SB Nation - Gerald Jones

KENTUCKY vs. TENNESSEE: It Doesn't Get Any Bigger Than This

Ken Howlett — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:24:15 -0000

Kentucky running back Derrick Locke will hopefully show his backside to the Volunteer defenders.

We all know about the streak. We all are embarrassed by the streak. We're all tired of the streak. Afterall, losing 24 straight to any school, in any sport, is repulsive to most sports fan's sense of fair play. It's simply no fun playing the nail, opposite Tennessee's (6-5, 3-4) ball-peen hammer.

But this game tonight (7:00 PM) isn't about the streak. It isn't about 24 years of blowouts, near-misses, and overtime heartache. Rather, this game is about second place in the SEC East. Nothing else matters. All the pontificating about streaks are merely window dressing compared to the importance of the game at hand ... the importance of Kentucky (7-4, 3-4) overcoming major injuries to star players, the preseason loss of All-SEC defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, of having to play 11 straight games, and of losses that should have been wins ... for this program to still rise to a high level of accomplishment in spite of the adversity speaks volumes about the character of the young men wearing the blue and white, and about the elevated level of talent Rich Brooks and staff have brought to Lexington. And in a year where most predictors of such events had the Wildcats finishing considerably south of second place, for UK to play in the Outback or Chick-Fila Bowl would certainly be an attention-getter both nationally, and within the borders of the Commonwealth.

Four straight bowl games, and a 31-20 record over the last four years, topped off by a second place finish in arguably the most gruesome division in college football, would certainly qualify as a continuance of the Brooks building process. And for this group of 'Cats to continue to build on the unique accomplishments they are responsible for this season -- Winning three straight SEC road games since 1909-'12, beating Auburn for the first time since 1961, and beating Georgia between the hedges for the first time since 1977 -- adds to the legacy of Rich Brooks, but more importantly, enriches the perception of the Kentucky football program throughout the high schools of the south and beyond. Putting the Wildcats that much closer to the goal at-hand -- Becoming a football program that consistently competes at the highest level.

In order for Kentucky to take the next step, they must first conquer the demons in orange. Here is thine enemy:

Unit Comparison (SEC Rank in Parenthesis)

- Scoring Offense -- UT 30.6 points per game (5): UK's coring defense -- 22.2 points per game (7).
- Scoring Defense -- UT allows 20.7 points per game (t5): UK's scoring offense -- 26.5 points per game (7).
- Total Offense -- UT averages 390.8 yards per game (6): UK total defense -- 355.4 yards per game (8).
- Total Defense -- UT allows 313.2 yards per game (5): UK total offense -- 342.9 yards per game (10).
- Rush Offense -- UT rushes for 164.7 yards per game (7): UK rush defense -- 179.3 yards per game (11).
- Rush Defense -- UT allows 141.3 yards per game (6): UK rush offense -- 196.2 yards per game (5).
- Pass Offense -- UT throws for 226.1 yards per game (3): UK pass defense -- 176.1 yards per game (6).
- Pass Defense -- UT allows 171.9 yards per game (5): UK pass offense -- 146.7 yards per game (11).
- Sacks By -- UT has executed 19 sacks (9): UK sacks against -- 14 (5).
- Sacks Against -- UT has allowed only 11 sacks (1): UK sacks By -- 15 (12).
- Third Down Conversion -- UT is at 39.3% (6): UK third down conversion defense -- 39.0% (12).
- Third Down Conversion Defense -- UT allows a 34.4% conversion rate (5): UK third down conversion -- 39.8% (4).
- Turnover Margin -- UT is a + 4 (5): UK is a +3 (6).
- Red Zone Offense -- UT converts 41-46 (89.1%) of their RZ attempts (5): UK red zone defense -- 28-37 (75.7%) (5).
- Red Zone Defense -- UT has allowed 30-35 (85.7%) RZ scores: UK's red zone offense -- 33-40 (82.5%) (8).

The Tennessee Offense

Jonathan Crompton -- 6'4", 228 lb senior quarterback: This season the formerly embattled UT signal-caller has stepped-up his game considerably. He has completed 196 of 335 passes (58.5%) for 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Comparing Crompton's numbers last season -- 86-167 (51.5%) for 889 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions -- to those of this year reveals a much-improved quarterback who has been trusted with the reins of the Tennessee offense.

Crompton has thrown only one interception in the last four games (122 passes). His two best games this season -- Versus Georgia, he threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns on 20-27 passing; Against Memphis, Crompton was 21-27 through the air for 331 yards and five touchdowns. Last season versus UK, Crompton was an 6-8 for 101 yards and one touchdown.

Montario Hardesty -- 6'0", 199 lb junior running back: Hardesty's production is another reason for UT's success this season. He's rushed for 1,127 yards (102.5 yards per game) on 225 carries (5.0 yards per carry), and nine touchdowns. He's also caught 19 passes for 212 yards (11.2 yards per reception), and one touchdown.

Last week in UT's 31-16 win over Vanderbilt, Hardesty rushed for a season-high 171 yards on 22 carries (7.8 ypc), and one touchdown. Hardesty has scored at least one touchdown in eight games this year, and he's ran for over 100 yards four times: WKU, Ohio U., South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.

Bryce Brown -- 6'0", 215 lb freshman running back: Brown has carried the ball 98 times for 452 yards (4.6 ypc), and three touchdowns. He's also caught 10 passes for 137 yards (13.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Coming out of high school last year, Brown was rated the No. 1 running back, as well as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.

David Oku -- 5'10", 186 lb freshman running back: Oku has rushed for 94 yards on 23 carries (4.0 ypc) and two touchdowns. Oku has caught two passes for 13 yards (6.5 ypr). He's also returned 30 kick-offs for 780- yards (26.0 yards per return).

The Oklahoma native recorded 154 all-purpose yards in UT's game versus Ole Miss. Coming out of high school last year, Oku was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 30 running back by SuperPrep.

Gerald Jones -- 6'0", 190 lb junior wide receiver: In 10 games, Jones, UT's top receiver, has caught 36 passes for 497 yards (13.8 ypr) and four touchdowns. Last season versus UK, Jones caught a touchdown pass in the Tennessee victory.

Jones went for over 100 receiving yards versus Georgia -- Five catches for 105 yards, and two touchdowns. He also had strong outings against Auburn (seven catches for 75 yards), and Alabama (seven catches for 72 yards), but he's caught only one touchdown pass in the last three games (versus Memphis).

Denarius Moore -- 6'1", 190 lb junior wide receiver: Moore has made 35 catches for 455 yards (13.0 ypr), and six touchdowns.

