SB Nation - Quintin Hancock

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!

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?

Talking Points: fewer heart attacks in the punt return game, please

Joel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:30:29 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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And the rest of the piecemeal talking points . . .

Is it time to put Jones back on punt return duties or to give all of them to Dennis Rogan? Those guys aren't bad, and while Nu'Keese Richardson may have some great potential at returning punts, he's got to catch the thing first. He's already cheated fate several times this season, muffing several attempts, letting the ball bounce between his legs, and generally giving coaches, teammates, and fans alike multiple simultaneous coronaries when the ball's falling from the sky and opponents are approaching.
Eric Berry is one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Ronnie Lott Award (guess what -- duplicate link).

Whoa. I thought this was a bye week (duplicate link again -- notes columns were not made for blogging). Dan Williams was held out of a portion of practice, Gerald Williams and Quintin Hancock held out of all of it, and Art Evans was limited. Both Williamses are expected to play Saturday, Hancock "could play Saturday even though he hasn't practiced in a week (didn't we criticize ourselves for doing that earlier this year?), and Marsalous Johnson will fill in for Evans if he can't go. But isn't that more injuries than before the bye?

Oneathem inside sources tells GVX that Tennessee is about to offer junior college QB Matt Simms, who recently transferred from Louisville to El Camino Community College. So we know he can elude pressure. Ba dump bump. And yes, it's that Simms -- brother of Denver back QB Chris, son of former New York Giants QB Phil.

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.

Patience Justified: Tennessee Volunteers Steamroll Georgia Bulldogs 45-19

Hooper — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:17:30 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee's Gerald Jones (4) catches a pass as he's defended by Georgia's Bryan Evans (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Patience is the most difficult virtue for any fan base to acquire. For a fanbase of a storied program coming off of a disastrous 2008 campaign, asking for patience might as well be asking for the Moon to be land-granted to the university. The defense, as was the case last year, appeared to be carrying the team on their shoulders through the first half of the schedule, and yet the Tennessee Volunteers were still facing a 2-3 record with an out-of-conference loss to the UCLA Bruins. And the biggest on-field scapegoat of the 2008 season, Jonathan Crompton, was still the starting quarterback. Lane Kiffin insisted that Crompton was 'the man' for the team and that there was no quarterback controversy to be had, but the fans were wanting more. Even in the Auburn loss, the resurgent fourth quarter comeback bid by the Vols was tempered as "merely against the Auburn prevent defense". Outside of Western Kentucky, Lane Kiffin's offense still had little to show besides some spectacular rushing efforts by Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown.

But once in a while, patience is rewarded. After an early touchdown drive by the Volunteers, the Georgia Bulldogs responded with a kickoff return by Brandon Boykin to tie the game. And Volunteer fans had nothing to do but wait and see if the early success of the offense would finally, finally sustain throughout a meaningful game.

But if any unit came through in spades today, it was the offense. With 468 total yards of offense (310 passing, 158 rushing), Tennessee consistently found success moving the chains, driving into Georgia territory, and turning drives into touchdowns. The scoring started with that initial touchdown reception by Gerald Jones, and the Volunteers answered the kickoff return with another touchdown reception from Denarius Moore for 33 yards. After a Georgia field goal by Blair Walsh, Tennessee scored their third passing touchdown in a row when Crompton found a wide-open Marsalis Teague in the back of the endzone.

Special teams kept the game close, as a kickoff return touchdown, punt block safety, and interception return touchdown kept Georgia within one score at 24-19 midway through the third quarter, but the Tennessee offense just kept coming at them. That pick-six was also answered by an immediate touchdown score by a 39-yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty that, if it wasn't assured already, will likely move him into the first round of the NFL draft.

For every Georgia success, Tennessee had an answer. And eventually, the Georgian responses to Tennessee's success ran out. While Tennessee scored touchdowns, Georgia survived on fortune. Monte Kiffin's defense shut down the Georgia offense, allowing only 241 total yards on the day, 89 yards rushing, and only one 53-yard field goal to be credited against the Big Orange defense.

PATIENCE IN JONATHAN CROMPTON

Being Jonathan Crompton isn't easy. After being the principal on-field scapegoat of the 2008 trainwreck of a season, every miscue has been magnified to become the height of frustration for the fans. When the Volunteers ran their first play of the day - a play-action rollout for am 18-yard complete pass to Quintin Hancock, fans waited with held breath to see if an interception was in the works. Even midway through the third quarter, when the Bulldogs collected a deflected pass for a pick-six, UT fans were wondering if Crompton would find a way to lose this one. All that, despite having had a very nice day.

