winning streak, including their 41-24 victory over Kansas State at home last Saturday. The senior quarterback enters this game with a 76.1 completion percentage for the season and hopes to continue the No. 12 Tigers quest for the top position in the Big 12 North.

Max Hall: BYU at Air Force
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
BYU heads to Colorado Springs, Colo. to battle the Air Force Falcons after a 41-12 rout of San Diego State. Hall led the Cougar offense last week with three touchdowns and no interceptions, completing more than 83 percent of his passes. He has thrown a touchdown in 21-of-23 career games and hopes to add another win to the Cougars' 9-1 record.

David Johnson: Tulsa at Houston
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on CSTV
Johnson and the Golden Hurricanes return to conference play to take on the Houston Cougars after their first loss of the season to the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks on November 1. With an 8-1 record, Johnson has maintained the nation's top quarterback rating (198.25) and will be at the helm of the Tulsa offense in this C-USA match-up.

Zac Robinson: Oklahoma State at Colorado
Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. (CST) on ABC
Oklahoma State will trek to Colorado as the Cowboys square off with the Buffaloes. Robinson and his team hope to bounce back from a loss to Big 12 foe, Texas Tech. The junior quarterback has thrown for 2,264 yards this season and earned a 181.01 quarterback rating which ranks No. 3 in the nation.

Mark Sanchez: USC at Stanford
Saturday, November 15 at 6 p.m. (CST) on Versus
After their 17-3 win over state rival, California, Sanchez and the No. 6 Trojans continue to dominate the Pac-10. The junior signal caller leads his conference in quarterback rating (162.18), passing yards (2,122) and touchdowns (24). Saturday Sanchez and the Trojans will focus their attention on the Stanford Cardinals.

Matthew Stafford: Georgia at Auburn
Saturday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m. (CST) on ESPN360.com and ESPN GamePlan
Stafford and the Georgia Bulldogs are preparing for their fourth consecutive game on the road. Stafford takes the No. 10 Bulldogs to Auburn after leading his team to a 42-38 victory over Kentucky last Saturday when he threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Tim Tebow: South Carolina at Florida
Saturday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on CBS
The No. 4 Gators continue to elevate their position in the polls under the leadership of their junior quarterback. Tebow rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in addition to passing for three with no interceptions as Florida defeated Vanderbilt 42-14. The Gators return to the Swamp on Saturday to face off with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

John Parker Wilson: Mississippi State at Alabama
Saturday, November 15 at 6:45 p.m. (CST) on ESPN
Wilson led Alabama to their tenth win of the season on Saturday as they defended their No. 1 ranking against LSU. The senior quarterback rushed for two touchdowns, the second of which came in overtime and capped the Crimson Tide's 27-21 victory over the Tigers. Alabama will have the support of their fans at home this weekend as they host Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa.

About The O'Brien Fan Vote
Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite Semifinalist. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can download an interactive "widget" featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs by clicking here.

Fans can also show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab or by clicking here.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit

Coleman To Lead Vols JV's Against Hargraves

2008-11-12T01:48:00.006-05:00

The Tennessee Vols returned to the practice field Tuesday for the first of two open week workouts.

In addition to preparations for the Nov. 22 game at Vanderbilt, UT players and coaches also began planning for Thursday's junior varsity contest against Hargrave Military Academy at Neyland Stadium.

"Those guys are really looking forward to that game," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "It will be a good experience for them."

Fulmer announced redshirt freshman B.J. Coleman as Thursday's starting quarterback, but said some of the other positions were not yet determined.

"We don't have a lot of depth right now at tailback, so Ja'Kouri Williams will get a shot back there. We've got some linemen who haven't had a chance to play much this year because we haven't stayed on the field long enough, so that will be a good group of guys."

The Vols defeated Hargrave 37-20 in an entertaining game last year in Knoxville, but this season's Hargrave squad enters with a perfect 10-0 record. The Tigers of Chatham, Va., carry wins over JV squads from Navy, Averett (twice), Robert Morris, Radford (twice), East Carolina, Marshall and George Mason, in addition to a victory over in-state rival Fork Union Military Academy.

Gates open Thursday at 4 p.m., with kickoff set for 5 p.m. Admission is free and all fans should enter through Gate 21 for seating on the lower west side.

www.utsports.com

THE TENNESSEE TITANS MR. FOOTBALL AWARDS FINALISTS

2008-11-11T23:10:00.011-05:00

Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards will be presented to the top 14 backs and linemen in seven classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association on Monday, December 1, 2008, at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Murfreesboro.

For the seventh consecutive year, the top kicker in the state will be recognized with a Mr. Football Award. There are three finalists in this category, regardless of their school’s classification. The awards are sponsored by Nancy and Bud Adams through their donation from the Tennessee Titans Foundation."High school football in Tennessee enjoys a great tradition throughout the state and we are pleased to join the TSSAA for the second consecutive year in saluting these fine young men at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards," said Adams. "The young men that are recognized with these awards are truly the best of the best! They are selected not only for their football skills, but for their strong character and academic achievements and we're honored to join the TSSAA in saluting them!"

A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2008 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration. High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists.

"We're very thankful to Mr. and Mrs. Adams and the Tennessee Titans for their continued commitment to high school athletics,” stated Ronnie Carter, Executive Director of the TSSAA. "We are obviously excited and appreciative about being involved with the Tennessee Titans.

"They have helped make the recognition of the 45 student-athletes, their families, and schools possible," added Carter.

This is the twenty-fourth year that the Mr. Football Awards have been presented to Tennessee’s best high school football players. Plaques will be presented to 30 other finalists.

Approximately 700 people, including the honorees, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, are expected to attend the 2008 luncheon.

Mike Keith, play-by-play voice of the Tennessee Titans, will emcee the awards presentations.

Live audio and videostream of the awards will be provided for free by the Tennessee High School Sports Network (THSSN).

Those interested can watch or listen to the awards by going to http://www.thssn.net/.

2008 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Finalists

1A LINEMAN

Brent Ford, Trousdale County
Preston Gilbreath, Mt. Pleasant

Tyler Richardson, Grace Christian

2A LINEMAN

Michael Baker, Westmoreland

Tyler Robinson, Alcoa

Mason Sharp, Lewis County

3A LINEMAN

Blaine Boone, White House

Daniel Hood, Knoxville Catholic

Evan Webb, David Lipscomb

4A LINEMAN

Romario Cathey, Maplewood

Kevin Revis, Rhea County

Justin Smith, Maryville

5A LINEMAN

Will Jackson, Farragut

Tim McAdoo, Oakland

Jacques Smith, Ooltewah

DII-A LINEMAN

Blair Arrington, Davidson Academy

Don Gant, First Assembly Christian

Will Rikard, Harding Academy

DII-AA LINEMAN

Wesley Johnson, MBA

Austin Long, Briarcrest

Thad McHaney, Brentwood Academy

1A BACK

David Jones, South Pittsburg

James King, Manassas

Colton Speed, Union City

2A BACK

Kane Crowell, Lewis County

Ben Cunningham, Goodpasture

Jake Overbey, USJ

3A BACK

Demario Carter, Sheffield

Hunter Poteete, Dekalb County

Zach Rogers, David Lipscomb

4A BACK

Will Gilchrist, Hardin County

Eric Gordon, Hillsboro

Marsalis Teague, Henry County

5A BACK

Tausean Holmes, Millington

Graham Nichols, Franklin

Chaz Scales, Centennial

DII-A BACK

Marlon Brown, Harding Academy

Ryan Dubois, SBEC

Justin Williams, Davidson Academy

DII-AA BACK

Barry Brunetti, MUS

Tavarres Jefferson, Ensworth

Spencer Wise, MBA

KICKER OF THE YEAR

Josh Davis, Rhea County

Danny Kim, Camden

Jared White, Trousdale County

Tennessee Vanderbilt Gametime Set

2008-11-11T04:41:00.002-05:00

The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Tennessee's Nov. 22 trip to Vanderbilt is being televised by Raycom Sports and kicks off at 11:30 a.m. Central time. UT's only other appearance this season on Raycom was the 35-3 win over UAB on Sept. 13.

The Vols lead the series against the Commodores 69-27-5, including a 34-17-4 advantage in Nashville. Tennessee has won 24 of the last 25 games in the series since Vanderbilt's most recent home win against the Vols back in 1982. Since then, UT's only loss was a 28-24 decision three years ago in Knoxville. Last season, Tennessee turned in the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Neyland Stadium history, rallying from a 15-point deficit for a 25-24 victory.

The only other game being televised that weekend involving SEC teams Mississippi at LSU on CBS (3:30 p.m. Eastern). ESPN and ESPN2 are not televising any SEC games on that date.

www.utsports.com

Vols Appear Ready; Eric Berry To Don Inky's No. 29

2008-11-07T13:34:00.004-05:00

The Tennessee football team wrapped up an emotional and energy-charged week of practice with a slightly shorter than normal Thursday workout at Haslam Field in preparation for Saturday's Homecoming contest with Wyoming.

Both coordinators and head coach Phillip Fulmer spoke to the media following the workout and were pleased with the team's spirit despite having endured a tough week.

"I have been very pleased with those guys," Fulmer said. "I know there has been a lot of emotion attached to the week, and I think Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday getting back on the practice field was good therapy for everybody. The practices have had good energy and good concentration, and I've like the way they moved around."

Fulmer also had announcements regarding members of his defensive unit.

Sophomore safety Eric Berry is wearing No. 29 for this game in honor of former defensive back Inquoris "Inky" Johnson.

Fellow sophomore defensive end Chris Walker will be held out of the game on doctors' recommendations due to a minor back injury. And junior safety Demetrice Morley is suspended for the game due to a violation of team academic policy.

Kickoff for the 85th homecoming game is slated for 1 p.m. ET. VideoSeat pay-per-view will provide the television broadcast.

SATELLITE CHANNELS SET FOR SATURDAY'S PAY-PER-VIEW
DISH Network and DirecTV have announced the state of Tennessee channels numbers for Saturday's UT-Wyoming game at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee customers can order the pay-per-view game on DISH Network channel 453 and DirecTV channel 787 respectively. Home dish customers should order the broadcast by going to the designated channel and following the ordering instructions on their TV screen using their remote before kick-off on Saturday.

Cable systems across the state also will carry the telecast from the VideoSeat pay-per-view service. Fans may contact their local cable system to order the game and receive price information.

Fans in Tennessee who do not have access to ordering the game via cable system or a home dish network may order and watch the game over the Internet as a pay-per-view event by going to UTsports.com.

ESPN GamePlan will offer the game to fans living outside the state of Tennessee via the ESPN GamePlan package. The game will be blacked out on ESPN GamePlan in the state of Tennessee and cannot be ordered as part of ESPN's package.

The announcing team for Saturday's pay-per-view telecast will be Randy Smith (play-by-play) and Pat Ryan (color). Smith has been the Sports Director for WRCB-TV in Chattanooga since 1995. A broadcast veteran, he has done play-by-play of more than 450 college football, basketball, baseball and softball games during his career. Smith has worked for ESPN, ESPN2, FOX and CSS. Ryan played quarterback at Tennessee in 1977 and went on to a 13-year career in the NFL with the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time (noon Central).

www.utsports.com

Vols Remain In Focus For Wyoming

2008-11-06T04:02:00.005-05:00

Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer says energy, emotion and passion are always a part of football.
"You really can't play it without those things," Fulmer commented after Wednesday's practice at Haslam Field.

But should the Vols display just a little bit more of all three during Saturday's Homecoming affair against Wyoming -- well, let's just say the head coach wouldn't be surprised.

Wednesday was just 48 hours removed from the announcement that Fulmer is stepping down as UT's head coach after the 2008 season. The Vols are 3-6 overall and must close with victories over Wyoming (3-6), Vanderbilt (5-3) and Kentucky (6-3) to qualify for the 16th bowl appearance of Fulmer's storied career.

That leaves no margin for error, though, and Fulmer hopes the team's focus remains strong.
"I think they are determined -- for a variety of reasons, mostly for our team -- to put a different face on this season," he said. "If we can finish well like we'd like to, that would certainly do that.
"Practices have been good and have had real good energy. Today was as sharp as we've been in an offensive passing attack, so hopefully we can take that right on into the game and execute well."

Saturday's scene at Neyland Stadium likely will continue what has been a very heart-wrenching week for the entire Volunteer Nation.

"Energy, emotion and passion are always a part of football," Fulmer said. "But if there is an extra amount of energy and passion and emotion in this football game, certainly I know the players want to do well, like I said for a variety of reasons, but mainly for the team and the fans."
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Eastern time.

UT AD MIKE HAMILTON IS FRIDAY'S FOOTBALL CHAT GUEST

UTsports.com hosts a live one-hour chat with a member of the Tennessee athletics family every home football Friday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern time. This Friday's guest is UT athletics director Mike Hamilton.

This week has been an emotional one for the Vols since Monday's announcement that Phillip Fulmer is stepping down after 17 years as head coach. Hamilton said UT has begun a national coaching search to find a replacement.

"Coach Fulmer has been, and will continue to be, a great representative of the university and the athletics department," Hamilton said Monday. "He has dedicated a majority of his life to our program and brought home two SEC championships and a national championship. He has secured his place as the second winningest coach in Tennessee history behind Gen. Neyland. I personally appreciate everything he has done for Tennessee."

In honor of Fulmer's contributions to the university, Hamilton announced that Fulmer's last home game versus Kentucky on Nov. 29 will be "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day."
Hamilton took on the role of Tennessee men's athletics director in 2003 and has been on the UT staff since 1992. The 45-year-old grew up in Brevard, N.C., graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's of science in accounting and a master's in business administration, and then served as assistant director of the Deacon Club at Wake Forest University before joining the Vols as assistant AD in development.

Big Orange fans from around the world are encouraged to log on to UTsports.com and submit questions, which may be submitted in advance of Friday's live session or through the duration of the chat. Due to time constraints, it may not be possible to answer all questions. All submissions require the accompaniment of the submitter's name, city and state.

UT FOOTBALL TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR FINAL TWO HOME GAMES
Individual UT game tickets for both remaining Neyland Stadium football dates, including Saturday's homecoming contest against Wyoming, remain available for purchase online at utsports.com, via phone at (800) 332-VOLS and at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Kickoff Saturday is 1 p.m., with VideoSeat carrying the pay-per-view telecast.

These are the final two home games for Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer, who is stepping down after 17 seasons. The athletics department has designated UT's Nov. 29 game against Kentucky as "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day."

Tickets for Wyoming are $40 each plus shipping and handling. Tickets for Kentucky are $50 each plus shipping and handling.

www.utsports.com

SEC-TV Profile On Fulmer; Berry's Milestone

2008-11-05T02:13:00.001-05:00

Phillip Fulmer has been a part of the University of Tennessee football team for 35 years as a player, student assistant, offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and head coach. SEC-TV takes a look at Fulmer's career with the Volunteers as he prepares to step down after his 17th season as head coach.

And SEC-TV co-hosts Dave Neal and Natalie Taylor count down the top SEC football milestones of the 2008 season, including Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry compiling an SEC-record 422 yards on interception returns.

This week's show airs Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on Fox Sports South, and Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on SportSouth.

Berry Named Thorpe Award Finalist

2008-11-05T02:07:00.003-05:00

Sophomore safety Eric Berry finds himself one of 13 of the nation's best college football defensive backs after semifinalists were announced Tuesday for the 2008 Jim Thorpe Award.

The award, named after Oklahoma-born Native American sports legend Jim Thorpe, is presented annually to the defensive back who best exhibits performance on the field, athletic ability and character.

The semifinalist list will be narrowed to three finalists Nov. 24, and the winner will be announced on the ESPNU College Football Awards Show, broadcast nationally Dec. 11. Formal presentation will be at a banquet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 11.

2008 Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalists

Asher Allen, Jr., Georgia; Eric Berry, SO., TENNESSEE; Emanuel Cook, Jr., South Carolina; Vontae Davis, Jr., Illinois; Trimane Goddard, Sr., North Carolina; Malcolm Jenkins, Sr., Ohio State; Trevard Lindley, Jr., Kentucky; Taylor Mays, Jr., Southern California; Mike Mickens, Sr., Cincinnati; D.J. Moore, Jr., Vanderbilt; William Moore, Sr., Missouri; Alphonso Smith, Sr., Wake Forest; Otis Wiley, Sr., Michigan State.

Wiley and Goddard were added to the award's preseason 'watch list' midway through the season.

The first Jim Thorpe Award was presented in 1986 to Thomas Everett, Baylor, and last year's trophy went to Antoine Cason of Arizona.

Jim Thorpe is generally considered history's greatest all-around athlete, a man who excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on offense, but also an awesome defensive back. Recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply as "The Legend," Thorpe also played professional baseball and won gold medals in the 1912 Olympics decathlon and pentathlon.

For more information, contact Lynne Draper of the Jim Thorpe Association at (405) 427-1400.

Phillip Fulmer's Tuesday Comments

2008-11-05T01:59:00.003-05:00

"I know everybody -- at least we are -- is ready to move on to Wyoming and all the preparations for that. (It's) homecoming weekend, and get back to work. I think it would almost be inappropriate if I didn't say how very grateful I was and am for the outpouring of support and people responding or contacting me, just being grateful for what we've done here, to me and my family and that's very much appreciated.

