Entire UT offense to blame for sag

Not at Tennessee.

UT's record during Phillip Fulmer's coaching tenure is directly related to its quarterbacks' performance, or more accurately, their efficiency.

UT's quarterbacks have amassed a Fulmer-low 102.71 rating this season as they stumbled to a Fulmer-low 4-6 record. Senior Rick Clausen (119.06) and sophomore Erik Ainge (73.54) have split time throughout the year.

Ainge will start with Clausen questionable with a sore knee for Saturday's 12:30 p.m. game at Kentucky (TV: WVLT).

Of Fulmer's 11 or more win seasons (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), quarterbacks have never dipped below a passing rating of 145 and account for four of the six top quarterback performances, statistically, under Fulmer.

UT has lost four games or more in a season four times under Fulmer (1994, 2000, 2002, 2005). UT's best pass-efficiency rating in those years was 132.71 in 1994.

Heath Shuler's 1993 performance, 161.30, was the highest rating under Fulmer followed by Casey Clausen's 153.59 in 2001. The Peyton Manning era (1994-97) consists of the next four highest pass efficiency ratings for a season.

Fulmer is quick to point out that a quarterback's pass-efficiency rating also depends on his teammates.

"It's really been a combination of a lot of different things," Fulmer said, "that's been our downfall. Some of that's route-running. Some of that's throws. Some of that's protection.

"Penalties and down-and-distance, all those things play into being an efficient offense. We're struggling with that."

So, according to Fulmer, UT's pass-efficiency rating isn't an indictment of its quarterbacks. It's an indictment of the entire offense.

Senior wide receiver C.J. Fayton suggested that one reason UT's offense has struggled this season was the lack of chemistry between UT's receivers and whoever is playing quarterback at that particular time.

"It's very important," Fayton said. That's something early in the year that we couldn't do. We really couldn't get in rhythm with the quarterback going back and forth.

"Quarterbacks have to adjust to receivers and know who they're throwing to. Receivers have to do the same for quarterbacks. That's a chemistry we're lacking pretty much all year."

Fayton said that chemistry could be one of the main reasons UT never even came close to meeting its lofty preseason goals.

"We left a lot of plays as receivers in the passing game on the field," Fayton said. "That could have changed our season tremendously."

UT is likely just days away from old school. Former UT offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe has been offered his old position after being UT's offensive coordinator for six years under Fulmer.

Statistically, Cutcliffe's return is good news for UT fans.

Of UT's five highest passing-efficiency ratings under Fulmer, Cutcliffe was the top offensive coach for four of those years (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998). Randy Sanders has coached seven complete years under Fulmer. Sanders stepped down on Oct. 31 but will remain on the staff through the end of the season as quarterbacks coach.