And finally, the complete game came through. With quarterback and receivers on the same page, the Crompton Extravaganza just kept going. The interception was answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive, then a three-and-out for the Bulldogs was answered by the Vols with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones - the deep ball that Vols fans had been waiting to see all season long.

With a 310-yard, 20/27 completion, 4 touchdown and one interception day, Crompton finally rewarded Lane Kiffin's trust with the signature SEC win that was needed to justify the new coaching staff and give Vols fans confidence going into the bye week.

PATIENCE IN THE RECEIVERS

After a season of wrong routes and bobbled catches, frustration with the receivers came to a head during the first half against Auburn, with 6 dropped passes. After some one-on-one extended practice time between quarterbacks and receivers, the wideouts showed up to play to their potential on the day. 8 players caught passes today, and 3 of the top 4 performances in the passing game came from wide receivers (the other being tight end Luke Stocker). Gerald Jones provided key highlights with the first touchdown and the 51-yard touchdown, but Quintin Hancock provided the great effort play in the passing game with a long stretch-out to get a touchdown in the first. Freshmen Nu'Keese Richardson and Marsalis Teague each added another catch to their early career resumes and had nice days overall, further affirming the ability for freshmen to contribute early in Lane's offense.

PATIENCE IN LANE KIFFIN

With all of the offensive frustrations that Vols fans have endured - stretching all the way back to 2005 - having a coach tell you that the offense is on its way is not a very satisfying thing to hear. That "on its way" offense still accounted for a UCLA loss, a loss to the Florida Gators, and a loss to the Auburn Tigers. Flashes of the concept would come through on occasion, but the only consistency was inconsistency. With Monte's defense a known quantity, people wanted to see that the young head coach would provided on his side of the ball, and the win over Georgia gave exactly that: reason to believe in the future.

With his first SEC win, Lane Kiffin has shown Tennessee fans that the team is on the right track. The bumps in the road are not entirely behind the team, to be sure, but progress - actual progress - on offense has finally been realized.

And for a bunch of frustrated coaches, players, and fans, that has to feel like absolute gold.

Tennessee Volunteers Let One Slip to Auburn Tigers, Lose 26-22

Hooper — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:24:23 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton (8) throws during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Auburn Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. Auburn won 26-22. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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In one of the most beautiful nights to have a football game, the Tennessee Volunteers fell to the Auburn Tigers despite holding the Tigers to their lowest point total of the season. And for all the anticipation of the Monte Kiffin / Gus Malzahn matchup, the real story of the night belonged on the other side of the ball, where the Volunteers spotted the Tigers nearly an entire half through a series of offense-killing mistakes.

In the first quarter, Tennessee found their biggest play of the game early - a 41 yard rush by Nu'Keese Richardson out of the Wild-whatever formation that brought the Volunteers within field goal range on the first play of the game. Unfortunately, after gaining only two more yards, that field goal range failed to net any points as place kicker Daniel Lincoln missed wide right. The Volunteers defense held serve on the first possession by the Auburn offense, aided by a chop block call that negated a potential first down for the Tigers and eventually led them to punt. And after the touchback, things really went strange for the Volunteers.

A three-and-out forced the Vols to punt back to the Tigers, whose offense was able to come within field goal range and open the scoring for the night, 3-0. After the ensuing kickoff, the Volunteer offense quickly abandoned the field as Jonathon Crompton mishandled the snap and the Tigers recovered with a short field. Held to only 4 yards, the Tigers then settled for a second field goal to extend the early lead to 6-0. From there, the first half ended with a UT 3-and-out, and Auburn 3-and-out, and another UT 3-and-out.

For all of the anticipation of the Auburn offense vs. the Tennessee defense, the clear story of the first quarter was Crompton, who was responsible for the lone turnover of the game and whose inaccurate passing left the Volunteers with only one first down in the entire quarter - that first run by Nu'Keese Richardson. The wildly erratic passing thwarted any attempts at a balanced game and resulted in several long 3rd down attempts - all of which ended with more sketchy passes. But the score was still 6-0 at this point.

In the second quarter, the Tigers eventually gained a 13-0 lead after an 87 yard drive ended in an 11-yard touchdown run by Ben Tate. The Tennessee offense was absolutely stonewalled again in the second half - by the passing game - although the culprit was slightly different: this time, Crompton was finally getting the balls to the receivers but the receivers were dropping balls with both hands. Perhaps the archetypical moment came when Quintin Hancock, on a slant route, failed to prepare for the pass and received the ball straight into his face mask.

