A pair of SEC coaches put Tennessee on notice Wednesday.

Their message: Don't overlook Alabama-Birmingham.

"Tennessee better not take them lightly,'' said Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom, whose Bulldogs lost 27-13 to the Blazers in Starkville last season. "That quarterback (Darrell Hackney) is a very good quarterback, one of the best QBs we faced last year.

"They had excellent speed. They have explosive talent at the skill positions, and the defense was very sound, well coached.''

Georgia coach Mark Richt recalled the Bulldogs' close call against UAB in 2003.

"We played UAB; and, gosh, we won 16-13 and they were driving the field at the end of the game,'' Richt said. "We had a big stop, a fourth-down stop, to win that game.''

UT need only turn on tape of their 1998 game against the Blazers to be reminded that they could be in for a fight. The Vols' 37-13 win was one of their ugliest of the title season.

UAB out-rushed UT 211-173 and held the ball for 35 minutes, 1 second. The Vols fumbled three times and Tee Martin was sacked three times.