"I've never been, really, more pleased and honored than with the response of my football team. Sometimes when you're not doing as well as you would like or anybody expects you to be, you don't always know where your team is. But this team, I've found, is a really unusual group, even though it's been a tough season for us along the way. They've continued to respond and practice hard and fight through the injuries, as we've played eight straight games and five of those being SEC games. So, I really do appreciate that.

"There have been a lot of former players, obviously, and great calls and e-mails. I will get back to all of them at some point. I obviously can't do that all here at one time, but I appreciate them and all the friends and family and everybody concerned. But our focus right now is to turn toward Wyoming. We were in earlier this morning as a staff working, trying to get our team ready. We look forward to the challenge.

"Most of our concerns continue to be with just being more consistent and efficient from an offensive standpoint. That's been our challenge, when we do well with things not to have a penalty or something take that effectiveness away. Our coaches, I'm proud of the way they've responded. They continue to work hard. They're professionals and they'll continue to do that.

"A little bit about Wyoming. They had a really big win last week against San Diego State. They played very well on both sides of the ball. They've been all over the place from an offensive standpoint. They've been doing a lot of different things, almost an offense of the week so to speak. One thing that's been consistent, the run game has been solid. Last week it was outstanding as they rushed for about 240 yards against San Diego State, so that's not something we want to take for granted at all. We're going to have to play well and our defense has been good against the run and consistent most of the year. They certainly are a challenge for that.

"Looking at their defense, they're a solid defensive football team. We've been kind of our own worst enemy offensively. If we can eliminate those and take some further steps forward, then hopefully we'll be able to manage that. They're solid in the kicking game as well.

"We're focused on Wyoming, but also really focused on ourselves to take those steps we need to take to be a better offensive football team."

Mike Hamilton's Comments From Press Conference

2008-11-04T05:16:00.004-05:00

COMMENTS FROM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR MIKE HAMILTON

"This is truly a sad day. It's also an emotional day, as is evidenced. I want to begin by thanking Coach Fulmer for the way he has represented the University of Tennessee for so many years. His record of success is well-documented. He is without a doubt a hall of fame coach who has given us so many wonderful memories -- most notable of which was that magical night in Phoenix 10 years ago when we captured the national championship.

"But more than that, he has represented the institution with class and has had an incredible impact on the lives of so many young men over his 30-plus years associated with the University of Tennessee -- many of those young men are with us here today. In addition, no one will every truly know the impact he has had on our community, in our state and our nation through his work with charitable causes -- particularly with children.

"Over the last several weeks, Coach Fulmer and I have discussed in detail the direction of Tennessee football -- the things that were working and issues that needed to be addressed. Through this process, the items that have been paramount were providing our young men the greatest opportunity for success, protecting our successful winning tradition and recognizing our fans' role in helping our ability to achieve our goals. The result of those discussions gave rise to where we are today.

"Our discussions leading to Coach Fulmer's announcement today did not come without great consternation or thought, but it's in my opinion the best solution given the current circumstances. It's time to treat Coach Fulmer with the appropriate class and dignity he deserves. Coach Fulmer will coach the season's remaining regular season games, as well as a bowl game if we're eligible, as long as he would like to do that. "I do hope fans will join us in celebrating the tremendous positive impact he's had on our university, our community and our state. We will designate the Kentucky game as `Phillip Fulmer Day,' when we along with his former players can honor him appropriately. My hope is, as he's already alluded to, he will also choose to join the university in some capacity so we can continue to benefit from his love of the University of Tennessee.

"I want to thank Phillip, again, and his family for the class in which they have represented University of Tennessee athletics and thank him personally for the opportunity to have worked alongside him for the last 16 seasons. I also want to give a specific word of thanks to our assistant coaches and our coordinators, who are as fine a group of men as anyone could ever hope to be around."

On why the announcement was made now rather than at the end of the season...

"Frankly, and this is a straightforward as I can be, I felt like because of what Phillip has accomplished in his career, by going ahead with this now it would give our fans the opportunity to celebrate his career over the next three weeks in the Vol Walk and at Neyland Stadium so we can honor him for the Kentucky game. We are fortunate enough that our one road game is at Vanderbilt, and I know that Middle Tennessee fans will want to be there for him and the team as well. It really was to recognize what he has done for our institution."

On what he would tell prospective student-athletes considering the Vols for next season and beyond...

"One thing I would say is there's a great tradition here that's been built over many years. There are great student-athletes here who will be their teammates and who they will enjoy being with. I think change is never easy in life -- in high school, college or beyond -- and we will get through this process. It will be a painful process, particularly over the next few days and next few weeks, but in the end the University of Tennessee will move on and Phillip will be a part of this process in the end. He's already alluded to that and we want him a part of the University of Tennessee."

On what future role he envisions for Coach Fulmer...

"What we want him to do is be in a role that could benefit the institution, whether it's the institution at large or the athletics department, but one also that he could enjoy and he could contribute to. Coach Fulmer has many skills. He is an extremely talented individual and I feel very strongly that he could have a significant impact on our university for years to come if he chooses to do that. He's alluded that he might want to continue to coach and certainly that's a decision I'm sure he will weigh heavily over the next several weeks. But we hope he will join our institution in some fashion."

COMMENTS FROM TENNESSEE OFFENSIVE TACKLE Ramon Foster
"It's been a privilege to play for Coach and actually grow under him. You're talking about a man who has had success. You're talking about a man that even with the season we've had, (he's built) a top-five recruiting class. It's much more than a win-loss thing as far as how the players respect him. To the guys who are coming in next year, the recruits -- this is a family and we live by that. That's something he promised when he walked into my living room."

COMMENTS FROM TENNESSEE SAFETY Eric Berry
"This team has a lot of respect for Coach Fulmer. You can go into his office and talk to him basically about anything. He's more than just a coach; he's more like a mentor. It's a big loss for us. We truly feel the pain."

www.utsports.com

Fulmer's Monday Press Conference

2008-11-04T05:02:00.003-05:00

COMMENTS FROM TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Phillip Fulmer

"This is not an easy day for me or my family. It's not a day that I sought or accepted easily. As a young sophomore playing for Coach (Doug) Dickey, that field outside is where I first got my jersey dirty playing in a big game for Tennessee. It was Sept. 29, 1969. I was 19 years old. We were playing Auburn on television that day, something rare for Tennessee at that time. We whipped a higher-ranked Auburn team. Tennessee football has been the focus of my professional life ever since. I'm a very lucky man. Very few people in this world are lucky enough to get to pursue their passions for even a little while. I have been pursuing my passion since that day here against Auburn 38 years ago.

"I am a family man, and proud of it. My son and daughters and Vicky mean everything to me. My family is bigger than just my children and my wife. We have been very blessed to include thousands of players, dozens of coaches and millions of Tennessee fans in our family.

"We just came off a 2007 season that we played for the championship in Atlanta for the fifth time in 17 years. That's an average of every third year that we were in Atlanta. However, this 2008 season has not gone as anyone would like. That includes me, our coaches, our players, our administration and our great fans. Many fans have been supportive, some have been angry. All of us are disappointed. Tennessee has high expectations for its football team, and I'm proud that our accomplishments over the last 17 years have been a part of those high expectations. Our Tennessee family is united in its goals, but divided in the right path to get there. I love Tennessee too much to let her stay divided. That is why I accepted the University's decision that this will be my last season as Tennessee's head football coach.

"I am more than confident that our staff and players will turn this trend around. Our history proves it; our recruiting for this year proves it. I have invested a lot of my life into this university and wish nothing but the best for its continued success, and I will help my successor if needed or asked for in any way possible if he chooses. I love this university and hope everyone knows that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"I thank my family for allowing me to do this job for an assistant coach for 13 years and as the head coach for 17 years. They have sacrificed much, but also had some wonderful experiences and lifetime memories. I thank all the young men and families that trusted us enough to attend UT and proudly wear the Orange and White. In almost all cases, our teams have enjoyed success. And just as I did, our young men grew from their experiences on the field as young men and as students. I thank all the coaches and support groups that have helped me fight the battles on the field, on the recruiting trail and with the development of our young men. Most are and will be friends for life.

"I thank my close friends, who have encouraged me when days are tough and celebrated many great victories with me. I thank Doug Dickey and Joe Johnson, two great men who believed in me and trusted me. I hope I have made them proud. I thank our fans who supported me and our teams in Neyland Stadium; in Tempe, Ariz.; with great victories in Athens, Ga., Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., Gainesville, Fla., at Notre Dame, at Baton Rouge and at Miami and in Atlanta. I'm very proud of all we have accomplished here at UT. We've won more than most anyone at any school ever has. We've had some of UT's greatest teams; we've had many of its greatest players and we've done it right by NCAA rules. I'll remember fondly the battles we fought to get to 150 victories. I wish nothing but the best for my alma mater in the future.

"I am not certain what the future holds for me professionally. I am pleased the university wants me to stay on board in come capacity. It is very difficult for me to call this an end to my coaching career. Right now, I'm focused on these young men that I recruited to be here with this football team. They have three games left, and I will give them my full devotion to make sure we finish in a positive way. When those games are over, I will step back and reflect.

"With this decision behind us, I am very hopeful and very confident that the Tennessee people will rally around our young men and start their new road right now. These players have worked hard and deserve it. The young men out there who will be Vols next year need to see it as well. As I close, I want to thank the Tennessee people for all the opportunities I've been given and earned here. I've been blessed to work hard at a job every day doing something that never felt like a job. I was doing something that I loved. Vicky and my son and daughters are lucky to be Volunteers, and we will say thank you to everyone who loves the Vols. Thank you."

On what the last 24-48 hours have been like for him...
"I don't think there's any reason to rehash that. I just went through how I felt about this university and I do think, given the opportunity, this team and this staff could have turned this trend around and gone forward. But that wasn't the case, so we are where we are. It's been very emotional for my family, very emotional for the team and everybody considered.

On his players attending the press conference...
"That's what we're about. Some people may not understand that as well as others. When you're in the homes of these young men and you work 18 hours a day with the coaches, you sacrifice a lot. It's in the name of Saturday afternoon, but it's not really about Saturday afternoon at all. The reason we all got into coaching was to have that relationship we have. A lot of people don't ever get to experience it and I've had it for a long time."

On taking another position within the athletics department...
"I don't think now is the time for me to reflect on that. We've got three games left and hopefully a chance to get to a bowl game. At that point, I'll have more time to think through that. I'm a football coach. I'll look at that route possibly. I do appreciate the opportunity that has been extended."

On how he hopes he's remembered by the Tennessee people...
"I think history will document the number of great young men who have come through here as players and the teams that have won in the places that I just mentioned. More than that, the impact of so many really wonderful coaches and people have had on a lot young guys that have come through. It's not about just a name on a plaque somewhere. It's about being in the trenches and fighting out."

www.utsports.com

Fulmer Will Say Good-bye To Vols Football

2008-11-04T04:48:00.003-05:00

Fulmer to Step Down Following 2008 Season

University of Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer announced Monday he will step aside as the Volunteers head coach at the end of the season. Fulmer is the second winningest coach in school history with a record of 150-51 and has spent 28 years on Vols coaching staff - 11 years as assistant coach and 17 years as head coach.

"Coach Fulmer has been, and will continue to be, a great representative of the University and the athletics department," said UT athletics director Mike Hamilton. "He has dedicated a majority of his life to our program and brought home two SEC championships and a national championship. He has secured his place as the second winningest coach in Tennessee history behind Gen. Neyland. I personally appreciate everything he has done for Tennessee."

The dean of Southeastern Conference coaches, Fulmer has claimed a national championship, two conference titles and seven divisional crowns while winning nearly three-quarters of his games. He also retains his standing among the winning coaches with at least 10 years experience in major college football.

"I am proud of what we've done at Tennessee. We've won a lot of games, we've won championships, we've done it the right way, we've helped a lot of young men grow up and we've been a credit to our university every step of the way," said Fulmer. "For as long as I can remember, even as boy growing up in Winchester, Tennessee football has been something that brought our university and even our state together. East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee...people from all walks of life and people of different opinions on everything else could agree on one thing - the Volunteers. I love Tennessee too much to let her stay divided."

Fulmer also joined an elite coaching list last season when his career record improved to 100 games over the .500 mark joining Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Jim Tressel, Steve Spurrier, Chris Ault and Frank Beamer as the only active coaches in that fraternity. With three games remaining, Fulmer has a chance to spring back above that plus-100 milestone before calling it a career.

Fulmer's coaching record also includes these accomplishments:

• Selection as National and SEC coach of the year in 1998.

• The first Tennessee team to post 13 victories in a single season, a record in 1998 that included an SEC championship and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl win for the national title.• Back-to-back SEC titles in 1997-98 and five Eastern Division crowns in the last 10 years. The Vols have won or tied for the division title seven times under Fulmer.

• A record of 45-5 from 1995-98, the most victories over a four-year span in school history.

• Six seasons finishing in the top 10 nationally and 13 seasons ranked in the top 25.

• Seventeen Tennessee players earning first-team All-America honors.

• Sixteen first-round NFL selections since 1993 and a total of 90 players selected overall. The team's five first-day 2007 NFL Draft picks were the most of any school and UT has led the SEC with the most players on opening-day NFL rosters in two of the last three seasons.

• Fifteen bowl games have welcomed the Vols, including 13 January bowl invitations.

• In two of the last three seasons, Tennessee football has led the SEC in Academic Honor Roll recipients.

Fulmer was an offensive guard at Tennessee from 1968-71. He began his coaching career at Tennessee before stints at Wichita State (1974-78) and Vanderbilt (1979). Fulmer returned to Tennessee in 1980 and was promoted to head coach in 1992. He has been enshrined in both the Tennessee Sports and Knoxville Sports halls of fame.

In honor of Fulmer's contributions to the university, UT announced that Fulmer's last home game versus Kentucky on Nov. 29 will be "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day."

Tennessee will begin a national coaching search immediately.

www.utsports.com

A Look At Fulmer's Career

2008-11-04T04:39:00.002-05:00

Sept. 1, 1950 — Fulmer is born in Winchester, Tenn.
Fulmer the player
1964-1968 —Fulmer stars at Franklin County High School, earning a chance to play at the University of Tennessee for coach Doug Dickey.
1968-1972 — Fulmer plays for coaches Dickey and Bill Battle during his time at UT. In his three seasons on the varsity team (freshmen were ineligible at the time) the Vols finished 9-2, 11-1, and 10-2. The 10-win season during his senior campaign would be UT’s last until 1987.
Fulmer the coach
1972-73 — Fulmer, known as an offensive-minded coach, began his career on the sidelines as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the Tennessee freshman team.
1974-78 — Fulmer moved on to Wichita State, where he split his time there as the offensive line coach and as the linebackers coach in 1975-76.
1979 — Fulmer returned to his home state as an offensive line coach for Vanderbilt.
Fulmer back on “The Hill”
1980-88 — Fulmer returns to his alma mater as offensive line coach. His players’ toughness and ability gets him noticed and in line for bigger things.
1988- 1992 — Following a disastrous 0-6 start to the 1988 season coach Majors fired then-offensive coordinator Walt Harris. Fulmer took the reins of the UT offense, with the Vols winning 29 games in his first three full seasons as coordinator.
Fulmer in charge
1992 — Tennessee coach Johnny Majors suffered a heart ailment before the season, and Fulmer was named Assistant Head Coach, filling in for Majors in the interim. The Vols upset highly-ranked Georgia and Florida under his watch before Majors returned ahead of the Cincinnati game. The Vols dropped three-in-a-row, including heartbreakers to Arkansas, which had lost to The Citadel to start the season, and to South Carolina when a two-point attempt at the win fell short, as well as to eventual national champion Alabama— the Vols’ eighth loss in a row to the Crimson Tide, and 12th loss in 16 meetings under Majors. Majors announced that effective after the Vanderbilt game he would step down as UT coach.
1993-1998 — Tennessee football entered a period of success not seen since the 1930s, as the Vols racked up 63 wins in six seasons, culminating with Tennessee’s first consensus national championship since 1951 following a 13-0 campaign in 1998. The Vols joined the nation’s elite during this time frame, with an unprecedented national buzz during the Peyton Manning era and subsequent title season.
1999-2004 — The success of the Manning and national championship era continued, but with a series of noticible dips. The Vols missed the 10-win-mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in a decade following the 2000-01 season. Even so, UT ended a drought at Florida and the Vols were prevented from playing for a second BCS Championship in four seasons by a late LSU rally in the SEC Championship Game. The Vols closed out the 2004-05 season with a 38-7 win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, and were an early title contender in 2005.
2005 — The season wound up sticking out in the minds of Vols fans, but for all the wrong reasons. What was supposed to be a national championship-calibre team instead saw its offensive coordinator resign, lost to Vanderbilt for the first time since 1982, and finished 5-6 to miss playing in a bowl game for the first time since 1988.
2006-2008 — The return of former offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe (who had left that post to take the head job at Ole Miss before UT’s 1998 BCS Championship Game appearance in the Fiesta Bowl) sparked renewed hope in the Vols, as did an early win over highly-touted Cal. The Vols found their backs against the wall again in 2007, however, but managed to rally together against increasingly sharp criticism and an equally increasingly divided fan base to win the SEC East and an impressive Outback Bowl showing against Wisconsin. Cutcliffe departed for Duke following the season, giving rise to the hope that Tennessee would install a new offense. The luster and promise disappeared immediately, though, as a 27-24 overtime loss to UCLA, which lost its next game 59-0, and the Vols’ first 0-2 start in SEC play since 1988 sealed Fulmer’s fate as discontent turned to anger. Fulmer leaves the Vols as Tennessee’s second all-time-winningest coach, his 150-51 record a mere 23 wins behind Gen.Robert Neyland.
Fulmer by the numbers
Overall record: 150-51
Bowl record: 8-7
National championships: 1998
SEC championships: 1997, 1998
SEC East titles: 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007
1st win as interim coach: Sept. 5, 1992, UT 38, S.W. Louisiana 3
1st win as head coach: Jan. 1, 1993; UT 38, Boston College 23
1st loss: Sept. 18, 1993; Florida 41, UT 34
50th win: Nov. 8, 1997; UT 44, Southern Miss 20
100th win: Nov. 2, 2002: UT 18, South Carolina 10
150th win: Oct. 18, 2008: UT 34, Mississippi State 3

Source: Tennessee Media Guide

Fulmer Out After The Season

2008-11-03T12:43:00.006-05:00

Tennessee Football magazine writer John Brice has reported on Volquest.com that Phil Fulmer is stepping down as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Brice is the senior writer for Volquest.com and covers the Tennessee beat on a daily basis.