But as bad as it looked for the Volunteers through the rest of the half, the defense held firm and kept the Tigers from scoring when their place kicker Wes Byrum missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. At long last, with only a minute and a half left in the first half, the Volunteers put together a 70-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a 1-yard Montario Hardesty rush into the checkerboards. The extra point attempt was blocked, and the halftime score read 13-6 in favor of the Tigers.

And those four missed points (the extra point attempt and Lincoln's earlier missed field goal attempt) would turn out to haunt the Volunteers.

In the second half, the two teams traded 3-and-outs again. The Tigers, behind consecutive 32-yard and 15-yard rushes, closed to first and goal range on their second possession but had to settle for a field goal to lead 16-6. The scoring in the third quarter ended there, as neither team could gain any traction: Auburn's offense was being held in check by Tennessee's defense, and Tennessee's offense was still trying to find their rhythm. But in a drive the stretched over the quarter break, Auburn finally hit paydirt and scored another touchdown on a Chris Todd pass to Terrell Zachery to lead 23-6.

And, finally, the Tennessee offense decided to join the game. In a five-pass, two-rush drive, the Volunteers responded with their own touchdown on a 31-yard touchdown reception by Hardesty, which featured some of the niftiest running of the game as Hardesty fought off and eluded defenders for almost all of the 31 yards. After a hard-fought three-and-out forced by a tired Tennessee defense, the offense again answer the call, assembling an 18 play, 72 yard field goal drive that put the game back within reach at 23-16. But the effort put forth by the defense finally caught up to them; the Tigers answered with a field goal of their own after a 52-yard kick return gave them a short field. With only 39 seconds left on the clock, the Volunteers again found a way to the end zone, scoring 6 more points on the final play of the game. (The extra point was not tried as it would not have affected the outcome.)

Final score: 26-22. Four points - same as the number of missed points in the first half. That is most certainly not to say that the kicking game was to blame for the loss, as the ineptitude of the offense in the first half brought far more harm to Tennessee's hopes of winning. However, it does point out that, despite not playing offense for an entire half, the Volunteers were well within range of potentially winning the game late. For all of the negatives that come from the loss, there is much to be pleased with as well.

Notes: Auburn was 6-17 on third downs; Tennessee was 4-17 on third and 3-3 on 4th. The Tigers ran 83 plays to the Volunteer's 73, resulting in a total of 459 Auburn yards and 410 Tennessee yards of offense. Tennessee had their most penalty-laden game of the years: 4 for 30 yards. Jonathan Crompton's 20/43 for 259 yards and 2 touchdown night was good enough for a QB rating of 112 - very near his career average. Tennessee gained 213 of their 410 yards in the fourth quarter in 2-minute offense.

Did I mention it was a beautiful night outside?

Tennessee Football: Surviving September & Anticipating October

Will — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:16:51 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

If the guy on the left can hurt us less, the guy on the right will help us more.

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Two wins over mid-majors, a heartbreaking loss to UCLA and a closer-than-expected battle in The Swamp leaves the Lane Kiffin Era with a 2-2 start and a relatively firm foundation, even if there hasn't been a lot of building on it yet. But the Vols will have opportunities throughout the month of October to do just that, as the schedule brings Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and an open date to the table.

A third of the way through the regular season, we're still trying to figure bits and pieces of this team out, and that's based largely on the schedule: we don't know how good Western Kentucky, Ohio and even UCLA truly are, and we don't fully know exactly how much better Florida is than everyone else. But the Vols will be measured most closely by what they do against their SEC contemporaries, which is exactly what they'll see in the next four games. If this team has as far to go as they've looked at their worst, the Vols will have a long month and will be scrambling for bowl eligibility by the time November gets here. And if this team is as competitive as they've looked at their best, Tennessee will give themselves a chance to win in each of the next four ballgames.

One of the biggest factors in Phillip Fulmer's dismissal was his inability to win any big games last season - when you beat UAB, Northern Illinois, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, you lack a signature win - and so the biggest step forward the Lane Kiffin administration can take would be to win one of the next four games.

That's not to say going 1-3 in October would be a success...but I think 2-2 would be.

Getting two of the next four wins would give the Vols an excellent chance to get bowl eligible, would mark significant progress from last season, and could set the stage for a hot finish against a weaker November schedule (including a trip to Oxford to face an Ole Miss team that suddenly looks very beatable) that could give the Vols huge momentum towards recruiting and the next stage of the growth process.

That process starts with getting one win, and since we take them a week at a time, it starts with a fascinating matchup with Auburn this week.