Moore has scored four of his six touchdowns in the last three games.

Quintin Hancock -- 6'3", 207 lb senior wide receiver: In only eight games, Hancock has made 27 catches for 298 yards (11.0 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Marsalis Teague -- 5'10", 180 lb freshman wide receiver: Teague has 13 receptions for 147 yards (11.3 ypr), and two touchdowns.

Teague was rated the No. 4 prospect in the state of Tennessee out of high school by Rivals, as well as the No. 28 athlete in the nation, also by Rivals.

Luke Stocker -- 6'6", 240 lb junior tight end: Stocker has been an integral part of the UT offense, catching 22 passes for 292 yards (13.3 ypr), and four touchdowns.

The Tennessee Defense

Eric Berry -- 5'11", 203 lb junior corner back: Berry has made 75 tackles (49 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and six pass breakups.

The First Team All-SEC selection is UT's defensive force in the secondary, although UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has been bringing Berry up support the run defense. Don't be surprised if Berry is asked to contain Randall Cobb in tonight's tilt.

Rico McCoy -- 6'1", 220 lb senior linebacker: McCoy leads the Vols with 99 tackles (59 solo). He's also posted 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles.

In 2006 versus UK, McCoy forced the first fumble of his career.

Dan Williams -- 6'3", 327 lb senior defensive tackle: Williams has recorded 56 tackles (28 solo), and he's tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 8.5. He's also has 2.0 sacks, and a team-leading nine quarterback hurries.

In UT's four overtime victory over UK in 2007, Williams had a game-changing field goal block. Well, it wasn't so much as a block, as the ball being kicked directly into his face mask. There is no doubt that Williams is a defensive force that must be dealt with by the UK offensive line. They must keep him away from Morgan Newton, and run away from him in the ground game.

Chris Walker -- 6'3", 232 lb junior defensive end: Walker has made 34 tackles (16 solo), and he's tied for the team lead with 8.5 tackles for loss. He leads UT with 6.0 sacks, and he's also recorded two interceptions and one pass breakup.

Dennis Rogan -- 5'10", 178 lb defensive back: Rogan is third on the team with 56 tackles (35 solo). He's executed 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and five pass breakups. He's also recovered two fumbles. Rogan will also return punts. This season he's returned six punts for 46 yards (7.7 yards per return), and two kick-offs for 52 yards (26.0 ypr).

In 2007 versus UK, Rogan returned three punts for 24 yards (8.0 ypr), and two kick-offs for 48 yards (24 ypr). He had three tackles, including his first tackle for loss.

Chad Cunningham -- Cunningham serves as UT's punter and kick-off artist -- He's punted 44 times for a 41.5 average. He's kicked-off 64 times, and has only four touch-backs.

Daniel Lincoln, Cunningham, and Devin Mathis have all kicked field goals for the Vols this season -- Lincoln is 10-16 (62.5%), Cunningham is 1-2 (50.0%), and Mathis is 1-1 (100%). Lincoln missed last weeks Vanderbilt game.

The three have combined to miss only one field goal under 40 yards.

Tennessee Wins (Teams in bold represent common opponents)

63-7 over WKU, 34-23 over Ohio U., 45-19 over Georgia, 31-13 over South Carolina, 56-28 over Memphis, and 31-16 over Vanderbilt.

Tennessee Losses

19-15 to UCLA, 23-13 to Florida, 26-22 to Auburn, 12-10 to Alabama, 42-17 to Ole Miss.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Tonight's battle represents two teams vying to succeed in the same areas -- Even though UK's two biggest play-makers are banged up (Cobb's shoulder, and both of Locke's knees), after Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster gashed the Vols for 282 yards on 25 carries (11.6 ypc) and four touchdowns, the 'Cats will look to gain the bulk of their yardage on the ground.

Although UT quarterback Jonathan Crompton has proved to be much improved over last year, because of UK's weak run defense, look for a steady diet of UT running backs looking for holes. Hardesty, Brown, and Oku will get a healthy dose of carries in an attempt to control the clock, and bury UK with a ground game suited to do just that.

Look for Randall Cobb to have a big day. Although Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin wasn't in place during Cobb's recruitment, I expect Cobb will be highly motivated to display to his hometown team what they are missing.

It's really pretty simple -- UK must run the ball to the tune of at least 4.5-5.0 yards per carry, and Morgan Newton must continue to come through in the clutch with on-target throws if UK hopes to come out victorious. Recently Newton has been excellent at not turning the ball over ... that trend must continue.

Likewise, UK's defense must find it within themselves to stop the run. UT's three primary ball-carriers are legitimate, dangerous weapons. The Vols rushing for 200 + yards will surely spell doom for the 'Cats.

Field position will also play a big role in tonight's outcome. With UK in possession of two of the best return men in the SEC (Cobb and Locke), this category seems to be a plus for the 'Cats.

Last week versus Georgia, UK saw first-hand the advantage gained by creating turnovers (they were +4). The 'Cats must continue to hit hard, hit often, and hit with a purpose. If the UK defense comes to play, I like the 'Cats chances of partying like it's 1984 -- UK's last victory over the Vols.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky - 27 Tennessee - 24

For Tru's take on the game, and a listen to a podcast interview we did with the guys from Rocky Top Talk, please scroll down.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Vols!

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers at Ole Miss Rebels

Joel — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:08:07 -0000

by Michael H. Miller - AP

Hey, Ed! Thanks for Dexter!

View full size photo »

Worst where'd-the-wind-go. The first failed fourth down conversion, with the Vols down 21-17 and driving with momentum in their sails. After that, we punted, had a field goal blocked, and failed on another fourth down conversion while Ole Miss scored four additional touchdowns.

Biggest skeptic. Me, when Kiffin said that the team wasn't distracted because when you see a team that's distracted, you see a team that's not ready to play and a team that gets blown out early, and "that wasn't the case at all." Maybe not blown out early, but McCluster certainly blew through early and often.

Best continuation of an argument. Lane Kiffin, who said that the defense simply missed Janzen Jackson that much, because the Tennessee was, prior to the last weeks, No. 1 in the country in least explosive plays given up, and "that was because the guy back there in the middle third hardly every missed a play." Maybe he has a point.

Worst start, I. Tennessee's special teams, who pushed the opening kickoff out of bounds.

Worst start, II. Tennessee's defense, who let Ole Miss take the opening drive 60 yards in four plays in 1:31 for a TD.

Best sack. Ben Martin on a stunt to swallow up Jevan Snead, driving him back into Chris Walker, who was rushing from the other side.

