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Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech: Chick-Fil-A Bowl Opening Thoughts

Will — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Don Petersen - AP

Dear Hokies: if you promise not to wear these, or those ridiculous all-white Nike uniforms, we promise not to wear black.

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Note: We'll have furrer4heisman from Gobbler Country on our podcast tonight, 9:00 PM EST

I moved from East Tennessee to Southwest Virginia in June 2006, 75 miles west of Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is to this area what Tennessee is back home: with no professional teams around and no other local collegiate competition, the Hokies dominate the landscape and the conversation every day. Maroon is the color of choice even an hour away, and I've come to appreciate and respect their passion, because it's very familiar.

As such, my excitement for this matchup is off the charts. This is a huge opportunity for Tennessee to end the season on its highest note, and for Lane Kiffin to get the biggest win of his young career. This is a very big football game, and based on the flow of this season, Vol fans should be more excited about this bowl game than, really, any other since the National Championship. We've played in more prestigious bowls than the Chick-Fil-A in the last eleven years, but end of season losses have tended to put a damper on those environments. But now, with the reset button having already been pressed on our expectations in Kiffin's first year, the 7-5 Vols are exactly where they should be, in a season we can feel good about, against a Top 15 opponent. This is one to be very excited about.

And know this: Tennessee fans may not care about Virginia Tech. But the majority of Hokie Nation does not like Tennessee. This is a big deal to the Hokies. It needs to be a big deal to the Vols.

I'm not an expert on Virginia Tech - just someone who's been paying more attention to them than the average Tennessee fan for the last four years. I usually make it out to VT's Thursday night home games, and went to the VT-Miami game in September this year. So as we officially begin the countdown to New Year's Eve, here are a few (okay, several) thoughts on the Vols-Hokies matchup...

People who are overly worried about Tyrod Taylor probably haven't seen Virginia Tech play

Tyrod is one of those guys with name recognition value among most college football fans. But through three seasons, his street cred is better than the actual on-field result. Virginia Tech, true to form, isn't looking to pass first - Taylor averages only 175 yards passing per contest. Take a look at Taylor's passing numbers against bowl teams this season:

Alabama: 9 of 20, 91 yards
Nebraska: 12 of 27, 192 yards, 1 TD
Miami: 4 of 9, 98 yards, 1 TD
Boston College: 7 of 10, 126 yards, 2 TDs
Georgia Tech: 10 of 14, 159 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
North Carolina: 11 of 23, 161 yards
East Carolina: 17 of 30, 137 yards

For the season, Taylor completes only 55% of his passes. It's an offense that's designed to minimize risk - Taylor has thrown only four picks this season - but also designed to take advantages of defenses that load up to stop the run at key times.

And in stopping the run, again, it's not Taylor that causes problems there necessarily - Tyrod runs for only 28.6 yards per game. And while Taylor's decision making has improved greatly from last season in terms of interceptions, he still made plenty of questionable decisions in terms of run/pass situations: the Hokies allowed 30 sacks this season, 90th in the nation.

All of us who saw what Dexter McCluster and/or Auburn did to Monte Kiffin's defense are automatically on guard anytime we play a team that runs some gimmicky stuff. And yeah, Virginia Tech is going to run out of some pistol and shotgun sets, as well as maybe a few Wild Turkey looks. VT's rushing attack is 16th nationally at over 200 yards per game. And the Hokies have tight ends and wide receivers that know how to block. But the reason for the offense's success isn't about Tyrod Taylor.

People who aren't overly worried about Ryan Williams definitely haven't seen Virginia Tech play

It's not gimmicky, it's not trickeration, and it hasn't happened because teams were too worried about stopping Tyrod Taylor: Ryan Williams might be the best running back Tennessee has faced all season.

I know about Mark Ingram, and I remember what McCluster did to us (which isn't to suggest that Williams is going to run for 250 yards against us...I hope). But Ryan Williams has better numbers than both of them.

The redshirt freshman (that's right) ran for 1,538 yards and 19 touchdowns this season - his 128 yards per game make him fifth in the nation in rushing. And he's first in the nation in highlight reel runs. Don't believe me? Here's a fantastic look at every big play he's made this season from hokiehivpi:

I challenge you to find ten minutes worth of material from any other running back in the nation with a better wow factor.