Brice and Brent Hubbs reported this morning that multiple sources have told them that Fulmer was ending a 16-year plus tenure as the Tennessee coach.

The decision comes after Tennessee lost to South Carolina 27-6 on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
It was the Vols’ sixth loss this season and 10th since the start of the 2007 season.

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton renewed Fulmer’s contract for seven years prior to the 2008 season.

The buyout for Fulmer is set at $6 million and is scheduled to be paid in equal installments over 48 months.

About Phil Fulmer ...

Fulmer is the dean of Southeastern Conference coaches. The former Vols lineman won a national championship in 1998, two conference titles and seven divisional crowns while winning better than three-quarters of his games. He entered the season ranked No. 1 on the winning percentage list for coaches with at least 10 years experience in major college football.

The Vols advanced to the 2007 SEC Championship Game and recorded 10 wins for the ninth time in 15 full seasons. It was the Vols fifth championship game appearance in the past 11 years.

Fulmer will now stop short of Gen. Robert R. Neyland 173 coaching victories and leave as No. 2 on the all-time win list.

Nine Fulmer-coached teams eclipsed the 10-win mark and two others just missed with nine victories. The highlight came in 1998 when Tennessee capped a perfect 13-0 season with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida State.

His teams entered the season averaging 9 1/2 wins a season for the last decade, with five SEC Eastern Division titles during that span and two overall league crowns.

The Winchester, Tenn. native joined former Nebraska legend Tom Osborne as the only coaches to lead a team to a bowl game in their first 13 years of coaching.

Under Fulmer, the Vols had a streak of 54 consecutive weeks ranked in the top 10.

UT has been in the national polls at game time for 168 of Fulmer's 191 games as head coach.

Six UT players were drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, including a nation's-best five on the first day.

Standouts Justin Harrell and Robert Meachem were first-round selections of the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, respectively.

Fulmer is the national spokesperson for the Jason Foundation Inc., and considers such experiences essential to the education process of UT football players. He recently was named the first recipient of the "Grant Teaff Breaking the Silence Award," presented jointly by the AFCA and the Jason Foundation.

He also has served on such boards of directors as Boys and Girls Clubs, American Football Coaches Association, Team Focus and Child and Family Services.

Fulmer is married to the former Vicky Morey and has four children: Phillip Jr., Courtney, Brittany and Allison.

Personal Data
BORN: Sept. 1, 1950 in Winchester, Tenn.
HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION: Franklin County High, Winchester, Tenn.
COLLEGE EDUCATION: University of Tennessee 1972
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Offensive Guard, Tennessee 1968-71
COACHING CAREER: Tennessee 1972-73; Wichita State 1974-78; Vanderbilt 1979; Tennessee 1980-1991; Head Coach 1992-Present
COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS: National Coach of the Year 1998 (FWAA, AFCA, The Sporting News, Maxwell Football Club); Regional Coach of the Year 1993 (AFCA Region 2); Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year 1998 (Coaches, Associated Press); State Farm Eddie Robinson National Coach of Distinction Award 1999; Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame 2001
WIFE: Victoria (Vicky) Morey Fulmer
CHILDREN: Phillip Jr. (3/25/70), Courtney (1/25/83), Brittany (4/22/85), Allison (9/13/86)

www.UTSports.com contributed to this report.

Jeff Fisher Quotes On Titans/Packers

2008-11-03T02:49:00.005-05:00

HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER

(opening statements)

Well, that’s November football for you. That’s a good football team we played today. We knew that all week. They are very, very talented on both sides of the ball as they are on special teams. I think this is the case where we just were able to overcome some things. We overcame defensive injuries. We overcame some difficulty offensively in the second half. You know we overcame a missed field goal at the end of regulation and it was a great win for us, really a great win. And, thanks to the crowd, to the fans for the 100 th straight sellout. That really means a lot to this football team and the organization. You know when you win eight games, you’re going to on occasion need to win some like this and that is just what we did. We hung in there. The offense came alive at the end of regulation and then we gave ourselves a chance. Fortunately, we won the toss and didn’t give it back to them. So, we got contributions from just about everybody today. Kyle [Vanden Bosch] tried to go, but couldn’t. We got production out of Dave Ball and Jacob Ford and the guys just all the way around played hard. Keith [Bulluck] came in, overcame a rib issue and finished the game. All-in-all, it is a good win for us and we’ll move on to the next one.

(on what the formula is to reach 8-0)
You have to win close ball games. And we’re fortunate to stay healthy and we’re running the football when we need to and our defense is keeping the points down. Those two defensive turnovers that we got were huge. That was a great catch by Chris (Johnson) and then the sack and the caused fumble. I’m frustrated that we didn’t get a touchdown out of that possession, but the defensive points helped.

(on Bironas’ two field goals)
You saw what happened. He just left it a little bit right. He had plenty of distance, he just pushed it right. But no question about the second one.
(on whether the game plan included so many pass plays against Green Bay)
Not necessarily, but we felt like they were very well equipped to handle the run. We’ve seen that the league ranking in rushing defense is so misleading. We’ve looked at four or five games this year, you just don’t see it. Now they are equipped to and obviously they’re very good at it.

(on overtime)
They knew all week long that this game was going to be close and it was going to be tight and it was going to be hard fought. There is an advantage to having a week off and we talked about the short week, we denied it. But it is. It takes its toll on a team and so it’s good to get back on a normal schedule now and get rested up.

(on the defensive pass interference non-call in the second quarter)
I thought it was defensive pass interference. But that’s the game. Sometimes they get away with things like that and sometimes they miss. This call was missed but fortunately we overcame.

(on being at the halfway point of the season and whether Kerry Collins has performed as expected)
Well we’re basically going to do, attempt to do, whatever it takes to win a game whether that’s hand it off, or whether that’s to throw it. Fortunately, we’ve been able to do that to this point. You’re only as good as your next game and we have to have a good game plan. To address your question about Kerry, Kerry is handling it very well. That’s a tough defense. They put pressure on us today, they took some things away, they had two weeks to prepare and yet we found a way to make the throws, at least at the end of regulation we put ourselves in a position to win and Mike (Heimerdinger) did a great job calling the final drive and overtime.

www.titansonline.com

Titans/Packers Game Notes

2008-11-03T02:37:00.005-05:00

100TH CONSECUTIVE SELLOUT: The game is the 100th consecutive sellout at LP Field (including preseason, regular season and playoff games) since the stadium opened in 1999.

SECOND TIME AT LP FIELD: The Titans hosted the Packers in a regular season game for the second time at LP Field.

TURNOVER RATIO: The Titans recorded their seventh consecutive game with an even or positive turnover ratio.

MOVING UP THE LIST: K Rob Bironas moved past Toni Fritsch (392) into fifth place on the team’s all-time scoring list.

IRON MAN BULLUCK: LB Keith Bulluck started his 105th consecutive game, the longest active streak of any Titans player.

UNDEFEATED TITANS: Sunday’s victory gave the Titans an 8-0 record for the first time in franchise history.

11 AND COUNTING: Sunday’s victory gave the Titans an NFL-leading 11 consecutive regular season victories dating back to last season, which would tie for the longest streak in team history.

SIX STRAIGHT AT HOME: Sunday’s victory gave the Titans six consecutive home wins.
SERIES LEAD: Sunday’s victory gave the Titans an all-time record of 6-4 against the Packers, including wins in three consecutive games.

ANOTHER WIN FOR FISHER: Sunday’s victory improved Jeff Fisher’s career record as head coach (1995-08) to 128-104.

MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Sunday’s victory moved Jeff Fisher ahead of Mike Ditka (127 career wins) for 22nd place in NFL history in career wins by a head coach.

STARTING SUCCESS: Sunday’s victory improved Kerry Collins’ regular season record as a starting quarterback to 74-82.

ANOTHER FOURTH DOWN STOP: In the first quarter, the Packers faced a fourth-and-one from the Tennessee 44-yard line. Aaron Rodgers attempted a pass to tight end Jermichael Finley that fell incomplete, giving the Titans possession of the ball. The Titans marched down the field and capitalized on a 25-yard field goal to take a 6-0 lead. iIn Tennessee’s previous game against the Colts, the Titans defense made two key fourth down stops.

JOHNSON’S LONG RECEPTION LEADS TO SCORE: On the Titans’ first offensive series of the game, rookie running back Chris Johnson took a screen pass from Kerry Collins and raced 25 yards for his longest reception of the season. It led to a 31-yard field goal by Rob Bironas.
HOPE’S FIRST SACK: In ;the first quarter, Titans safety Chris Hope recorded his first career sack, dropping Aaron Rodgers for no gain.

SACKLESS STREAK COMES TO AN END: When the Packers sacked Kerry Collins in the third quarter, it ended a streak of five games the Titans offensive line did not allow a sack. The most recent previous sack they allowed was at Cincinnati in Week 2.

HOPE RECORDS THIRD INTERCEPTION IN SIX DAYS: In the third quarter, safety Chris Hope intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass that was intended for Greg Jennings in the end zone. Hope, who had two interceptions in the previous week’s Monday night contest against the Colts, recorded his third interception in six days. He has 14 career interceptions.

FORD NOTCHES FIRST SACK, CAUSES FUMBLE: On a third-down play in the third quarter, defensive end Jacob Ford recorded his first career sack, taking down Aaron Rodgers for a 14-yard loss. On the play, Ford caused a fumble, which was recovered by Stephen Tulloch for a first-and-10 at the Green Bay 17. The Titans kicked a field goal on the ensuing possession to give them a 16-10 lead. Ford later in the game recorded his second sack, dropping Rodgers for an eight-yard loss.

www.titansonline.com

This Week In The SEC

2008-11-03T02:27:00.002-05:00

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Ole Miss 17, Auburn 7 (57,324 at Oxford) Arkansas 30, Tulsa 23 (70,021 at Fayetteville) Kentucky 14, Mississippi State 13 (40,168 at Starkville) Alabama 35, Arkansas State 0 (92,138 at Tuscaloosa) Florida 49, Georgia 10 (84,649 at Jacksonville) South Carolina 27, Tennessee 6 (81,731 at Columbia) LSU 35, Tulane 10 (92,136 at Baton Rouge) OPEN: Vanderbilt

STATE OF THE SEC
Georgia and LSU have the SEC's best records during the last five and 10 seasons. Since 2003, LSU has posted the league's best overall mark at 62-12 (.838). Since 1998, Georgia has had the league's best record at 104-32 (.765). Below is a look at how each SEC team has fared during the last five and ten seasons:

SEC DIVISIONAL RACE UPDATE
Alabama and Florida control its own fates in its race to the SEC Football Championship Game (Dec. 6, 4 p.m. ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, CBS Sports).
In the Western Division, an Alabama win over LSU this weekend will clinch the divisional berth for the Crimson Tide. Should Alabama win, it would have a 6-0 conference record and no other team in the division would be able to get to six SEC wins.
In the Eastern Division, a Florida win over Vanderbilt this weekend would clinch the divisional berth for the Gators. Should Florida win, it would be 6-1 in the SEC with Georgia the only other Eastern Division team that could get to six wins. In that case, Florida would win the head-to-head tie-breaker with Georgia.
The earliest clinches in SEC Championship Game history belong were Oct. 29, 1994 (Florida); Oct. 30, 2004 (Auburn), Oct. 30, 1993 (Alabama) and Nov. 4, 2006 (Florida).

CONFERENCES IN AP / USA TODAY POLLS
This season, the SEC has had the most teams ranked in both the AP and USA Today Top 25 polls this season (8). The ACC has had eight teams ranked in the AP and seven in the USA Today polls.
The SEC and the Big 12 each have had four different teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 each week this season.
The SEC is the only conference this season to have had all of its teams receive points at some time during this season's voting for the AP and USA Today Top 25.
Combining the AP and USA Today polls, SEC teams have been ranked 113 times this season, second only to the Big 12's 118 weeks.

www.sec.org

This Week's SEC Team Notes

2008-11-03T01:46:00.006-05:00

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama has vaulted into the top spot in all of the major polls (AP, USA Today, Harris) for the first time since the end of its National Championship season in 1992 ... It's the first time the Tide have held that spot in the regular season since Weeks 3-9 in the 1980 season ... The Tide lead the SEC and is second in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 65.56 yards per game ... Alabama is second in the SEC and fourth in the nation in total defense, allowing 251.4 yards per game ... Alabama's current 10-game win streak is its longest since winning 12 straight games during the 1993-94 seasons.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
The Razorbacks scored a touchdown on their first drive against Tulsa ... It is the first time this season Arkansas has scored a touchdown on its first drive (Arkansas kicked a field goal against Auburn, its only other first drive that resulted in points) ... Casey Dick's passing yardage total of 385 is the second-most in school history (Trails only 387-yard effort by Clint Stoerner against LSU in 1997) ... Michael Smith now has 987 yards rushing on the season and 1,333 all-purpose yards through his eighth game played (both numbers surpass Darren McFadden's 2007 numbers after 8 games).

AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn has not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter this season (allowing just six points during opening frame all season) ... The Tigers trailed Ole Miss, 10-0, at halftime, marking the first time Auburn had trailed at the half this season ... Auburn is fourth in the SEC and 14th in the nation in scoring defense ... No other non-winning team in the nation this season is in the national top 24 in scoring defense ... QB Kodi Burns threw for a career-high 319 yards against Ole Miss on career-highs of 27 completions and 43 attempts (previous high - 119 yards vs. Arkansas, 2008).

FLORIDA GATORS
The Gators have not trailed in seven of eight games and have not allowed an opponent to score in 18 of 30 quarters ... The Gators have not turned the ball over in six of the last nine games ... Florida leads the nation in turnover margin (+14 in eight games) ... The Gators lead the SEC in scoring defense (11.63 points per game), scoring offense (42.88 points per game), passing efficiency (164.51 rating) and punt returns (20.14 yards per attempt) ... QB Tim Tebow leads the SEC and is 10th in the nation in pass efficiency (162.71 rating) ... He has thrown just 2 interceptions in 177 attempts this season.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Georgia leads the SEC in net punting (38.5 yards per punt), passing offense (262.4 yards per game) and total offense (427.56 yards per game) ... WR A.J. Green ranks sixth among freshmen in receptions per game (4.89) with 44 grabs in nine games ... Green is tied for the SEC lead in the category and also leads the SEC in receiving yards per game (83.67) ... QB Matthew Stafford leads the SEC in total offense, averaging 251.0 yards per game ... Soph. LB Rennie Curran is fifth in the SEC in total tackles per game (8.22 / 74 in nine games).

KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky's sixth win of the season (vs. Miss. State) makes the Wildcats bowl-eligible for the third consecutive season ... The only time in school history that Kentucky has gone to three consecutive bowls was following the 1949-50-51 seasons ... The UK defense allowed just 43 rushing yards against State, marking the fifth time this season UK has held an opponent under 75 yards on the ground ... UK freshman Randall Cobb earned his first career start at quarterback after starting four at wide receiver this season ... Sr. Tony Dixon had nine carries for a season-high 58 yards.

LSU TIGERS
The Tigers have only lost two fumbles this season, the lowest total in the SEC this season ... LSU has posted at least 21 points in 30 straight games ... The last time the Tigers did not score at least 21 points was at Florida on Oct. 7, 2006 ... LSU's fumble return for a touchdown by Chris Hawkins against Tulane was LSU's first defensive touchdown of the season and first since Jonathan Zenon returned an interception for a TD against Tennessee in the 2007 SEC Championship ... WR Brandon LaFell hauled in his sixth receiving touchdown of the season and the 12th of his career.