Best coverage. Dennis Rogan, who, on one of Tennessee's early punts, beat everyone down the field and perfectly timed a perfect tackle.

Best run, I. Montario Hardesty, who navigated dense traffic at the line, hurdled over a grounded defender beyond the line, stiff-armed another defender in the secondary, and absorbed a late hit out of bounds for a bonus 15 yards on to what would have been a 23-yard run.

Best potential tongue-biting. Kiffin, who said of McCluster's second touchdown that what we all thought was partially due to a blatant holding penalty that wasn't called, "We've got perimeter issues there as you can see." I don't think this was a veiled shot at the officials, but the beauty of it is that it could be construed that way.

Worst defense. Ours, on McCluster. Pick a play.

Silverest lining. Jonathan Crompton, who went 20-37 for 176 yards and two TDs.

Best second wind. Tennessee, behind David Oku's 41-yard kickoff return to start the second half.

Best trick play. Crompton to Gerald Jones for 14 yards on the first drive of the second half. Crompton faked a hand off to the right, then turned and threw to a wide open Jones on the other side of the field. Where's the trick? Jones got so open by falling down on purpose during the fake handoff.

Worst stall, I. Tennessee's first drive of the second half, which ended with a field goal to make it 21-17 instead of what might have been 21-21.

Best play, defense. Wes Brown, who refused to go down on a cut block and intercepted an attempted screen pass from Jevan Snead, giving the Vols field position, momentum, and a shot at a 24-21 lead.

Best block. Crompton, on a reverse to Jones. Crompton sent the first defender to sniff out the play and start chasing Jones sideways cartwheeling through the air.

Worst stall, II. Tennessee's next drive, which ended on the 37-yard line when the Vols failed to convert on fourth and four.

Best quote, I. Kiffin: "Yeah that was a first for me. I've never thrown a screen and lost ten yards before."

Worst I'm-not-surpised. Daniel Lincoln's blocked field goal attempt from 45 in the fourth quarter.

Worst way to silence the home crowd. Having LaMarcus Thompson carried off the field on a stretcher.

Best quote, II. Kiffin again, who responded to the fan-submitted question of what adjustments one can make against someone like Dexter McCluster by saying that they're sending him to the NFL next year.

Best play, offense. Crompton's TD to Denarius Moore, down the middle and over two defenders.

Player of the game, offense. Crompton, see Silverest lining.

Player of the game, defense. Dan Williams, who had nine tackles (four solo) and two tackles for losses.

Leave yours below.

Tennessee Football: Becoming a Complete Team

Will — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:45 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

This year, there's more than just this guy to celebrate.

Browse more photos »

Note from Will, 11:00 AM: Bumped back down to deal with the obvious breaking news of the day.

Let's start with the negative: our special teams play has not been good.

David Oku and Nu'Keese Richardson have done a fairly good job returning kicks: the Vols are 31st nationally in kickoff return average at 23.7 yards per return. But the good news ends there in the all-important third phase of the game. Take a look at Tennessee's position in the national special teams rankings (thanks once again to the fine folks at cfbstats.com):

Kick Returns: 31st
Punt Returns: 60th
Opponent Kick Returns: 103rd (one of only nine teams to allow two for TDs this year)
Opponent Punt Returns: 75th
Punting Average: 63rd (40.5 yards per punt)
FG Accuracy: 97th (10 of 16, 62.5%)

The Vols allowed Brandon James to hurt them in the kicking game again, watched Ohio run a kickoff back for a touchdown, lost to Auburn by four points in a game where Daniel Lincoln missed a field goal and an extra point, surrendered nine points to Georgia on special teams thanks to a kickoff return TD and a blocked punt safety, missed three field goals at #1 Alabama in a two point loss, and continued an unbelievable streak the following week when South Carolina made it three blocked field goals in a row for Vol opponents. Yikes.

Our special teams play has not been good. But nine games into the season, Tennessee has become a good team everywhere else.

The good news also starts with the obvious:

Jonathan Crompton

In Crompton's two starts for the injured Erik Ainge during the 2006 season, he went 11 of 24 against LSU and 16 of 34 at Arkansas, with two touchdowns (thanks, Robert Meachem) and an interception in each game. Last year in seven starts, Crompton completed just 51.5 percent of his passes for only 889 yards, 5 INTs with 4 TDs.

If you set aside the game against the worst team in FBS in the season opener, the numbers in the next four games...well, you remember right? Five interceptions and no touchdowns against UCLA and Florida combined, a pedestrian performance against Ohio, and a first half against Auburn that featured dropped balls aplenty and no hope to be found.

Throwing out Western Kentucky, take a look at the split between the next four games and the last four games:

UCLA, FLA, Ohio, AUB: 61 of 122, 50.0%, 667 yards, 4 TD, 6 INT
UGA, Bama, USC, Memphis: 74 of 114, 64.9%, 1,048 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT

Plenty has been said about Crompton's transformation, and the kid deserves even more. At some point during the first half of the Auburn game, while trying to come to terms with the fact that Kiffin simply wasn't going to pull him, I was imagining Crompton running thru the T on senior day against Vanderbilt as the quarterback of a 3-7 team, being the first Vol in history to get booed in his final run. And now I feel like I owe it to him to be there next week against Vanderbilt, to join in what will be a hero's welcome if the Vols take care of business this week.

Tennessee has made a habit of putting the same quarterback on the field for several consecutive seasons: Casey Clausen started every week he was healthy during his four years, Erik Ainge started for most of his four years, and we've seen Crompton under center for part of 2006, most of 2008 and all of this year. As such, the fanbase builds a long term relationship with these guys that has the ups and downs of a marriage; even Peyton Manning spent a few nights on the couch after long weekends in Florida.

We've tried to divorce Crompton, and more than once. I was going to joke that we've tried to kill him, but at one point the kid received actual death threats. But in these last four weeks, Crompton has changed his ways...and so have we. And now we're like the older couple that's been through the worst of times together only to have a greater appreciation for the best of times. Crompton knows he wasn't playing well, and maybe we feel like we were a little too hard on him at some points, though we both had our reasons.

Point being, now...now Crompton is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in America. When he rolls out, you feel confident. When he releases the ball, you're not braced for the worst, you're expecting the best. Tennessee is becoming a complete team, first and foremost, because our quarterback is becoming a complete player. And all joking aside, after Tim Tebow wins his customary first team All-SEC honors at quarterback...if Crompton outperforms Jevan Snead in a Vol victory on Saturday, who's to say he won't take second?