You know who Ryan Williams reminds me of? Montario Hardesty. They're both explosive, hard runners with a knack for when to make the right move, both have incredible balance...Hardesty hasn't fumbled all year, and Williams has only one - a costly one against UNC - that I can remember.

Virginia Tech grows these guys on trees: Williams follows in the footsteps of Lee Suggs, Kevin Jones, Branden Ore and Darren Evans, and like Evans before him, wasn't supposed to be the feature back this season. But when Evans tore an ACL in preseason, Williams immediately stepped in and became a huge difference maker, and ultimately was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. Sidenote: both of these guys in the backfield together next year? Look out.

Stopping Ryan Williams straight up is enough of a challenge. It's in reintroducing the stuff that changes up a defense that it becomes even more complicated. Make no mistake: containing Williams is the first and most important key to victory.

The tight end has disappeared from Virginia Tech's passing game

Last year, Greg Boone caught 22 passes and was thought to be an emerging threat in VT's limited passing game. But this year, Boone has only 7 receptions, as Tyrod Taylor has almost exclusively gotten the ball to his three leading receivers (Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale, Dyrell Roberts) and Ryan Williams. Boone and the other tight ends have combined for only 12 catches on the season.

Given Tech's offense, it's going to be highly improbable that Eric Berry gets the interception he needs to break the record, unfortunately. But it's going to be highly probable that Berry is up at the line of scrimmage, one last time, helping slow down Tech's run game. Getting lined up right and knowing assignments, as always, will be critical. But it won't be the pass or the other skill players that beat Tennessee - again, it starts and ends with Williams.

Virginia Tech's defense does what it does

For a primer, check out the progression of VT's defense from Chris Brown at Smart Football, written during the offseason. Bud Foster's name will once again get thrown around with various openings around the country...but Foster loves Blacksburg, there's a restaurant that bears his name in town, and I'm not sure he's going anywhere. Tech's numbers again this year are very good: 11th nationally in scoring defense (15.8 ppg allowed), 14th in total defense (300.1 ypg allowed). In their four game win streak to close the season, the Hokies gave up 3, 9, 10, and 13 points. The opposition may not have been the greatest (ECU, Maryland, NC State, Virginia), but that's still impressive, and none of those teams got 300 yards of total offense.

There has been separation in Tech's ability to stop the run (52nd nationally, 138 ypg allowed) and the pass (5th nationally, 161 ypg allowed). Tech's secondary has more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes allowed (8) this season - you'll want to watch out for Rashad Carmichael back there, and Jason Worilds up front in the pass rush. But the teams that beat VT got it done on the ground: 268 rushing yards for Alabama, 309 from Georgia Tech, 181 from North Carolina.

The other common thread in VT losses: containing Williams. Alabama and UNC held him under 100 yards, and even though Georgia Tech didn't come close - 100 yards on only 14 carries - it's the second part of that equation that made the difference: GT built a lead that made Tech go away from its game plan somewhat in the fourth quarter, in part because they ate time of possession alive in that game at +17 minutes. If the Vols can't stop him, our offense needs to grind it out with our own talented tailback. Throwing excessively against VT this year has been more risk than reward.

The over/under on blocked kicks in this game is 1.5

Or at least it should be.

There's no bigger nightmare scenario than Tennessee's special teams, minus the recently departed Eddie Gran, against BeamerBall. The Vols have allowed two kickoffs to be returned for touchdowns, missed an extra point, and had four field goals and a punt blocked this season. Perhaps Daniel Lincoln - who missed two crucial kicks in the Georgia Dome, the horrors of which we'll discuss more fully some other day, in the 2007 SEC Championship Game - will be healthy enough to retake the job from late season walk on Devin Mathis. Lincoln has made big kicks before, but his altitude on the ball is begging for the Hokies to feast on him.

Tech's blocked kicks are always game changers, and Tennessee can't afford to give VT any help or short fields in this matchup. Everyone will look at this aspect and point to it as a key - and everyone will be right.