OLE MISS REBELS
Ole Miss leads the SEC in tackles for loss with 75 this season (8.33 per game) ... Ole Miss' 233 yards rushing against Auburn is the most by the Rebels since running for 240 against Memphis in the 2006 season opener ... Junior RB Cordera Eason posted his first career 100-yard rushing game, running for 104 on 14 attempts ... Junior Dexter McCluster turned in career highs in rushing yards with 84 and carries with 14 ... He also hauled in four passes for 47 yards ... Ole Miss held the opposition under 82 rushing yards for the fourth time this season, limiting the Tigers to 75 yards on the ground.

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State is second in the SEC and fourth in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 153.2 yards per game ... Jr. RB Anthony Dixon is fifth in the SEC with 647 yards rushing (71.9 yards per game) ... Sr. LB Dominic Douglas is sixth in the SEC in tackles per game (8.11) ... Douglas totaled 15 stops against Kentucky and also had his first career interception in the game ... QB Tyson Lee threw for a career-best 261 yards, the most by a Bulldog quarterback since Wesley Carroll threw for 421 yards against Arkansas last season.

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
South Carolina leads the SEC in pass efficiency defense (98.20 rating), kickoff returns (25.07 yards per return), pass defense (144.0 yards per game) and total defense (250.67 yards per game) ... Tennessee rushed for just 34 yards against Carolina, the lowest a Gamecock defense has allowed under head coach Steve Spurrier (Previous low - 41 allowed to Vanderbilt in 2005) ... With 2.0 tackles for loss against the Vols, junior Eric Norwood became the USC record holder for career tackles for loss with 36.0, passing the 35.0 of Andrew Provence (1980-82).

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Senior LB Ellix Wilson continues to lead the SEC in total tackles per game (8.88 / 71 tackles in eight games) ... The Vols' pass defense leads the SEC with 15 interceptions ... Soph. DB Eric Berry has six of those interceptions and has the national lead ... TB Arian Foster rushed for 56 yards and a TD on 14 carries against South Carolina ... The score was his first of the season and the 23rd of his career ... Senior WR Austin Rogers caught a career-long 49-yard pass against Carolina and finished the game with a season-high 72 receiving yards.

VANDERBILT COMMODORES
WR Sean Walker finished with career highs with six catches for 138 yards and a touchdown against Duke ... The receiving yardage was a season high for Vanderbilt receivers, besting his 66-yard effort against Auburn on Oct. 4 ... QB Mackenzi Adams threw for a career best 210 yards. It was the first time a VU QB threw for over 200 yards this season ... LB Chris Marve finished with a career high 16 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, with one forced fumble ... DE Brandon Stewart finished with two sacks, and two forced fumbles ... TE Brandon Barden recorded career highs with five catches and 53 yards.
www.sec.org

Week 11 SEC Notes

2008-11-03T01:30:00.005-05:00

 New AP/USA Today/Harris #1 Alabama (BCS standings not out at press time) travels to AP / USA Today/ Harris #15 LSU on Saturday to highlight this weekend's SEC football slate. The game will be televised by CBS Sports with a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
 #4 (AP / Harris) Florida visits Vanderbilt at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 while #14 Georgia (AP / Harris / USA Today) visits Kentucky at 12:30 p.m. ET on Raycom Sports.
 Other games this weekend will include Arkansas visiting South Carolina (1 p.m. ET), Tennessee hosting Wyoming at 1 p.m. ET and Auburn hosting Tennessee-Martin at 1:30 p.m. CT.
 The SEC continues to lead the nation in non-conference winning percentage (81.6) with a 31-7 record. In years when regular seasons have been 12 weeks (6th year since 2002), the SEC has never won less than 31 non-conference games (2003).
 In 61 home games this season, SEC stadiums have been filled to 98.45 percent capacity. More than 4.6 million fans have attended SEC home games this season.
 Alabama has vaulted into the top spot in the three major polls for the first time since the end of its National Championship season in 1992. It is also the first time the Tide have held the top spot during the regular season since Weeks 3-9 in the 1980 season.
 Alabama junior defensive back Ali Sharrief is this week's SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week and will be highlighted during this week's Raycom Sports telecast of the Georgia at Kentucky game.
 This season, the SEC has had the most teams ranked in both the AP and USA Today Top 25 polls (8 in each). The ACC has had eight teams ranked in the AP and seven in the USA Today polls.
 Florida's Tim Tebow has moved into a tie for fifth in the SEC career record books for TD Responsibility with 90 (39 rushing, 51 passing).
 LSU leads the SEC in offensive touchdown red zone success, scoring TDs on 75.86 percent of its times inside the 20. Alabama leads the SEC in defensive touchdown red zone success, limiting opponents to just six touchdowns in 15 tries (40.00 percent).
 Both divisional races could be clinched following the Nov. 8 games. An Alabama win over LSU and a Florida win over Vanderbilt would clinch a spot for the Tide and the Gators in the SEC Championship Game. It would be the earliest date ever that both teams have clinched spots in the SEC Championship Game. The earliest clinches in SEC Championship Game history were Oct. 29, 1994 (Florida); Oct. 30, 2004 (Auburn); Oct. 30, 1993 (Alabama) and Nov. 4, 2006 (Florida).
 SEC game times are lasting 3:11 with the national average at 3:13. SEC games have an average of 125.9 plays while the national average is 136.5.
 SEC teams have scored 26 defensive touchdowns this season. Mississippi State is the only SEC team not to score a defensive touchdown this season.
 SEC intra-conference games are being decided by an average margin of 12.85 points per game, third lowest among FBS conferences. 21 of the SEC's 33 intra-conference games have been decided by 10 points or less, the second highest percentage rate in FBS.

www.sec.org

Vols Searching For Consistency

2008-11-03T01:00:00.006-05:00

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer offered his assessment of the South Carolina game film Sunday night after a brief team workout inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center. The overall grade was 'I' for 'inconsistent,' particularly in regards to the offense.

"Inconsistencies at quarterback are a primary area of concern," Fulmer said. "Our defense actually played well. We gave up one drive, about five plays where they dinked it around and made some plays. Really, they didn't get much else the entire evening. Offensively, it's inconsistency. It's not just the quarterback, but that's a bad place to have inconsistency."

The Vols will have two weeks to work on those offensive issues and fine-tune one of the nation's better defenses before returning to conference play. Wyoming visits Neyland Stadium on Saturday before the Vols have an open date on Nov. 15.

Tennessee is ranked 11th in the nation in total defense, surrendering just 276.7 yards per game. The Cowboys will arrive in Knoxville gaining 284 yards per contest and putting an average of 11.7 points per game on the scoreboard.

Kickoff for the Vols' homecoming contest is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. Television coverage will be available on VideoSeat pay-per-view.

www.utsports.com

Alcoa's Cobb Gets First Start At QB

2008-10-31T13:35:00.003-04:00

Former Alcoa star Randall Cobb will be the starting quarterback when the Kentucky Wildcats travel to Starkville to play Mississippi State at 2:30 EDT on Saturday.

Last year at this time, Cobb was directing the Alcoa Tornadoes to the school’s fourth consecutive state championship in 2A.

The true freshman sensation recently made the news when he decided to wear jersey No. 12 during the Arkansas game to honor wide receiver Dicky Lyons, whose University of Kentucky career ended with a knee injury in the South Carolina game.

“Dicky was my role model even before I got here,” Cobb said. “There are a lot of things that he taught me and all the wide receivers. He’s a person we look up to and can talk to about anything, not just football.”The versatile Cobb made five catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns receiving to go along with 45 yards passing wearing Lyons’ No. 12.

Nevertheless, it’s back to No. 18 and quarterback where he will start in place of Mike Hartline.
Wildcats Coach Rich Brooks decided to make changes following a 63-5 loss to Florida last week in the “Swamp.”

“Going into this game, after looking at the film, we’re going to make a few changes in the starting lineup,” Brooks said. “E.J. Adams and Gene McCaskill will start at the wide receiver. Randall Cobb will start at quarterback.”Brooks said he’ll probably reverse the action and bring Hartline in at some point in the second or third quarter.

The veteran coach said Hartline has done a lot of good things, but the offense has been getting off to a slow start. “When Randall (Cobb) is inserted, we seem at least to be able to move the ball,” Brooks said. “I think (Cobb) gives the defense a little more problem with his feet and his ability to improvise than Mike does. He (Cobb) is starting to understand the offense a lot better.”
The Kentucky fans have been cheering for Cobb to take over as the Wilcats No. 1 field general.

“Mike Hartline has been doing a good job of leadership,” Brooks said. “ He is a positive guy. Randall, as I’ve said many times, is mature beyond his years. The best way for somebody to show leadership is to go out and play well and then act like a leader after they’ve done it. I think both Mike and Randall have done that at different times. We just think Randall could give us a little spark and a little diversity in what we’re able to do on offense.”

Cobb has completed 18 of 33 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown.

He has ran for 129 yards on 23 attempts and scored two TDs.

Vols Fighting Through Injuries; Vinson Suspended

2008-10-31T13:22:00.003-04:00

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer offered a positive injury report after Thursday's 90-minute workout at Haslam Field, where the Vols concluded final preparations for Saturday's SEC encounter at South Carolina.

Last weekend against Alabama, UT suffered notable injuries to defensive tackle Dan Williams (knee), defensive end Wes Brown (knee), and linebackers Ellix Wilson (ankle) and LaMarcus Thompson (ankle). In addition, offensive tackle Anthony Parker (ankle) and defensive tackle Walter Fisher (toe) were limited and wide receiver Gerald Jones (ankle) did not play.
But Fulmer said the outlook for the group as a whole might not be so sour.

"Actually, the guys are doing well. Dan Williams looks like he might be able to play -- I wouldn't have said that at all on Monday. Walter Fisher is a week better and hopefully we are going to get some help from him. I think Wes Brown will definitely play. Gerald (Jones) is not 100 percent, but he is probable. I certainly wouldn't put him out there if I didn't think he could protect himself, but hopefully he'll be a day or two better (by Saturday).

"We've had three really tough SEC games in a row, but we're moving right along. Better than I thought."

Tennessee (3-5, 1-4 SEC) has four games remaining in its race for bowl eligibility. After facing South Carolina (5-3, 2-3), the Vols host Wyoming (2-6), travel to Vanderbilt (5-3, 3-2) and host Kentucky (5-3, 1-3).

Fulmer also announced that sophomore defensive back Brent Vinson (13) has been suspended for this weekend's game for violation of team rules.

SATURDAY'S VOL NETWORK 'STADIUMCAST' SET FOR FM 92.7
The Vol Network's "StadiumCast" frequency for Tennessee's game versus South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday will be 92.7 on the FM dial. Fans attending the game can tune into the Vol Network broadcast by bringing a portable radio. The "Kickoff Call-In Show" begins Vol Network coverage at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time (4:30 p.m. Central).

SELECT SINGLE GAME UT FOOTBALL TICKETS AVAILABLE
Individual game tickets for both remaining University of Tennessee home football contests are available for purchase online at utsports.com, via phone at (800) 332-VOLS and at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Tennessee hosts Wyoming for Homecoming 2008 on Nov. 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and, with no national or regional broadcast of the game, VideoSeat pay-per-view is providing the telecast. Kentucky visits for the regular season finale on Nov. 29.
Tickets for Wyoming are $40 each plus shipping and handling. Tickets for Kentucky are $50 each plus shipping and handling.

Georgia's Darryl Gamble Named Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week

2008-10-30T09:48:00.002-04:00

DALLAS (FWAA) - Georgia linebacker Darryl Gamble has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 25.

Gamble, a 6-2, 237-pound sophomore from Bainbridge, Ga., tied a Southeastern Conference record when he returned two interceptions for touchdowns in Georgia's 52-38 victory at LSU.

Gamble, who also had a career-high 13 tackles, had 93 yards in returns on the interceptions. His first pick was on the game's first play from of scrimmage and gave the Bulldog's a 7-0 lead with 14:40 left in the first quarter.

Gamble will be added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy will be presented to the best defensive player in college football on Dec. 7 by the FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. Five finalists for the Nagurski Trophy will be announced on Nov. 17.

Each week during the 2008 season the FWAA All-America Committee will select a national defensive player of the week from nominations made by the 11 Division I Bowl Subdivision Conferences and major independents.

Last season, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey won the coveted Bronko Nagurski Trophy during the 13th season the FWAA has named a national defensive player of the year.

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,000 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club's activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is www.touchdownclub.com.

For more information on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tigerfwaa@aol.com).

2008 Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Players of the Week·
Weekend of Aug. 30: Ben Owens, Arkansas State·
Weekend of Sept. 6: Patrick Benoist, Vanderbilt·
Weekend of Sept. 13: DeAndre Levy, Wisconsin·
Weekend of Sept. 20: Ryan Hamilton, Vanderbilt·
Weekend of Sept. 27: Trimane Goddard, North Carolina·
Weekend of Oct. 4: Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh·
Weekend of Oct. 11: Tyrrell Herbert, Toledo·
Weekend of Oct. 18: Jerry Hughes, TCU·
Weekend of Oct. 25: Darryl Gamble, Georgia

Stafford, Tebow and Wilson O'Brien Semifinalists

2008-10-29T02:16:00.006-04:00

2008 O'Brien QB Award Semifinalists
FORT WORTH, Texas (October 27, 2008) - The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) today proudly announced its 2008 Semifinalist List. The list highlights 13 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) quarterbacks who will vie for the award honoring the nation's best quarterback until Finalists are announced November 24.

2008 O'Brien Semifinalists
Sam Bradford SO Oklahoma Big 12
Daryll Clark JR Penn State Big Ten
Chase Daniel SR Missouri Big 12
Max Hall JR BYU MWC
Graham Harrell SR Texas Tech Big 12 David Johnson SR Tulsa C-USA
Colt McCoy JR Texas Big 12
Todd Reesing JR Kansas Big 12
Zac Robinson JR Oklahoma St Big 12
Mark Sanchez JR USC Pac-10
Matthew Stafford JR Georgia SEC
Tim Tebow JR Florida SEC
John Parker Wilson SR Alabama SEC

"These candidates represent a high level of talent from coast to coast," said Danielle Moorman, executive director of the Davey O'Brien Foundation. "The O'Brien is proud to highlight these young men, not only for their elite quarterback skills, but for their qualities of character and leadership that the award is committed to honoring."

Semifinalists were selected by The O'Brien Selection Committee, comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners, as well as fans across the country with the top three quarterbacks from The O'Brien Fan Vote being added to the list. The Selection Committee is asked to evaluate each candidate on his quarterback skills, athletic ability, academics, character, leadership, sportsmanship and reputation as a team player. For a complete listing of O'Brien Selection Committee members, click here.

These 13 Semifinalists will contend for the award until the list is narrowed to three Finalists on November 24. All Finalists will be in attendance in Orlando, Fla., where The O'Brien Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans are able to vote for Semifinalist candidates once daily at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001CFrW4kTQVyWfEp8Gsa9O5vdQEDyfsNqbDExpswZ7yC0xAW1CsZN8JKDRkKglm-A7_-Ur55BiJ61cZW9jEkxe64of8JeKH3Rt_QhZRz6quojWGZLNer_l6w==. The voting will continue throughout the Semifinalist and Finalist rounds with 5% of the final tally coming directly from the Fan Vote.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.

American Airlines is the official travel partner of The O'Brien.

Vols Turn Attention To South Carolina

2008-10-28T02:30:00.003-04:00

The Tennessee football team returned to practice Sunday with a light workout inside Neyland-Thompson Sports Center.

The Vols fell to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the Southeastern Conference with Saturday's 29-9 loss to Alabama, but there remain four games on the schedule for Phillip Fulmer and his charges to orchestrate a turnaround.

In order to do that, each opponent must be taken one at a time, and the first one is South Carolina.

"You have to give credit to this team for how hard they've played," Fulmer said. "They continue to play extremely hard. Right now, we're only worried about South Carolina. That's our goal, to lay a foundation for the next season. We can't be champions this year, but we sure as heck can have the heart of a champion and continue to improve. Those were the two things I asked them to do:?continue to improve and be accountable."

One area where Fulmer said the Vols need to be more accountable is in the Orange Zone. The Vols have scored just 13 touchdowns in 27 trips this season.

"When you get inside you like to have a big, tall receiver who can go up and get it," Fulmer said. "If not, you have to find a way to get it done. These guys were good enough to win 10 games last year and played really well. We may not be able to throw the fade, but we can throw the screen underneath like (Josh) Briscoe caught last night."

The Vols will have Orange Zone improvement as one of their areas of focus this week before heading to Columbia, S.C., for their 27th all-time meeting with the Gamecocks. Tennessee owns a 21-3-2 advantage in the series and has not lost in Columbia since 1992.

ESPN2 is televising the game nationally. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

www.utsports.com

SEC NOTEBOOK: Oct. 27

2008-10-27T11:46:00.007-04:00

Four Southeastern Conference teams are ranked in all major polls and in the BCS Standings this week.

Here are Sunday SEC notes and poll updates.

Alabama, the only undefeated team in the Southeastern Conference (8-0 overall and 5-0 in conference games) leads four SEC teams that are ranked in this week's three major polls (Associated Press, Coaches USA Today, Harris) and in the BCS Rankings. Bama is ranked second across the board.

