Almost Back: Only one of Tennessee!|s first-team offensive linemen was held out of practice Monday. Most starters missed practice last week. Head coach Phillip Fulmer said his only concern is junior right guard Cody Douglas, who has a foot sprain. Fulmer said junior Richie Gandy would step in for Douglas, allowing sophomore Arron Sears to remain at right tackle.

Senior center Jason Respert, who has been hampered by a sprained ankle, said this is the healthiest UT!|s offensive line has been since week three or four.

!?It definitely was a tough stretch,!? Respert said. !?We!|re past it now. Thank God. We!|re looking toward the future.!?

So, is Respert anxious to prove to critics that this offensive front is the same dominant group that started the season?

!?We!|re anxious to play,!? Respert said flatly. !?This offense needs wins; just like this team needs wins. We could average 150 yards. As long as we win the football game, I have no problem with that.!?

?? Good Job: Respert is the SEC Good Works player of the week. The award recognizes a player!|s on- and off-field accomplishments. The award is given in conjunction with and will be announced on Saturday!|s Jefferson Pilot broadcast of the UT-Vanderbilt game.

?? QB Talk: Senior wide receiver Tony Brown said junior Rick Clausen!|s overall understanding of the offense was on display in last week!|s scrimmage.

!?Coach (Randy) Sanders called four draw plays in a row,!? Brown said. !?Three times, Rick checked out of the play and threw it down field and did a great job.

!?We can make a lot more adjustments at halftime (with Rick). With (freshmen Brent) Schaeffer and (Erik) Ainge, if something didn!|t work, we!|d just change the formations. If things don!|t work at halftime at Vanderbilt, then we can go with a whole new game plan.!?

Brown said it also will be tougher for defenses to counter-adjust to UT!|s audibles if Clausen is changing the play at the line of scrimmage. UT has relied on Sanders to signal the play in from the sideline when Ainge and Schaeffer were at the line.

Brown said UT!|s receivers made an effort to expedite Clausen!|s adjustment from backup to starter by inserting themselves into last week!|s scrimmage. Brown said that has rarely been the case in a late-season off-week.

!?Guys usually try to rest up and probably don!|t practice the whole week,!? Brown said. !?To get the timing down with the quarterback is huge.!?

?? On Me: Each Thursday, UT!|s wide receivers meet for dinner. Last week, Clausen joined in.

!?This is the first time the quarterback went out with us,!? Brown said. !?He actually picked up the check. That was very polite of him. Even if he didn!|t buy our dinner, we!|d take care of him on the field.!?

?? Bowl Game?: With Vanderbilt and Kentucky far from bowl eligible, a win over UT would highlight their season. UT!|s captains are well aware of their opponents!| motivation.

!?Notre Dame took the same approach a couple of weeks ago and came out with a victory,!? Brown said. !?They mentioned that if they beat Tennessee and USC then that would make their season. We!|re going to try not to let Vanderbilt make their season against us.

!?We have a ton more talent that Vandy and Kentucky. We have something to prove. We tried to roll it out there against Notre Dame and it didn!|t happen. We have more talent than them, too.!?

!?You want to win with style. You want to get something out of it.!?



?? Pride: The Vols haven!|t lost to Vanderbilt since 1983. Brown cringed at the thought of losing to the Commodores.

!?It would be a heartbreaker,!? Brown said. !?We can!|t do that. I can!|t even think about it. Even if we beat Kentucky and played for the SEC championship, it would still linger if we lost to Vanderbilt.!?



?? Hot seat: Linebacker Kevin Burnett said there are plenty of reasons to win this week against Vanderbilt. Burnett, who is known to speak in hyperbole, said one motivating factor is job security for UT!|s coaches.

!?It!|s do or die,!? said the team captain. !?This could mean jobs. If we don!|t go to the SEC championship (game), there!|s a good chance that this coaching staff could lose their jobs.

!?This Tennessee football team is a team that can accomplish more if we would stop beating ourselves all the time.!?

The Vols would have to lose to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky to miss out on a berth in the SEC championship game.

?? No slump: Brown disagreed with the notion that Ainge was in a slump before being injured against Notre Dame. He also didn!|t believe Ainge had become complacent because of his early and mid-season success.

!?Once you get comfortable in a situation, you!|re probably not as hungry, but this guy is competitive in practice the whole time,!? Brown said. !?Teams prepared for Ainge and not for Schaeffer. That cost them in the South Carolina game. They hadn!|t prepared for Schaeffer because he hadn!|t played that much the past couple of weeks. He came off the bench and played well. !?

?? QB Medical Watch: Fulmer said Ainge and Schaeffer will be evaluated early next week and again in three weeks. Fulmer said he doubted either would require surgery.

Schaeffer has a broken clavicle suffered on Oct. 30. Ainge has a separated shoulder suffered on Nov. 6. Both are likely out until UT!|s bowl game.