Buzz to Vols: Pass it (toughness) on

Emotions peaked with an 83-76 overtime victory at Florida on Wednesday.

Maintaining that sudden surge of intensity becomes job one with today's trip to Louisville.

Tip-off is 4 p.m. (TV: ESPN) at Freedom Hall.

The No. 14 Cardinals (15-3) have been a one-team microcosm of past UT frustration.

There were back-to-back three-point losses at home the past two years, preceded by a one-point loss at Louisville in Buzz Peterson's first year as coach at UT.

"We've just got to try to keep that passion of playing hard every time out going," Peterson said.

"What happened in Florida has got to give us some confidence. We have to build off something like this and the biggest thing is trust has developed."

Trust formed from a sense of urgency when UT (10-7) self-destructed in a 25-point loss at home to Vanderbilt two weeks ago.

Urgency shifts now to maintaining momentum at Louisville with an impending Tuesday SEC home game against archrival Kentucky.

"I talk a lot about them being tough, determined and having that self confidence," Peterson said, "but they've got to turn a lot of that on themselves.

"When you find that toughness within yourself, you've got to give it to your teammates."

It worked in Florida. UT let a 10-point lead slip away and still hung on in overtime.

Peterson isn't ready to say the Vols have turned the corner, but players aren't dreading road trips anymore.

"It just took a little time, but I think this team has a lot of talent," senior Scooter McFadgon said after a team-high 23 points at Florida. "Now we're starting to come together.

"We're playing tough on the road, playing good defense and doing things we haven't done in the past on the road."

That's where the Cardinals enter the picture. They offer a familiar challenge.

"Louisville and Florida are very similar teams," Peterson said. "They're going to be very aggressive at home. When they get that crowd going, it's a tough place to play.

"We've got to have that mindset of taking care of the ball and getting ready for a very aggressive team coming at us defensively."

The Cardinals are expected to be without top rebounder Ellis Myles, out with a thumb injury suffered in Wednesday's 92-41 thumping of East Carolina.

But Louisville can answer with four other starters averaging double figures.

Francisco Garcia leads the way with 16.6 points per game.

"Louisville's a team playing extremely well right now and Garcia's a great player," Peterson said. "We've been so close (the past three years), hopefully we can pull one out."

Notebook: Dane Bradshaw said the Vols are going to stay with the "shirts-and-skins" practice motif for a while longer.

Peterson took UT's practice jerseys away after the Vanderbilt loss, but it was expected the Vols would get them back after recent success.

"We decided to just keep it going the way it is," Bradshaw said. "It's up to the captains, but we want to make it a special occasion to have Tennessee across our chests on game day."

Mark Burgess may be reached at 865-342-6277.