Georgia is eighth in the AP and USA Today polls, eighth in the Harris and sixth in BCS.

Florida is ranked fifth in the AP, 7th in USA Today, ninth in Harris and eighth in BCS.

LSU is ranked 15th in AP and USA Today, 16th in Harris, and 19th in BCS.

Texas is number one in all polls and Penn State third.

The big news in the SEC this week is that Florida and Georgia at playing in Jacksonville. The two teams with the winningest records in the SEC since 1998 face each other this Saturday when Georgia (7-1, 4-1 SEC) and Florida (6-1, 4-1) get together. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports.

Georgia has the league's best mark since 1998 at 104-31 (.770) while Florida is second at 99-35 (.739).

Other conference games this Saturday include Tennessee (3-5, 1-4) visiting South Carolina (5-3, 2-3) on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET, Ole Miss (4-4, 2-3) hosting Auburn (4-4, 2-3) on Raycom Sports at 11:30 a.m. CT and Mississippi State (3-5, 1-3) hosting Kentucky (5-3, 1-3) at 1:30 p.m. CT. Alabama will host Arkansas State at 2 p.m. CDT Sunday in Bama's homecoming game.

Two other non-conference tilts are also on the schedule for Saturday when Arkansas (3-5, 1-4) hosts Tulsa (7-0 and playing Central Florida Sunday night) at 1 p.m. CT and LSU (5-2, 3-2) hosts Tulane (2-5) at 7 p.m. CT. The SEC continues to lead the nation in non-conference winning percentage at 80.0 percent (28-7).

The SEC has won at least 75 percent of its non-conference games every year since 2005. In 54 home games, SEC stadiums have been filled to 98.59 percent capacity. More than 4.1 million fans have watched SEC football in person this year, an average of 77,430 per home game.

Alabama coach Nick Saban has reached the top 25 in total wins at SEC schools with the Tide's 29-9 win at Tennessee. Saban is 63-22 (74.1 percent) combined during his tenures at Alabama and LSU. His 63 wins ranks 25th all-time. Five current SEC coaches are in the top 25. Another note on Florida-Georgia, the two starting quarterbacks are a combined 40-10 in their careers.

UF's Tim Tebow is 15-5 as a starting quarterback and Georgia's Matthew Stafford is 25-5. Combined in the 40 wins, the two quarterbacks have thrown 68 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions. Combined in the 10 losses, the two signal callers have thrown 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

LSU senior defensive end Kirston Pittman is this week's SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week and will be featured on Raycom Sports' telecast of the Auburn at Ole Miss game.

Florida's streak of 250 consecutive games without being shutout is now the second longest active streak in NCAA FBS behind only Michigan (296). Tennessee is the SEC's second highest active streak at 179 games.

More Georgia-Florida: When these two teams lose, it is usually by a close margin. In Georgia's 15 losses since 2003, 10 have been by a touchdown or less, the highest percentage of close losses in the SEC (66.7) during that time. Florida is second in that category with 12 of 19 losses since 2003 being by a touchdown or less (63.2). The Georgia-Florida rivalry since 2000 is also the sixth closest margin in the SEC during that time. In the eight meetings since 2000, the average winning margin is 8.13 points per game.

LSU's Colt David became his schools' career scoring leader last week against Georgia. The senior has 324 career points which is also eighth in SEC history. He is only two points behind sixth in conference annals. His 180 PATs is second in SEC history, just eight behind Jeff Hall's (Tennessee) 188 career PATs.

Mississippi State's Derek Pegues became the SEC's career kickoff return yardage leader against Middle Tennessee. Pegues has accumulated 2,321 yards on 104 kickoff return yards, surpassing Kentucky's Derek Abney (2,315 yards). Pegues is also fourth in SEC history in combined kickoff/punt return yards with 3,078 yards.

The average SEC game this season is lasting 3:11, which is three minutes below the national average (3:14).

SEC teams saw its offensive numbers surge this past weekend. There were 9.00 average scores in the seven games this past weekend, the second highest number of the season (Week 5 - 9.14).

The top four productive offenses in the SEC by efficiency are ranked in the AP and USA Today Top 25 this week.

In overall drive efficiency (TDs & FGs divided into number of drives), Florida leads the SEC at 51.90 percent (32 TDs, 9 FGs, 79 drives), while Georgia is second at 44.68 (30 TDs, 12 FGs, 94 drives), Alabama third at 40.62 (26 TDs, 13 FGs, 96 drives) and LSU fourth at 39.36 (27 TDs, 10 FGs, 94 drives). Ole Miss is fifth at 36.46 percent (23 TDs, 12 FGs, 96 drives).

Home teams are 16-13 (55.2 percent) in SEC intra-conference games this season. Alabama (3-0), Florida (2-0), Georgia (2-0) remain perfect on the road this season in SEC games.

SEC intra-conference games remain among the most competitive in the nation. In 29 intra-conference games, 19 have been decided by 10 points or less (65.5 percent), the second highest percentage among NCAA FBS conferences in the nation.

The average scoring margin in SEC intra-conference games is 12.17 points per game, third among NCAA FBS conferences.

Phil Fulmer Says He Loves This Week

2008-10-24T19:14:00.003-04:00

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer says rivalry weeks don't come any bigger than UT-Alabama.

"This game has always been special to both teams, Alabama and Tennessee," Fulmer said. "I've been fortunate to be a part of a lot of them and I just love this week."

Often referred to as "The Third Saturday in October," this rivalry was played exclusively on that date from 1928-94; since then and counting this season, it's happened only five times in the last 14 years. The two storied programs are getting together in football for the 91st time overall and the 80th consecutive season (neither school fielded a team in 1943).

Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. Eastern time at Neyland Stadium, with the Vol Network and ESPN carrying the action. Home teams have won the last four meetings.

Thursday, UT (3-4, 1-3 SEC) wrapped up its final full practice preparations with a 90-minute workout at Haslam Field.

"We certainly had a very attentive Thursday practice," Fulmer said. "Now we need to make sure that attention carries over to the football game. Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) is a very fine team. They've done a good job of rushing the football and playing the run statistically, and then you watch them on film and it's quite impressive.

"Their big-play ability, a solid kicking game -- you're really looking at an outstanding football team all the way around. It will take a heck of an effort on our part to win, and we're expecting to get that from our team. We'll have to have the fight, the toughness and all those things it takes to play in this game."

Regarding injuries, Fulmer said both wide receiver Gerald Jones and offensive lineman Anthony Parker remain questionable and are game-time decisions.

"To play on the offensive line and play at receiver with an ankle in a game like this would be very difficult. Both of them got a little bit of work today and we'll see how much progress they make in the next couple of days."

Fulmer thinks defensive tackle Walter Fisher should be able to contribute.
"He did a little bit today. A turf toe's tough but I expect him to play."

www.utsports.com

Berry Named To Sporting News Today Midseason All-American Team

2008-10-24T19:01:00.004-04:00

Tennessee safety Eric Berry was named to Sporting News Today's inaugural Midseason All-

American Team, released Friday.

"No wonder the Vols are considering using Berry on offense and special teams," Sporting News Today's Dave Curtis said. "His coverage and ball skills, and knack for scoring touchdowns, are second-to-none among defenders."

Berry was one of seven SEC players honored. No conference had as many.

The All-American team:

Offense

QB Colt McCoy, Texas
RB Javon Ringer, Michigan State
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
WR Eric Decker, Minnesota
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri
OL Andre Smith, Alabama
OL Michael Oher, Mississippi
OL Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
OL Alex Mack, California
OL Herman Johnson, LSU
K Louie Sakoda, Utah
KR Derrick Williams, Penn State

Defense
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
DE Jerry Hughes, TCU
DT Terrence Cody, Alabama
DT Fili Moala, USC
LB Rennie Curran, Georgia
LB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
S Eric Berry, Tennessee
S Kevin Ellison, USC
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati
PR Brandon James, Florida

Sporting News Today is the world's first digital daily sports newspaper. To sign up for the free publication, go to sportingnewstoday.com.

Vols Want To Play Like It's Practice

2008-10-23T03:51:00.004-04:00

"We've got to take it to the field."

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer offered those words Wednesday after assessing his team's 90-minute workout at Haslam Field. The Vols have gone to more physical practice sessions since reaching the season's halfway point with a 2-4 record.

UT responded last Saturday by defeating Mississippi State 34-3, but second-ranked Alabama looms with a whole different set of circumstances -- and opportunities -- this weekend at Neyland Stadium. To that end, the Vols have kept up their mid-week intensity.

"Practices are all good, but we've got to take it to the field," Fulmer said.
"We've had two good physical days of work. Mentally, we have been very into our preparations. Now it's important for us to come out and have one of those perfect Thursdays where you come away from practice feeling really good about (your work)."

The Vols won last weekend's turnover battle 3-0 and committed only penalty. To show how things had gone over the first six contests, Tennessee still ranks 10th in the SEC in penalty yards at 57.1 per game.

"We certainly understand the challenges we have," Fulmer said. "I really appreciate the way the coaches and particularly the players have gone about their preparations for this football game."

BERRY'S ACCOLADES CONTINUE

Eric Berry capped a terrific few days Wednesday by being named CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week. The CAREacter Star Athlete Program is based on a five-point "star system" that includes the basic traits of a true champion, whether on or off the field. Those traits are attitude, character, grades, community service and performance.

Berry set an SEC record Saturday for career interception returns yards and, for his efforts, was named Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week. The award is the first in college football to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. A check in the amount of $1,000 is being sent to UT's general scholarship fund from the Lott Trophy presented by Wachovia.

www.utsports.com

Fulmer's Press Conference Comments

2008-10-22T03:05:00.003-04:00

TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Phillip Fulmer's MEDIA DAY COMMENTS"To me this is one of the best rivalries in all of college football. I've been really blessed to be a part of it as a player, as an assistant coach and now 17 years as a head football coach. As I do typically, I talked to the players about the history of this game and the great players and great games that have taken place over the years. Certainly, this year the Alabama football team is deserving of its No. 2 ranking, not only because of its play during the course of the year, but how they've played. They've played disciplined, tough football on both sides of the ball and taken care of the football.

"When you look at them from a defensive standpoint, their front stands out. They've played exceptional up front at defensive tackle and defensive end. They have one really young linebacker and another that is a sophomore that has started for a long time; they've played exceptionally well for them. Their secondary (presents) a lot of problems. They're very athletic and they give you lots of different kinds of looks. It is a real challenge for our football team to build on what we did last week against Mississippi State.

"Their offense starts with the run. They do an exceptional job of mixing it up with different styles of run. Their backs and line are outstanding, and they make a lot of good things happen for them. With that they have the big-play potential at wide receiver, and I think John Parker Wilson is one of the better quarterbacks in the league as far as getting the ball where it's supposed to be on time. Again, it's a real challenge for our football team.

"They have a real solid kicking game all the way around, whether it is returning or coverage. There are no obvious issues they should be concerned with their football team. We absolutely must play well in this ballgame. Building on last Saturday means no turnovers, takeaways, penalty discipline. All of those things, when you play in the Southeastern Conference, you have to do those things.

"Our challenge is to get to the practice field and pick up where we left off last week. I thought our work was good, and really for the first time this year it completely carried over into the game with our physicalness and being able to run the ball.

"I know we have to come out of this week with a great understanding of how we win this game vs. Alabama coming from the practice field. Our quarterback play--I've been pleased with Nick (Stephens) for a first-time starter--I think he has had enough games now under his belt. His game management has been good, but there's another step that he can make, and you see progress being made.

"Our offensive line last week was very effective, not that they hadn't been before. After coming off the Georgia game and only running it 11 times, they certainly took the challenge as did our tailbacks.

"In this game, we'll have to have a wide receiver somewhere make a play for us or a tailback make a play for us. It's really difficult against anybody to take the ball eight, 10, 12 or 14 plays and drive for scores. It's particularly difficult versus a team like Alabama, who gives you so many problems. We'll be looking for that play somewhere along the way, and we've been able to make that since Nick has been our quarterback.

"I'm really glad to have Britton (Colquitt) back out there. He certainly made a difference in the field-position game for us. Daniel Lincoln and Chad Cunningham have a real challenge ahead to make a real difference in this game from a kicking standpoint.

"I know our team will be excited to play this game. I know as a staff we're excited to get to work today and go to work on this Alabama team. This is why you coach or go to a place like Tennessee or Alabama, to play in these kinds of games.

We're looking forward to it."

Berry Named Lott Player of the Week

2008-10-22T02:55:00.004-04:00

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Tennessee's sensational sophomore Safety Eric Berry has been named the winner of The Lott Trophy IMPACT Player of the Week presented by Wachovia.

Berry (5-11, 195, Fairburn, Ga.) had a career high 10 tackles, including one sack and his fifth interception of the season, returning it 72 yards for a touchdown, in the Volunteers' 34-3 win over Mississippi State. Berry now has 397 yards in interception return yards, breaking a 60-year Southeastern Conference record.

Tennessee will receive $1,000 for its general scholarship fund in recognition of Berry's performance.

Berry was selected by The Legends Football Coaches Association. Former Georgia Coach Vince Dooley, a member of the Legends Coaches, said, "Eric Berry played a heck of a game against Mississippi State. His fourth quarter interception that he ran back for a touchdown not only broke the game open, but it so rattled the Mississippi State quarterback that he threw another interception for a touchdown three plays later."

Tennessee Coach Philip Fulmer said, "When you put him (Berry) in the category of players here at other positions, he's in the Peyton Manning or Jamal Lewis category."
Berry, who leads the country in interceptions, also was selected Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, The Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its fifth year, The Lott Trophy is the first college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to a player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

David Pollack of Georgia won the initial Lott Trophy in 2004. DeMeco Ryans of Alabama won the award in 2005. Daymeion Hughes of California was the recipient in 2006 and Glenn Dorsey of LSU in 2007. Georgia, Alabama, Cal and LSU each received $25,000 for their general scholarship funds. In four years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated more than $450,000 to various charities, including the four universities.

Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, The IMPACT Foundation Board of Advisers comprised of many retired NFL players and the Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former head college coaches.

Other players receiving consideration from the Legends Coaches this week were Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, Mark Herzlich of Boston College and Scott McKillop of Pittsburgh.

The 2008 Lott Trophy IMPACT Players of the Week
Week I - Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA
Week II - Zack Follett, LB, California
Week III - George Selvie, DE, South Florida
Week IV - Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
Week V - Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Week VI - Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh
Week VII - Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Week VIII - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

SEC Football Players of the Week Announced

2008-10-21T09:31:00.005-04:00

SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

KNOWSHON MORENO Tailback GEORGIA 5-11 • 207 • Sophomore Belford, N.J. (Middletown South HS)
· Moreno recorded a season-high 172 yards rushing and one touchdown on 23 carries in Georgia's 24-14 win over Vanderbilt.
· The effort was Moreno's 10th 100-yard game of his career. He is currently 10th in the Georgia career record books in rushing yards with 2,096.
· He also had one catch for 10 yards against Vanderbilt.
· Moreno is the SEC's leading scorer (9.43 points per game) while Georgia leads the SEC in total offense (429.6 yards per game).

SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ERIC BERRY Safety TENNESSEE 5-11 • 195 • Sophomore Fairburn, Ga. (Creekside HS)
· Berry had a season-high 10 tackles, a sack and returned an interception for a touchdown in Tennessee's 34-3 win against Mississippi State.
· Berry's 72-yard interception return for a touchdown was his fifth interception of the season and 10th of his career. His 397 career interception yards broke a 60-year old SEC record held by Ole Miss' Bobby Wilson (1946-49, 379 yards).
· With his five interceptions this season, Berry leads the nation in interceptions.
· Berry has intercepted a pass in each of the last three games.

SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK BRETT UPSON Punter VANDERBILT 5-11 • 185 • Junior Griffin, Ga. (Spalding HS)
· Upson averaged 44.6 yards on seven punts in Vanderbilt's 24-14 loss at Georgia.
· On Upson's seven punts, Georgia was pinned inside its own 5-yard line twice. The Bulldogs also had no punt return yardage against the Commodores.
· One of his seven punts was a touchback and the average field position for Georgia on the punts was its own 20-yard line.
· Upson is averaging 40.8 yards per punt this season and his 38.3 net punting average leads the SEC.

SEC OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK MIKE JOHNSON Guard ALABAMA 6-6 • 299 • Junior Pensacola, Fla. (Pine Forest HS)
· Johnson did not allow a sack or quarterback pressure and did not have any missed assignments in Alabama's 24-20 win against Ole Miss.
· Alabama finished the game with 326 total yards (219 passing, 107 rushing) in the win. 219 of those yards came in the first half as the Tide opened up a 24-3 lead.
· The honor for Johnson is his second of the season (Week 1) and the third of the year for an Alabama offensive lineman (Andre Smith, Week 4).

SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK TYSON JACKSON Defensive End LSU 6-5 • 290 • Senior Edgard, La. (West St. John HS)
· Jackson had three tackles, including a pair of sacks, in LSU's 24-17 win at South Carolina.
· The Tiger defensive line limited the Gamecocks to just 39 yards rushing in the game. Carolina had 254 yards of total offense with just 42 in the second half.
· LSU finished the game with a season-high six sacks.
· His two sacks raised his career total to 18.5, which is the eighth highest in LSU history. Jackson is the current active sack leader in the SEC.

SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK RANDALL COBB Wide Receiver / Quarterback / Punt Returner KENTUCKY 5-11 • 185 Alcoa, Tenn. (HS)
· Cobb scored both of Kentucky's touchdowns in the final 4:15 of the game to rally the Wildcats to a 21-20 win against Arkansas.
· He accounted for every yard in UK's winning touchdown drive, beginning with a 14-yard punt return, and then catching passes for 14 and 21 yards (TD). His first TD catch was a 32-yarder.
· For the game, he had five receptions for 73 yards, returned three punts for 24 yards and completed 2-of-3 passes for 45 yards.

OTHER OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES FROM WEEK 8

SAF RASHAD JOHNSON (Alabama) -- Led Tide with nine tackles (6 solos) with an interception, forced fumble and tackle for loss, against Ole Miss.
TB MICHAEL SMITH (Arkansas) -- Rushed for career-high 192 yards and one touchdown on career-high 35 carries and had three catches for 33 yards and another score against Kentucky.
FL A.J. GREEN (Georgia) -- Freshman caught game-high seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt.
LB MICAH JOHNSON (Kentucky) -- Notched career-high 15 tackles with two for losses, including a sack, and a pass deflection, against Arkansas.
LT CIRON BLACK (LSU) -- Led Tigers with nine knockdown blocks, did not allow a sack, and played all 75 snaps from scrimmage against South Carolina.
DT PERIA JERRY (Ole Miss) -- Credited with seven tackles, 2.5 for losses, including a sack, and had a forced fumble against Alabama.
DB ZACH SMITH (Mississippi State) -- Had game-high 11 tackles (seven solos) against Tennessee.
LB ERIC NORWOOD (South Carolina) -- Registered eight total tackles (four solos), with 1.5 for losses, and a pass deflection.
RB LENNON CREER (Tennessee) -- Rushed for game-high 68 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown and also had a pass reception against Mississippi State.
RB JARED HAWKINS (Vanderbilt) -- Rushed for 63 yards on 13 carries and also had three catches for 23 yards against Georgia.

Tennessee/Alabama Series History & Notes

2008-10-21T03:21:00.009-04:00

Alabama leads the all-time series with the Vols 45-38-7.

The series is knotted at 20-20-1 in Knoxville, and Phillip Fulmer boasts a 11-4 record over the Crimson Tide dating to the 1993 season, including seven-straight from 1995-2001.

The series has bounced back-and-forth recently after being full of streaks through much of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Tennessee won in 2003, 2004 and 2006, while Alabama claimed victories in 2002, 2005 and 2007. Prior to their win streak from 1995-01, the Vols did not capture a win in nine tries dating to 1986. Tennessee won four-straight from 1982-85, and Alabama won 11-straight from 1971-81.

Three Vols hail from the state of Alabama--Carson Anderson (Florence), Wes Brown (Athens), and Willie Bohannon (Mobile). Brown has started all seven games for the Vols at defensive end and has posted 22 tackles and three TFLs.

Tide linebacker's coach Kevin Steele played for Tennessee under Johnny Majors from 1978-79 and stayed on as a student coach in 1980 and a graduate assistant coach in 1981. He coached the outside linebackers in 1982, and then after stints at New Mexico State and Oklahoma State, returned to Knoxville to serve as UT's defensive backs coach from 1987-88.

MISSISSIPPI STATE WIN PUTS TENNESSEE IN ELITE COMPANY
Tennessee's 34-3 win over Mississippi State was Phillip Fulmer's 150th triumph as Tennessee's head coach, allowing him to join Gen. Robert R. Neyland (173) as just the second Vols coach to reach that victory plateau. UT stands alongside Michigan as the only schools with two different coaches owning 150-plus victories at their respective school. Bo Schembechler (194) and Fielding Yost (165) passed the 150-win mark during their tenures for the Wolverines.

Tennessee also is one of just five schools with three different coaches owning at least 100 victories in the program, Johnny Majors having captured 116 wins during his Vols career. Other schools are Oklahoma with four different coaches and Southern California, Georgia Tech and Michigan with three apiece.

VOLS TIED FOR FIRST NATIONALLY WITH 14 INTERCEPTIONS
Through eight weeks of NCAA play, Tennessee ranks tied for first nationally among FBS teams and first in the SEC with 14 interceptions. The Vols are averaging two interceptions per game and 22.7 yards per return.

Seven different Vols have recorded picks thus far, but sophomore safety Eric Berry and senior cornerback DeAngelo Willingham lead the way with five and three interceptions, respectively.

BERRY NEW SEC CAREER LEADER IN INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS
Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry continues to tear up record books, but last week he moved on from the Tennessee book to the Southeastern Conference book. His 72-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Mississippi State gave him 397 career interception return yards, which was good enough to claim the top spot in the SEC record book from Bobby Wilson of Mississippi. He is now just 122 yards from the NCAA record held by Terrell Buckley of Florida State.

His record-breaking return vs. the Bulldogs helped earn him SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. It was his 10th career pick and his fifth of the season. He has returned two for touchdowns, with the first one coming on a 96-yard return at Florida in 2007.
Berry has also now picked off a pass in three-straight games, making him the first UT player to do so since Jonathan Hefney during the 2006 season.

THREE MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES vs. ALABAMA
In Tennessee's 90 previous clashes with Alabama, there have been many memorable individual Vol performances.

Here are three of note:

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST: Casey Clausen, 2003 Casey Clausen led the Vols to an epic five-overtime victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 25, 2003. Clausen led the Vols on an 86-yard drive in the final two minutes to tie the game at 20. He went 7-of-9 on the drive, which ended in a 1-yard touchdown pass to Troy Flemming with 25 seconds left in regulation. Then in the fifth overtime, Clausen scored the game-winner on a quarterback sneak, giving the Vols a 51-43 victory.

GRAHAM CRACKS THE TIDE: JAY GRAHAM, 1996 Jay Graham ran the ball 14 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns as the Vols defeated Alabama 20-13 in Knoxville. The first of Graham's touchdowns came on a 5-yard run with 9:41 remaining in the fourth quarter and tied the score at 13. He then scored the game-winning touchdown on a 79-yard run to put the Vols ahead 20-13 with 2:17 left in the game. The run was his career-long, passing his previous long run, a 75-yarder for a score in 1995, also against Alabama. It was Grahams' 13th 100-yard game in his career, and the second time that he eclipsed the century mark that season.

JONESING FOR A PICK: DALE JONES, 1985 In the final moments of the Vols' 16-14 victory over the Crimson Tide in Birmingham on Oct. 19, 1985, Dale Jones made the play that sealed the win, intercepting a Mike Shula pass at midfield after the Tide had scored a touchdown with 11:16 left and appeared to have momentum on their side. Jones finished the game with seven total tackles, a forced rumble, fumble recovery and the interception.

STEPHENS A DEVELOPING DEEP BALL THREAT
Sophomore quarterback Nick Stephens is just three starts into his collegiate career, but he has already started to develop an identity as a threat with the deep pass. In three starts this season, 17 of Stephens' 33 completions have been for more than 10 yards and eight of those have been for more than 20 yards.

He has completions of 43, 45, 52 and 60 yards to his credit as well.

At Georgia, seven of his 13 completions went for 15 yards or more, and vs. Northern Illinois two of 10 completions went for more than 40 yards. He also connected on a 42-yard bomb as the backup vs. UAB.

VOLUNTEERS APPROACHING 775th ALL-TIME VICTORY
One of the winningest college football teams in America, Tennessee is just one win shy of notching its 775th all-time victory.

Since the program's inception in 1891, UT has recorded 774 total victories. The Volunteers will become the ninth team ever (and second SEC team) to reach the 775-win milestone.

AYERS GETTING STRONGER AS SEASON ROLLS ON
Senior defensive end Robert Ayers has come on strong for the UT defense in the last two games. He was named a permanent team captain before the Mississippi State game and responded with his first sack of the season. He was named a game captain at Georgia Oct. 11, and the Clio, S.C., native enjoyed a career day between the hedges.

Ayers logged a career-high nine tackles against the Bulldogs, including a career-high 3.5 TFL. That marks the most TFL in a single-game since current San Francisco 49ers linebacker Parys Haralson recorded four against Kentucky in 2005.

Ayers also nabbed his first career interception last Saturday at Georgia, stopping a Bulldogs drive in the red zone. That takeaway led to a Tennessee touchdown.
Ayers led the Vols last season with 12 TFL, and his eight TFL this year lead the team and give him 24 for his career for a net loss of 91 yards.

WILSON LEADING SEC IN TACKLES
Senior linebacker Ellix Wilson leads the Southeastern Conference in tackles with 9.3 per game this season (56 in six games played).

After sitting out the Northern Illinois game Oct. 4 due to an injury, he returned at Georgia to log a career-high 16 tackles (he had 11 stops at the half). He followed that performance up with five tackles vs. Mississippi State.

His performance vs. Georgia put him over the 100-tackle milestone for his career.

www.utsports.com

'Dogs vs. 'Dores Preview

2008-10-15T13:12:00.008-04:00

Vandy at Georgia

12:30 p.m. ET
Athens, Ga. Sanford Stadium (92,746)

LIVE TV: Raycom [Dave Neal, play-by-play; Dave Archer, color analyst; Dave Baker, sideline reporter]

THE COACHES
Bobby Johnson is in his seventh season at Vanderbilt with a record of 25-51 (.329) and in his 15th season overall with a record of 85-87 (.494). The Commodores' offensive coordinator is Ted Cain and the defensive coordinator is Bruce Fowler.
Mark Richt is in his eighth season at Georgia and overall with a record of 77-20 (.794). The Bulldogs' offensive coordinator is Mike Bobo and the defensive coordinator is Willie Martinez.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN VANDERBILT HAS THE BALL
Midway through the 2008 season, the Commodores' leading receiver Sean Walker has 15 catches. The offense left Starkville with season lows in first downs (7), rushing yards (45), passing yards (62), total yards (107) and total plays (46). It also matched a season low in points scored. The first down total, total yardage and total yards are all-time lows for the Commodore offense during the Bobby Johnson era. Mackenzi Adams is expected to get the start under center over Chris Nickson.

Rennie Curran leads the team in tackles (47), including a career-high 14 (10 solo) in a loss to Alabama. Curran has been the Bulldogs' top tackler four times this season and also leads the team with 3.0 sacks (tied for fifth in the SEC). Sophomore Darryl Gamble, who started for the injured Dannell Ellerbe at MLB against the Vols, tied for a team high with five tackles against Tennessee. Gamble ranks second on the team with 25 tackles.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN GEORGIA HAS THE BALL
Junior LB Patrick Benoist, junior safety Ryan Hamilton, junior CB Myron Lewis, CB D.J. Moore and freshman LB Chris Marve rank among the conference defensive leaders. Benoist ranks second in the SEC with 59 total tackles and fifth with 29 solo tackles. Hamilton is tied for eighth with 45 tackles and tied for second with three interceptions. Lewis is fifth with three QB sacks, eighth in interceptions and 10th in passes defensed. Moore ranks fourth with six defended passes. Marve has been one of the league's top defensive newcomers, ranking 10th with 44 total tackles.

Matthew Stafford is 22-5 as a starter. He registered career-high 310 yds. passing during 26-14 win over UT last week. He has thrown for 5,775 yards with 34 TDs and 26 INTs in his Bulldog career. Knowshon Moreno is tied for 12th in the nation in scoring with 60 points. Mohamed Massaquoi recorded a season-high 103 receiving yards and one TD on five catches against the Vols. It was his second career game over 100+ yards and his first since a career-high 108 yards against Auburn in 2005.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Brett Upson averaged 42.1 yards on eight punts at Mississippi State. His first punt was a season long (56 yards) and quickly changed field possession in favor of Vanderbilt. Upson is averaging a career-high 40.0 yards. His net average of 37.6 yards ranks third in the SEC and 22nd in the nation. Bryant Hahnfeldt is 7-of-9 in field goals, including three beyond 40 yards. He is also 16 of 16 on extra point attempts.

Blair Walsh scored a career high 14 points on four field goals (34, 20, 41, and 28 yards) and two PATs against UT. He has made 10 of his first 12 kicks. His two misses have come from 52 and 54 yards. Brian Mimbs ranks fifth in the SEC with a 42.2 average. He is also the holder for Walsh. Mimbs was recently named a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy.

SERIES/GAME NOTES Record: UG, 48-18-2 • Last: UG, 20-17 (2007 at Nashville)
Since Mark Richt took over as Georgia's head coach in 2001, the Bulldogs have won six of seven meetings against Vanderbilt... However, Vandy won the last game against Georgia in Sanford Stadium after picking up a 24-22 win in 2006... The Bulldogs beat Vandy 20-17 last year with a field goal as time expired... Georgia leads the series 48-18-2 overall and is 24-4 in Sanford Stadium.

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Tennessee vs Mississippi State Preview

2008-10-15T02:09:00.007-04:00

Mississippi State at Tennessee

7:00 p.m. ET Knoxville, Tenn. Neyland Stadium (102,038)

THE COACHES
Sylvester Croom is in his fifth season at Mississippi State and overall with a record of 19-34 (.358). The Bulldogs' offensive coordinator is Woody McCorvey and the defensive coordinator is Charlie Harbison.

Phillip Fulmer is in his 17th season at Tennessee and overall with a record of 149-49 (.752). The Volunteers' offensive coordinator is Dave Clawson and the defensive coordinator is John Chavis.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN MISSISSIPPI STATE HAS THE BALL
With Anthony Dixon's 27 rushes for 107 yards versus Vanderbilt, he moves into ninth place all-time at MSU in rushing yards. This is also Dixon's seventh 100-yard rushing performance of his career which is tied for 11th all time at State. In his second start as a Bulldog, Tyson Lee was an efficient 12-of-22 for 81 yards through the air, including the go-ahead touchdown pass early in the second half. He is yet to throw an interception. Brandon McRae leads the SEC with 33 receptions.

Ellix Wilson has led the team in tackles in four of six games including a career-high 16 at Georgia. He did not play vs. NIU due to a shoulder injury. He leads the SEC with 10.2 tackles per game. He had 16 at Georgia. Rico McCoy led the Vols with 10 stops vs. Florida and nine vs. NIU. Wilson has 4.5 TFL this season and one sack. McCoy was second on the team with 106 tackles last season. Eric Berry has nine career interceptions (four this season) and is the school-record holder in career interception return yards with 225. He has 34 tackles this season.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN TENNESSEE HAS THE BALL
Dominic Douglas leads the team with 44 tackles and ranks 10th in the SEC. K.J. Wright leads the team with six tackles for loss and is second on the team with 31 total tackles. He is tied for the team lead with Cortez McCraney with 2.0 sacks. Derek Pegues holds the MSU school record with three interception returns for touchdowns. De'Mon Glanton recorded four tackles with a tackle for loss and an interception against Vanderbilt.

Nick Stephens will start his third career game. He is 24-of-49 for 406 yards and three touchdowns this season. He has not thrown an interception in two starts. Arian Foster boasted 196 yards on 25 carries in his first two games (98 ypg, 7.8 ypc), but has gained just 145 yards on 43 carries in his last four games (36.3 ypg, 3.3 ypc). He is 343 yards from being UT's all-time leading rusher. Gerald Jones leads the team with 19 grabs for 251 yards through six games.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Adam Carlson's first quarter field goal last week moved him into eighth place in MSU history with 36 field goals attempted. Blake McAdams punted 7 times for 203 yards Saturday placing him in a tie for seventh place in SEC history. His punting yardage moves him into 11th in SEC history with 9,743. Pegues had one kickoff return for 22 yards, moving him into third all-time in the SEC with 2,173 kickoff return yards.

Daniel Lincoln is 5-of-9 on field goals this season after making 21 of 29 a year ago. The Vols have not attempted a field goal in three of six games this year. Britton Colquitt returned to take over the punting duties at Georgia and kicked six times for 48.0-yard average. Gerald Jones is averaging 11 yards per punt return this season. Lennon Creer has returned five kickoffs for 70 yards in the last two games.

SERIES/GAME NOTES

Record: UT, 27-15-1 •

Last: UT, 33-21 (2007 at Starkville)
Tennessee leads the all-time series with Mississippi State 27-15-1, dating to 1907... The Volunteers hold a 12-7 edge in Knoxville, and UT head coach Phillip Fulmer boasts a 5-1 career mark against the Bulldogs...The Vols have won their last five games against MSU, and a Tennessee victory Saturday would mark the longest win streak in the series by either team (UT also won five straight from 1925-34)...The 43 games in this series have been spread among four different cities, including Starkville (nine games), Knoxville (19 games), Memphis (14 games) and Atlanta (the 1998 SEC Championship Game, which UT won 24-14).

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Phil Fulmer Answers Questions On Miss. State

2008-10-15T01:53:00.004-04:00

Q: How can three of the next four games at home help the Vols gain momentum for the season's second half?

PF: "Certainly we need some momentum. We need our crowd into it, we need familiar territory -- both of those would help greatly. I think our young quarterback having that support would help him tremendously. Hopefully, we'll give them plenty to cheer about along the way."