Don't put too much emphasis on the Virginia Tech-Alabama game

Simply because that was 14 weeks ago. Despite the fact that Alabama put a balanced 498 yards on the vaunted lunchpail defense, and VT picked up only 155 yards of offense (this, by the way, was a Virginia Tech offensive performance to a T: look horrific statistically, and still have a chance to win against a great team in the fourth quarter), Virginia Tech is a different - and better - football team now than they were then. We can both bask in the faded glow of almost beating the eventual National Champions and trade war stories...but I wouldn't look at that game and pull any real expectations from it.

That said...

Virginia Tech has not played well recently against the SEC

Last four meetings:

2004 Auburn: 16-13 L, Sugar Bowl
2006 Georgia: 31-24 L, Chick-Fil-A Bowl
2007 LSU: 48-7 L, Baton Rouge
2009 Alabama: 34-24 L, Atlanta

Granted, three of those four teams either had undefeated seasons or won the National Championship. But it's also worth nothing that the last time Tennessee and Virginia Tech met, the Vols blasted the Hokies 45-23 in the 1994 Gator Bowl.

The SEC is the best conference in college football, everybody knows it, and nobody knows it more than we do. Georgia and South Carolina - two teams the Vols beat by three possessions - just got done taking care of the ACC's two best teams. This is a statement game for not only Tennessee and Virginia Tech, but the ACC.

This game should be a good one.

The Montario Hardesty vs. Ryan Williams matchup alone is worth the price of admission. Bud Foster and Monte Kiffin are two of the very best at what they do. Will Jonathan Crompton or Tyrod Taylor make a decision that costs their team the victory, or make a play that wins it? Will Eric Berry have a shot at the record one more time?

Two teams, 220 miles apart, and what feels like a rivalry just waiting to happen. Whether it's another 15 years before we meet again or not, this game is huge for both teams. For Virginia Tech, it's ACC validation, 10 wins and a statement victory. For Tennessee, it's the biggest win of Kiffin's first year. The final game of 2009 could turn out to be one of its best.

Alabama & Florida Common Opponents: Tennessee

Year2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:24:12 -0000

As a part of SEC Championship Game week, we're taking a look at Alabama's and Florida's common opponents in alphabetical order. In closing: Tennessee.

	Alabama	Florida
Game Number	8	3
Score	12-10	23-13
Passing Yards	120	115
Rushing Yards	136	208
Total Yards	256	323
Passing All.	265	93
Rushing All.	76	117
Total Defense	341	210
3rd Downs	5-14	8-13
3rd Down Def.	6-15	5-12
Turnover Margin	Even	Even

Alabama lined up against Tennessee as probably a tired team, as it was the Tide's eighth consecutive game and came the week before Bama's bye. It was a day for those who love kickers, as the teams combined for eight field goal attempts. Leigh Tiffin made all of his while Daniel Lincoln started just one of three, allowing Bama to build a safe-looking 12-3 lead. The Tide looked like it was simply going to run the clock out when the unthinkable happened: Mark Ingram fumbled, setting up the Vols 43 yards from pay dirt. Jonathan Crompton went 4 for 4 for 42 yards on the ensuring drive that pulled UT within 2. After recovering the onside kick, Tennessee played for a field goal but the try was blocked by Terrence Cody.

Florida faced off against Tennessee after winning two easy blowouts over Charleston Southern and Troy, but strangely not healthy for that early in the season. Deonte Thompson missed the game with a bad hamstring, while Jeff Demps and Aaron Hernandez were slowed by a flu-like bug that was beginning to sweep through the team. As a result, Urban Meyer put all the offensive burden on Tim Tebow, who passed or ran on 43 of Florida's 63 plays. UF was cruising up 23-6 when Tebow fumbled in the shadow of Tennessee's goal line. UT turned that into points, but an Ahmad Black interception with about two minutes to go sealed Florida's win.

I called the Alabama-Tennessee game boring at the time, and received a bit of flak for it. True, I don't appreciate defensive struggles as much as some folks do. In any event, this would have been a much different game had Lincoln made his field goals throughout. Cody actually blocked the final two of Lincoln's four attempts, and he didn't even leave the ground on the last one. That's a sure sign of a guy kicking it too low. Anyway, Tennessee wouldn't have had the chance to win it at the end without the first fumble of Ingram's career. Nick Saban said it best: "You're controlling a game, even though you may say it's winning ugly. We're still ahead 12-3 and totally controlling the game with 3 minutes, 29 seconds and the ball. That's how fragile a season can be."