Montario Hardesty

The more you think about it, the more you realize what a great story this team is becoming. They're not going to win any championships, and they had their lapses early...but the way we're playing now in conjunction with the things some of these guys have gone through to help the team along the way, this is going to end up being a very memorable group.

Hardesty is a guy that just keeps coming to work, with 901 yards in 9 games. And while Crompton's transformation might be the most unexpected surprise in Tennessee Football history (no exaggeration), Hardesty's emergence has been just as important in creating a balanced offensive attack. The Vols are averaging 232 yards in the air and 168 on the ground this season, solid numbers on both counts seeing how they add up to 400 per game. And Hardesty - who sat behind Arian Foster for three years, listened to LaMarcus Coker and Lennon Creer get all the hype during that same span, then heard all about Bryce Brown all summer - has become the best Vol running back in eight years, still has a shot to crack the top ten in the all-time yardage list here, and has ensured that the Vols can also run the ball if and when they want to.

Wide Receivers & Luke Stocker

This may not be the most talented group of Vol WRs in school history, but once everybody got healthy, they've done their job admirably. After the debacle of the first half of the Auburn game, there have been almost no drops. There's an incredible balance amongst this group: Gerald Jones leads with way with 28 catches, Denarius Moore has 26, and Quintin Hancock has 20 in only six games.

This group may be the best example of how well this coaching staff handles player development. Before this year, Denarius Moore was a guy who only caught deep balls, and Quintin Hancock didn't catch a single pass last season. Now Moore is showing playmaking ability all over the field, and Hancock, when healthy, might have the surest hands of the group. The Vols haven't needed superstars at the wide receiver position to excel in the passing game in the last four weeks.

And then there's Luke Stocker, who at 6'6" was always going to draw NFL eyes if he produced. Stocker leads the team in yards per reception (among regular contributors), and has shown the ability to make in-traffic, downfield catches from the tight end spot. Crompton needs to quit throwing it to him so he has fewer reasons to think about leaving early.

Simply put: the Vols are getting good play from every one of their offensive skill positions.

Offensive Line

If I told you on August 1 that Josh McNeil would see no significant action this season and that his career would essentially be over, that both Cody and Cory Sullins would be starters, and that one of our starting tackles would be a guy that had never played the position before, how many wins would you have given this team?

Again, this staff has coached guys up and turned career backups into solid players. The Vols have executed the zone blocking scheme about as well as you could hope for a team in its first year with the system. For the most part, Crompton has had the time he's needed. And while the line hasn't been perfect and was faced with tough assignments early when everyone was stacking the line, this group has played well, and played well over their heads at some points. The way this group has performed makes you more hopeful that next year's group of nobodies will mature quickly as well.

Defense

The numbers are a bit skewed after Memphis had a field day with our backups, but the Vols still rank 16th nationally in total defense at 295.1 yards allowed per game. And at every position, Tennessee has gotten solid-or-better play. Chris Walker has stepped in at end and, despite not being fully healthy, given the Vols 3.5 sacks and 5.0 TFLs, forced a fumble and somehow picked up two interceptions, one for a touchdown, from the defensive end position. No one has missed Robert Ayers because of him.

Inside, Dan Williams could be a first round NFL Draft pick and has anchored a group that hasn't allowed a 100 yard rusher that didn't play in Gus Malzahn's crazy scheme or go against the backups last week. At linebacker, Rico McCoy is 7th in the SEC in tackles and has led the way for a group that's seen more injuries than any unit on the team, yet still performed well every week. LaMarcus Thompson and everyone that's played in the middle have been better than we thought they would be.

Eric Berry may not win the Heisman, but his move up towards the line of scrimmage has made him the SEC's leader in tackles for a defensive back. Berry still has two picks and two fumble recoveries, and his performance this season shouldn't hurt him on Draft Day, where NFL teams have now seen his ability to do it all.

But perhaps the best news in the defensive backfield is that everybody else has played well. Art Evans and Dennis Rogan, best known as a non-contributing wide receiver and a kick returner coming into this season, haven't allowed any breakdowns in the passing game. The Vols haven't been burned by the deep ball all season, the lone TD given up on a long pass coming as the result of a great catch by South Carolina's Moe Brown...and this too is a credit to freshman Janzen Jackson at free safety, who is often left alone back there but has held the line, and delivered his share of huge hits. This defense has produced four stars and an entire unit that rarely bends and never breaks.

Still Improving

The best news is, this team is still improving, and its players have seen enough frustration in the last year and a half to not think they've suddenly arrived at their fullest potential in only four weeks.

This staff has done a tremendous job developing players on both sides of the ball, and while our depth didn't look great against Memphis, when guys have had to step up and become first-teamers, they've done a good job.

And this team is an excellent study in how much things change. When spring practice began, if I told you the 2009 Vols would be without BJ Coleman, Lennon Creer, Brandon Warren, Austin Rogers, Josh McNeil, Demetrice Morley, the starting middle linebacker (because you wouldn't have been sold on Nick Reveiz yet), the backup middle linebacker, plus Vlad Richard and Quintin Hancock for several games...you get the idea.

From day one of spring ball and for the last nine months, these coaches have made these players better. And these players have performed at a higher level than we expected at almost every position. The Vols have become a dangerous offense, capable of hurting you with the run and the pass. And the Vols have always been a great defense, making sure points are a luxury for the offense.

Tennessee is playing well at every position group on offense and defense. The Vols have become one of the nation's hottest teams in the last four weeks, and having stood toe-to-toe with the best team in the country twice, are a team that is capable of beating anyone it faces on any given Saturday. And we got back to the last part of that sentence a lot faster than I thought we would.

When does Michael Palardy get here?

Why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee Fans Are Stupid (Among Other Reasons)

outsidethesidelines — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:25:10 -0000

ed. - We'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of our new friends from Vol Nation, especially PhillyVol and tommyut, who apparently can't read the time stamp of the article which clearly indicates this was posted October 28th, the Wednesday after the game. If there's anyone who hasn't moved on, it's your friend orangetaz for posting a link to a topic that's almost two weeks old.

Believe it or not, there's apparently a conspiracy theory afoot. I don't know if the ol' vaunted REC has finally gotten to the SEC officials or what, but either way Lane Kiffin is talking of "magical" flags appearing, and when SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told him to shut up, that just meant it was time for Ed Orgeron to run his mouth talking about the officials favoring the conference's best teams. And, of course, this all comes against a backdrop of countless Tennessee fans whining about the officiating Saturday.

It all sounds incredibly stupid to me, but even so I want to take a closer look at the penalties called against the Vols on Saturday and see exactly what happened. And to that end, with the help of flaco, we're going to do just that.