Q: Did you foresee the superb play of Ellix Wilson, who currently leads the SEC in tackles per game?

PF: "I did. I though Ellix had just an unbelievable spring. He's done and great job and Coach Chavis has done a great job with him. He's taken charge of this defensive football team, especially, but also become one of the leaders on our team. I could feel that coming. So much of what we do is around our middle linebacker being in position to make plays, just like Jerod Mayo did last year."

Q: Safety Eric Berry broke another UT record Saturday, this one for career interception return yards. Are you continually amazed by his accomplishments?

PF: "I am amazed that he has accomplished so much in such a short time. Not that he has accomplished what he has, but just in a short time. The guy has started every game since he's been here, he's a great practice player, and he's a great student of the game and student from an academic standpoint. He's just been a wonderful example of what you enjoy about college football and that's coaching young men like Eric Berry."

Q: How would you critique the play of quarterback Nick Stephens in his first SEC road start?

PF: "I thought OK. I thought he managed the game well, the noise didn't seem to bother him, and he kept us in the game and didn't make any huge mistakes along the way. I just think he's going to continue to get better and better with experience and playing time."

Q: How does Mississippi State's win over Vanderbilt give the Bulldogs added momentum coming into this Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium?

PF: "Any time you play well and beat a ranked team, that's a positive. Vanderbilt was on a real roll, and to hold any offensive football team to 107 total yards is quite an accomplishment. And they've got their big back (Anthony Dixon) running hard again and we dealt with that last year. We know he's a good player. They've got some momentum and we've got to take it away from them. We've got to get a big win at Neyland Stadium this week."

www.utsports.com

Brown Has Played High Prep, College and Pro In Tennessee

2008-10-11T15:58:00.009-04:00

By Terry McCormick

Tony Brown now has the security of a new contract he signed last year.He also has the satisfaction of knowing that, barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, he will be in the starting lineup for the Tennessee Titans at defensive tackle for the second consecutive season.

The former Chattanooga City High School star has taken a most circuitous route to finding success. Brown, 27, was discarded by three NFL teams, including the Carolina Panthers twice, before he landed in

Nashville just over a month into the 2006 season.

He was signed as a roster replacement for Albert Haynesworth when the Titans’ star was suspended for five weeks that season, but Brown has become much more than just a guy to fill a spot. He played well in a reserve role the rest of the 2006 season, and last year he overtook Randy Starks as a starter alongside Haynesworth.

Now the Titans are without Starks, Travis LaBoy and Antwan Odom and hope for an even bigger role for Brown.

“Losing the three guys we lost last year, I think it’s helped him because he’s now one of the guys that’s been in there, and he started 17 games last year,” defensive line coach Jim Washburn said.

“He’d been system to system, and now Tony is a leader and the young guys really like him. It’s a little bit different than the role he had last year, just being one of the guys. He’s a very charismatic guy, and he’s a really good football player.”

Even with that success, Brown won’t let it all go to his head. The only hint of him allowing himself to become secure in his mind about the situation came shortly after his contract extension last year when he finally bought a house in the Nashville area and moved his family from Chattanooga.

Before that, Brown had been renting a place during the season and was even making the hour-and-a-half trek from Chattanooga to Music City during part of the off-season activities.
Brown says his success hasn’t changed his work habits one iota from the days as a journeyman free agent trying to stick somewhere on an NFL roster.

“It feels good, but at the same time, I knew (at one time) I was the guy trying to get a job, too. So I practice every day like I still don’t know. And that’s the way I’m going to continue,” Brown said.

That attitude provides a good example for the many younger teammates who now look at Brown as someone they can learn from. That role is something he enjoys.

“I do, because there’s a few places I’ve been and I looked up to some guys, and they didn’t even help me. I don’t want to be that guy,” Brown said. “I don’t want anybody to fail. I want our entire team to be good. So I don’t see why I should hold information back from them.”

Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Brown has to be kept in check even during off-season work, especially with Haynesworth absent from organized team activities because of contract issues.

“We have to be careful with Tony because he likes to take every snap, and he doesn’t need to do that now,” Fisher said.

But Brown may never believe it.

War Scheduled In Cornbread Country

2008-10-10T13:36:00.012-04:00

SOUTH PITTSBURG -- The fans of the defending 1A state champion South Pittsburg Pirates are very passionate about their team.

Nevertheless, the fans of the 2A Boyd-Buchanan Bucs are proud of the 2003 state title and are equally as passionate about their football program.

When the two teams meet tonight in Beene Stadium in South Pittsburg pride and undefeated seasons are going to be on the line.

South Pittsburg and Boyd-Buchanan have developed an extremely intense rivalry over the years and this year’s game should be special.

Boyd-Buchanan has won six of the last eight meetings in this series, but South Pittsburg has won the last two meetings.

Here’s a story that appeared in the 2008 Tennessee Football magazine on South Pittsburg followed by complete preseason team capsules of both teams.

South Pittsburg: ‘Cornbread and Thoroughbreds’

By Scott Herpst

SOUTH PITTSBURG --- Nestled here in the Cumberland Plateau in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains near the Alabama and Georgia state lines is tiny South Pittsburg, Tennessee (pop. 3,300).

A trip to South Pittsburg is a step back in time - literally, Mayberry come to life.
Parking downtown is free and people buy clothes and other dry goods at Hammers Department Store. The taste of the town is the old-fashioned burgers and milkshakes from the Dixie Freeze, cooked the same way they were decades ago.

Most outsiders associate South Pittsburg with cornbread.

The town is home to the world-famous National Cornbread Festival, where for two days every April, thousands flock to celebrate of one of the south's delicious specialties.

Nevertheless, for the other 363 days out of the year, this is a football town.

Drive into South Pittsburg on a Friday night during the fall and you'll see a city bathed in orange and black. Storefronts proudly display their Pirate spirit with signs and posters in the windows. Atop every street post flies Pirate flags.

"It's like raising thoroughbreds," said Carl Mount, South Pittsburg alum who has been the team's statistician for the past 23 years. "Some people in town came up with the saying this past year that we're known for thoroughbreds and cornbread. Just like raising good thoroughbreds is a tradition in Kentucky, our tradition here is raising up good football players."

“Just like raising good thoroughbreds is a tradition in Kentucky,” said Carl Mount, a South Pittsburg High School alumnus who has been the team’s statistician the past 23 years, “our tradition here is raising up good football players.”

South Pittsburg is the only school in Tennessee that has played in a state final in every decade since the TSSAA began classification in 1969. Standing at the city limit is a huge orange and black sign detailing all of the state-title teams.

The Pirates won that first Class A championship in 1969 and others in 1994, ’99 and last season when they steamrolled their way to a 15-0 record, capped by a dominating 52-20 victory over McKenzie in Murfreesboro.

“There’s nothing like it,” coach Vic Grider said. “The only thing I can compare it to is the day my daughter was born. That’s the ultimate thing in my life right now, but winning a state championship is pretty special. Not so much for me but for the kids. They take so much pride in it, and it’s something that no one can ever take away from them.”

Principal Allen Pratt came to South Pittsburg from Maryville in 1997 as an assistant coach. After a brief stint as a head coach in northwest Georgia earlier this decade, Pratt returned to South Pittsburg.

“When the football season goes well, your school year goes well,” Pratt said. “Our school year was super great this year, and it’s attributed to the success of our football team.”
Jim “Hootie” Dunwoody played at South Pittsburg in the late 1950s and has filmed or taped the football games for more than 30 years.

“The tradition has been part of my life for about 60 years,” Dunwoody said. “I remember my father was taking me to games by the time I was 8 or 9 years old.

“If you go anywhere in the state and tell someone you’re from South Pittsburg, 90 to 95 percent of the time people will ask you about the Pirates,” he said. “We’ve become that well-known, and the winning never gets old.”

Steeped in tradition

From football’s beginnings at the high school in the early 1920s, South Pittsburg was a force. The team won more than 80 percent of its games in the first three decades.

“Tradition is a way of life for us here,” Mount said. “It doesn’t matter what aspect of life you’re talking about — whether it’s football or business or whatever — people are attracted to winners, and the desire to win and be No. 1 is what makes us Americans.”

The name Grider has become synonymous with South Pittsburg football.Don Grider, a Pirates player in the 1950s, played four seasons at Tennessee Tech before returning home to begin teaching and coaching. His first year as head coach, the Pirates beat Tennessee Prep School for the inaugural Class A state crown, and he remained head coach until 1992.

Although he never won another state championship, he guided the Pirates to state finals in 1974, ’85 and ’86.

He died shortly before the start of the 2007 season, following a long battle with diabetes. He is buried on a hill in a cemetery overlooking the football stadium.Mount played for Grider in the mid-1970s and remembers him as a strong-willed person.

“It didn’t matter what color you were or who your mama and daddy was,” Mount said. “If you got the job done, you played.”

Grider passed the torch to Danny Wilson, now the head coach at Cleveland High School, in 1993. A year later, the Pirates played in their first state final since 1986 and won their second TSSAA championship.

Wilson left after the 1996 season for a job in Maryville, his hometown, but the school didn’t have to look far to find his replacement. The successor was already on the staff.

Like father, like son

Some have said it was Vic Grider’s destiny to be head coach of Pirates. He played for his father from 1981 to ’85 and grew up on the Pirates sidelines. He is set to begin his 17th season on the coaching staff, with two state titles as head coach. Brother Heath Grider, who played from 1987 to ’90, was an assistant on both of those championship teams.

The brothers are proud to have built on their father’s legacy.

“I do take pride in it, but it’s so much more than me and my family, though,” Vic Grider said. “We are just the people who were put in this spot to lead this program at times. This all goes back years before we got here.”

He said he loves his job.

“Dad once said, ‘It’s fine to be lucky and fortunate to be where you’re at, but you better take advantage of it,’ and I think we’ve done that,” he said. “There is not a day goes by that I don’t feel fortunate to do what I get to do.”

Legends of the fall

Pirates stars become legends for life in South Pittsburg.

Longtime fans can recite the starting lineups for all four state championship teams. Townspeople love telling about the great ones — such as Jimmy Wigfall, a star tailback in 1969, and 1976 grad Bo Haden, who played professionally after a career at the University of Louisville.Brothers Marcus and Vincent Banks were standouts on the 1994 championship team.

Eddie Moore was a second-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins. He led the Pirates to the 1999 state title before starring at linebacker at the University of Tennessee.
Mount likes to tell the story of David White.

“David played fullback and middle linebacker for us, and he was one of Don’s favorites,” Mount said. “He was maybe the toughest guy I ever saw play here. He was cut up so bad over his eye once during a game that you could put your finger down in the cut and wiggle it around. The trainer was going to sew him up with no Novocain, and David is saying, ‘Hurry up. I’ve got to get back in there.’ He had blood running from his eye all down his face, but as soon as he got sewed up, he was right back out there.”

Vic Grider said South Pittsburg has had a lot of great players but “made a living off of those average ones.”

“Good teams always have one or two great players, but it’s those average ones that usually determine a football game,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to have a bunch of those guys who are willing to do anything they need to do to make South Pittsburg football successful.

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s a thrill to coach guys like Eddie Moore, Sam Pickett, Tim Starkey and Robert Robinson, but some of my best memories are about those guys no one talks about much.”
Said Mount: “I was just a kid from the other side of the tracks, but I was somebody because I played Pirate football.”

It’s all about pride

“It was a pride thing back then to wear the Orange and Black uniform, and it’s a pride thing now,” Dunwoody said. “It’s just instilled in you from the start.”
Beating Marion County is as important to most South Pittsburg players and fans as winning the state championship. The county-seat school seven miles away in Jasper is another program rich in tradition with four state championships.

“Every game against Jasper is special,” Dunwoody said.

The South Pittsburg and Marion County series is the longest-running continuous rivalry in the state. Before state classification put the schools in separate leagues, the game often determined conference championships. For years it was played on Thanksgiving Day.

“I remember my senior year we both came into the game 9-0,” Mount said. “The winner advanced to the playoffs and the loser stayed home. Games like that just add fuel to the fire.
“Athletes come and go in cycles, but even in down years, the gate from that one game will carry a program,” he added. “We have to keep the flames burning so we don’t lose the rivalry. There’s a lot at stake in keeping it a big rivalry.”

While big home crowds are a part of South Pittsburg tradition, the Pirates take thousands on the road for playoff games.

“This last (state) championship game was literally ‘the last one in town, turn off the lights,’” Dunwoody said. “The only ones that weren’t in Murfreesboro that night were the ones that absolutely couldn’t go. Everyone else was there.”

Vic Grider said he was even more overwhelmed than usual at the support for the 2007 title game.

“That’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I don’t know who they all were, but I know they couldn’t have all been South Pittsburg people because we’ve only got 3,300 in this town.”

Said senior lineman Trevor Barnes: “When you come out on a Friday night and they are all cheering, there’s no better feeling in the world. But walking out up there in Murfreesboro and seeing the stands packed with people was just crazy.”

BOYD-BUCHANAN BUCCANEERS 2A-3
HEAD COACH: Grant Reynolds (3rd year, 8-15) COUNTY: Hamilton
2007 RECORD: 4-7 REGION RECORD: 3-1
LETTERMEN (RET/LEFT): N/A STARTERS (OFF/DEF): 7/7

SPEED READ An experienced offensive line and the return of their starting quarterback have the Bucs thinking region championship in 2008.

TOP PLAYERS Nic Hughes (Sr., QB), Seth Emery (Sr., LB), Cole Webster (Sr., OL/DL), Jordan Nason (Sr., FB/LB), Garrett Payne (Sr., OL), Taylor Gilley (Sr., RB/DB), Ben Beasley (Jr., RB), Devin Caldwell (Jr., OL/DL), Taylor Shull (Jr., ATH)

TEAM PLAYBOOK Excitement for Boyd-Buchanan's 2007 season was tempered very early last fall when Nic Hughes, one of the state's most promising young signal-callers, suffered a knee injury in the first game of the year. However, to the Bucs' credit, the team and coaches were able to regroup in time to make a run at the Region 2A-3 title. Now with Hughes 100 percent once more, the Bucs are thinking more than just a region crown. The Pro-I offense starts with the 6-2, 215-pound Hughes while Taylor Gilley and Jordan Nason combined for nearly 1,000 yards on the ground last fall. All three will benefit from an experienced line up front led by three-year starter Cole Webster, senior Garrett Payne and rising junior Devin Caldwell. Boyd-Buchanan boasts one of the region finest pair of linebackers in seniors Nason (64 tackles, seven sacks) and Seth Emery (over 100 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions), although additional depth must be found to compliment Webster and Caldwell on the line. The Bucs aren't blessed with an abundance of speed, but their grind-it-out style could have them in yet another showdown with region rival Tyner for the title.

SOUTH PITTSBURG PIRATES 1A-3
HEAD COACH: Vic Grider (12th year, 113-27) COUNTY: Marion
2007 RECORD: 15-0 REGION RECORD: 7-0
LETTERMEN (RET/LEFT): 31/13 STARTERS (OFF/DEF): 5/6

SPEED READ Until someone proves otherwise, the Pirates remain as the team to beat in all of Class A.

TOP PLAYERS David Jones (Sr., RB/LB), Montrell Mitchell (Sr., RB/LB), Kartrez Bibbs (Sr., RB/CB), Ty Robinson (Sr., WR/DB), Will Maynor (Sr., OL/DL), Trevor Barnes (Sr., OL/DL), Keaton Jones (Sr., OL/DL), Matthew Wayne (Sr., OL/DL), Chase Robinson (Sr., TE/DE), Terrell Robinson (Jr., QB/DB)

TEAM PLAYBOOK For all of its rich history, there's one thing South Pittsburg has never done - win back-to-back state championships. That could easily change this season as the Orange and Black appears to be back in a big way. While the Pirates will certainly miss the services of 13 valuable contributors from last season's state title team, the cupboard is far from bare. David Jones is coming off a "quiet" 2007 season that only saw him rush for 1,127 yards and 15 touchdowns to nab All-State honors. Add to that the fact that Jones was the region's Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the Clinic Bowl. But while keeping up with Joneses is one thing, keeping up the Robinsons is another. Athletic junior Terrell Robinson will take the rein under center while seniors Ty Robinson and Chase Robinson are big targets at receiver and tight end respectively. On defense, the Pirates will also bring back secondary speedster Kartrez Bibbs, who missed 12 games last year, and his 4.4 speed. The only question - if there is one - centers around an offensive line that will have to be somewhat rebuilt, but retooling in the trenches is nothing new for the Pirates, who seems to thrive on finding new stars each season. Although the team doesn't have as much depth as usual, it has its usual abundance of speed and athleticism and that should be good enough for a 15th region title and just possibly a fifth state championship.