Florida's game with Tennessee looked like it was going the way of the 2008 game. Tebow was about ready to put the Gators up 31-6 at the time of his fumble, a shade off of last year's 30-6 final score. Tennessee, and especially Crompton, was clearly not comfortable yet in its new offense, opting to go for a low risk, game-shortening strategy of heavy running. Florida's defense was ready for it, allowing just one drive of more than 50 yards and only three points that didn't come off of turnovers. We didn't know it at the time, but this game revealed what would become Meyer's strategy all season long: get a lead, play it conservative, and let the defense win games. It's worked out well so far.

Hard as it is to deny a moment that will forever be remembered in Daniel Moore's brush strokes, Florida had the better game against Tennessee. Bama was outgained by nearly 100 yards and needed heroics at the end to pull out the win. Florida allowed some points late that ultimately were cosmetic, making the score look better for the Vols, but the Gators outgained UT by more than 110 yards. Florida-Tennessee might have played out differently later in the season once the Lane Kiffin offense was fully operational and Crompton had regained his confidence. On the third week of the season, it was not to be for the Knoxville contingent.

Better performance: Florida.

See also: Arkansas, FIU, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina.

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

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

More photos » by John Amis - AP

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

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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!

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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.

Volunteers fall 42-17 to Dexter McCluster and emotional fatigue

Joel — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:15:27 -0000

FULL SCREEN VERSION

The gray cloud hovering over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville this week followed the team bus to Oxford yesterday, where UT fell 42-17 to the Ole Miss Rebels. Having three heralded freshmen arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery on Thursday gave way to a complete and utter inability to stop Dexter McCluster or the Rebels' defensive line on Saturday. Just to top off the week, the game ended with the emergency training staff strapping LaMarcus Thompson to a backboard and carting him off the field.

The most bizarre thing was that Monte Kiffin's defense was almost entirely M.I.A. from the time we kicked the ball off out of bounds to the time the clock mercifully hit all zeros. Ole Miss stormed out of the gate, using only four plays to go 60 yards on its first drive, the last fifteen of which belonged to McCluster.

After a couple of ineffective drives for each team, it looked like Tennessee might have shaken off the emotional fog when it tied the game on a 16-yard pass from Jonathan Crompton to tight end Jeff Cottam.

But McCluster would have none of that, rushing for 44 yards on three of seven plays and another touchdown on the Rebels' next drive. The Vols again tied the game on the next series, though, courtesy of a Crompton to Denarius Moore 25-yard TD, and it began to feel like Tennessee might be able to pull it out if only it could get ahead.

But McCluster would have none of that, either, and on the Rebs' next drive, he carried the ball four times out of eight plays for 61 yards and yet another TD. At that point, it was essentially over. Tennessee came out strong to begin the second half, but managed only a Daniel Lincoln field goal on its first drive. We got an interception at midfield on Ole Miss's next drive, but promptly turned it over on downs, and our next three drives ended with a punt, another blocked field goal attempt (!), and another failed attempt at a fourth down conversion.

Meanwhile, McCluster and Ole Miss weren't even close to finished, scoring four more touchdowns in the second half, including a spectacular 71-yard scramble by McCluster for his fourth score. He finished the game with 282 yards rushing, 42 yards receiving (324 total), four touchdowns, and the starring role in Vol fans' nightmares for years to come. He was responsible for 57% of Ole Miss's points, 66% of their yards, and 90% of the Vols' frustration. In contrast, the Vols finished the week down three highly-touted freshmen, yet another linebacker, and yet another game.

Not to take anything away from Ole Miss, but yesterday afternoon, it was clear that the 2009 Vols had reached the bottom of their emotional reservoir. Not once this season had the Vols been out of the game with time left on the clock despite the well-established fact that this is a rebuilding year for Lane Kiffin and the Tennessee program. Not when Jonathan Crompton seemed like he was hell-bent on repeating the miserable high-conflict drama of the first act of his career rather than moving through the second on the way to the satisfying resolution of the third. Not when Nick Reveiz went out for the season, or when his replacement Savion Frazier went out for the season. Or when Frazier learned that he'd have to have medical tests before each game to determine whether his platelets would allow him to play on any given day. The coaching staff took a usually-overmatched team and got them through all of that just fine, thank you very much, largely due to heaping portions of boot-strapped energy, enthusiasm, and emotion, most all of which seemed to be missing on Saturday.

