Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer gave his description of what he's looking for in an offensive coordinator on Tuesday.

Basically, it read like a David Cutcliffe bio.

Fulmer said contacts have been made and a source close to the program continues to say Cutcliffe, former UT assistant and Ole Miss head coach, is the odds-on favorite to replace Randy Sanders.

Fulmer admitted he has spoken with Cutcliffe, but wouldn't go much further.

"We've not really had much time to talk, but we have discussed it briefly," Fulmer said. "I think he's interested."

Cutcliffe helped direct Tennessee's offense 1993-1998, through most of the Heath Shuler and all of the Peyton Manning years.

He helped develop Eli Manning into an NFL prospect at Ole Miss. He would have been quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame this season under Charlie Weis had he not experienced heart problems.

"I have worked really hard in the last several days on the offensive coordinator position," Fulmer said. "I'm not ready to announce anything or anybody at this particular point, but we've made some good contacts and some good strides contacting people we think would be good for our program."

Fulmer wouldn't give a specific number of the contacts he already has made.

"Right now, several," he said. "Some would be pretty obvious, and there are others out there who have interest is the best way to leave it right now.

"Everybody has seasons going on and it's a busy, busy time for everybody."

Cutcliffe has made it clear he's most interested in returning to football as a head coach.

For him to explore those options, he would need some time to see what vacancies develop.

Fulmer said he's not on any specific timeline to make the hire, but ... "certainly, there will be a point where we need to come to some sort of resolution if that's the direction we go," he said of Cutcliffe.

Obviously, Fulmer wants someone in place who can work with and develop returning quarterback Erik Ainge and freshman Jonathan Crompton.

"First thing to do is make sure we get an outstanding quarterback coach," Fulmer said. "Somebody who can really do a great job with youngsters so they're coming up fundamentally, who has had some experience and success with guys.

"The next thing is have they had experience managing an offense and people and players and media and boosters and recruiting, all the things that go with that position."

Amazing Streak: Not UT's 16season bowl streak. Not UT's 22game winning streak against Vanderbilt. How about offensive guard Rob Smith's 22 consecutive starts since the beginning of 2004?

Smith has overcome shoulder, hand and rib injuries to start every game this season at either guard or center.

But it goes back a lot further than that.

"I've never missed a game I was slated to start since the first grade," Smith said. "That's the way I was raised.

"My dad, no matter how sick I was, wouldn't let me miss a game. I've kind of gotten to the point now where it's a sense of pride for me not to miss practice or miss a game."

Senior Day: Twenty-six UT seniors will run/walk/limp through the "T" solo during Saturday's 12:30 p.m. home finale against Vanderbilt.

Jason Allen and Gerald Riggs, Jr., are two of the seniors sidelined for the season, but expected to walk through the "T" for the final time at home.

Others are Rick Clausen, Cody Douglas, C.J. Fayton, Jake Finlayson, Omar Gaither, Richie Gandy, Jason Hall, Chris Hannon, Parys Haralson, Jesse Mahelona, Jason Mitchell, Kevin Simon, Albert Toeaiana, Jon Catanzano, Peter Chang, Ryan Fusco, Bill Martin, Adam Miles, Jon Poe, Lester Ransom, Justin Reed, Kevin Shipley, Robert Williams and Nick Wilson. Underset: .12 inches/ 1 lines