Strange: Ainge tried to throw it ... got blasted by Hoyte

In his quieter moments, he tries his hand at poetry.

"I get away from life when I get on a football field,'' the senior linebacker said this week, "and I get away from life when I write poetry.''

"A sight I never thought to see,

the quarterback not take a knee"

Hoyte didn't write that. He would have been more eloquent.

But, with apologies, it might describe his thoughts from last November when Notre Dame played Tennessee in Neyland Stadium.

The first half was all but over, just a few seconds left on the clock. The Vols were backed up in their territory. Rather than risk running a play, surely quarterback Erik Ainge would kneel to the ground, hand the ball to the nearest official, the clock would run out and the teams would head to their locker rooms.

But if Tennessee wasn't going to go through the motions, neither was Hoyte.

The Vols elected to run a play, to throw the ball downfield and see what happened.

What happened was the shotgun snap from center was low and Ainge had to scramble to gather it up. Instead of falling on the ball, he tried to pick it up and make a play.

Then what happened was Hoyte planted Ainge in the turf, right (throwing) shoulder first.

When the teams headed to the locker room, Ainge was still lying on the ground. His shoulder was separated. He was done for the day, done for the season.

Nearly a year later, a rematch with Notre Dame looming on Saturday, he hasn't been the same quarterback since.

"I saw an opening,'' Hoyte recalled this week, "and I tried to hit him as hard as I could.''

Hoyte and the Fighting Irish didn't know until the second half started that Ainge wouldn't be back. Afterward, in the glow of a 17-13 upset victory, Hoyte was quoted as saying: "You don't just hit people to bring them down. You hit them to make sure they stay down.''

In reflection, Hoyte doesn't mean to imply that he's a headhunter, out to end seasons (or careers).

"I'm an old-school football player,'' Hoyte said this week. "Not finesse. I'm of the mindset you hit as hard as you possibly can.

"I wouldn't wish anything wrong on anyone. I personally wish no one would get injured.

"That way, after the game there's no excuses.''

But Ainge did get injured. It's part of the game.

Had Ainge taken a knee, or had Hoyte not been there to throw him to the ground, there would probably be no quarterback controversy clouding Tennessee's season.

Ainge would have finished he 2004 season and Rick Clausen would have never gotten a chance to show he was capable of leading the Vols to victory in three of the last four games.

Thus, Ainge would have been the uncontested starter going into 2005.

But that's all water under the bridge. Ainge is trying to make a comeback Saturday, restored to the starting job for the first time since the LSU game.

Hoyte is Notre Dame's defensive captain. His teammates remember that play at the end of the first half last year.

"Yeah, that kind of set the tone for the second half,'' said safety Tom Zbikowsky. "Hopefully, he'll do it again this year.''

Ainge would beg to differ. But if another low shotgun snap comes bouncing his way, he'll probably just fall on it this time and live to fight another play.

Maybe Hoyte really doesn't want to knock anyone out for the year. But he won't pull any punches.

And in a quieter moment this week, he might have thought of Ainge and picked up his pen.

"Roses are red,

violence is blue,

if I don't get blocked,

I'm coming after you''