But the first of the cracks began to show a week or two ago, when Nu'Keese Richardson decided to skip a practice. A week later, Kiffin suspended Janzen Jackson for a game due to a "violation of team rules," which some have reported was a failed drug test. Then, the whole thing just shattered this past Thursday morning when Richardson, Jackson, and Mike Edwards were arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery. The collective team psyche just couldn't recover in time to play a strong game against a strong opponent with an exceptional athlete and an outstanding defensive line. Not piled on top of everything else we'd been through this season. Not when we were already overmatched.

Can Kiffin and the team recover and finish the season strong? Is there a way to fill up the tank for two or three more games? Yes, I think so. We have reason to believe that Kiffin can rally the troops if he has more than just two days to do it. He's demonstrated an ability throughout the season to do just that.

But it's late in the season, and perhaps there are no more buttons left to push. Perhaps there's only so much you can ask of a team during a rebuilding year, and perhaps that's why Nick Saban stumbled down the stretch of his first season with the Crimson Tide. Maybe it's just the way of things during a turnaround.

We won't know, of course, until next week against Vanderbilt and the week after against Kentucky. But if the team does in fact finish strong, it's going to have to do it on fumes.

Ole Miss 42 Tennessee 17 - A Helpless Feeling

Will — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:20:34 -0000

by RYAN MOORE - AP

There he goes again.

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The last two weeks, when faced with potential emotional letdowns, Lane Kiffin pushed all the right buttons. Heartbroken after the Alabama loss? Black jerseys provided a lift, and the Vols started fast in a 31-13 win over South Carolina. Worried about not taking Memphis seriously? Kiffin opens competition at half a dozen positions, and the Vols bury the Tigers 42-7 in the first half.

Today, in what was already an emotionally-charged situation with Ed Orgeron returning to his old 'cruitin grounds, the Vols were thrown another curveball with the arrests of three freshmen on Thursday morning. And this time, there were no more buttons to push: whatever Tennessee's emotional state, playing against Dexter McCluster without your starting free safety and with your third string middle linebacker is clearly a recipe for disaster.

No buttons to push, and no answers for McCluster led to a 42-17 Rebel victory over the once-hot Vols, who leave Oxford at 5-5, wounded but still with a chance to improve and get bowl eligible. The Rebels, meanwhile, revive their season and will go into next week's showdown against LSU with a world of momentum.

You got the sense from the opening kickoff, which went out of bounds - and we'll get to special teams in a moment - that Tennessee just wasn't right. And it didn't take McCluster long to prove it.

The Rebels went 60 yards in only 4 plays off the out of bounds kickoff, with McCluster ending it on a 15 yard touchdown run. The Vols were equal to the task early, matching Ole Miss's first two scores with scores of their own, as Jonathan Crompton hit Jeff Cottam and Denarius Moore for touchdowns. But as the game wore on, the Vols couldn't find consistentcy on offense, and McCluster was consistently great.

While Tennessee struggled to a 275 yard, 4-of-13 on third down offensive performance, Ole Miss ripped Monte Kiffin's defense for 492 yards, 359 of which came on the ground, and 324 total by way of McCluster. The senior - which is the best word in this sentence - set school records for rushing yards (282) and total yards (324), and averaged an insane 11 yards per touch. No one on the defense had an answer: even Eric Berry couldn't get him on the ground by himself, while Rico McCoy - the lone remaining healthy starting linebacker - played his worst game of the season by far. When you're shorthanded and distracted already against a player like McCluster and your best players don't play their best, you lose.

The Vols had their chances at times, especially at the end of the first half and the start of the second, when Ole Miss shanked a field goal, the Vols kicked one of their own, and then Wes Brown scored an interception on the one truly well defended play of the afternoon. Down 21-17, Tennessee had a chance to take the lead...but Jonathan Crompton (20 of 37 for only 176 yards, 2 TDs and not responsible for stopping McCluster) threw behind Denarius Moore on 4th down, and the Rebels were done giving Tennessee opportunities.