From the outset, it should be noted that Tennessee was flagged with eight penalties on Saturday afternoon. Four of those penalties, however, consisted of three false starts and one delay of game penalty. None of those penalties can be seriously questioned. They are all elementary calls that need no further explanation via film review. That alone takes half of the penalties off the board, and leaves us only four for consideration. Those four penalties are as follows:

Pass interference on a ball thrown to Julio Jones on a 3rd and 8
Illegal block on Javier Arenas' long punt return
Holding on Tennessee while the Vols were driving into Alabama territory
Roughing the punter immediately before Ingram's fumble

Let's take a closer look at all four of these penalties, beginning with the pass interference call on the pass to Julio Jones. Click the following clip for the play:

This penalty comes on a 3rd and 8 from the 'Bama 35-yard line, with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The penalty results in a 'Bama first down, and ultimately a Leigh Tiffin field goal.

Specifically, the flag is thrown on Dennis Rogan, and it's hard to complain too much about this call. Julio runs a hard slant inside, gets the proper positioning, but there is contact from Rogan the entire way. There is nothing overly egregious here, but again there is a good deal of contact beginning at the snap and continuing throughout the route, and the ball is clearly close enough to be considered catchable, so again it's hard to cite any real officiating error on this play. Any reasonable referee could have thrown a flag here, and this one did, after watching the route develop the entire way.

The next penalty comes via an illegal block early in the third quarter. Click the following clip for the play

Keep your eye on Denarius Moore in this clip. Javier Arenas has open field in front of him, and he is racing up the right sideline with two blockers -- Dre Kirkpatrick and Chris Rogers -- in front of him. With the way this play is set up, this one is going to be a huge return, plain and simple, and perhaps even a touchdown.

Moore, however, changes that by committing a textbook illegal block, i.e. a block below the waist. He clearly lunges for the lower legs of Dre Kirkpatrick, and the move clearly pays off. By doing so he takes both Kirkpatrick and Rogers out of the play, and forces Arenas to alter his route so that his Tennessee teammates can stop him a couple of yards further up field. Naturally, there is a referee watching all of about five yards away from the foul, and he immediately throws a flag. No conspiracies here, this is a textbook rule violation that any competent official would flag. Again, no one could rationally complain about this flag being thrown.

And in any event, two more points should be made here. One, this is actually a great play by Moore, and a classic example of where committing a penalty is actually beneficial to your team. Second, and finally, it should be pointed out that even if this were a blown call, it would have had no real impact on the game. Alabama went three-and-out in the following possession, and the ensuing P.J. Fitzgerald punt sailed out of the back of the endzone.

On to the third penalty...

This penalty is a holding penalty called on Tennessee center Cody Sullins for tackling Alabama defensive end Brandon Deaderick. And, once again, this is a clear violation. Deaderick is playing inside and gets great penetration into the Tennessee backfield, and upon seeing this Sullins grabs him by the shoulder pads and simply drags him to the ground. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the NCAA rule regarding offensive holding, it's clear this play qualifies as a penalty.

Now, to be sure, this was a costly penalty for the Vols. The run resulted in a one-yard gain, and it would have set up a 3rd and 7 for the Vols from the 'Bama 16-yard line. Instead, it created a 2nd and 18 from the 'Bama 27-yard line, and after two incomplete passes the Vols had a field goal attempt blocked by Terrence Cody. Nevertheless, the fact that it was costly doesn't make it a bad call. Far from it, it's as easy of a call as you can ever get for a referee. Offensive linemen cannot tackle defensive linemen. This is football, not Ultimate Fighting. Period.

On to the fourth penalty...

The final penalty for the Vols comes via roughing the punter. And once again, this one is in no way whatsoever a controversial call. Chris Donald comes in to try to block the punt, and clearly makes pretty hard contact with Alabama punter P.J. Fitzgerald. There is no grand acting job by Fitzgerald on this punt, or anything of the sort. He gets roughed up, and the flag gets thrown. Simple enough.

Furthermore, as was the case with the Vols' previous special teams penalty, it should be pointed out that even if this penalty was bogus, it nevertheless actually turned out well for the Vols. David Oku called for a fair catch of the 'Bama punt at the Tennessee 44-yard line, and when Mark Ingram fumbled on the following play, it resulted in Tennessee taking over at the 'Bama 43-yard line. In other words, oddly enough, this penalty actually gave the Vols an extra 13 yards of field position.

And those are the calls, all eight of them, plain and simple. No grand conspiracy theories here, no "magical" penalties, or anything of the sort. These were all easy calls that no one could really rationally dispute, and with that in mind that it should come as no great surprise that all of the puke orange complaints over the officiating have been general in nature, and not specific criticisms of the specific calls. Simply put, they don't have a leg to stand on.

Furthermore, all of this juvenile pissing and moaning completely overlooks the fact that Tennessee had several calls in this game go their way, and unjustifiably so. You can see that just by looking at the film of the last drive. Watch the following clip, and keep your eye close on the tight end who goes in motion:

This play comes with a mere 1:10 remaining in the game and Tennessee facing a 2nd and 10. Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker goes in motion, and is responsible for sealing off Alabama defensive end / linebacker Chavis Williams while Crompton rolls out to the right. But Williams is a quick player -- a linebacker by physical build -- and he shoots to the inside of Stocker, who is expecting Williams to move to the outside, and he gets into the backfield. So what does Stocker do? He grabs ahold of Williams jersey for dear life, clearly committing a holding penalty in the process. Without the holding, who knows? Maybe Williams gets the sack, but at the least he disrupts the throw and likely forces an incompletion, so the Vols would have been facing 3rd and 10 with about one minute remaining. Instead, the hold gives Crompton time, and he founds Gerald Jones for a 14-yard gain, giving the Vols' new life at the 'Bama 45-yard line.

With the penalty, it would give the Vols a 2nd and 20 at their own 31-yard line with only about 60 seconds left, a call that would completely alter the course of the game. But where is the penalty? Where is that "magical" penalty flag for such an obvious infraction? Where is that conspiracy? It's nowhere to be found, and instead the yellow yankie sits in the referees back pocket while the Vols get a freebie to march down field for a potential game-winning field goal attempt. Conspiracy, my ass.

Lane Kiffin may have gone conservative at the end, and he can blame it all he wants on fears of the officials screwing his team over. But such claims have no legitimate foundation, as we see here. At absolute most, he should have said that he went conservative at the end because he had no confidence in his players to not shoot themselves in the foot with boneheaded penalties. But of course Kiffin would rather run his mouth about everything but his own team, and if the truth gets in the way of that, then the truth be damned. Same thing goes for all of the Tennessee fans repeating his propaganda.

