Tennessee linebacker Jason Mitchell heard the comment by head coach Phillip Fulmer, who said he had the best 3-3 team in the country.

Mitchell agreed.

"You have no choice but to think we're the best 3-3 team," Mitchell said. "If you go from athletic ability to players to coaching staff, all that stuff, we are the best 3-3 team, hands down. We just don't have the wins to show it.

"It won't make us feel any better about that in December. What bowl are we going to be playing in, if we even make it to a bowl? You never know what could happen the way the season's going."

UT will try to salvage what's left of it starting Saturday night when an old nemesis, Steve Spurrier, brings South Carolina into Neyland Stadium.

Spurrier spent 12 years as Florida's coach, ruffling feathers at UT every fall. His teams won six SEC titles.

After two years in the NFL and one out of football, Spurrier is back.

Mitchell, a senior, says the Vols just need a victory -- regardless of who's standing on the other sideline.

"Right now winning the game means a lot more than playing the coach or anything," Mitchell said. "We need to play somebody and win. We'd feel a lot better. Right now the season ain't going as expected and a win over coach Spurrier would probably be nice, but just a win period would make us feel a lot better."

UT's defense is ranked sixth in the nation in rushing defense and has allowed only one touchdown pass in six games - none in four SEC games.

Mitchell says there is no finger-pointing by the defense, which has given the Vols a chance in every game while the offense struggles to score.

"You're still supportive of them (the offense) because it's not like they're not moving the ball," Mitchell said. "It's just they can't get the ball in the end zone. It's not like they're making an obscene amount of errors or mistakes because they are playing good football.

"They just can't put the ball in the end zone. It's like us, at one point in time we would play good on first and second down, but on third down teams were moving the ball. It's almost that type of thing."

UT has won the last 12 games against South Carolina, and Fulmer has never lost to the Gamecocks.

Like other teams left on UT's schedule, South Carolina must be thinking this is a chance to get even.

"They shouldn't think that because we're still Tennessee and we still play with a lot of passion when we go out on the field," Mitchell said.

After all, it may be the best 3-3 team in the country.