The rest of the game felt like a flashback to both times the Vols played Nebraska in bowl games following the 1997 and 1999 seasons: you knew what was coming, and you knew we wouldn't stop it. McCluster's success allowed Jevan Snead to hide for most of the day with a 13 of 20, 133 yard performance. Tennessee's defense has been statistically very good all season, but the two SEC opponents they've faced that spread the defense out have crossed them up all day long: Ole Miss had 492 yards today, and Auburn had 459 yards, both Tennessee losses. And while we won't see Gus Malzahn again for quite some time, Ole Miss comes to Knoxville 52 weeks from today...sans-McCluster, but still. The defense has to improve against teams that run offensive systems like this.

The reality is, this team is still young and still improving, and also still learning. The Vols are 5-5 and still have a chance to improve on last year, and a trip to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl is still very much on the table, which I think would be a very big deal for this team. There is still a lot to be happy about with this team.

That said, our special teams play is indefensible.

Daniel Lincoln returned and made a 27 yarder, but apparently anything we try over 40 yards is going to get blocked. Tennessee has now surrendered 4 blocked field goals, 1 blocked punt, 1 missed extra point, and 2 kickoffs returned for touchdowns this season. This is unacceptable, regardless of how many years Lane Kiffin has been here. This isn't why the Vols lost, but is a glaring, glaring hole in our football team; if the Vols are down 2 to Vanderbilt next week on the final drive, how confident is our kicker and our entire team in our ability to make a field goal of any real length to win?

On the whole, you tip your hat to Dexter McCluster and wish him well in his future endeavors, and we turn our attention to Vanderbilt. We'll apparently do so without yet another linebacker, as LaMarcus Thompson went down on the Rebels' final drive with a head or neck injury, where we don't really know any details except that he was in a lot of pain. And in terms of button pushing, the Vols' four previous losses were by 4, 10, 4 and 2, two of those games to the #1 team in the country. This is Kiffin's first taste of getting blown out in Knoxville...how will he respond? How will this team respond?

The answers come next week, with a solid finish and a trip to a solid bowl still on the table. For now, congrats to the Rebels, and we look forward to seeing McCluster again only in our nightmares.

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.

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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?

Jonathan Crompton and other Volunteers slowly climbing national rankings

Joel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:31:01 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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Tennessee is trending upward, appearing to have successfully navigated the meat of the Kiffin Chimera's learning curve. Despite a pretty big hole they dug for themselves early on, several Volunteers are slowly climbing the national rankings in several major statistical categories. Have a look:

Offense

Jonathan Crompton, tied for 11th in "points responsible for" (1st in the SEC, and behind the likes of Houston's Case Keenum, Boise State's Kellen Moore, BYU's Max Hall, and several players from lower-tier teams)
Montario Hardesty, 25th in rushing yards per game (4th in the SEC)
Crompton 35th in passing efficiency (over Joe Cox, Matt Barkley, Greg McElroy, Terrelle Pryor, Stephen Garcia, and Jevan Snead, among others)
Crompton, 40th in total passing yards (above Joe Cox, Jevan Snead, Matt Barkley, Greg McElroy, Terrelle Pryor, and Tim Tebow, among others)
Jonathan Crompton: 44th in passing (above Ryan Mallett, Joe Cox, Matt Barkley, Greg McElroy, Jevan Snead, Jordan Jefferson, Chris Todd, Tim Tebow, and Terrelle Pryor, among other notables)
Crompton, 44th in passing yards per game (above Joe Cox, Jevan Snead, Chris Todd, Greg McElroy, Jordan Jefferson, Tim Tebow, and Terrelle Pryor, among others)
Montario Hardesty, 56th in all-purpose running

Note that we have no receivers ranked nationally in receptions per game, receiving yards per game, or total receiving yards, which must mean that Crompton is spreading the ball around and the driving force in the passing game.