And that is why Lane Kiffin and Tennessee fans are stupid, among other reasons.

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide

Joel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:01:40 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee's Jacques McClendon (65) reacts after their 12-10 loss to Alabama in an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Best Whodunit, Howdidit, and Didtheyevendoit. The mysterious headphone malfunction that began right after the coin toss and lasted for exactly one possession.

Worst quad. Daniel Lincoln's, which Lincoln had aggravated in the pre-game. After hitting one field goal attempt of 24 yards, he missed one of 47 yards and had two blocked of 43 and 44, including the one that would have won the game.

Best drama. The series to conclude the game that began with Mark Ingram's fumble with 3:29 left as Alabama led 12-3 and was hoping to run out the clock, continued with Tennessee's two-minute offense getting the game's only touchdown to make it a two point game, and concluded with Tennessee's recovery of an onsides kick, it driving into field goal range, and Alabama's Terrence Cody blocking his second field goal of the game to win it for the Tide. Lane Kiffin said it would have been a "storybook ending." Which it was. For Alabama.

Best streak buster, I. Causing Mark Ingram, who hadn't fumbled the ball in his entire college career, to give the thing away and give the Vols one last gasp.

Best streak buster, II. Scoring a TD against the Tide, the only one that stingy defense has given up in three games (Tennessee, South Carolina, and Ole Miss, the latter two both ranked).

Worst matchup. Cory Sullins (6'1", 270) against Terrence Cody (6'5", 365). Cory and the Vols' offensive line mostly did fine against the monster, but Cody getting through the line to block two field goals was as huge as Cody himself and cemented Cody's position in 'Bama's legion of lore.

Best pancake. Several linemen, including Cory Sullins, getting Mt. Cody on his butt on a quick snap QB sneak.

Best ~~sack~~ hit. Eric Berry on Greg McElroy early in the game. Crunch Berry absolutely blew him up from the weak side.

Player of the Game, offense. Jonathan Crompton, who went 21-37 for 265 yards with one TD and one INT, all against Alabama's "QB-Killer Defense."

Best foot. Leigh Tiffin's, which hit four field goals, including one from 49 and one from 50, both of which barely cleared the crossbar.

Best play, defense. Either Dennis Rogan's or Eric Berry's strip of the ball from Mark Ingram and the subsequent victory in the dog pile to come out with the thing, too. Berry's credited with both, but wasn't it actually Rogan?

Best play, offense. Jonathan Crompton to Gerald Jones for the late TD to bring the score to within two points, although I'm kinda fond of Crompton to Luke Stocker to set up the last field goal attempt. That there was a purty throw and catch.

Best play, special teams. Tennessee's onsides kick, coached and executed brilliantly, with Rogan knocking Julio Jones out of the play so that the ball would bounce again and into the hands of Denarius Moore.

Player of the game, defense. Dennis Rogan, who had six tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, the great hit on the onsides kick, and, I think, the forced fumble and recovery. Nice game for that guy.

Best quote. Monte Kiffin, who said all of the following on Sunday's Lane Kiffin Show. (Yes, I have to use some all caps because that's the way the man talks.)

Well, it's about winning the game now. And when you win . . . OH, THAT'D BEEN HISTORY, HUH?

* * * *

We about had 'em. Oh, shoot.

* * * *

It's not about grandchildren, it's not about my son, I LOVE IT HERE. I DIDN'T COME HERE TO GET EXPERIENCE FOR THE NFL, I WAS THERE 25 YEARS.

* * * *

(Paraphrasing) I was confused and thought the first four games were preseason games and that the Florida game didn't count.

What'd I miss?

THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER IS BACK

Hooper — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee defensive back Janzen Jackson (15) stops Alabama's Marquis Maze (4) after a catch for a first down in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Considering the 15 point (or thereabouts) spread on this game in Las Vegas, not many people were expecting such an exciting game as was had in the 12 - 10 loss by the Tennessee Volunteers to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The grand story on the win was the three failed field goal attempts - one a short kick by Daniel Lincoln and two blocks by Terrence Cody - but hidden under that story is that this game was so evenly played by both teams.

Tennessee fans had reason to worry at the end of the first half. The score was only 9-3, but Alabama had held onto the ball for about 17 minutes of clock time and had already rung 43 plays on offense to Tennessee's 25. Alabama has made a living out of dragging teams through the mud in the first half and rolling over their wearied defenses in the second, and the trend was pointed squarely in that direction. But in the third quarter, Tennessee didn't lay down. Instead, Tennessee held the ball for 10:27 of the 15 total minutes in the third, buying their defense some rest and keeping Alabama off the scoreboard for the quarter to set up a monumental fourth quarter and game finish.

And the finish didn't disappoint.

It appeared as though Alabama would hide away with their fourth field goal of the night. With only a few minutes left, the Vols needed two scores to win, and nobody was scoring against the Alabama defense. Yet the league's most beleaguered quarterback, Jonathan Crompton, put together two fourth-quarter drives to make a final-second finish happen. The first came by way of a touchdown pass to Gerald Jones - the first TD scored against the Alabama defense in three games. The second came after a beautiful onsides kick where Dennis Rogan blocked out Julio Jones, allowing Tennessee to recover. After driving to field goal range again, only Tennessee's woes on special teams mattered in the game, as the third failed field goal in a row enabled a 2-point win for the Tide.

Right now, thoughts of couldashouldawoulda have to be circling through the heads of Vols fans like buzzards over carrion. With a two-point game differential, it's easy to point to the poor field goal play (which was not all Lincoln's fault) as the difference in the game. That was, for sure, as Tennessee outgained Alabama on offense (341 yards to 256 yards), outplayed them on offensive plays (72 plays to 59), outplayed them in turnovers (2 to 1 counting the onsides kick) while only conceding the penalty situation (8 UT penalties accepted to 1 on Alabama). But all those numbers point to only one thing: this game was close.

For years now, we've been pining for a time where both Tennessee and Alabama were relevant in the national conversation at the same time coming into this game, and it appears we may be on our way. Tennessee, earlier in the season, played close to Florida in the Swamp. Now they played on par with Alabama in Bryant-Denny. All signs point to Tennessee becoming a topic of conversation for a long time, right alongside Florida and Alabama. It may take another year yet, as attrition of the fifth-year seniors that have done so much for the team this year may set the team back a bit, but there's no reason to believe it won't happen.