We'll learn everything we need to know about this team, and ultimately judge its season as a success or failure based on what happens in October. But through four games, here's what we have learned for sure thus far:

We're playing Russian Roulette with Jonathan Crompton

It's no longer a matter of if Jonathan Crompton is going to hurt Tennessee each week, it's simply when, and how bad is the wound going to be. That's not to say he isn't capable of doing some good things at times or making some decent throws, as he did last night against Ohio. In fact, his numbers would've been better against the Bobcats if Vol receivers held on to the football.

In his entire Tennessee career, Crompton has now seen significant action in 12 games spanning three seasons. In those 12 games, he's been responsible for 18 turnovers. That's 1.5 per game.

In fact, only twice has Crompton played a turnover-free game: his backup duty performance against Wyoming, where he went 11 of 27 in a Vol loss, and against Kentucky last season, where the Vols passed only eight times.

This is who he is.

Again, it's not to say Nick Stephens should be playing instead, or that he can't make some good throws, or that the Vols can't win when he's under center. You just need to know, and you might as well embrace at this point, that Tennessee's quarterback is going to cost you 1.5 turnovers per game. How the Vols choose to manage these expected mistakes will go a long way in determining how successful the month of October is.

Montario Hardesty is the best back to wear the orange since Travis Stephens

We're a spoiled bunch, because to play tailback at Tennessee for 15 consecutive years from 1987-2001 meant you were playing it very well. The list of starting tailbacks during that run is astounding: Reggie Cobb, Chuck Webb, Tony Thompson, James Stewart, Charlie Garner, Jay Graham, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens. Every single one of those guys was a game-changer.

We've been okay in the backfield since then: Cedric Houston, Gerald Riggs, Arian Foster, plus several others who saw spot duty. But none of them have run the way Montario Hardesty has in the first four games of this season.

Last night, the Vols opened things up in the first half in hopes that Crompton would produce. When it wasn't going as well as we'd hoped, it's no big deal: we'll just give it to #2 and watch him run for 135 yards in the second half.

I don't know if this is Hardesty or Eddie Gran or both, but when that kid gets the handoff, he's already at full speed. There's no waiting for this or that hole, he takes the ball with explosion, and then leaves defenders in the collateral damage. When was the last time you didn't just expect a Tennessee back to break tackles, you got used to it?

Hardesty has 485 yards in 4 games, which includes two tremendously tough performances against great defenses from UCLA and Florida. He's still averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He's 7th nationally and 1st in the SEC in rushing yards (storyline alert: numbers two and three both play for Auburn).

And Hardesty has been here. He's done his time, waited on the depth chart, showed flashes of greatness like that run against Cal way back in 2006. But now, there's no more waiting: #2 is the man. And in this offense, he'll need to be that and then some this month to get the Vols where they want to go. I don't expect him to disappoint.

Veterans still rule the day at WR

...and that's not an entirely great thing.

Tennessee's leading receivers last night against Ohio? Denarius Moore and Brandon Warren. Before them it was Quintin Hancock, and part of me still feels like Gerald Jones is still the team's #1 receiver.

Nu'Keese Richardson is still more style than substance - and he'll get there eventually. Marsalis Teague had bad luck last night, because Crompton overthrew him on a double-move sure touchdown...but still, Teague had six catches against Western Kentucky and has one since.

I go back to the fact that when the game was on the line against UCLA, it was Jones, Hancock and Moore who were in the game. Brandon Warren did look good last night. But I think it's going to continue to be those guys who lead the way the rest of the year - I'm just not sure a total breakthrough is coming from Teague or Nuke in 2009. If it's going to be the vets, they've got to help Crompton and not hurt him, and they've got to catch the ball when it comes their way.

How good is Chris Walker?

He sacked Tim Tebow twice. He gets the rare defensive lineman pick-six on an incredibly savvy play last night. Through four games, he has 5.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, a pick, a forced fumble and a touchdown. When they said he was unblockable in the spring...again, maybe Lane Kiffin really is a man of his word.

Walker is the kind of dominant presence at end the Vols have been sorely missing. He's got better numbers than Robert Ayers and been a bigger presence in the opposition's backfield than anyone we've had in recent memory - like Hardesty, you have to go back to 2001 to find a better DE performance thus far.

Suddenly, I'm worried about this guy turning pro early.

Rico McCoy, Eric Berry and Janzen Jackson are out for blood

Whatever the record is for the number of times the Neyland Stadium crowd goes "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" after a big hit on defense, it's going down this year.

Eric Berry is Eric Berry, who leads the team in solo tackles with 20, and the next closest guy (McCoy) has only 12.

Rico McCoy picked a good year to play up to his potential, and in terms of hitting he got even better when Nick Reveiz went down, which was great to see. That guy will bring the pain.