Defense

Rico McCoy, tied for 7th in forced fumbles
Eric Berry, 9th in fumbles recovered
Dennis Rogan, 25th in fumbles recovered (duplicate link)
Chris Walker, 41st in sacks
McCoy, 52nd in solo tackles
McCoy, 58th in total tackles
Berry, 63rd in passes defended
Walker, 98th in interceptions

Special Teams

Daniel Lincoln, 49th in field goals
David Oku, 50th in kickoff returns
Chad Cunningham, 52nd in punting
Nu'Keese Richardson, 85th in kickoff returns (duplicate link)

Post-game awards: Tennessee Volunteers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks

Joel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:03:23 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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Best trick. Warming up in all orange and then making the switcheroo right before racing out of the tunnel in black jerseys and orange pants.

Best hit, I. Janzen Jackson, "capping off" on Gamecock tight end Justice Cunningham, knocking the ball loose and treating the guy to an in-air somersault to boot.

Best hustle. Either Dan Williams (official credit) or Ben Martin (Lane Kiffin's credit), who recovered the first fumble nearly fifteen yards downfield from where they started the play.

Best call. Tennessee's second play on offense, a 38-yard Jonathan Crompton to Austin Johnson touchdown pass down the middle. According to Kiffin, most defenses take that play away, but they knew from film study that it would work against South Carolina.

Best rinse and repeat. Two plays after Tennessee had turned a forced fumble into seven points, Rico McCoy forced another fumble, Wes Brown recovered it, and the offense turned it into another touchdown.

Best move. Montario Hardesty on his first touchdown, juking right and making the defensive back utterly whiff on one of the prettiest spin moves I have ever seen on his way to the end zone and six points. Call it The Move.

Longest run. Bryce Brown's 37-yarder in the first quarter, during which he negotiated dense traffic in the middle before breaking outside.

Worst streak. Tennessee's first field goal attempt, which was low again and blocked again, making it the third blocked attempt in a row for the Volunteers.

Best threepeat. Having converted forced fumbles on the Gamecocks' first two possessions, the defense forced another on their fifth when McCoy and Savion Frazier hit a scrambling Stephen Garcia. Dennis Rogan recovered, and the offense took it 22 yards to the checkerboards.

Best block. Hardesty on fourth and goal for Tennessee's third touchdown. Hardesty put a rushing defender on his butt with a perfect cut and gave Crompton enough time to hit Kevin Cooper for the score.

Best post-play move. Cooper, who after crossing into the end zone with the ball, quickly one-hopped and flapped his elbows. It was just residual energy, but it looked like a pole-vaulting chicken.

Best hit, II. Jackson again, on Cedrick Snead, who'd escaped an earlier tackle attempt only to find himself airborn and in the arms of Jackson, who promptly slammed him to the ground.

Best peripheral, I. The Pride of the Southland's Thriller:

Best peripheral, II. A short video on Nick Reveiz, his leadership, his injury, and his pending recovery on the VolTron during the timeout. That guy is inspiring.

Best streak-buster, I. Getting a sack on the quarterback in the second quarter, the first in what seems like forever.

Best streak-buster, II. Chad Cunningham's field goal in the fourth quarter, halting the series of consecutive blocked attempts for the Vols at three.

Best Jack of All Trades. Cunningham, who not only kicked off and punted, but kicked field goals to boot (heh) in relief of Daniel Lincoln, who was still recovering from a quad injury.

Best tough guy. Monte Kiffin, who got mixed up in a tackle that spilled over into the sideline. According to Lane, Monte's hand was cut, and despite the insistence of the rest of the staff, he refused to see a trainer even after the game.

Best hit, III. McCoy this time, who nailed some poor South Carolina receiver with a perfectly-timed jarring bear hug of a tackle in the fourth quarter.

Best hit, IV. Jackson again, who capped off on a tight end again late in the game, preventing him from catching a well-thrown pass.

Play of the game, offense. Hardesty's The Move.

Play of the game, defense. Jackson's magical-somersaulting-now-you-have-it-now-you-don't tackle and forced fumble to win momentum for the team for the duration of the game.

Player of the game, offense. Montario Hardesty, who rushed 23 times for 121 yards, two TDs, caught a pass for 12 yards, and preserved his place in highlight videos for years to come with The Move.