A hearty congratulations goes out to the Tide, who played a tough, disciplined game from start to finish and made the special teams battle count. There is no moral victory for Tennessee tonight. This wasn't a case of playing closer than they should have; this was giving one away. To the #1 team in the country. On their turf.

We have ourselves a series, ladies and gents.

Finally.

Volunteers vs Crimson Tide coverage

Volunteers vs Crimson Tide recap

Volunteers vs Crimson Tide boxscore

And check here for the Tide's point of view.

Gerald Jones and receiving corps staying late, getting better

Joel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:15:30 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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Right after the Auburn loss, Gerald Jones went to see receivers coach Frank Wilson and asked him to be harder on Jones than on any other receiver. Fortunately, Wilson was hardest on Brandon Warren, who was dismissed, but to be fair, Jones didn't give Wilson much of a chance to criticize after that meeting.

Jones started staying late with Jonathan Crompton, leading the rest of the unit by example. Soon, Quintin Hancock was staying late as well, and then Marsalis Teague and Nu'Keese Richardson joined the after-hours practices.

It's apparently paying off, as the QBs and WRs were at a 90% completion rate at Wednesday's practice.

Talking Points: the Third Saturday in October arrives a week late

Joel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:13:42 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Your new No. 1. Public enemy, that is.

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GVX taps Montario Hardesty, Chris Walker, and Janzen Jackson as the Vols' mid-season MVPs. Hard to argue with that, but I think you'd have to include Berry over Jackson. His stats may not be the same as they have in the past, but Monte's using his best player in the best spot week-by-week, which has to account for much of the defense's success so far this season.
Wes Rucker notes that the plan to use Gerald Jones's shiftiness, Denarius Moore's speed, and Austin Rogers' experience was thwarted by injuries and that getting Jones and Moore (as well as Quintin Hancock) back up to speed was largely responsible for the success the offense enjoyed against Georgia.
With Alabama overtaking Florida as the nation's best team (according to the AP), Tennessee will have the honor of playing two No. 1 teams in the same season for the first time in its storied history. While the numbers show that Tennessee has made much progress over last season, the bye week called into question some of its earlier performances (duplicate link). In any event, this weekend's game against the Crimson Tide is shaping up to be much like the Florida game (success means being competitive) but without the pre-game End of the Earth meme.
3SiB gets Tennessee-Alabama week rolling with a primer on responding to Alabama's many lies, a video that speaks for itself, and a story that will surely be added to the Record of Wrongs later this week.
Coming up later today (and the rest of this week): a post in four parts on the history of the Tennessee-Alabama series that I originally wrote for the Maple Street Press 2008 Alabama annual. The first part goes up at 8:00 this morning.

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Joel — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:08:11 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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Best pre-game glad-handing. Lane Kiffin, schmoozing the officials just before kickoff. Yeah, we got some calls.

Best Jedi Mind Trick. Lane Kiffin, who, early in the game, spotted the ball for the official several yards beyond where it should have been spotted. The official accepted the assistance and gave the Vols a first down.

Best team effort. The defensive line, for a play during which Dan Williams pressured Joe Cox into a quick pass, Gerald Williams tipped such pass into the air, and Chris Walker pulled down the INT.

Best, most candid response. Lane Kiffin on his TV show, who said while watching Georgia's kickoff return for a touchdown, "I'm out of answers. There's Eric Berry. Nu'Keese, our fastest guy on the team. Our starting corner. I don't know. We'll figure something out." When asked about it later in the show by a write-in fan, Kiffin said he was taking suggestions. Hooper?

Best impersonation of a flying squirrel. Denarius Moore, who took a Jonathan Crompton pass, spun out of the reach of two would-be tacklers, raced down the sideline, launched into the air at the five yard line as he was hit by another defender, and deployed his patagium to glide through the air while stretching the football out with his right hand to touch the invisible corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

Most humorous comment. Lane Kiffin, again on his TV show, who said "My man the robot there," describing true freshman Zach Rogers's short-strided run after a catch for a nice gain. It's true. Rogers looked like he was doing the robot dance on fast forward.

Best block. Kevin Cooper on Montario Hardesty's 39-yard touchdown run. Cooper was through the hole already when he realized the strongside linebacker was threatening to catch Hardesty from behind, so Cooper peeled off and chipped the defender giving Hardesty just enough room to get through the hole and into the open.

Best We've Been Waiting for That. Gerald Jones, who had gotten behind the safeties on a wonderful double move the team had been setting up the entire game, and who hauled in a well thrown deep ball from Crompton for a 51-yard touchdown.

Best icing on the WIN cake. Seeing Josh McNeil, who ignored the knees telling him he will never play football again, on the field late in the game and mixing it up with a defender.

Best stat. Georgia's offense never made it past the Tennessee 34-yard line and managed a mere three points on a 52-yard field goal.

Best dress rehearsal. Eric Berry, who raced 46 yards after grabbing an air-borne fumble caused by Art Evans's jarring hit on a receiver. For a fleeting minute, everyone thought that it had been an interception, which would have given Berry the college football record for interception return yards.

Most concise. Lane Kiffin, who, when asked about the post-game Gatorade bath (his first, by the way), said simply, "Cold."

Top 5 plays (according to the Lane Kiffin Show):

5. Crompton to Marsalis Teague for a five-yard touchdown. Crompton said Teague was his third read, by the way.

4. Moore's flying squirrel TD. Moore said he was the second read.

3. The Williams, Williams, and Walker team effort interception mentioned above. Walker called Gerald Williams "Teasy" on the TV show, and I've no idea why. Anyone?

2. Hardesty's 39-yard TD. Call this "Team effort, offense," as Hardesty said it was an outside zone, but Cooper "made a great read," cut it back, and Hardesty simply followed.

1. Crompton to Jones 51-yard TD.

Best continuation of the chimera theme. The Lane Kiffin show is now half Lane Kiffin and half one of the Chimera heads. It's a different guy each week (James Cregg was the lucky guy yesterday). Consider that new format another nice move by Kiffin, getting each of his guys some face time and public appearance practice reps for their resumes.

Player of the game, offense. Crompton, who went 20-27 for 310 yards, four TDs, and one interception. Good for him. Seriously.

Player of the game, defense. This is a close one, actually, as the defense was fantastic all day, and it was a true team effort. Rico McCoy had nine tackles, a pass breakup, and a QBH, Savion Frazier had seven tackles and a TFL, and Dennis Rogan had six tackles, a TFL, and an interception, but Eric Berry, who only had five tackles, also had that terrific 46-yard fumble return and two pass breakups, so I'm going with him.