But there's been no bigger headhunter thus far this season than Jackson, who is an impossible combination of tall and fast, and who is making us happy for more than just his hit on Brandon James.

When the ball goes up around #15, you look for bad things to happen to the receiver. This defense is incredibly agressive and makes the other team pay...and again, we're going to need more of the same if the Vols want October to go their way.

Talking Points: let's play one degree of Monte Kiffin edition

Joel — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:38:59 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

The man knows everybody.

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Forget Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Last week, it was Urban Meyer who claimed to have a good relationship with Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. This week, it's Ohio head coach Frank Solich. Solich and the Google of Football met more than 40 years ago at Nebraska as players and continue to stay in touch. Weren't there similar stories for UCLA and Western Kentucky? This should be a weekly game. First person to find the connection wins.
Receivers partly to blame. Lane Kiffin's not too high on the receivers right now, saying that they need to do a better job with the details. Quintin Hancock is the only receiver to have caught a pass in every game so far, and he's out for Ohio (at least) with a broken jaw.

Heresy alert. Kiffin says that true freshman safety Janzen Jackson does some things better than Eric Berry:

It’s going to sound crazy but there are some things he actually does better than Eric sometimes. He’s not the player Eric is yet. We all know that. But he has potential to be a great player.

According to Kiffin, Jackson has "looser hips" and will be an All-American someday. Put "Swivel" in the pending nicknames for the freshmen.

Speaking of Berry, he's back on ESPN's Heisman Watch list this week at No. 6. One of the experts put him 2nd.

More on losing, but winning. Dave Hooker takes a look at the recruiting competition between Tennessee and Florida and finds Tennessee in the lead. In 2009, Tennessee was ranked 8th and 10th (depending on which service you're looking at), ahead of Florida. So far this year, Tennessee is ranked 3rd and 4th while Florida is 9th and 7th. For 2010, Tennessee is ranked 1st and 2nd (behind LSU) in the SEC. For next year's class, the Vols have four five-star prospects, and Florida has three.

I suspect the Clawfense. Somebody put a sticky on Lane Kiffin's door reminding him that his offense is currently ranked 73rd in the nation. Suspects include Dave Clawson, whose Bowling Green offense is ranked 65th. Of course, much of Tennessee's ranking is due to a subset of the offense: Jonathan Crompton is tied for 118th in interceptions. Only SMU has more. Yikes.

Well, no wonder. On this day in 1972, Purdue Boilermaker quarterback Gary Danielson rushed for 213 yards in a losing effort against Washington. That he was a running QB might explain his over-affection for Tim Tebow, huh?

Quintin Hancock & Vladimir Richard injured, out for Ohio

Will — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:43:38 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

3 months ago: Tennessee Quintin Hancock (87) out runs UCLA's Akeem Ayers (10) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. UCLA won 19-15. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Tennessee's struggles in the passing game will face an even steeper climb this week: senior OG Vladimir Richard is out with a knee injury and is on crutches, and WR Quintin Hancock has a broken jaw and will miss this week and then some.

Richard, who has been hampered throughout the month with achilles tendon and knee issues, will see his absence filled by Jarrod Shaw moving inside from tackle to guard, meaning redshirt freshman and converted tight end Aaron Douglas will see his first start at tackle on Saturday night. Douglas has played a handful of snaps in Tennessee's first three games.

Hancock has been Tennessee's most reliable wide receiver since spring practice, and leads the team with 11 catches for 128 yards this season. No other wide receiver has caught more than six passes.

Lane Kiffin stressed yesterday that Jonathan Crompton needed to play well this week, and the downgrade from Florida to Ohio in terms of defensive talent should allow the passing game to open things up more, even if only a little bit. But now with an offensive lineman and the leading pass catcher out, it'll be an even more interesting re-evaluation of Tennessee's passing game on Saturday.

Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore have the experience, but one still wonders if either is fully healthy. Freshman Marsalis Teague caught six passes in the opener but hasn't seen one since. Brandon Warren and Nu'Keese Richardson are still more hype than result. And thus far, Tennessee's third, fourth and fifth leading receivers are tailback Bryce Brown, fullback Kevin Cooper, and tight end Luke Stocker. The Vols need increased productivity from the WR position, and in Hancock's absence the competition will be more wide open than ever...who will step up?

Poll

Who will lead Tennessee in receptions against Ohio on Saturday?

Gerald Jones

54 votes

Denarius Moore

7 votes

Nu'Keese Richardson

11 votes

Marsalis Teague

70 votes

Brandon Warren

10 votes

A non-WR: Brown, Hardesty, Cooper or Stocker

32 votes

184 votes | Poll has closed