Player of the game, defense. Tie between Rico McCoy, who had ten tackles, two forced fumbles, and a pass breakup, and Janzen Jackson, who racked up seven tackles, a forced fumble, two pass breakups, and continues to challenge Eric Berry for the reputation as the hardest hitter on the team. Thanks to lawvol98, Janzen will forever be known around these parts as Stonewall Jackson.

Best quote (paraphrased). Jim Chaney, who, when asked how he and Lane Kiffin collaborate on the offensive gameplan, explained the process and then, laughing, said something like, "If he's doing something screwy, I'll be like [clears throat] . . . and he'll go right ahead and do it anyway." Jim Chaney knows how Mike Slive feels.

Best picture of discipline. Jim Chaney. I've never heard any stories about this at all, but Chaney looks like he's lost at least 100 pounds:

What have I missed?

Black Jerseyed Tennessee Gives a Halloween Fright to South Carolina and Wins 31-13

Hooper — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:49:19 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

about 1 month ago: Tennessee's Austin Johnson (40) outruns South Carolina's Chris Culliver (17) for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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In a cool, rainy evening in Knoxville, the Tennessee Volunteers stormed out to an early lead on mistakes made by the South Carolina Gamecocks and never looked back. This will be a game that haunts South Carolina for a long time, as their four turnovers were the leading factor in their loss to the Vols, as Tennessee scored three touchdowns in the first half on drives immediately following turnovers, then iced the game with a field goal on a drive after the fourth turnover.

If the turnovers are set aside, the teams were roughly equal on the field. South Carolina outgained Tennessee by the modest margin of 365 yards to 341 yards, although much of that was due to the catch-up offense they were forced to employ for most of the contest. Both quarterbacks threw for 50% completion rates on the day, but Stephen Garcia's day ended with 25 completions on 50 attempts for 300 yards, one touchdown and one interception; Jonathan Crompton threw 12 completions on only 24 attempts for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Crompton did not throw an interception this evening. Meanwhile, the one interception fro Garcia came at the hands of Greg King - yet another freshman Vol who is finding ways to make major contributions on the field of play.

Rather than live and die by the pass, Tennessee was afforded the luxury of running a balanced offense, gaining 199 of their yards on the ground behind Montario Hardesty's 23 carry, 121 yard day with two touchdowns.

But all in all, it was a game that felt like it was under Tennessee's control from start to finish. Despite the advantage in total yardage from South Carolina, the defense proved to be very difficult to score on; the Gamecocks managed only one trip into the red zone and scored a field goal for their efforts. And the one touchdown they did manage to score was the first touchdown scored on the Tennessee defense since very early in the fourth quarter against Auburn - nearly 12 full quarters' worth of football. There was room in the defense to bend, but not to break, which was all the Vols needed to send the Gamecock faithful on their long trek back to South Carolina a little earlier than they had hoped.

A few notes:

Austin Johnson scored an early touchdown on a beautiful play fake. The fullback led up the middle as if blocking, then ran right by the linebackers and both safeties before Crompton hit him in perfect stride with a rain-soaked pass.
Alshon Jeffery, the topic of a newfound feud between Vols and 'Cocks fans, had a nice day of 4 receptions for 54 yards, but had a couple of drops early on when the rain was heaviest. (Side note: both fanbases spent a considerable amount of time yelling 'gas-pumping' comments toward each other, indicating that this tiff isn't going anywhere for a while.)
LaMarcus Thompson and Savion Frazier were injured in the second half, potentially depleting an injury-stricken linebackers corps even further. At one point in the game, the VolTron showed a tribute video to Nick Reveiz which was met with loud applause and support.
Field Goal Kicking still needs work. Here's hoping that Daniel Lincoln gets his quad in shape very soon. We'll need some good place kicking against Ole Miss, if nothing else.
Gerald Williams and Dan Williams each recorded a sack against South Carolina in the second half.
Garcia threw the ball well away from Eric Berry. It almost seemed like they were intentionally avoided the risk of becoming a footnote in the NCAA record book. But hey, whatever shuts down a receiver.
Janzen Jackson hits. Hard. This is becoming routine to say, but the guy can lay a lick. If he does move to cornerback next year (which will depend on the players that come in), he's going to be a serious threat on a corner blitz.