Coach Phillip Fulmer announced Thursday that his "Co-#1" quarterbacks are freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer. Both freshmen were allowed to speak to the media on Saturday for the first time since the opening day of practice.

Who has helped you get to this point?

Ainge: Coach Sanders and Coach Fulmer, C.J., and Rick. Without those guys, C.J. and Rick especially, Brent and I wouldn’t be doing this well.

Schaeffer: (Coach Sanders) is a great coach. He is the one who got us this far.

What do you think of your progress?

Schaeffer: I’m still learning. I’m making mistakes as I come along. Hopefully I’m patching them up everyday coming after (practice) with Coach Sanders. It’s coming along.

Did you ever see it playing out this way?

Ainge: In my mind, yes. That what I always dreamed of. If that’s what God wants then everything happens for a reason.

Schaeffer: I’m not really surprised. Coach Sanders did a great job of teaching us the offense. I just came out here to compete.

What would you think about a two-quarterback system?

Ainge: I wouldn’t doubt if that’s something that we did see. That’s what Oregon did last year. It can work out. The best way to find out who will be the best quarterback is in a game. You can tell a lot from practice but some people are gamers. (Our different styles) would make it very tough on other defenses.

Schaeffer: If that’s what the coaches want and we’re winning, then I would be happy with it.

Do you think the work you put studying Tennessee’s offense with Coach Sanders before you arrived in Knoxville was beneficial?

Ainge: It definitely helped a lot picking up the offense that coach Sanders has been teaching us. If it had been brand new it would have been tough. Having the background knowledge that I already have, it wasn’t that difficult.

What was your family’s reaction when you told them you would be a "Co-#1" quarterback?

Schaeffer: They were happy. Either way it went, they were going to back me up. That’s how my family is. It’s a close-knit family. They were kind of surprised.

What has been the reaction from your teammates?

Schaeffer: They’ve been pretty good. They come up to me and talk to me. They support us real well. From Day one they’ve been pretty good with me.

How has it been different being a "Number One" quarterback?

Schaeffer: I have to step up and be more of a leader. More reps will make Erik and I better. I just go out there and have fun. I’m still hungry.

Brent, do they talk to you about fumbles since you had two in the last scrimmage?

Schaeffer: They are really emphasizing ball handling. We’re trying to limit turnovers. It’s has to come along.

What do you think about the comparisons to Mike Vick?

Schaeffer: That’s a great honor being compared to Michael Vick. He’s a great quarterback. I see where people get the comparisons (since both are left handed and wear jersey number "7")