Lane Kiffin gets the first notch in his belt

Will — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

"Alright, I'm going to pretend like I was expecting this from you all along, okay? Just go with it."

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In our Rocky Top Tennessee preseason annual, Josh McNeil said "Football is not fun if you lose. Period." It's a sentiment we can all relate to, especially in the last two years. And especially for McNeil, who added injury to insult in fall camp, probably lost millions of NFL dollars along the way and worst of all, appeared to have lost the ability to play football at all.

That's the same Josh McNeil we saw on the field in the waning moments today, with his hands on the football once more and, presumably, a smile on his face. For more than one reason. Because as little fun as we had all of last season, today was a welcome reminder that when you win - and you win like this - football is fun. Really, really fun.

The fact that we had the luxury of getting McNeil on the field at all is a good place to start. Because I always enjoy the games where you can't decide what you're most excited about:

The first big win for Lane Kiffin

Last year, the Vols suffered the most frustrating competitive loss in recent memory against Auburn, and were more or less noncompetitive in the rest of the big SEC games, losing by 20+ to Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. Plus, the Vols gave up 458 yards to Georgia and ran for one total yard themselves in a 26-14 loss.

This year, it's been competitive, but up until today that was all. We were close against Florida. Close against UCLA. We made it close at the end against Auburn. There was reason for hope.

But we needed more than hope. This program hadn't won a big game in two years, and Lane Kiffin needed a reason to be believed besides his work behind a microphone and in the living room on the recruiting trail.

The Clawfense was our hope once. But when it never became tangible, the players never had a reason to fully buy in, and that hope eventually collapsed and took everyone down with it. Phillip Fulmer's inability to keep the snowball from rolling downhill by winning a big game was the final nail in his coffin last season.

Kiffin was next in line to give us hope. But unlike last season, today he and the Vols got a return on that investment. A big one.

Any win would've been huge today. But the how of it all, in a 45-19 game that could've/should've been 45-3 if you remove special teams from the equation, gives Kiffin his big first win, and gives him something to hang his hat on. Now we've seen it, now we know for sure that this can work - players, fans, everyone. That's not to say that Kiffin is going to have success here forever, but when you win like that in your first year against one of your biggest rivals, you earn a whole lot of trust. Tennessee needed to win one of these big SEC games in the worst way. And turns out, we won in the very best way.

Georgia got 458 yards of offense last year. This year they got 241. Tennessee had 1 rushing yard last year. This year we got 162. And if you liked the running game...

Willie Martinez overtakes Jonathan Crompton for the "Most Likely to be Hated by His Own Fanbase" Award

At halftime, I told my friend next to me in Z11 that I didn't want to see Crompton's numbers. There was a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel about it - "Shut your eyes! Don't look at it!" - because what #8 did in the first half was so totally unnatural, I feared that seeing 12 of 15 for 205 yards and 3 TDs and then having my brain try to comprehend it might, in fact, make my face melt off.

Then in the second half, when the dreaded tipped ball pick six reared its ugly head and Georgia was right in the middle of one of those games it seems like that team always wins - statistically overmatched, but in it thanks to special teams and defensive touchdowns - Crompton went right back to work.

Let's take nothing away from him. That offensive performance was stunning, and he deserves every ounce of credit for his role in it. So do the receivers for catching almost everything - eight different Vols caught passes, and Gerald Jones gave us the type of go-to performance we've been waiting for with 105 yards and 2 TDs.

So does Montario Hardesty, for giving every defense a reason to be vulnerable to play action, and for continuing to be the best running back in the SEC.

Having said all of that...Georgia's defense? Yikes.

It's the biggest difference between on-paper and on-field I can remember in a long time. You looked at the names in August - Prince Miller, Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Reshad Jones - and figured they'd carry the slack for Joe Cox and the offense. You look at the numbers here in the second weekend of October, and see a defense that's given up 37+ points three times, 400+ yards three times, and made Jon Crompton and Stephen Garcia look like Peyton Manning and (insert good South Carolina quarterback here - Steve Tanneyhill does not count).

T Kyle King was on our podcast last week and said that Georgia's special teams should've taken some of the heat off Martinez after the LSU game. After the Tennessee game, whoever's responsible for special teams needs a raise...unless it's Martinez.

This leads to a larger point:

Georgia reminds me of Tennessee in the last few years of the Fulmer Era

They run a consistent offense that isn't "sexy" and, when it features Joe Cox instead of Matthew Stafford, isn't that consistent. They got a great young coach who brought them more success than they had seen in decades, but who has struggled to maintain that level of success on a consistent basis, and who is fiercely loyal to his assistants, for better or worse. Meanwhile, just as Fulmer watched the SEC go from a two-team race to everyone for themselves, Richt found his early success when Ron Zook was at Florida and the door was revolving in Tuscaloosa. Now the Tide and Gators are a step ahead of everyone else, LSU is still right behind them, and Georgia just got embarrassed by the new kid on the block. And the Dawgs will see the other new kid come November, and Gene Chizik certainly appeared to have Auburn moving in the right direction until Saturday.

And in this little game, Willie Martinez will be playing the role of Randy Sanders.

Between my total shock at Crompton's performance and the small but shared recognition I feel with Georgia fans, I didn't even fully enjoy their suffering in Neyland Stadim today. I still hope they enjoyed the long sad drive back down I-7-5, but you know.

Because we've been there. We've been Georgia. As a friend of mine said in the postgame, we've forded that river and lost two oxen.

I like it much better this way.

Georgia's offense never crossed the Tennessee 30 yard line

...no commentary necessary.

Staying Relevant

In a world where Florida has beaten you five years in a row and won two National Championships in the process, Alabama is back to being Alabama and LSU is also ahead of you, it was absolutely critical for Lane Kiffin to keep Tennessee from slipping any further in the SEC hierarchy.

Beating Georgia was, is, and always will be key for recruiting. By the way, what are the odds Coach O picked up the phone and called Marlon's Granny after the game today?

But it also pays off in the short term: being just the fifth best team in the SEC is still good enough to get you to January 1, and after that performance the conversations about bowl games move from if to where.

And even if I'm too busy feeling Georgia's pain to fully appreciate it the way I'd like to today, it should be noted and remembered that three of the last four years, the Vols have beaten the Dawgs 51-33, 35-14, and 45-19.

So now the bye week comes at the perfect time, as the Vols will carry some spring in their step to Tuscaloosa to face a tremendous challenge. And they'll face it not as a 2-4 team still looking for answers and their first big win, but a 3-3 team that isn't just hoping anymore...now we've seen it. Now we know.