Foster, Hardesty get call to carry the load

"They’re doing fine," Fulmer said. "We’re very fortunate to have some depth and guys who have played in big games already.

"We’re expecting big things from both of them."

Foster will start tonight.

Fulmer just hopes Hardesty can stay healthy as he continues to come back from offseason knee surgery.

"His knee still swells some," he said. "The open date was good for him, but after last week it swelled up on him some.

"It’s just a matter of time. Sometimes it’s 9-10-11 months and sometimes it’s 16-17 months with an injury like that."

UT running backs coach Kurt Roper said he didn’t necessarily agree with Foster’s assertion that the sophomore had gotten a bit rusty. Foster missed three games after suffering an ankle injury against Air Force on Sept. 9.

"I don’t see any rust on him as far as knowing what to do, competing hard and playing with great effort," Roper said.

Trickeration? South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s penchant for trick plays isn’t lost on the Vols.

Fulmer said he’s certainly aware of Spurrier’s tendency to draw plays up in the dirt.

"He has special plays and he’s a little more daring than some people would to run those special plays," Fulmer said. "That’d be fair to say."

Strong Borders: Junior offensive guard Eric Young, who grew up in South Carolina, said it’s hard to leave the state for another school.

"You know that," said Young, who was considering South Carolina and Clemson during his senior year at Union (S.C.) High School before signing with UT in 2003. "They’re still giving me a tough time about it.

"I’m glad it’s over. That recruiting process, it was a monster for me. It got kind of serious. It was playful but it was in a serious manner."

D-End Duo: Defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell cited big plays when asked how Antonio Reynolds has improved.

Caldwell said the junior played his best two games over the last two games, against Georgia and Alabama. Reynolds has had three tackles for loss in those games, including a key sack on the Crimson Tide’s final drive.

"Prior to those last two weeks, he had been playing well, he just hadn’t been making things happen," Caldwell said.

Reynolds’ improved playmaking ability can only help UT’s defense, directly and indirectly.

"Anytime you get a guy that can be dominant, it helps free up other people," Caldwell said.

The most likely benefactor could be fellow end Xavier Mitchell.

"Xavier’s been playing very well," Caldwell said. "Now that we’ve got them both. If they can continue to get better each ball game, it’s going to make them both end up making more plays."

Not Forgotten Freshman: Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said Quintin Hancock has been slowed by a sore hamstring. The freshman receiver also has struggled with assignments since being the talk of preseason camp.

"You can’t get defenses to stay in the same defense the whole time," Taylor quipped.

Taylor doesn’t consider this a wasted season for Hancock, despite the fact he has played very little yet can’t redshirt.

"Just him traveling as a freshman is going to give him some experience and some help for next year when he’s going to be called on," Taylor said.

Hefney Has CAREacter: Jonathan Hefney was named this week’s CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week for his on-field performance and commitment to off-field success.

Hefney, a native of South Carolina, had interceptions in each of UT’s past two meetings with the Gamecocks.

"Jonathan Hefney is one of our best football players," Fulmer said. "He’s got tremendous attitude and work ethic, really fine ability, and now with the experience he’s had playing both safety and corner for us, he has really grown into a fine football player."

The political science major has been a frequent visitor to Boys and Girls Clubs in the Knoxville community.

Notebook: Fulmer named offensive linemen David Ligon and Arron Sears, defensive tackle Turk McBride, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, cornerback Jonathan Wade and placekicker James Wilhoit as captains for tonight’s game. ? Wilhoit did not make the list of the nine finalists for Draddy Trophy, an award generally regarded as the Academic Heisman.

Dave Hooker and Drew Edwards contributed to this report.