South Pitt vs. Boyd Buc (All-Time)
2007 SP 47-7
2006 SP 19-14
2004 BB 49-0
2003 BB 24-6 & BB 20-7
2002 BB 44-12
2001 BB 46-13
2000 BB 26-12
1999 SP 17-14 & SP 35-21
1998 SP 41-6 & SP 34-10
1997 SP 39-21
1996 BB 17-6
1995 SP 56-6
1994 SP 49-0
1993 SP 48-0
1992 SP 60-6
1991 SP 34-16
1978 SP 41-8
1977 SP 54-6

Total wins SP-14 BB-7
Largest Margin of Victory. SP by 54 in 1992. BB by 49 in 2004

Vols Looking For 'Sharpness' at Georgia

2008-10-10T13:21:00.004-04:00

Tennessee wrapped up its Georgia preparations Thursday with a 90-minute workout at Haslam Field. The Vols took advantage of UT's fall break to begin and end their practice at little earlier than normal.

"Practice on Tuesday was really good," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "Yesterday was a mental day more than it was a physical day, and it was just OK. There were some corrections that needed to be made and today was pretty sharp. As always, Thursdays are supposed to be dress rehearsals for us with minimal mistakes.

"Hopefully, that sharpness will carry over into the game."

The Vols and Bulldogs take the field Saturday at Sanford Stadium in a 3:30 p.m. Eastern time kickoff. CBS Sports and the Vol Network carry the television broadcast and radio play-by-play.

UT captains for Saturday's game are defensive end Robert Ayers, safety Eric Berry, offensive linemen Ramon Foster and Anthony Parker, tailback Montario Hardesty and linebacker Ellix Wilson.

"These guys have served as good leaders for our football team and we're looking forward to going into Georgia with them on Saturday as captains," Fulmer said.

Austin Rogers is this week's CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week. Rogers is coming off his first multiple-catch game this season after hauling in a pair of receptions for 14 yards against Northern Illinois. The Nashville product has four receptions this year for 44 yards.

Previous winners this season of the CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week have been Lucas Taylor, Wes Brown and Stephen Darville. The award combines on-field performance with citizenship and community service efforts.

InSIDe the Vols Blog -- Check out former UT cornerback Jabari Greer and his opinions on pop culture in the latest blog entry to "InSIDe the Vols" on UTSports.com ( www.utsports.com/inside-ut/sid-blog.html).

SELECT SINGLE GAME UT FOOTBALL TICKETS AVAILABLE
Individual game tickets for three remaining University of Tennessee home football contests, including the next home game against Mississippi State, remain available for purchase online at utsports.com, via phone at (800) 332-VOLS and at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Kickoff for the Oct. 18 Mississippi State contest is 7 p.m., with VideoSeat carrying the pay-per-view telecast.

Other games available are Wyoming (Nov. 8) and Kentucky (Nov. 29). Tickets for Wyoming are $40 each plus shipping and handling. Tickets for Mississippi State and Kentucky are $50 each plus shipping and handling.

www.utsports.com

Tennessee Vs. Mississippi State At 7 p.m.

2008-10-08T12:38:00.004-04:00

The Tennessee Volunteeers home game on Oct. 18 against Mississippi State is now scheduled for a 7 p.m. EDT kickoff.

The game will be televised pay-per-view by VideoSeat for a second time this season.

The Vols (2-3) have won eight of nine games against the Bulldogs, including a 33-21 in Starkville, Miss. last season.

Vanderbilt Named National Team of the Week

2008-10-07T04:10:00.002-04:00

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 14-13 win over 13th-ranked Auburn, the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-0) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Oct. 4.

Mackenzi Adams threw a pair of touchdown passes as the Commodores improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1943. The Vanderbilt defense limited Auburn to just 208 yards and registered five sacks by five different players.

Vanderbilt's 3-0 start in SEC play is the school's best since 1950. The win over Auburn snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Tigers that dated back to the 1955 Gator Bowl. Coming in ranked No. 19, the Commodores also produced their first win as a ranked team since 1956.

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 4 included:

· Army (1-4): Collin Mooney ran for 187 yards and four touchdowns to help the Black Knights end a 10-game losing streak with a 44-13 win at Tulane.

· North Carolina (4-1): Converted safety Shawn Draughn ran for 109 yards and a score as the Tar Heels recorded their first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since 1997 with their 38-12 win over No. 24 Connecticut.

· Pittsburgh (4-1): LeSean McCoy ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers upset 10th-ranked South Florida, 26-21, in Tampa.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the fifth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2008 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Dec. 1.

Since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game will be played on Jan. 5, 2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 31, 2008 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.

2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Teams of the Week ·
Weekend of Aug. 30: Alabama·
Weekend of Sept. 6: East Carolina·
Weekend of Sept. 13: USC·
Weekend of Sept. 20: Boise State·
Weekend of Sept. 27: Oregon State·
Weekend of Oct. 4: Vanderbilt

SEC Notes Oct. 6

2008-10-06T11:32:00.000-04:00

The SEC has a national-best (tied with Big 12) six teams ranked in this week's Associated Press, USA Today and Harris Interactive Top 25 polls. Alabama is ranked second in the AP poll, third in the Harris Interactive poll and fourth in the USA Today poll.

LSU is ranked third in the USA Today and Harris polls and fourth in the AP poll. Georgia is ranked 10th in all three polls, Florida is ranked 11th in the Harris Interactive and AP polls and 12th in the USA Today poll, Vanderbilt is ranked 14th in Harris Interactive and USA Today polls and 13th in AP poll and Auburn is ranked 20th in the AP and Harris Interactive polls and 23rd in the USA Today poll. Kentucky received votes in all three polls while South Carolina got a vote in the USA Today poll and Ole Miss received two votes in the Harris Interactive poll.

The SEC leads the nation in non-conference winning percentage with a 27-5 record (84.4 percentage). In 15 SEC intra-conference games, there have been 11 games decided by 10 points or less (73.3 percent), most of any conference in the country. Of conferences playing more than five intra-conference games to date, the SEC has the highest rating of games less than 10 points and also the average scoring margin of intra-conference games at 10.07.

In 38 home dates, SEC stadiums have been filled to 98.46 percent capacity. A total of 2,919,334 fans (an average of 76,825 per game) have been to SEC stadiums this season.

Florida leads the SEC with 10 scoring drives of less than two minutes each. Alabama leads the SEC with seven scoring drives of more than five minutes each.

South Carolina junior linebacker Eric Norwood is this week's SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week and will be featured on Raycom Sports' telecast of the Kentucky-South Carolina game on Saturday.

Kentucky's defense has yet to allow a touchdown in the redzone this season in six opportunities.

Alabama and Auburn are the only SEC teams to score first in every game this season.

SEC offenses are averaging 354.0 points and 26.2 points per game this season. Both numbers are lower than last year but higher than the 2006 numbers.

On defense, the SEC teams are averaging 17.4 points and 288.4 yards per game. If both held up, they would be the lowest numbers in the expansion era (1992). LSU and Florida are 1-3 in overall scoring drive efficiency this year in the SEC. The Tigers score on 46.15 percent of their posessions while Florida scores on 43.86 percent of its drives (Georgia is second at 45.61 percent).

The Tigers and Gators play on CBS Sports at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday from "The Swamp" in Gainesville. Other games on the SEC slate include Tennessee visiting Georgia on CBS Sports at 3:30 p.m. ET and Kentucky hosting South Carolina at 12:30 p.m. ET on Raycom Sports. Vanderbilt visits Mississippi State at 1:30 p.m. CT and Auburn hosts Arkansas at 4 p.m. CT.

SEC Media Relations

Crompton's Blog

2008-10-04T01:41:00.000-04:00

I'm sure Jonathan Crompton is a nice young man. And he probably doesn't deserve to have to go through the pain and agony this Tennessee football season has put the former Parade All-American quarterback through.

And I'm not sure that his failures are all his fault. But somebody has to take the blame and too many people are pointing the finger at Crowmpton.

The North Carolina native writes a weekly blog for Sporting News Today. This week he defends his coach.

Don't judge Coach Fulmer on this slow start
Oct. 2, 2008

By Jonathan Crompton, For Sporting News Today

It's tough being where we're at. That's why we have to come together as a team and overcome this start.

Personally, I know I have to play better in order to give us a chance to win. It's frustrating because I have been practicing really well, but that hasn't translated to the games. There are several different aspects I need to improve on, but like I said, I just have to do a better job to give our team a better shot.

The quarterback competition this week, that's part of it. It's something I have to do for the team right now. Coach Dave Clawson, our offensive coordinator, talked to me in his office about it. He just told me, `Hey, this is something we have to do.' And I understand, because I haven't been playing up to my ability.

My family and friends have been doing a really good job supporting me through this, and they always will. I'm focused on keeping our guys up, too.

That's part of quarterbacking. You have to be a leader. You have to make sure you have your head up no matter what.

Right now, my goal is to go out there and work hard, play better and player smarter. That's what Nick (Stephens) and I both are doing, just going out there every day to get better.

There's been some negative talk in the media about coach Phillip Fulmer and our performance, but for all that guys that are here, for the guys in the locker room, he is Tennessee football.

That's all we've known growing up, is Coach Fulmer. He built the program to what we know it, so people shouldn't judge him on our 1-3 start.

We're just trying to stay together as a team. We're not trying to point fingers at anybody. We win as a team and we lose as a team. Everybody knows that last year we started out slow, and we ended up in the SEC championship game. This year, we're off to a slow start, but we can still end up in the championship game if we put our minds to it.

-- As told to Benson Taylor

Fans Treated to Free UT Football DVD with Game Program Purchase

2008-10-02T03:22:00.000-04:00

Football fans visiting Neyland Stadium for Saturday's game against Northern Illinois will be welcomed with a special offer from the Vol Network. The first 1,500 fans to purchase a souvenir game program will receive a FREE Tennessee Football DVD.

The video showcases the sights and sounds of the University of Tennessee football program and the many traditions that make it such a cherished part of so many people's lives. Special features include: the Vol Walk, the "Volunteer Navy", running through the "T", the "Kickoff Call-In Show", the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and special interviews by former Tennessee football players.

Souvenir program vendors can be found in and around Neyland Stadium beginning five hours prior to kickoff. This year's official game program has over 175 pages of full-color content including updated stats, rankings, player features and lineups.

Monday's Chalktalk

2008-10-02T02:50:00.000-04:00

News and Notes From Around College Football for September 29, 2008

NFF News
With more than $300,000 in scholarships and 15 all- expense paid trips to New York City at stake, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) is set to announce Wednesday more than 160 semifinalists for college football's most prestigious academic honor -

The 2008 Draddy Trophy presented, by HealthSouth. One of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. From the 160- plus candidates from all divisions of play creating the pool of semifinalists, the NFF Awards Committee will select the 15 finalists for the award, which will be announced on Oct. 23. Each of the Draddy Trophy finalists will win a $18,000 NFF National Scholar- Athlete Award for his post-graduate education.NFF Chairman Archie Manning will be the keynote speaker for the Murphy Enterprise Center's 2008 Leadership Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on Friday, Nov. 14.To become a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, please contact NFF Director of Special Projects Hillary Jeffries at 800-486-1865 or via email at hjeffries@footballfoundation.com.

Two-Minute Drill
College Football Hall of Famers Doug Flutie, Bob Griese, Lou Holtz, Mark May, and Andre Ware are among the broadcast teams for ABC Sports and ESPN football this autumn... Hall of Famer and 2007 NFF Gold Medal co-recipient Roger Staubach was honored for his efforts in the construction of Pope John Paul II High School Stadium in Plano, Texas, last week. The Navy great performed the ceremonial coin toss as John Paul II faced Trinity Christian-Addison last Friday night... Georgia broadcasting legend Larry Munson officially retired from the Bulldogs' radio booth... SEC schools participated in the "Together We Can" food drive collected 40,000 pounds of food for underserved families in the region during 12-day activities. For every yard gained by both teams in the Raycom SEC Game of the Week, Regions Bank will donate a new tree to the Arbor Day Foundation's work to reforest areas in the southeastern part of the country... Duke head coach David Cutcliffe entertained students and faculty at "Chat With Coach Cut" activities on the Durham, N.C., campus last week... Tulane hosted "Bring Your 'A' Game - Celebrating Education in New Orleans," as the Green Wave took on SMU at the Superdome... Navy and UNLV have scheduled a first-ever four-game series from 2014-17. Navy also has been designated as one of the teams represented in the 2010 San Diego County Poinsettia Bowl pending eligiblity after the '10 regular campaign... NCAA Football has launched a special link via NCAAFootball.com to download schedules for all schools... Thom Gossom, Jr. , the first African- American athlete to graduate from Auburn, recently released his memoir "Walk On," which depicts his struggles on and off the football field in the 1970s... Mike Flynt, who started playing linebacker for Sul Ross State (Texas) at age 59, released his new book "The Senior" detailing his experiences as the oldest contributing member of a college football team in NCAA history... HBO Sports has opened production on "Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football," noting integration of college football in the South and the Civil Rights movement of the '60s. It will debut on Dec. 16. The program uses extensive research from the College Football Hall of Fame archives and culminates with the famed Southern California- Alabama of Sept. 1970. ESPN's acclaimed primetime E60 newsmagazine program Tuesday at 7 p.m. (EDT) features Hawai'i graduate assistant coach Brian Kajiyama and his courage of fighting through a cerebral palsy affliction since birth... The Big Ten Network will premiere Hail to the Victors: Greatest Stories of Michigan Football, a new show which traces the lineage of the storied program, following the Michigan-Toledo game on Oct. 11. Narrated by Thom Brennaman, Hail to the Victors will examine some of the most successful seasons of Michigan football with archived interview footage with legendary coach Bo Schembechler.Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium will honor American Indian tribes with the new Minnesotal Tribal Nations Plaza. An 18-foot sky marker for each of the state's 11 tribal nations will be placed outside the main gate of the new stadium... Cal recently kicked off a $250 million football fundraising drive, pushing the purchase of premium seats at its new stadium... North Texas students will vote Oct. 13-17 on an expanded fee structure to help finance a new on-campus stadium for the Eagles... Dick Jacobson of Iowa State has contributed $5 million to ISU - most of the gift to help revamp Jack Trice Stadium... Smithville Communications has made a $250,000 donation to Indiana athletics... Ellen and Dr. Brent Feller have made a $500,000 contribution for Iowa athletics facilities... Sacramento State has received a $50,000 endowed scholarship from the family of the late Hank Elespuru... Arkansas State Athletics received its largest single donation from Charles Luter for improvements to its athletic academic facility.College Football Hall of Famer Joe Theismann was recently named the 2008 Davey O'Brien Legends Award recipient in recognition of his life-long contributions to football. Theismann will be presented with the award at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner on Feb. 16, 2009, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas... Miami (Fla.) added five former standouts to its Football Ring of Honor: RB Edgerrin James, QB Jim Kelly, DT Cortez Kennedy, C Jim Otto and QB Gino Torretta... R. C. Slocum, Texas A&M's winningest football coach, was inducted into the schools's athletic hall of fame... College Football Hall of Famer John Gagliardi (St. John's, Minn.) was named the 2009 recipient of AFCA's Amos Alonzo Stagg Award... Beth Holtz, wife of former Notre Dame football coach and 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Lou Holtz, has been awarded an honorary monogram by the Notre Dame Monogram Club. Coach and Mrs. Holtz founded the Lou and Beth Holtz Charitable Foundation in 1998 to help support disadvantaged persons of all ages and homeless shelters in South Bend, Ind., and Columbia, S.C.... DB Ron Allen is the most recent inductee into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame... Baylor's 2008 Hall of Fame class includes football great Ray Crockett and former director of athletics Tom Stanton, who spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Southwest Conference wing... Kansas State inducted retired head coach Bill Snyder and university president Jon Wefald into its Athletics Hall of Fame as key participants in the "Miracle in Manhattan" turnaround of the Wildcats' football program... New Mexico State added Pervis Atkins, Denvis Manns and Walt Williams to its Aggie Football Legends Ring of Honor... The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation released its "Watch List" for its 2008 Dodd Trophy.Connecticut and IMG College have signed a multi-year year agreement for broadcast and marketing rights... Arkansas has extended its corporate partnership with Collegiate Licensing Co. for five years.Charles Walemon "Cotton" Price, 90, quarterback and captain of the 1939 national champion Texas A&M squad, died last Wednesday. The 1937-39 letterman paced the '39 squad to a 11-0 record... Dick Lynch, 72, 41- year member of the New York Giants' radio broadcasting crew and a standout at Notre Dame and in the NFL, died last week... Former San Jose State HB and decorated World War II pilot Bert Robinson, 86, passed away... Wally Hilgenberg, a standout lineman at Iowa, passed away at 66... Plato Gus Andros, all- conference guard for the 1946 Oklahoma team, died at 86.To become an NFF member, please contact NFF Director of Membership Ron Dilatush at 800.486.1865 or via email at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com.

Key NFF Dates
Oct. 19: First Release of 2008 BCS Standings - Irving, Texas
Dec. 9: NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria - New York, N.Y.
Jan. 5, 2009: National Hall of Fame Salute at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz.
Jan. 9, 2009: Presentation of MacArthur Trophy to BCS champion - Miami, Fla.

2009 BCS Schedule
Jan. 1: Rose Bowl presented by Citi - Pasadena, Calif., ABC
Jan. 1: FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla., Fox
Jan. 2: Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La., Fox
Jan. 5: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz., Fox
Jan. 8: FedEx BCS National Championship Game - Miami, Fla., Fox